Statesman's top movies of 2009

Thursday, December 31, 2009

1 of 22

1. "The Hurt Locker" -- So taut it's almost minimalistic, Kathryn Bigelow's Iraq war drama gets everything right. Kablooey happens, but that's background
noise. The film, shot with stark, startling realism, burrows into soldiers' psyches in ways we haven't seen before. A new kind of war demands a new kind of telling. This is it.
-Chris Garcia

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1. "The Hurt Locker" -- So taut it's almost minimalistic, Kathryn Bigelow's Iraq war drama gets everything right. Kablooey happens, but that's background
noise. The film, shot with stark, startling realism, burrows into soldiers' psyches in ways we haven't seen before. A new kind of war demands a new kind of telling. This is it.
-Chris Garcia

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2. "Up in the Air" -- A model of classical Hollywood craft, with all the pieces - acting, storytelling, tone, look, sound - falling together with effortless precision.
-Chris Garcia

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3. "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" -- People who have attacked this movie seem to think it reinforces racist stereotypes. I think it blows them to pieces.
-Charles Ealy

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4. "The Messenger" -- The consequences of war become quite personal in the directorial debut of Oren Moverman. With fine performances by Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson.
-Charles Ealy

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5. "Moon" -- A man on the moon (Sam Rockwell) wrestles with identity, his corporate bosses and, in the strangest way, himself in director Duncan Jones' witty and transporting debut.
-Chris Garcia

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6. "In the Loop" -- A blast of acrid comedy that profanely voices disgust with the war whose origins it fictionalizes.
-John DeFore

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7. "Goodbye Solo" -- Ramin Bahrani's sad but defiantly affirmative indie drama is a textured study in compassion and the zest for life. Its mile-wide soul is infectious.
-Chris Garcia

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8. "A Prophet" -- This mesmerizing tale of a young criminal who works his way up in a tough French prison first played at the Cannes Film Festival. It opens in Austin in March. Like "The Hurt Locker," it reinvents a genre.
-Charles Ealy

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9. "The Informant!" -- More insightful about run-amok capitalism than the well-intentioned "Up in the Air," Steven Soderbergh's strange black comedy wasn't about the Great Recession but speaks to it nonetheless.
-John DeFore

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10. "A Serious Man" -- The Coen brothers come closer than they ever have to showing us the soul behind their cinematic vision.
-John DeFore

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11. "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" -- Heavy metal, a sound of rage and release, isn't known for its emotional range. But this documentary about jowly `80s metal
band Anvil staging an impossible comeback is as affecting as the best "Rocky" tales. It's one of the great soul-baring portraits of a band in crisis, up there with 2004's "Metallica: Some Kind of Monster."
-Chris Garcia

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12. "The Road" -- Harrowing and dark but by no means a one-note bleakfest, this adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's revered novel convincingly depicts paternal
devotion strong enough to withstand an apocalypse.
-John DeFore

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14. "Bright Star" -- What could have been an effete costume melodrama - about the doomed romance between 19th-century poet John Keats and seamstress Fanny
Brawne - is, in Jane Campion's artful hands, the most heartbreaking film of the year.
-Chris Garcia

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13. "Funny People" -- It's funny, it's sad, it's a mess. But Judd Apatow's valentine to the art of stand-up comedy - and to life - rings true in so many satisfying ways that you leave full and happy.
-Chris Garcia

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15. "An Education" -- Along with "Precious," represented two very different, very compelling coming-of-age stories about young women who dream of escaping the worlds ("Precious" unbelievably horrific, "An Education" merely uninspiring) they were born into.
-John DeFore

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16. "Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans" -- One of our most organically loony filmmakers, Werner Herzog, tackles a generic American crime story and makes
it hypnotic and new and crackpot funny. Nicolas Cage is downright possessed, and those reptilian cameos graze the psychedelic.
-Chris Garcia

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17. "A Town Called Panic" -- One of the loopiest animated features ever made, it won the audience award at Fantastic Fest. The Belgian flick opens in Austin in January.
-Charles Ealy

