I am a huge movie freak as you might have noticed from my incessant babble about movies and actors and whatnot. I blame my family for letting me spend countless of hours superglued to the tv screen when I was a kid watching too many cartoons which resulted in a) a sharp sense of sarcasm and b) an understanding of the English language from a very fragile age.
This lead to a new way of annoying said family (screaming random words in English, like mistletoe or dumplings or pumpernickel while running around them in circles was a favorite past time) and the chance to enjoy movies at a fragile age without subtitles being a problem anymore.
There is honestly nothing better than a night at the cinema with a huge bag of popcorn or an evening cuddling up on the bed and pressing play. And of course I did just that last year!
I think I watched so many movies, from the good to the bad, from the amazing to the ones I refuse to admit I ever watched (cough Bruno cough), from the ones I watched countless of times to the ones that started full blown obsessions.
And as always, there are the ones that stood out like chest wound in an emergency room (medical humor, haha. Yeah, funny for just a smidgen of the population, I know) and these are it. I know it's almost February and all of the end of year lists are usually done, well, at the end of the year but I could not let my favorite movies pass unnoticed.
This lead to a new way of annoying said family (screaming random words in English, like mistletoe or dumplings or pumpernickel while running around them in circles was a favorite past time) and the chance to enjoy movies at a fragile age without subtitles being a problem anymore.
There is honestly nothing better than a night at the cinema with a huge bag of popcorn or an evening cuddling up on the bed and pressing play. And of course I did just that last year!
I think I watched so many movies, from the good to the bad, from the amazing to the ones I refuse to admit I ever watched (cough Bruno cough), from the ones I watched countless of times to the ones that started full blown obsessions.
And as always, there are the ones that stood out like chest wound in an emergency room (medical humor, haha. Yeah, funny for just a smidgen of the population, I know) and these are it. I know it's almost February and all of the end of year lists are usually done, well, at the end of the year but I could not let my favorite movies pass unnoticed.
And also, I am the kind of girl that would be late to her very own funeral so this is just typical :))
Without further adieu, in no order whatsoever, my favorite movies of the past year:
*
(click all photos for bigger)
The ones that will be watched a couple more (tens of) times:
Inglourious Basterds
Imdb here. Trailer here.
It's a Quentin Tarantino film so of course it had to be in my top ten. I love QT even if he always creeps me out a little and this movie had it all for me: an amazing cast (rounded up by Christoph Waltz who waltzed - haha, get it? - his way right into my heart with one of the best roles of the year!), that typical Tarantino violence that always seems to tiptoe the line between gruesome and cartoonish, a soundtrack so weird that it fit the movie just right (David Bowie anyone?), the equivalent of language eye-candy for the ears, and history as you've never seen it before. And Eli Roth manhandling Nazis with a baseball bat. Perfection!
The Hangover
Imdb here. Trailer here.
Okay, I admit it, I refused to watch this movie at first because I was more than convinced it was going to be another one of those atrocious movie that sell themselves as comedies but which are anything but. And boy, was I wrong! It's a truly funny comedy that makes you wince with laughter and makes you wipe happy tears from your eyes at the end and thank god that, even though you've had your fair share of drunken nights, at least you did not wake up with a missing tooth, a baby and Mike Tyson's tiger in the morning!
Where the Wild Things Are
Imdb here. Trailer here.
I remember reading the book as a kid and loving it. And even though I was skeptical at first, this really did turn out to be a beautiful portrayal of childhood and of just where a child's imagination and thirst for knowing "what is right?" can take him. And even if the movie did not hit it with you, the soundtrack is really just as quirky as the images themselves.
(500) Days of Summer
Imdb here. Trailer here.
This is truly not a love story. This is a story about love, true as it really is, happy and painful and raw and real and not always with a perfect ending. Joseph-Gordon Levitt and Zooey Dechantel click perfectly in this movie that feels like a music video at times, sharp and still funny. It goes back and forth, and forth and back again, because when love breaks our hearts and we're asked to 'start from the beginning' do we ever do? No, we just tell it how it springs to mind. To me this has been the most sincere love story portrayed on film.
An Education
Imdb here. Trailer here.
And speaking of love story and romances... this is not one either. True, it's a story about a relationship between a 35 year old man and a 16 year old girl, but the true romance is between her and herself. At 16, when the whole world is lying on your feet and someone offers you Paris and freedom, you can't say no. I loved this movie because it felt so close to my heart and deem it a must watch for anyone!
