The 50 Best Movies of 2009
Call us greedy, but we've said it once, and we'll say it again: Ten is not enough. While nearly all movie critics engage in the time-honored tradition of ranking their picks for 10 best flicks of the year, we prefer to take this time of year to recognize the admirable quantity of quality of movies being produced, despite our occasional moaning that says otherwise. Therefore, like we have the past several years, we count to 50.
The big stories from 2009's list: Family fare ruled, with four animated films ranking in our top 15. It was also a good year for action and big budget movies, even if six of the year's 10 highest grossing movies didn't make the cut (prior to 'Avatar's' final figures, anyway). And perhaps the biggest lesson learned? Movies with the word "up" in the title totally rock. At least this year.
Presenting our 50 favorite films of 2009...
The big stories from 2009's list: Family fare ruled, with four animated films ranking in our top 15. It was also a good year for action and big budget movies, even if six of the year's 10 highest grossing movies didn't make the cut (prior to 'Avatar's' final figures, anyway). And perhaps the biggest lesson learned? Movies with the word "up" in the title totally rock. At least this year.
Presenting our 50 favorite films of 2009...
31. 'Adventureland'
Coming of age dramedies are a dime a dozen these days, so it's always a treat to find one that manages to be fresh, funny -- and not entirely clichéd. 'Superbad' director Greg Mottola scores again with this nostalgic trip to the titular park in the summer of '87 starring a lovable Jesse Eisenberg and an uncharacteristically charismatic Kristen Stewart. Plus, the film confirms what most of us have long suspected: Amusement park games are all rigged!
-- KP
Coming of age dramedies are a dime a dozen these days, so it's always a treat to find one that manages to be fresh, funny -- and not entirely clichéd. 'Superbad' director Greg Mottola scores again with this nostalgic trip to the titular park in the summer of '87 starring a lovable Jesse Eisenberg and an uncharacteristically charismatic Kristen Stewart. Plus, the film confirms what most of us have long suspected: Amusement park games are all rigged!
-- KP
11. 'Coraline'
Ushering in the 2009 trend of children's movies perhaps best appreciated by adults, the stop-motion animated 'Coraline' is dazzlingly inventive, eye-poppingly beautiful ... and scary as all-get-out. Coraline's richly strange and imaginative world gave us one of the best 3D movies ever made, and it will stay with us for a long, long time, even if that's sometimes unfortunately manifested through horrible nightmares involving button eyes. -- PJC
Ushering in the 2009 trend of children's movies perhaps best appreciated by adults, the stop-motion animated 'Coraline' is dazzlingly inventive, eye-poppingly beautiful ... and scary as all-get-out. Coraline's richly strange and imaginative world gave us one of the best 3D movies ever made, and it will stay with us for a long, long time, even if that's sometimes unfortunately manifested through horrible nightmares involving button eyes. -- PJC
1. 'Up in the Air'
With three feature films now under his belt – 'Thank You for Smoking,' 'Juno' and now this instant classic -- is there any doubt that 32-year-old Jason Reitman is one of Hollywood's best directors? George Clooney somehow makes a corporate downsizer (topical!) lovable and magnetic in a superb lead turn (his best yet), while Anna Kendrick and Vera Farmiga kill as the distinctly powerful women who change his life. 'Air' is a near-perfect film that is at times bitingly funny, at other times heartrendingly sad -- sort of like life, come to think of it. -- KP
With three feature films now under his belt – 'Thank You for Smoking,' 'Juno' and now this instant classic -- is there any doubt that 32-year-old Jason Reitman is one of Hollywood's best directors? George Clooney somehow makes a corporate downsizer (topical!) lovable and magnetic in a superb lead turn (his best yet), while Anna Kendrick and Vera Farmiga kill as the distinctly powerful women who change his life. 'Air' is a near-perfect film that is at times bitingly funny, at other times heartrendingly sad -- sort of like life, come to think of it. -- KP
Source for the rest of the list
xoxo
Carrie
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