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18. "Fantastic Mr. Fox" -- Wes Anderson's stop-motion animated throwback plinks just the right notes of whimsy. A wry, even worldly, fable that finds uninhibited joy without cloying.
-Chris Garcia

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19. "Up" -- Pixar proves yet again why it has been so successful. It's all about storytelling.
-Chalres Ealy

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20. "Me & Orson Welles" -- Austin director Richard Linklater deserves major props for pulling off this touching coming-of-age tale, written by Austinites Vince and Holly Gent Palmo. Christian McKay has a breakout performance as Welles.
-Charles Ealy

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21. "The Burning Plain" -- What good is a top 10 list if it doesn't champion at least one gem that other critics have panned? This one is from director Guillermo Arriaga and based on a story by the revered Mexican writer Juan Rulfo. Charlize Theron stars.
-Charles Ealy

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Statesman film critics' top movies of 2009.

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Statesman's top movies of 2009

2. "Up in the Air" -- A model of classical Hollywood craft, with all the pieces - acting, storytelling, tone, look, sound - falling together with effortless precision.-Chris Garcia

3. "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" -- People who have attacked this movie seem to think it reinforces racist stereotypes. I think it blows them to pieces.-Charles Ealy

4. "The Messenger" -- The consequences of war become quite personal in the directorial debut of Oren Moverman. With fine performances by Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson.-Charles Ealy

5. "Moon" -- A man on the moon (Sam Rockwell) wrestles with identity, his corporate bosses and, in the strangest way, himself in director Duncan Jones' witty and transporting debut.-Chris Garcia

6. "In the Loop" -- A blast of acrid comedy that profanely voices disgust with the war whose origins it fictionalizes.-John DeFore

7. "Goodbye Solo" -- Ramin Bahrani's sad but defiantly affirmative indie drama is a textured study in compassion and the zest for life. Its mile-wide soul is infectious.-Chris Garcia

8. "A Prophet" -- This mesmerizing tale of a young criminal who works his way up in a tough French prison first played at the Cannes Film Festival. It opens in Austin in March. Like "The Hurt Locker," it reinvents a genre.-Charles Ealy

9. "The Informant!" -- More insightful about run-amok capitalism than the well-intentioned "Up in the Air," Steven Soderbergh's strange black comedy wasn't about the Great Recession but speaks to it nonetheless.-John DeFore

10. "A Serious Man" -- The Coen brothers come closer than they ever have to showing us the soul behind their cinematic vision.-John DeFore

12. "The Road" -- Harrowing and dark but by no means a one-note bleakfest, this adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's revered novel convincingly depicts paternal devotion strong enough to withstand an apocalypse.-John DeFore

14. "Bright Star" -- What could have been an effete costume melodrama - about the doomed romance between 19th-century poet John Keats and seamstress Fanny Brawne - is, in Jane Campion's artful hands, the most heartbreaking film of the year.-Chris Garcia

13. "Funny People" -- It's funny, it's sad, it's a mess. But Judd Apatow's valentine to the art of stand-up comedy - and to life - rings true in so many satisfying ways that you leave full and happy.-Chris Garcia

15. "An Education" -- Along with "Precious," represented two very different, very compelling coming-of-age stories about young women who dream of escaping the worlds ("Precious" unbelievably horrific, "An Education" merely uninspiring) they were born into.-John DeFore

16. "Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans" -- One of our most organically loony filmmakers, Werner Herzog, tackles a generic American crime story and makes it hypnotic and new and crackpot funny. Nicolas Cage is downright possessed, and those reptilian cameos graze the psychedelic.-Chris Garcia

17. "A Town Called Panic" -- One of the loopiest animated features ever made, it won the audience award at Fantastic Fest. The Belgian flick opens in Austin in January.-Charles Ealy

18. "Fantastic Mr. Fox" -- Wes Anderson's stop-motion animated throwback plinks just the right notes of whimsy. A wry, even worldly, fable that finds uninhibited joy without cloying.-Chris Garcia

19. "Up" -- Pixar proves yet again why it has been so successful. It's all about storytelling. -Chalres Ealy

20. "Me & Orson Welles" -- Austin director Richard Linklater deserves major props for pulling off this touching coming-of-age tale, written by Austinites Vince and Holly Gent Palmo. Christian McKay has a breakout performance as Welles.-Charles Ealy

21. "The Burning Plain" -- What good is a top 10 list if it doesn't champion at least one gem that other critics have panned? This one is from director Guillermo Arriaga and based on a story by the revered Mexican writer Juan Rulfo. Charlize Theron stars.-Charles Ealy

Statesman film critics' top movies of 2009.