Sherlock Holmes
Imdb here. Trailer here.
Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. Honestly, need I say more? A Holmes like you've never seen him before and a Watson that is a true revelation in a movie that kicks ass and still holds (mostly) true to the original books. If you're a classic Holmes fan I am sure this will bug you because there are times when it feels more like a Die Hard than a British detective story but the characters are so charming and witty and engaging, and the relationship between them feels so genuine that you just cannot not fall in love.
The Boat that Rocked:
Imdb here. Trailer here.
Rock'n'Roll? Check. Cast featuring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighty, Nick Frost, Rhys Ifans and the cutie pie Tom Sturridge? Check. Feather hats and velvet blazers? Check. And did I meantion real, honest to god, lets-remember-the-good-old-times rock'n'roll when music was music and not Pepsi commercial contracts and haute couture wanna-be's? I dare you to watch this movie and not feel like shimmying around the house with a feather hat and David Bowie in the background. It's such a seriously fun feel-good movie that vibrates with music all around.
Avatar
Imdb here. Trailer here.
I think a good movie should be the kind of experience that sends shivers down your spine, making you gasp and tear up and smile until your face hurts; make you watch with wide eyes eyes glued to the screen and blows your mind to little bits, simply. Avatar is that kind of movie, a movie that will have you talking about it as the first of its kind, maybe just like the first Star Wars did so many years ago. It's really a visual and visceral experience, completely overwhelming, and entertainment (and isn't it the entertainment business after all?) at it's best.
Star Trek
Imdb here. Trailer here.
As a die hard Trekkie, I know I will always be subjective about this movie but it freaking rocked. As I mentioned before. A billion more viewings later, and I still lie impressed in my chair when McCoy warns people that "Dammit man, I'm a doctor not a ..." or when Spock drawls "Interesting." or Kirk gets his ass kicked by every character in the movie. It is an impressive feat to make the original movie proud, but this i just what this does.
By the way, anyone up for a Star Trek drinking game?
Up
Imdb here. Trailer here.
This was the kind of story that seriously tickled the kid in me. How many times have you not wished to take a bunch of balloons and fly away to places unknown? God knows I've spent too many days as a kid being the next great explorer in my mind. It also an adorable story about friendship (between a young, bouncy kid and a grumpy old man), about talking dogs, about dreams, about birds named Kevin. It made me tear up a couple of times, and laugh till my sides hurt most of the time. Go watch it and tell me you don't feel like buying balloons afterward!
Honorable Mentions:
The Soloist
(trailer here)
The performances are the things that got me here. Brilliant acting from both actors.
Inkheart
(trailer here)
I don't think I've ever really grown up. Why else would I be this attracted to any movie that plays with imagination and stories and magic?
I Love You Man
(trailer here)
I love funny comedies that are actually funny and they are a rarity these days (Meet the Spartans, anyone? Ugh!).
Easy Virtue
(trailer here)
I admit it, this one had me at the British accents, Colin Firth and Ben Barnes.
District 9
(trailer here)
I loved this, from the plot (best alien 'invasion' plot ever) to the main actor who was not even a real actor yet did a marvelous job!
Adventureland
(trailer here)
A small, cute, coming-of-age movie that I felt wasn't as full of teen flick cliche's as most of the movies out there. Really enjoyed it and the acting was absolutely great!
Other Honorable Mentions
(I was too lazy too screencap the trailers anymore but that does not mean I loved them any less!)
(Keep your eye open for a Doctor Parnassus post in the near future. Brilliant movie, it's a Terry Gilliam insane ride. It also proves that Heath's death was a big loss for movies out there because he shines in that role, blowing everyone out of the water!)
(all screen captures by me from Apple.com trailers. All posters from around the internet)
*
Your turn!
Did you suffer through Bruno as much as me? Should Captain Fine - I mean Kirk follow Mr Shattner's lead and have his shirt ripped off more in the new Star Trek? Can Diane Kruger be any more awesome? Do you agree that Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law are the most perfect pairing since sliced bread and toasters?
And oh yeah: What were your favorite movies of 2009?
*
Video of the Day:
Sherlock Holmes music video set to Ke$a's Tik Tok
(A-MAZING :D)
(click all photos for bigger)
The ones that will be watched a couple more (tens of) times:
Inglourious Basterds
Imdb here. Trailer here.
