The Top 5 of 2009 so far

There are a glut of films coming out in the next half of 2009, and I can't wait for some of them. The new Harry Potter movie, Imaginarium Of Dr Parnassus, Bruno, The Hurt Locker, Up (which hasn't come out in the UK yet), and more that I'll list at the end. But so far, at least in my opinion, only six or seven films have been worth a damn this year. I have compiled a top five, really a rough top five, but one that I want to post. This will probably change in a few months, so I will be curious to see the change.

5. Public Enemies

This was a solid movie. I liked the charisma of Johnny Depp as John Dillinger and I liked Christian Bale as Melvin Purvis. Funnily enough, its the first role I've liked Bale in since The Dark Knight. The huge number of famous co-stars including Giovanni Ribisi, Emilie De Ravin, Stephen Dorff, David Wenham etc. were pretty solid too. But thats all this movie was to me, just solid. Not really special, not particularly outstanding, just a well directed piece of cinema. Michael Mann did a really good job, the digital shooting made me feel like i was there in the action sometimes, but mostly it felt out of place. The chemistry between Depp and Marion Cotillard felt forced too, and I couldn't care about it. My favourite scene was where Dillinger and Purvis were talking through prison bars. Brilliantly written and played by both actors. Easily took number 5.

4. Knowing

I'll be the first to admit that this isn't a movie for everyone. The guys hated it, Roger Ebert regards it as a great film. I liked it a lot. The movie conveys a great sense of atmosphere through mise en scene and the fabulous score. Its a decent piece of sci fi in my opinion, a well told story with pretty decent acting from the people who aren't Nicholas Cage, who is pretty lacking in the movie. Mostly, I thought the religious iconography in the movie was pretty clever, I personally wasn't offended by any ideas that it was trying to convey, and it didn't feel like it was being forced on me. Alex Proyas has directed better movies, but he did a hell of a lot with what he had. The special effects were pretty cool too.

3. The Hangover

This is one of the funniest films to come out in the last few years, largely due to the chemistry between the central four characters (three for most of the movie) and the solid narrative. It was almost a funny version of Memento, the mystery was well handled and the writing was fantastic. The acting was very good and it made me want to go to Vegas for my frickin stag party, regardless of the memory loss and personal injury. A real feel good film that I'm sure I will see again and again.

2. Star Trek

Oh thank God. My emotion at the end of this film was a mixture of relief and giddy happiness. This film is just fantastic. I wish that the Star Wars prequels could have been as good as this. Don't get me wrong, the movie has it's flaws, but the writers, actors etc. actually seemed to be trying. However, I can't fault the acting in this film. Pine, Quinto and Urban are all bringing their A game to their performances, and a lot of the supporting characters are great. Visually this film is gorgeous too, the opening sequence was riveting from the off and the pacing was great. In fact, I would go as far as to say that the special effects in this film were beautiful, the ships, planets and creatures all looked real and tangible. The plot was pretty good, I liked the development of Kirk and Spock's relationship and the tension. The humour didn't feel forced and the references to earlier series didn't spoil the pace or take me out of the movie.

1. Watchmen

Yes. Watchmen. Another film that people have mixed feelings on. And it's a masterpiece. The graphic novel is a fantastic piece of literature and in my opinion it has been adapted very well by Zack Snyder.
The run time for this is just over two and a half hours, and I didn't feel it, which for me is a first. It kept me gripped throughout and I liked the way the film looked; the cinematography was incredible. In terms of performance, the cast pretty much delivered on all fronts. Jackie Earl Haley and Jeffrey Dean Morgan were mesmerising as Rorschach and The Comedian respectively, whilst Patrick Wilson and Matthew Goode gave good performances and Nite Owl II and Ozymandias. Billy Crudup gave a very interesting and powerful take on Dr Manhattan, one of the highlights of the film was the exploration of his back story. Indeed, the exploration of the characters' pasts was where the film really excelled, in particular those of Rorschach and The Comedian. The ending, which has been changed from the graphic novel, has divided audiences. I feel that it was a great way to round out the film which brought a lot out of the characters and brought it to a satisfying climax.
The only things I would have changed were the second to last scene, which was pointless, and the score. Aside from the opening credits where Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A'Changin'" was played, and "Unforgettable" in the opening scene, the song choices were clumsy and failed to add to the atmosphere. An orchestral score would have been far superior. Also, I would have liked to see more of Moloch. But hell, this is one of my favourite movies of all time.

Coming Up....

Imaginarium Of Dr Parnassus
Bruno
The Hurt Locker
Up
District 9
Inglorious Basterds
The Final Destination
Taking Woodstock
9
Pandorum
Moon
Love Happens
Surrogates
Fame
Shutter Island
Zombieland
The Road
A Christmas Carol
2012
Nine
Armored
Brothers
The Lovely Bones
Avatar
Sherlock Holmes