Top 20 Movies of 2009

20. Bad Lieutenant - Port of Call: New Orleans
Nic Cage descent into addiction and his struggle to keep his mind straight is surprisingly engrossing with a top notch supporting cast. Director Werner Herzog puts a lot of style in behind the camera trying to craze the audience at the same time as Cage.


19. Where the Wild Things Are
Turning a six page children's book into a feature film is no easy task. Spike Jonz makes it look easy with this revealing look at a temper tantrum through a child's very vivid imagination.


18. World's Greatest Dad
Robin Williams' best role since Good Will Hunting. He plays a the father of a meddlesome, completely unlikable child. Directed by Bobcat Goldthwaite, this film is easily the biggest surprise of 2009.

17. Bronson
The movie that will shoot Tom Hardy to stardom. It is a crazy and manic movie and title character, but it is not without its gravitas and creativity. Truly an original work resembling the great gritty, mentally unstable anti-heroes of the 70s.


16. Brothers Bloom
The follow up to the very stylish highschool set neo-noir Brick, this adventure story follows 2 con man brothers as they trick an eccentric heiress out of her millions, but as usual life gets in the way. It is a fast-talking and witty style, but it is not without its heart.


15. Antichrist
Lars Von Tier's trippy, surreal journey through grief follows a couple on their therapuetic trip to a cabin after the loss of their child, but it all goes horribly wrong. Woman's manipulative husband and study material is unable to distract her from oncoming madness.


14. Sherlock Holmes
A new take on the fictional detective goes back to its gritty literature roots in Guy Ritchie's first installment to what is hopefully a long franchise. Downey Jr. cements his comeback status with this beautifully scored and set action/mystery.


13. Adventureland
Based on director Greg Mottola's real life summer job experience, a teen witty beyond his years finds himself in a love triangle with an equally witty young woman and his poser mentor, played ultimately charming by Ryan Reynolds.


12. Pontypool
A horror movie flying safely under the rader looks to rewrite the infected/zombie subgenre with this plague passed on through words taking place exclusively in a radio broadcasting booth. Verteran character actor Stephen McHattie is really memorable in his shock jock role.


11. Watchmen
The adaptation of Alan Moore's deconstruction on the comic medium takes few liberties yet keeps all the heart and meaning of the source material. Brilliantly casted and stylishly shot, it is great sister material to Moore's novel.


10. Star Trek
The revived science fiction franchise gets itself a new inspired cast and a sunglared direction by J.J. Abrams. It promises a long future.


9. (500) Days of Summer
Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordan Levitt perform excellently and carry this inntriguing not-love story to the finish. The final moment is a little weak, but it is ultimately heart-warming even in its most depressing moments.


8. Zombieland
Following the succees of Shaun of the Dead, this new zombie comedy pits an unlikely group of survivors against the legion of undead that is currently owning the planet. A very charismatic cast with some decent action and gore do not amount to the greatness of Shaun.. but they come damn close.


7. The Boat that Rocked
aka Pirate Radio. A comedy about the romance between man and his music enlightens and inspires a deep passion for the art of songwriting with the best ensemble cast of the year.


6. District 9
A science fiction metaphor for apartheid throws an average joe office drone, a breakout role for Sharlto Copley, in the middle of a corporate conspiracy and Kafka-esque transformation. It pulls the curtain back on race relations and discrimation.


5. The Hangover
One of the best comedies in years, The Hangover follows 3 groomsmen on their search for the groom in Las Vegas after their wild night leaves them with no memory of the events. Breakout roles for Zach Galifinakis and Bradley Cooper, who both now have projects lined up around the block.


4. Up in the Air
A talkative movie about the interconnectedness of people rests safely on the shoulders of George Clooney and his ability to deliver dialog. Jason Reitman is proving to be one of the best young directors out there.


3. Inglourious Basterds
Quentin Tarantino's ode to spaghetti westerns and WWII movies creates this oddball epic about a group of Jewish-American soldiers who reak havoc on the Nazi soldiers plaguing the land.


2. The Hurt Locker
One of the most tense movies this year, and possibly the decade. Like its subject matter, it is a slow burning fuse that could blow at any minute keeping the audience consistently at the edge of their seats. It does so not just through action and omenous music, but through real emotion from the soldiers. A truly unbiased Iraq War movie that focuses on the effects of war on the human condition.


1. Moon
Soon to be considered a science fiction classic, this film hits all the right beats. Sam Rockwell gives his greatest performance yet, and is easily the greatest performance of 2009.

Why Are People Ignoring Moon?

Moon is Duncan Jones' homage to the science fiction classic, Silent Running. Sam Rockwell plays Sam Bell, a blue collar worker alone on the moon harvesting a new form of fuel called Helium-3. Sam is very close to concluding his contract when he gets into an accident. Sam wakes up later with no memory of the accident, but later finds another Sam amongst the rubble. Now the two separate Sams, with 3 years difference in age, try to piece together the mystery surrounding their meeting.

