Top 10 Films of 2009 (UK)

So, it's almost halfway through January so I'm probably overdue with my list of the 10 best films out of the 54 I saw in 2009.

As for how I'm classifying "best", well, that's a bit hazy to be honest. After all, a film can be artistically superb but not be as entertaining as a no-brain summer blockbuster, and of course my general mood both when watching a film and now when I look back on it can have a big effect on my opinion. In general I've simply asked myself "Which films would I most like to watch again?" - but there are some exceptions to that.

One slightly confusing aspect to the list - this list is based purely on films released in the UK during 2009, hence the presence of some of last year's Oscar contenders (and the potential absence of some of this year's likely nominees). In a few months I will hopefully have caught up with the rest of the US 2009 releases and can post a second top 10 that will match up with the Oscars better.

Anyway, on to the list:

1. District 9
2. Watchmen
3. The Hurt Locker
4. Star Trek
5. Revolutionary Road
6. Moon
7. The Wrestler
8. The Hangover
9. Frost/Nixon
10. Inglourious Basterds

Honourable Mention: In The Loop - a film I didn't review as I saw it on Blu-Ray, made it to number 11 on my list.

As you can tell, I like my sci-fi films. My review of Watchmen may not have indicated that I liked it as much as it's number 2 position implies, but a second viewing left me with a much improved opinion. The Hangover clinging on in number 8 may not hold up to a second viewing, however...

And while I'm at it, here's my list of the Top (Bottom) 5 Worst Films of 2009:

1. Repo! The Genetic Opera
2. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
3. Where The Wild Things Are
4. The Spirit
5. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

It's actually debatable whether or not Repo! counts as it never actually got a real cinema release, only a special one-off screening I had the misfortune of attending. In which case, G.I. Joe would be worst film and the crushingly dull A Christmas Carol would slot in at number 5.

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Sherlock Holmes, Where The Wild Things Are, Nine

So, on to the final three 2009 releases that I saw:

Sherlock Holmes

Crucial to your enjoyment of Sherlock Holmes is bearing in mind that this isn't a true Sherlock Holmes adaptation. It is instead a 19th-century comic-book action movie which happens to share certain characters and ideas with Conan-Doyle's novels. If you can manage that then chances are you will find Guy Ritchie's first foray into Hollywood to be quite fun. It's stylish, well-acted, features some good action scenes and is fairly amusing. Whilst not quite the spectacular roller-coaster some early reviews promised, it does enough to warrant the start of a new franchise and the sequel has already been set up very well.

VERDICT: Enjoyable enough if a little forgettable.

Where The Wild Things Are

An adaptation of a (supposedly) classic children's book, Where The Wild Things Are tells the story of an obnoxious brat who runs away from home and finds himself in a fantasy world populated by large furry monsters, screws everything up there and then returns home. I really can't see the appeal, especially as the director Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich) has opted for a very indie-movie, grown-up approach resulting in a film that is boring for children and contains no plot for adults. The cinematography and the creature costumes/effects are very impressive though.

VERDICT: A waste of time.

Nine

Another Broadway musical adaptation from the director of Chicago, Nine was widely expected to be a major Oscar contender, but poor reviews and box office have put paid to that. As you would expect from a cast with a combined 7 Oscar wins (and 11 further nominations) the acting is good (Marillon Cotillard being the stand-out), and the cinematography, production design, costumes and so on are excellent. Unfortunately the plot itself doesn't have much substance and the songs aren't very memorable. All in all a lackluster effort.

VERDICT: It's okay but very forgettable.

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