Best of '09: Eight is Enough
It's that time of year again at Film Cannon where I pick out my top films of the year and try my damnedest to get you see them.
When I was looking over my movie list of the year, I was surprised to discover that I don't have a top ten this year.
At first, I thought it was because I just watched a lot of crap movies this past year, but that's not really the case. Yes, I saw some bad ones (looking at you, "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon"), but mostly, I didn't see a lot of movies that moved me.
Part of that is that while I didn't watch a lot of *great* movies, I did watch a lot of really, really good TV.
Over the year, I watched the entire run of "Stargate: SG1," new "Doctor Who," "Torchwood," "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles," "Dollhouse," "Cosmos," "Sanctuary" and probably some other shows I'm forgetting too (plus new episodes of "Lost" and "Battlestar Galactica"), and while this is primarily a movie blog, I must admit that television delivered for me while the movies just kind of let me down.
Granted, television has a clear advantage in that fight, but usually they come out even. Oh well, enough of that talk; the list is short this year with just eight entries, but all the films are worth seeking out.
28 Days Later (2002)
I'm usually not one to celebrate horror films, but Danny Boyle's zombie flick deserves a lot of praise. It's a dark look at a world gone to Hell that excels at showing the emotional journey of the characters while creeping out the audience. A worthy addition to an often maligned (by me) genre.
Dear Zachary (2008)
It's hard to pick a best movie of the year (how do you define 'best?'), but "Dear Zachary" was hands down the most emotional experience I had watching a film in the past year (and it's in the running for lifetime experience too). A so-personal-it-hurts documentary about a murdered man is not an easy film to sit through, but it's an unforgettable experience.
Harold and Kumar go to White Castle (2004)
Quite simply, the funniest new movie I watched last year. It's goofy, absurd and a great time.
Out of Africa (1985)
Meryl Streep delivered my favorite performance of the year in this Old Hollywood-style romance about love and colonialism. I hadn't expected much from the film, but her performance kept me riveted and invested in a film that could have easily been horrible and preachy.
Phoebe in Wonderland (2008)
Elle Fanning shows here that she's got the chops to be a huge movie star, and while her performance was exceptional, the rest of the pieces of the movie matched her efforts. It's not often that I see believable families on screen, but "Phoebe" delivered the real into a surreal setting.
Star Trek (2009)
Plot holes and some other questionable choices showed up frequently in this reboot, but I had such a good time, I didn't notice and I didn't care. It is a fantastic direction for a much-loved franchise, and after I finished watching it, I immediately wanted to watch it again. I will wait impatiently for the sequel, but for now I will enjoy what's here now.
Starman (1984)
Another film that snuck up on me and made me love it, despite some initial reservations. Karen Allen and Jeff Bridges' performances carried me through a journey that didn't offer a lot of surprises but was still moving in its execution. It's not a new story, but it's one worth seeing.
Waltz with Bashir (2008)
This one is a bit of cheat. "Waltz with Bashir" is an animated documentary that explores the director's forgotten memories of Israel's war with Lebanon, but what haunted me (and keeps haunting me) is a song written for the film. "Good Morning Lebanon" is sung in Hebrew and unavailable on CD, but it has not left my mind since seeing the film. The documentary can stand on its own, but the song seals the deal for my list
Here's a translation of the lyrics (in the film, the song is performed by Israeli soldiers, which only adds to the emotional punch of that sequence).
"Good Morning Lebanon"
Good morning, Lebanon
Good morning, Lebanon
Too much pain to carry on
Good morning, Lebanon
May your dreams come true
May your nightmares pass
Your existence is a blessing, Lebanon
You are torn to pieces
You bleed to death in my arms
You bleed to death in my arms
You are the love of my life
Oh, my short, short life
Tear me to pieces
I'm bleeding...
See you next year!
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