Duncan Jones' directorial debut is incredibly strong. He weaves a mysterious and desperate story about the dangers of technology and the amoral business practices that follow them, as well as heartfelt injections of the human spirit. In a time where "science fiction" elicits images of caped crusaders and aliens with laser beams, Moon returns to sci-fi's roots depicting scientific advancement and challenges as well as exploring the consequences of doing so. He captures a dynamic setting within the muted corridors of an empty space station surrounded by miles and miles of barren rocky terrain. The already well displayed isolation and depression is multiplied by the somber, haunting score. Plus Jones cast Sam Rockwell.


Sam Rockwell is without a doubt the most underappreciated acting talent in Hollywood today. With his turns as a comic relief spaceman in Galaxy Quest, a likeable killer in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, or a love-lost father and husband in Snow Angels, Rockwell has solidified himself as one of the finest actors of his generation. His character, Sam Bell, is just another fine performance in an already impressive resume. Rockwell has more screen presence and charisma to turn even the lowliest character into a likeable guy. Some of the work is already done for him as the material depicts Sam as an every man. As such Sam ventures through a number of emotions most of which is either anger or depression, all of which Rockwell invites the audience to feel the same way. Practically the only actor in the movie, the emotional weight rest assuredly on his shoulders. Rockwell also of course plays two variations of the same character who interact with each other. That alone is a difficult thing for actors to do, yet Rockwell performs admirably going above and beyond all expectations.


Moon has all the makings of a science fiction classic. Its eerie, depressing score paces the movie perfectly. New advance technology is in abundance, yet Sam Bell's blue collar sensibilities keep the story grounded and relatable. The evils of big business sneak around every corner. So why is the best movie of 2009, and the best sci-fi of the decade being snubbed this award season? Sam Rockwell at the very least deserves to be at the top of everyone's Best Actor lists.

Top 10 Favorite Sci-Fi Flicks

After seeing Moon this summer and being completely mesmerized by it, I have had science fiction on the brain, particularly the kind that comes with a social conscious and meaningful disposition as well as the future tech and nuanced performances that have become the most common elements of all. Sci-fi really does get a bad rap what with the lonely loser Trekkie stereotype and really REALLY horrible "Sci-Fi (oh my bad SyFy) channel originals...." people just kind of scoff at, even though the numbers suggest they line up for everything that has a killer robot, invading aliens, or spandex-clad superheroes. There is no doubt more Sci-Fi in necessary in modern cinema, especially at this stage of special effects advancement. Here are my top favorite sci-fi flicks for you to whet your whistle on.

10. Equilibrium

Equilbrium takes after Farenheit 451 taking place in a distant future where art is illegal and passionate feelings of hate or love are buried by mandatory, government issue pharmaceuticals. Most art and "sense-offenders" are dispatched by "clerics." Christian Bale plays one such cleric who after missing a dose of his numbing perscription falls deeper and deeper into addiction of feeling all the while pretending he's not. It is probably one of his more impressive performances. Just the little things he does over the course of the day that make him stick out from the other clerics are very subtle yet set in motion the waves of emotion he feels at certain points within the movie. Euqilibirum is also chock full of some of the coolest action scenes, using the directors own blend of "Gun-Kata," gun play meets martial arts, that has to be seen to believe.

9. Eternal Sunshine for the Spotless Minds

No robots. No superheroes. No apocalytpic view of the future. Just your average joes of modern times undergoing a procedure that is out of this world. Joel, played by Jim Carey, undergoes mind erasure of a messy break-up and once great relationship he had with Clementine, played by Kate Winslet. Directed by the very fantastic Michel Gondry, the events of their relationship play mostly backwards, as Joel relives the relationship as the technicians erase them. Being conscious during the procedure, Joel drifts off to other memories trying to save his favorite times spent with Clementine.

8. Children of Men

In a post-apocalyptic world, all the women stopped having babies. It sends a number of people into complete apathy, while a select veiw become aggressive and violent. The world is in shambles both emotionally and physically, and no where is really safe as the world is reduced to slums and de-militarized zones. Clive Owen plays a man capable of great hope and love who has lost his way with the rest of the world until he is pulled into an operation by his ex-wife and her revolutionary cohorts to protect a young pregnant woman.

7. 12 Monkeys

Bruce Willis plays a time traveler forced into the past by the remaining humans of the future to gain intel on a disease that would eventually send humans underground. In 12 Monkeys, time travel is not an exact science. A couple of times Willis' character is sent to the wrong time, and he is even convinced he is crazy in modern times. Bruce Willis, known for his bravado and comic timing than his dramatic acting, excels surprisingly well even if Brad Pitt's psycho supporting character steals the show and gains more attention.

6. The Road Warrior

Most of the world knows it as Mad Max 2, but since it was released in the US before the first Mad Max that wouldn't make much sense. In fact, this arm's length distinction between the two works out for the best since the future of Mad Max and the future of The Road Warrior share a number of differences, the biggest being the amount of social decay that has occured. The Road Warrior depicts an Aussie setting where all government and society has completely erased leaving a number of boomtowns and villanous, nomadic gangs littering the highways. Max rises as a definitive anti-hero who's motivation for helping first comes from selfishness as he bargains for gas and equipment and later out of his own honor as he helps the residents of a boomtown escape. The Road Warrior is best remembered for its incredible finale car chase devoid of any CGI, strictly all stunt work.

