Mulholland Dr., An Interpretation

Mulholland Dr

Yes, it is a dream of Diane’s, and no, the ten clues inside the DVD sleeve are not red herrings. The first half is the Diane that meets the expectations of her career and relationship, the second half the actual Diane, the one alone and crying. That’s the basic way of putting it, but how do we get there? What’s the point of the Cowboy? The blond Camilla? The expresso guy? The dreamer at Winkie’s? The blue key? Aunt Ruth? I’ll try to answer it all, some of which will sound right to you, some of which will sound wrong. I’m officially throwing my hat in.


We might as well start where the movie does. The mysterious brunette that we later come to know as Rita is involved in a car crash at the bottom of a hill on Mulholland Dr, the same place where the actual Camilla comes down to greet the actual Diane (no I won’t be doing the actual bit the whole time through) and bring her up to Adam Kesher’s party. This is the point in reality that motivates Diane’s dream world as the pitch-perfect Betty. The point where Diane crumbles into the realm of fantasy.

The clearest reasons for Diane’s dream are jealousy and love. Camilla is a leading actress, the fancy of the director’s eye, and the one who helps Diane get a start in Hollywood with a small part in director Bob Booker’s film. In the dream, Camilla is a blond unknown, a convergence of the real Camilla and Diane, being pushed through Betty’s world as Diane’s subconscious. The blond Camilla doesn’t get by on talent alone, she is forced onto the scene, similarly to what could have happened when Diane first arrived in Hollywood. She steals Betty’s parts and goes through life the immoral way. Her unnamed counterpart in reality the last person Diane sees taking Camilla away from her, kissing her, solidifying herself as an easy target to play the role of Diane’s subconscious in Betty’s created world.

Despite not being able to stop said subconscious, Diane sets up Rita to forget a Diane and Camilla ever existed. Rita loses her memory and identity with the crash, and the waitress by the name of Diane puts in motion a search resulting in the discovery of a dead, rotting Diane. There goes the link, there goes any hope for Rita to discover her past. It’s gone. This is Betty, she’s perfect. There never was a Diane, and there never was a Camilla.

Betty earns Rita’s love by taking her in, and is respectable due to her incredible acting talent. Rita plays the one in need, the sidekick, gladly accepting Betty’s warm coffee and robe, helping her recite lines for a role she ends up playing much better than a ‘black-haired girl,’ the same black-haired girl who gets the part in reality, Camilla. The same Camilla who accepts Diane’s coffee, while naked, before telling her things can no longer continue.

It’s far from the only role reversal in Betty’s world. Adam, the man who steals Camilla from Diane, suffers like a Coen brothers character, constantly barraged with shit. His wife cheats on him with the pool boy (Billy Ray Cyrus to make matters worse!), his money evaporates, he loses control of his movie (‘The Sylvia North Story’), and is threatened by a cowboy with an ultimatum. Diane makes Adam feel all the pressures and pain she endured while in Hollywood, and her loss of Camilla.

So who the fuck is the cowboy (I wish I could write it like Adam says it)? The cowboy is the mythical Hollywood icon, so ridiculous he can’t be real, yet created as a highly recognizable character in film history. He is imaginary. He is there at the point of Diane’s descent into her dream, and the one who wakes her back into reality.

Diane inputs others from that final scene at Adam’s party, where his engagement to Camilla is announced, into her dream. The expresso fellow, in a small part, regurgitates the coffee that isn’t good enough, representative of Diane as barista to Camilla, who shortly after, ends their sexual relationship. CoCo, Adam’s mother, becomes the gatekeeper to Betty’s aspirations, helping to shoo away other slips of the subconscious (the crazy psychic who denies that Betty was to stay at Ruth’s place in her absence, and that Rita is indeed in trouble - the real Camilla soon to be murdered - not safe in Betty’s care).

Where is Ruth then? She’s hardly in the movie, but a big clue into Diane’s past. Diane reveals that she is from Ontario, Canada, and shockingly agrees as Betty. As Betty, her Aunt Ruth is going to Canada to film a movie, according to Diane however, Ruth is dead. After the blue box is opened (the explanation for that is coming soon, be patient), Ruth returns to an empty house, a sign that Diane possibly reached out to her and was turned away. Where did Ruth go? Back home to Canada for a visit? It leads to a perfect entryway for Diane to introduce Betty to Hollywood.

The blue box is Diane’s fear. The MacGuffin that she attempts to hide from Rita in Betty’s life. The revelation that all this is nothing but a dream. She does a pretty good job for the extent of what was to be the pilot, but reminders of its significance prove too powerful to remain concealed.

