The Tops in 2009: Part 2

Aaaand ... we're back!

If you haven't read numbers 10 though 6, well then scroll down. Or better yet, just clicker here? (http://blakegoble.blogspot.com/2010/01/tops-in-2009-part-1.html)

Now, for the thrilling conclusion to: The Tops in 2009!

A striking and promising debut from designer Tom Ford, "Single Man" is a tragic story of love lost and a day in the life of a Los Angeles english professor. Colin Firth ("Mamma Mia!") puts on a show as George, the professor who just lost his long-term lover Jim (Matthew Goode, "Watchmen") to an accident. George contemplates suicide, constantly being teased into staying alive. The loss burns deep. We feel George's pain. Firth is Best Actor worthy, as was Jeff Bridges in '09. But unlike "Crazy Heart," "Man" is filmed a stylish sturdiness that shows Tom Ford isn't just some shallow sex machine in a suit. There's a lot that goes on beneath the exterior, and we look a little bit inside George. To be fair, I did want to buy some damn Ford clothes after this thing. But, I settled for downloading the elegant soundtrack. This is "Mad Men's" tortured soul, and it's way more affecting.

Alright! Pixar comes back into my heart with Pete Docter's "Up." After superficial efforts in "Wall-E" and "Cars," (yeah, I called them superficial) "Up" re-strengthens the Pixar mold of sturdy stories met with sterling sights. Ed Asner (TV's "Freakazoid!" for some reason) is Carl, a widower who decides to take the trip to South America he promised his wife so long ago. And if you've seen a poster, you know he gets there in his house, with a helluva lotta balloons. Carl's joined by Russel, an over-eager young Boy Scout, Dug, a most likable talking dog, and Kevin, a large and rare bird. Part fantasy, part cautionary tale, "UP" is all whimsy. Also, the perfect first ten minutes will make you cry in way that puts Bambi to shame. Carl and his wive's lives are chronicled in a perfectly edited and scored montage, deserving of study.

Somewhere, in some preview, a critic claimed that the stop motion "Fantastic Mr. Fox" just goes to show that "Pixar doesn't have a monopoly on fine films." And how. Wes Anderson's latest is not only his best work in eight years, but it's his most creative piece, well suited for his talents of selfish men and meaningful minutiae for the camera. George Clooney is that fox, and we follow his fun and fancy free as he faces off with three nasty farmers. But's there far more than just that story on display. "Mr. Fox" is a rich and rewarding adaptation from the doyen of children's fiction, Roald Dahl. Seeing as Anderson's film is about details, here a few of the strong ones: Stellar soundtrack, perfectly cast voices, a thoughtful story, great sense of humor, smart and simple dialogue, style to spare, details, details and more details. And it only gets better with each fantastic viewing. Damn. Almost made it without the obvious comment...

This film has become almost supernatural in my mind. Werner Herzog's "Bad Lieutenant" is an immediate cult classic on institutional failure and excesses in the life and times of one, bad, policeman. Nic Cage is in full gonzo mode, screaming, drinking, fucking, betting, shooting, snorting, beating, and just plain gettin' real weird with it. As Terence McDonough, the bad man of the title, Cage plays a possibly good man, tainted by, well, everything that surrounds him. Ostensibly, "Lieutenant" is a rambling mess. Why watch Cage be forkin' nuts for two hours? Because the memories are deep, lasting and often hysterical. Try watching this and not having a quote-a-thon after it's done. That's not to belittle Herzog's character study as too strange to watch. In fact, Cage and Herzog would only want you to call this movie crazy. This is a tour de force movie. And if you aren't seeing iguanas afterwards ... well, that's probably alright.

I probably shouldn't tell you this, but lemme tell you why "The Hurt Locker" was so damn awesome. I went to see this with three friends, and admittedly, a couple of us were drunk ... ish. We saw it with the idea that this was supposed to be some unusually good action flick. Ya know, some wise-crackin' bomb defuser flick. "Speed" without Keanu. Well, within 15 minutes, it's like all the Bud Select had been diffused and I was in a catatonic state. Same went for the others with me. "Hurt Locker" grabbed all of us.

Kathryn Bigelow's structuralist war epic "Hurt Locker" grabs you, keeps you in its clenched fists, and never leaves. I have only seen "Hurt Locker" once, but it's just that affecting. A flawless thriller of ideas and technique, Bigelow hit a career high. More than bomb defuser actioner, "Hurt Locker" is not only best film to observe the Iraq War, it is one of the great war films. It is innovative for its aesthetics, breath-taking for its story, and certainly the finest film of 2009. Unlike the ephemeral jolt of an explosion, this important stunner of a film will endure.

"Antichrist" - I'm a sucker for shock value, and Lars Von Trier's psycho-drama featured gynocide, the death of an infant, and a forebodingly talkative fox. Hilarious to some, harrowing for others. This got folks talking.

"Observe & Report" - Jody Hill has tremendous potential. After seeing this pitch black comedy about a delusional mall cop, I foresee Hill becoming something of a Scorsese in comedy. Plus, Seth Rogen shows his dark side, and it's painfully, fatalistically funny.

"Broken Embraces" - A film appreciation course for film lovers. Parts Welles, Hitchcock, Truffaut, Herzog and a dozen others, Almodovar created a soapy opus about a blind filmmaker's lost film. Penelope Cruz is luminous. Indulgent, in a mostly marvelous way.

"Le Nana (The Maid)" - From Chile, this domestic disturbance of a movie was way underseen. My hail mary for best actress, this examination of a maid in crisis after 20+ years of aiding her family draws you in. Eerily familiar, and sensationally dramatic.

Did not see:

"35 Shots of Rum"

"Goodbye Solo"

"Anvi: The Story of Anvil"

"Ponyo"

"The Cove"

"The Messenger"

And the rest?:

"Avatar" B+

"Inglourious Basterds" B-

"An Education" A-

"Crazy Heart" B+

"Precious" B

"In the Loop" B+

"Up in the Air" C

"(500) Days of Summer" C