5. Terminator 2: Judgement Day

Easily one of the greatest sequels cinema has ever offered, Arnold Shwarzeneggar returns as the wooden robot from the future not as a villain but as a hero protecting young John Connor from a much higher advanced robot combatant. Arnold is truly amazing in this movie. The Terminator itself is characterized by its absence of emotion, and while the leads to some comical interactions with John, you can actually see the Terminator grow and develop as a character in small subtle ways. The key to this change is his ever growing understanding of why humans are the way they are, which also unlocks the doors to why we created the technology that turned on us in the future and why we are worth saving, both of which would usually be answered with entirely opposing intentions.

4. Dark City

Influenced by the tone of film-noir, this mystery-thriller involved a group of aliens, known only as The Strangers, who lack any kind of differentiating characteristics, have taken it upon themselves to study the life and love of humans by systematically rearranging the elements of a small population of people's lives to see how they would unfold. One such human ends up being more than he appeared having the same reality warping powers as The Strangers. Now immune to their changes, he tries to piece together his far fragmented life and earn back the woman he loves, yet swears he has never met. This movie is chock full of incredible cityscapes resembling Burton's Batman or The Crow (no surprise since they share a director).

3. Empire Strikes Back

A best of sci-fi could not go without some kind of nod to Star Wars, and Empire Strikes Back has clearly been the best installment of that 6-part story in my opinion. First of all, it is Han Solo at his best. Same roguish charmer from A New Hope. Same bull-headed hero from Return of the Jedi. It is also our first introduction to Yoda, the philosophical mentor, and Lando, Han's frenemy for life. It also has the coolest action of any of the first three, and not to intentionaly quote Clerks, but it has an outstanding downer ending leaving the audience wanting more.

2. Blade Runner

A neo-noir detective mystery based on Philip K. Dick's Do Robots Dream of Electric Sheep, Richard Dekard is one the case to find 4 cyborgs (aka replicants) on the rampage after finding out they have expiration dates. The sad realization that they are not immortal and have more in common with humans sends them into a craze, pretty impressive for a computer brain. The tone, visuals, and Harrison Ford downplaying his investigator character and Rutger Hauer playing his sadist replicant up makes for a chilling dynamic. Catch the director's cut for a subtle subplot involving the possibility that Ford's Deckard is also a replicant. Any of the three verisons (at least 3 I know of) all include the sad, thoughtful last words of Hauer.

1. Moon

The reason that I am even making this list is because of this movie. Maybe it is just so fresh in mind and that I have an incredible bias for the talented and underappreciated Sam Rockwell that this new film makes it so high, but it deserves a spot on anyone's Top 10 sci-fi flicks regardless. It is funny, thoughtful, profound, and engaging, all impressive feats for a one-man-in-two-roles show. Sam Rockwell plays Sam Bell and Sam Bell, one of the same but coming aged three years apart meeting on a space mission to harvest the newly discovered energy source. After spending three years in isolation, anyone would go crazy, but is it really hallucinations or a bigger conspiracy at hand. Stay tuned for Duncan Jones', director of Moon and David Bowie's son, next feature Mute, a piece inspired by Blade Runner, and rumored to show the final fate of Sam Bell.

Honorable Mention: Serenity

I needed to throw some kind of honorable mention in here because there were so many movies I wanted to add but couldn't. For instance Serenity, the continuation of the short lived television series "Firefly." It follows the further adventures of war hero Captain Mal Reynolds and his band of miscreants as they live paycheck to paycheck as mercenaries. This time they get in over their heads with a conspiracy that goes all the way to the head of the new ruling class, the same bad guys who won the war against Mal's side. One part western, one part Star Wars. This is a fun action-adventure with truly charming characters and a great bad guy yet a pretty ham-fisted message.

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Review: Moon

Sam, an astronaut living on the moon for the past 3 years to harvest a new, cleaner fuel source, comes face to face with a younger self.

Sam Rockwell is Sam and Sam. Rockwell continues to prove that he is once the most underused resources in the movie industry. Sam is able to put in not one, but two, fantastic performances. He gets to answer the question (in a way) what would you tell your younger self? Kevin Spacey also gives a fantastic performance. He is the monotone voice of Gerty, the helper robot. His monotone voice is aided by emoticons on the robot's display, but somehow Spacey's monotone voice works without them.

The cinematography was not as claustrophobic as I thought it would do. Overall, it doesn't ruin the tone which is still nostaligic science fiction. None of that "Mom and Dad Save the Universe" kind of stuff, but socio-political look at human life.

The sets and special effects are better than you think they would be. Supposedly, the writer's strike meant that better than previously possible. The matte paintings for the moon landscape was very interesting.

The movie itself is only an hour and half, but it feels very long. Not a lot happens, nor does the scenery change that much, but Sam's performance is incredible and totally draws you in. Duncan Jones is also a damn great storyteller. For a first time director, he shows great potential. I cannot wait to see more from him.

8/10, Sam's performance and Duncan's storytelling are great.