1. The Hurt Locker- I saw this movie late August 2009, and it really has stuck with me. It is definitely one of, if not the best war movie I have ever seen. This movie did not need big stars or a big budget to be successful (critically). The directing was phenomenal. Bigelow deserves the directing Oscar. Enough said. The scenes in this movie are truly captivating. The slow-mo shots are not overdone to nausea. Imo, this film deserves the Best Picture Oscar also. Did it make a lot of money? No. Does that make it any less of a great film? No. Rating:4 out of 4 stars.
2. Inglorious Basterds- I will admit, I was never a Tarantino fan. Until now. IB was probably the most original movie I saw this year. Yes, it used history as a backbone, but the witty, dramatic, chilling script made it so original. The first scene is probably one of the most emotional scenes ever put on screen. Christoph Waltz gave the performance of the year (out of any acting category). This man went from a Jew hating Nazi officer to a comic from scene to scene. Oh, and he did it quadrilingualy. Way to go Tarantino. Thank you for bringing movie goers an original experience. Rating: 3.75 out of 4 stars.
3. Up in the Air- Ladies and gentlemen, Jason Reitman has done it again. A couple years ago he brought us a witty, slang-talking pregnant teenager in Juno. At first UITA seemed to be a simple movie about a single, 40 something year old man who lives in the air. As the film goes on though, we notice that Ryan Bingham does have a heart somewhere in that suit. Clooney gives on of the best performances of his career because he actually shows deep emotion towards the end of the movie. He's not all charm talk and jokes, he's actually a dramatic actor. With two outstanding supporting performances from Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick, UITA is yet another breath of fresh air. Rating: 3.5 out of 4 stars.
4. Avatar- After essentially a 13 year hiatus, James Cameron finally releases the epic that is Avatar. There was much hype and talk about this movie simply for its big budget. $350, 400, 500 million budget? Who knows? Who cares? This movie is cleaning house at the box office. Okay, time for the review. From the opening five minutes, you aren't sure what to think. Who is this guy talking? What is going on here? Slowly but surely, the movie begins to take shape. When Jake Sully first gets transferred to his avatar, something amazing happens on screen. Yes, this movie is mostly CGI, but who cares? These are actually actors with little lights on them to capture body movements. The transformations and similarities of the actors to their avatars is executed excellently. Pandora is a place you have never seen on screen, and even better in 3D. Oh yeah, if you are one of the few people in the world who haven't seen this movie. Go see it in 3D! You will not be disappointed. Seeing this movie for the images alone is worth it. James Horner composes yet another captivating score to support this imaginative film. Overall rating: 3.5 out of 4 stars.
5. Up- An animated film in your top 5 you ask? Yes. Up brought to the screen a great story that tied in a grown up story and made it family-friendly. This is probably one of the best Disney/Pixar films ever made. They have been on a roll lately, and I don't see an end in sight for them. Up is easily going to take home the Oscar for animated film, and will probably be nominated for Best Picture anyway. Rating: 3.25/4 stars.
Well, thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed my first post. I will post my Oscar nomination predictions tomorrow (which will be announced Tuesday). Once announced, I will post my picks from the nominees. Soon to come- my reviews of other films I saw in 2009, and what I have seen so far in 2010, along with what I'm most anticipating for this year. Thanks for reading. Good night.
