Earlier in the summer I began an ill-advised attempt at writing haiku (what’s the verb for composing a haiku? Haikuing? Haiku-tecturing? Haiku-grammising?) for the films that have intrigued me this year. The experiment was abruptly ended by an outbreak of good taste, but as we roll into the fourth quarter of 2009, in anticipation of the awards season ‘quality’ epidemic that’s sure to colonise our screens over the next few months, I thought I’d return to reflecting on how intriguing a year this has been at the movies.
As the last three months of the year traditionally see the release of Oscar-bait, our vision of the best films of 2009 will inevitably be somewhat skewed toward films that haven’t been released yet. I’ve mentioned before that Roger Ebert may have made the most sensible suggestion for renewing the Academy Awards in a fashion that would both help films released earlier in the year not to be forgotten, and allow audiences to expect decent movies from January to September. In that spirit, let’s have a thought experiment: I’m going to attempt having two ‘best lists’ for this year; starting with this last week of the month, I’m going to post my treatment for the film of the year – a quixotic notional endeavour, in which the bits that made me feel happiest to be a film lover are cut together in a genre-bending masterpiece that exists only in my head, because that’s the only place it can exist. You will have your own choices, and I’d love to hear about them here on the site – so please share your own imaginings in the comments section.
We’ll break it down into sections – today I’ve written about the premises that I enjoyed the most; I’ll post again on Wednesday with thoughts on the best intros and moments; Friday will see what seem to me to be the best endings and even closing credit sequences (trust me, there are a few) that I’ve seen.
And I promise to return to all of this when the year is done; some of these films will be forgotten in year-end lists, and part of the reason I’m writing this as a reminder to myself. Please forgive the indulgence if you’re not interested; but if you are, I’d love to have a conversation in the comments, starting today with your thoughts on the best premises and/or opening sequences you’ve seen this year.
THE BEST PREMISES OF 2009
Old guy saves the world through non-violence; gives a kid a car.
Middle-aged guy saves world through old movies; gives a guy a scar.
Old guy gets his world back by letting go of a balloon-powered house.
Depressed guy falls in love with both Gwyneth Paltrow and Vinessa Shaw; they love him back. Kind of.
Depressed guy lives with an incredibly beautiful woman in Argentina but can’t write; learns to love his brother. 
Mildly depressed old guy friends try to heal their boredom by failing to have sex with each other but film the foreplay.
Old guy talks about the pictures he took; one of which ended the War in Vietnam.
Old guy runs Italy into the ground.
Old guy and young guy drive around in a taxi.
Guy lives on the moon.
Old guy saves dolphins from amphibocide.
Middle-to-older aged guys play loud music; get big in Japan.
Young guy enjoys bomb disposal; can’t choose between cereals.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Elvi Susanti, 陳分奇 and Movies. Movies said: RT @moviesforyou: The Movie of the Year 2009 #movies http://bit.ly/wogYz [...]
I finally saw The Hurt Locker last week and I must say I'm having difficulty in remembering everything I've seen before it this year it's so good. OK, I realise from reading reviews from Marines, etc. there are a lot of inaccuracies, but to me it's simply about “war as a drug” -being fuelled by adrenalin- than anything in the specifics.
If it was more reality-based it would probably be impossible to reflect that adrenalin-fix. The movie has to scare the pants off the viewer for them to get the point. It succeeds admirably in my opinion. It also goes a long way to avoid plot and character cliches and thwarts audience expectation at every point. I love that.
All that makes The Hurt Locker probably movie of the year for me so far, although that's not to say I'm forgetting something that I might later recall as the explosive ringing in my ear dies down. None of the others in the list above triggers a recollection to suggest I enjoyed them more or felt they were “better” (whatever that means).
Wow, that's a lot of guys.
Yes, and in following Allisoni's line of thinking, I have a few possible suggestions/additions to the list to give the women in cinema their due in 2009.
1. Seraphine – Talented old woman artist vs. society
2. Bright Star – Young woman asserts herself even when warned against it
3. The Hurt Locker – A perceptive movie about men directed by a woman (Kathyrn Bigelow)
4. Humpday – Another perceptive movie about men directed by a woman (Lynn Shelton)
I still love the list Gareth, don't get me wrong. I just think it could be enhanced!
Hi Ana – Hey – thanks for enhancing the list; please forgive the implied chauvinism in my list – it reflects rather than endorses the gender problems in the industry; havening seen Bright Star or Seraphine; and you're absolutely right about Humpday and The Hurt Locker.
Hi Gareth, Thanks for your open-minded response. I appreciate the fact that TFT leaves room for this kind of discussion. I love movies because they open up the world to so many diverse perspectives including gender, ethnicity, age, all of it. Unfortunately, some of the best movies are the hardest to find (I think you've talked about that in previous posts). I thought of two more movies for possible contemplation at the end of the year Re: women in cinema 2009. “Precious” (mostly still on the film festival circuit) and Lorna's Silence (not my favorite Dardenne brothers' film of all time, but still worth a see).
My top 5 “Best Premise” nominations (in no particular order):
1. Crank 2
2. Hurt Locker
3. District 9
4. Moon
5. Up
I would nominate “Watchmen”, but I'm not sure it counts due to the notoriety of the book.
(Also note, “best premise” doesn't always = “good film” in my list)
I would not rankInglorious Basterds as having one of the Top Premises, but I would rank it near the top for best executed.
[...] The Movie of the Year 2009 [...]
How about 'The Class' in which a young, optimistic teacher DOESN”T manage to miraculously change the hearts and minds of the troubled teenagers in his charge? So much for dead poets and mona lisa..
Right on, Ana, and I agree that this is a great place for these discussions. I'm starving for more solid movies with interesting, multidimensional female characters. Ready for the revolution. I also have to say I appreciated Gareth & Jett's review of The Hurt Locker all the more for not making a big deal about Bigelow's gender.
I think my favorite from '09 was a terrific romantic comedy called “Breaking Upwards” — in which the co-writer/filmmaker and his ex-girlfriend star in the real-life story of their experimental part-time breakup. It's so tender and funny, and Zoe Lister-Jones is an absolute superstar. I'm shocked it hasn't gotten distribution yet. Andrea Martin from SCTV's in it too.
Also, I think I'm still waiting for the best films of 2009.
How about 'The Class' in which a young, optimistic teacher DOESN”T manage to miraculously change the hearts and minds of the troubled teenagers in his charge? So much for dead poets and mona lisa..
Right on, Ana, and I agree that this is a great place for these discussions. I'm starving for more solid movies with interesting, multidimensional female characters. Ready for the revolution. I also have to say I appreciated Gareth & Jett's review of The Hurt Locker all the more for not making a big deal about Bigelow's gender.
I think my favorite from '09 was a terrific romantic comedy called “Breaking Upwards” — in which the co-writer/filmmaker and his ex-girlfriend star in the real-life story of their experimental part-time breakup. It's so tender and funny, and Zoe Lister-Jones is an absolute superstar. I'm shocked it hasn't gotten distribution yet. Andrea Martin from SCTV's in it too.
Also, I think I'm still waiting for the best films of 2009.