The dreamer at Winkie’s is the first invader of fear in Betty’s world. He is Diane, another random fill-in from a moment in her life (she sees him at the counter at Winkie’s as she confirms to the hitman that she wants Camilla killed). The description of his dream gives us insight into Diane’s feelings while making the decision to have Camilla killed. He is a break into reality, something that could awaken Diane, something that scares her more just by the fact that he is there. The dreamer also knows about the terrifying man behind Winkie’s, the one who holds the blue box, the one who knows the truth. He collapses for her, a minor casualty of Betty’s world. This allows Betty to visit the payphone outside the same Winkie’s, and validate her dream, that there was an accident on Mulholland Dr. That Rita and Betty are real people.

This temporarily allows Betty to live in her world of red, before the blue tones and smoke take over again. After Rita witnesses the deceased Diane, Betty helps her cope by donning her in a blond wig, looking eerily like Betty herself. This satisfies Diane’s wish for Camilla to be jealous of her. However, when they make love, she doesn’t want the jealous, camouflaged Camilla, but the real thing. Only during their love scene, is Rita encouraged to take off the wig. Rita is made to understand Diane’s love and jealousy. After all, in Betty’s world, Rita is the one that becomes lost on Sunset Blvd (obvious reference to the Billy Wilder film of the same name).

‘Silencio. Silencio.’ And Diane’s dream is about to crash and burn by the dream of one of her own creations. Rita begs her off to Club Silencio and the truth is revealed. ‘There is no band,’ our host tells us, ‘it is all an illusion,’ he continues. Betty shakes uncontrollably and nervously, foreshadowing the coming events. Out next comes Rebekah Del Rio with her devastating version of ‘Llorando,’ and we (breaking the fourth wall here) become as involved as Rita and Betty, lost in the sadness and power of the moment. Only it’s fake. We (Betty, Rita, me, you) are told this, believe it, and then somehow immediately forget it, moved by this seemingly truthful relationship we’ve just formed, them with the singer, us with Betty and Rita (and the singer as well). And the dream falls apart for us, for Diane. The dream of Hollywood, the dream of love.

Rita opens the bag previously full of unexplained money (Diane once again hiding the truth to prevent reality from taking over) and instead finds the blue box, a perfect fit for the blue key hidden with the money earlier. Betty disappears, Rita opens the blue box, and Diane awakens back into reality. Rita having regained her memory, thereby ending Diane’s dream world. The deceivingly nice old folks (Hollywood) who originally welcomed her, released, chase her into her red pillow, into suicide, unable to hide from her dreams (plural folks, Hollywood and Betty’s world, essentially a dream within a nightmare).

And the phone, the one next to the red lampshade and ashtray, rings and rings. Diane, lying face down in her red pillow, unable to learn what she already knows: ‘The girl is missing.’ Camilla, also dead somewhere. Betty and Rita, vanished with the presence of the blue smoke. The dream and the reality of Hollywood sharing the same fate.

Jarmusch's Lonesome Cool Individuals: The Myth

By classification, drifters are a part of a group. We like to group things together, the rich with the rich, the mammals with the mammals, and the drifters with the drifters. Jim Jarmusch portrays drifters, not lonely people. People who share only an adjective. Jarmusch shares at least a haircut with half of his protagonists, people who need other people, drifting for appearance, boredom, or the unwillingness to break their stubborn ways. Lonely people are segregated, they are alone because they are. They don’t choose to be, it isn’t a conscious decision. Drifters can be lonely at times, but they will always need a healthy populous to skirt around in order to survive. The Jarmusch cool, lonesome hero is a myth. They’re needy, they’re cultured, they’re relatable.
But it’s all subjective isn’t it? Of course, I don’t know why the fuck people classify things in the first place. It gives them something to do, me as well. Thanks.

Now, we’re going to do this film-by-film, as my memory works on numbers, not names and I need a shitload of tabs open to correct characters’ names. Full disclosure.

Permanent Vacation-Perhaps the easiest. Built on a short Jarmusch did at NYU, the film evolves into a feature made up of what is basically a bunch of shorts. A format that Jarmusch uses comfortably over his career, and a main piece of evidence against the cool, lonesome hero image. Allie wanders around the city trying to connect with other drifters. A veteran hiding out from imagined gunfire, a sax player attempting to collect tips while playing in an empty street in the middle of the night. The whole thing is about human connection outside of normal society. A leaving, breathing, connected world. Not the standard of course, but active and similarly structured. Allie is a man religiously seeking attention. A good first parody of lonesomeness. He’s also the first in a thread of Jarmusch characters with approximately the same hair, sharing it with Jarmusch and Elvis.