2. "Up in the Air" -- A model of classical Hollywood craft, with all the pieces - acting, storytelling, tone, look, sound - falling together with effortless precision.
-Chris Garcia

3. "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" -- People who have attacked this movie seem to think it reinforces racist stereotypes. I think it blows them to pieces.
-Charles Ealy

4. "The Messenger" -- The consequences of war become quite personal in the directorial debut of Oren Moverman. With fine performances by Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson.
-Charles Ealy

5. "Moon" -- A man on the moon (Sam Rockwell) wrestles with identity, his corporate bosses and, in the strangest way, himself in director Duncan Jones' witty and transporting debut.
-Chris Garcia

6. "In the Loop" -- A blast of acrid comedy that profanely voices disgust with the war whose origins it fictionalizes.
-John DeFore

7. "Goodbye Solo" -- Ramin Bahrani's sad but defiantly affirmative indie drama is a textured study in compassion and the zest for life. Its mile-wide soul is infectious.
-Chris Garcia

8. "A Prophet" -- This mesmerizing tale of a young criminal who works his way up in a tough French prison first played at the Cannes Film Festival. It opens in Austin in March. Like "The Hurt Locker," it reinvents a genre.
-Charles Ealy

9. "The Informant!" -- More insightful about run-amok capitalism than the well-intentioned "Up in the Air," Steven Soderbergh's strange black comedy wasn't about the Great Recession but speaks to it nonetheless.
-John DeFore

10. "A Serious Man" -- The Coen brothers come closer than they ever have to showing us the soul behind their cinematic vision.
-John DeFore

12. "The Road" -- Harrowing and dark but by no means a one-note bleakfest, this adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's revered novel convincingly depicts paternal
devotion strong enough to withstand an apocalypse.
-John DeFore

14. "Bright Star" -- What could have been an effete costume melodrama - about the doomed romance between 19th-century poet John Keats and seamstress Fanny
Brawne - is, in Jane Campion's artful hands, the most heartbreaking film of the year.
-Chris Garcia

13. "Funny People" -- It's funny, it's sad, it's a mess. But Judd Apatow's valentine to the art of stand-up comedy - and to life - rings true in so many satisfying ways that you leave full and happy.
-Chris Garcia

15. "An Education" -- Along with "Precious," represented two very different, very compelling coming-of-age stories about young women who dream of escaping the worlds ("Precious" unbelievably horrific, "An Education" merely uninspiring) they were born into.
-John DeFore

17. "A Town Called Panic" -- One of the loopiest animated features ever made, it won the audience award at Fantastic Fest. The Belgian flick opens in Austin in January.
-Charles Ealy

18. "Fantastic Mr. Fox" -- Wes Anderson's stop-motion animated throwback plinks just the right notes of whimsy. A wry, even worldly, fable that finds uninhibited joy without cloying.
-Chris Garcia

19. "Up" -- Pixar proves yet again why it has been so successful. It's all about storytelling.
-Chalres Ealy

20. "Me & Orson Welles" -- Austin director Richard Linklater deserves major props for pulling off this touching coming-of-age tale, written by Austinites Vince and Holly Gent Palmo. Christian McKay has a breakout performance as Welles.
-Charles Ealy

21. "The Burning Plain" -- What good is a top 10 list if it doesn't champion at least one gem that other critics have panned? This one is from director Guillermo Arriaga and based on a story by the revered Mexican writer Juan Rulfo. Charlize Theron stars.
-Charles Ealy