CITYSunTimes Online Extras January 2010
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
The Best Films Of 2009
By David Malsch, Film Critic
1. Where the Wild Things Are
One thing I’ve learned thus far in life is that you peak at around 10 years old and spend the rest of your life reclaiming the victory. I couldn’t help but be reminded about that with the long waited film adaptation of this beloved children’s book – it was well worth the wait. Perfectly directed by Spike Jonze and co-written by Dave Eggers – these two have turned this story about the wonders of childhood into a tale about losing your childhood and having to face the real world. It’s about figuring out that nothing lasts forever, that parents aren’t perfect and sadly, friendships don’t always last forever. It may not sink in with younger audiences but it sure does hit home with the adults. The film may be based on a children’s story but it is much more grown-up than that. Technically, it’s a stunning looking film, the soundtrack is terrific and it only gets better with every additional viewing.
2. Inglorious Basterds
This is the best Quentin Tarantino film since Pulp Fiction without a doubt. While Pulp remains his best work, Basterds is a perfect example of a filmmaker who’s only getting better with age. Rouge Jewish Nazi Hunters reeking havoc through Europe during World War II – taking Nazi scalps along the way. It’s part action film part Spaghetti Western but completely Tarantino. It pays homage to films and genres and filled with great performances by Brad Pitt and especially Christoph Waltz who deserves a supporting actor Oscar. Good fun and my guilty pleasure of the year.
3. District 9
Definitely the most indie and original sci-fi film of the year. Set in present day, District 9 is the concentration camp/prison in South Africa that is filled with aliens – not the illegal kind but the extraterrestrial kind that showed up 20 years earlier. But this gem is more than a story about aliens vs. humans – it’s much more politically astute than that. It simmers with man’s inhumanity to man or beast, but never beats its audience over the head with it despite humans being the bad guys in the end.
4. (500) Days of Summer
This is not a love story – it warns us right away and sticks to it. It’s not bittersweet but rather bitter and sweet together. Romantic comedies rarely deliver like (500) Days does and for that reason it stands head above from the pack. Smartly written and directed with a terrific soundtrack in addition to wonderful acting make this Annie Hall for the 21st century.
5. Sin Nombre
The best foreign language film of the year is about two people desperate to escape their surroundings. One looking to save his life, while the other desperate to start a new life for herself. Two Central American immigrants travel atop trains and semis to get to America – for a chance of freedom and opportunity. First-time director Cary Fukunaga has made an amazing film about the immigrant experience and it feels much inspired by the Brazilian masterpiece, City of God.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Online Extra | CITYSunTimes January 2010