It's a Quentin Tarantino film so of course it had to be in my top ten. I love QT even if he always creeps me out a little and this movie had it all for me: an amazing cast (rounded up by Christoph Waltz who waltzed - haha, get it? - his way right into my heart with one of the best roles of the year!), that typical Tarantino violence that always seems to tiptoe the line between gruesome and cartoonish, a soundtrack so weird that it fit the movie just right (David Bowie anyone?), the equivalent of language eye-candy for the ears, and history as you've never seen it before. And Eli Roth manhandling Nazis with a baseball bat. Perfection!
The Hangover
Imdb here. Trailer here.
Okay, I admit it, I refused to watch this movie at first because I was more than convinced it was going to be another one of those atrocious movie that sell themselves as comedies but which are anything but. And boy, was I wrong! It's a truly funny comedy that makes you wince with laughter and makes you wipe happy tears from your eyes at the end and thank god that, even though you've had your fair share of drunken nights, at least you did not wake up with a missing tooth, a baby and Mike Tyson's tiger in the morning!
Where the Wild Things Are
Imdb here. Trailer here.
I remember reading the book as a kid and loving it. And even though I was skeptical at first, this really did turn out to be a beautiful portrayal of childhood and of just where a child's imagination and thirst for knowing "what is right?" can take him. And even if the movie did not hit it with you, the soundtrack is really just as quirky as the images themselves.
(500) Days of Summer
Imdb here. Trailer here.
This is truly not a love story. This is a story about love, true as it really is, happy and painful and raw and real and not always with a perfect ending. Joseph-Gordon Levitt and Zooey Dechantel click perfectly in this movie that feels like a music video at times, sharp and still funny. It goes back and forth, and forth and back again, because when love breaks our hearts and we're asked to 'start from the beginning' do we ever do? No, we just tell it how it springs to mind. To me this has been the most sincere love story portrayed on film.
An Education
Imdb here. Trailer here.
And speaking of love story and romances... this is not one either. True, it's a story about a relationship between a 35 year old man and a 16 year old girl, but the true romance is between her and herself. At 16, when the whole world is lying on your feet and someone offers you Paris and freedom, you can't say no. I loved this movie because it felt so close to my heart and deem it a must watch for anyone!
Sherlock Holmes
Imdb here. Trailer here.
Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. Honestly, need I say more? A Holmes like you've never seen him before and a Watson that is a true revelation in a movie that kicks ass and still holds (mostly) true to the original books. If you're a classic Holmes fan I am sure this will bug you because there are times when it feels more like a Die Hard than a British detective story but the characters are so charming and witty and engaging, and the relationship between them feels so genuine that you just cannot not fall in love.
The Boat that Rocked:
Imdb here. Trailer here.
Rock'n'Roll? Check. Cast featuring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighty, Nick Frost, Rhys Ifans and the cutie pie Tom Sturridge? Check. Feather hats and velvet blazers? Check. And did I meantion real, honest to god, lets-remember-the-good-old-times rock'n'roll when music was music and not Pepsi commercial contracts and haute couture wanna-be's? I dare you to watch this movie and not feel like shimmying around the house with a feather hat and David Bowie in the background. It's such a seriously fun feel-good movie that vibrates with music all around.
Avatar
Imdb here. Trailer here.
I think a good movie should be the kind of experience that sends shivers down your spine, making you gasp and tear up and smile until your face hurts; make you watch with wide eyes eyes glued to the screen and blows your mind to little bits, simply. Avatar is that kind of movie, a movie that will have you talking about it as the first of its kind, maybe just like the first Star Wars did so many years ago. It's really a visual and visceral experience, completely overwhelming, and entertainment (and isn't it the entertainment business after all?) at it's best.
Star Trek
Imdb here. Trailer here.
As a die hard Trekkie, I know I will always be subjective about this movie but it freaking rocked. As I mentioned before. A billion more viewings later, and I still lie impressed in my chair when McCoy warns people that "Dammit man, I'm a doctor not a ..." or when Spock drawls "Interesting." or Kirk gets his ass kicked by every character in the movie. It is an impressive feat to make the original movie proud, but this i just what this does.
By the way, anyone up for a Star Trek drinking game?
Up
Imdb here. Trailer here.
This was the kind of story that seriously tickled the kid in me. How many times have you not wished to take a bunch of balloons and fly away to places unknown? God knows I've spent too many days as a kid being the next great explorer in my mind. It also an adorable story about friendship (between a young, bouncy kid and a grumpy old man), about talking dogs, about dreams, about birds named Kevin. It made me tear up a couple of times, and laugh till my sides hurt most of the time. Go watch it and tell me you don't feel like buying balloons afterward!
Honorable Mentions:
The Soloist
(trailer here)
The performances are the things that got me here. Brilliant acting from both actors.
Inkheart
(trailer here)
I don't think I've ever really grown up. Why else would I be this attracted to any movie that plays with imagination and stories and magic?
I Love You Man
(trailer here)
I love funny comedies that are actually funny and they are a rarity these days (Meet the Spartans, anyone? Ugh!).
Easy Virtue
(trailer here)
I admit it, this one had me at the British accents, Colin Firth and Ben Barnes.
District 9
(trailer here)
I loved this, from the plot (best alien 'invasion' plot ever) to the main actor who was not even a real actor yet did a marvelous job!
Adventureland
(trailer here)
A small, cute, coming-of-age movie that I felt wasn't as full of teen flick cliche's as most of the movies out there. Really enjoyed it and the acting was absolutely great!
Other Honorable Mentions
(I was too lazy too screencap the trailers anymore but that does not mean I loved them any less!)
(Keep your eye open for a Doctor Parnassus post in the near future. Brilliant movie, it's a Terry Gilliam insane ride. It also proves that Heath's death was a big loss for movies out there because he shines in that role, blowing everyone out of the water!)
(all screen captures by me from Apple.com trailers. All posters from around the internet)
*
Your turn!
Did you suffer through Bruno as much as me? Should Captain Fine - I mean Kirk follow Mr Shattner's lead and have his shirt ripped off more in the new Star Trek? Can Diane Kruger be any more awesome? Do you agree that Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law are the most perfect pairing since sliced bread and toasters?
And oh yeah: What were your favorite movies of 2009?
*
Video of the Day:
Sherlock Holmes music video set to Ke$a's Tik Tok
(A-MAZING :D)
.png&src=http://www.intrefete.ro/images/widgets/custom/generated/anna-pope-galer_1285662701.jpg)
11 comments:
my fav ones?hmmm
Avatar,Sherlock Holmes,Star Trek...
mainly the ones on your list,plus The princess and frog..what can I say,I'm a sucker for Disney
hello... azi am descoperit blogul tau si e f fain...o sa mai trec pe aici...
din 2009 mie mi--a placut mult los abrazos rotos...robert downey jr e la fel de delicios ca intotdeauna si face tot filmul...avatar a fost o surpriza pt mine pt ca de obicei u imi plac nici animatiile nici sf-urile - dar mi-a placut mult planeta aia magica si oamenii albastri cu cozi albastre si nasuri de pisica.
Excelent articol :)
Multe din filmele care le-ai selectat mi-au placut si mie. Unele nu le-am vazut insa daca le recomanzi tu sigur trebuie sa le iau :P
What about Zombieland :D
My husband and I we are planning to have a movie marathon this coming Saturday. I must say your movie list is perfect. Thanks.
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I absolutely agree with you on your movie choices. These movies are worth watching al over again.
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Where the wild things are, up, and 500 days of summer were sublime. Avatar, Sherlock Holmes, and Star Trek were all great entertainment, if not life changing. Really comprehensive movie list
Yeah its a great blog.
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The Boat That Rocked, clar :)
+ Across The Universe.
Probabil si Avatar. Il vad saptamana urmatoare.
Inglourious Basterds was outstanding. I was so disappointed that Quentin Tarantino didn't win for Best Original Screenplay. That screenplay was brilliant.
Five movies I will never forget - Schindler's List, Shawshank Redemption, Silence of the Lambs, The Fugitive, Contact.
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I saw 'Tree of Life' with Brad Pitt and Sean Penn recently. Try as I might, I could not really work it out except that it seemed to be the writers interpretation of God. There was some great astronomical photography, probably the hubble telescope, but this was the intro to the 10 minutes of a visual explanation of evolution, right in the middle of the film.
Suffice to say that, although I appreciate the originality, I did not like the film.
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