Stranger than Paradise-We have Willie, the ’suave’ one, and Eddie, the wannabe one, neither of which qualifies as lonesome, or is portrayed at lonesome. A picture where Jarmusch steps outside of his comfort zone a bit and nails it. Sure Willie denies Eva respect initially, but she comes around to earn it and I could bullshit on some kind of theory tying in with mine, but really the end result is that Willie is clueless. It is why he does what he does. He looks out for himself and that tries to briefly cover for his mistakes, before falling right back into them. Eva is inanimate as far as he’s concerned. And Eddie, he’s a schmuck who does what Willie does making him clueless by association.

Down by Law-The hair-apparent and a frequent collaborator, Tom Waits puts in his first Jarmusch appearance. Rugged, busted and on the outs of society. He, as Zack, and John Lurie, as Jack, refuse each other as friends upon their mutual imprisonment until the imprisonment bonds them. Throw in a foreigner who outsmarts most Jarmusch characters and actually breaks his habits (well, at least within the restraints of screen time) by having the balls to stay with his happiness, his human relationship. The three men break out of prison, working together to escape the swamp outside of prison, and then split at the fork at the end of the road. Why? Answer one is because they’re fucking stubborn and dumb. Answer two is pride, also known as answer one. Zack and Jack are the prominent Jarmusch drifters, feeding on one another to move forward. It’s sweet, it’s pathetic, it’s fear. Lonesome it’s not.

Mystery Train-Jarmusch’s most symbolic and aware film. Jun, Johnny, Jarmusch, and Elvis. The hair, the careful grooming, the image. It’s here in colors. Elvis, he represents sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll. Jun, this foreigner to Memphis, the half of a couple who has more trouble adapting to his new home, has taken on this persona without even knowing a thing about Elvis. Johnny, a Brit, is the same. A man who openly criticizes his nickname, which is obviously, “Elvis.” They’ve all taken on this image, without any direct connection to the man. His persona has filtered through the subconscious of society, spread so thinly that people follow it without any clue to its origin. They know it secondhand, a term not familiar to a lonesome person. The film also brings back the ‘short’ format, loosely used here as it is cut into thirds rather than smaller conversations, and wraps up stunningly neatly.

Night on Earth-Full of the early mentioned clueless behavior, the film is neatly divided into five sections. The segmenting done once again, showing Jarmusch’s inability to follow a character though an entire relationship with another as if a point is reached where he no longer knows what to do. Neither do I. The characters, such as Isaach De Bankole’s Ivoirien and Roberto Benigni’s reckless Italian aren’t cool, aren’t witty. They act like ignorant lunatics, resulting in ’accidents’ surely not their fault, a car crash and the death of a clergyman respectively. On the other hand, Mika works his drunk passengers for pity, while neglecting any trouble not of the greatest concern as unworthy. Helmut is literally a fucking clown. The film also contains Jarmusch’s exception, as everything must have one. Corky, a female, a gender with which Jarmusch distances himself and covers nicely because of it, never removes herself from herself. A loner? No. Cool? Arguably so. Clueless? If so, the only casualty is her own person, and she won’t ever know it.

Dead Man-The first of Jarmusch’s solely culture-based films, this time Native American. Another note of full disclosure and evidence of the far-reaching trickle down effect: After I watched this I questioned its accuracy in the depiction of Native Americans. Thank god, I also had some intelligence trickle down and before checking anything else questioned every other movie’s depictions. Turns out, Jarmusch’s was very accurate. William Blake transforms over the course of the picture from a innocent, quiet, white collar fellow to a gun-toting, face painted, dazed man floating to his grave with a face completely confused. He’s out in the water, helpless, having completely abandoned reality for the person on the WANTED poster, completed engraved and lost in an image. His current, and currently lonely, persona heading downstream by means of tradition.

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai-The second of the culture films, Ghost Dog follows, well Ghost Dog, as he gives his entire life to the samurai way. He essentially enslaves himself to an old white gangster who saves him once when he’s a kid, bleeding his way into a debt brought upon by mistaken circumstances per Rashomon. Ghost Dog has no individual character to speak of, he lives by the samurai code and becomes it completely. His will is no longer his own, his triumphs and faults the samurai’s, not Ghost Dog’s. His enslavement gives him a new respect for life, and a new respect for death, his stubbornness causing him dearly in the end and he’s okay with it, okay with bleeding out in a city street as a little girl, open to influence watches on.

Coffee and Cigarettes-The quintessential picture about schmucks taking part in the self-identified practice of the 80’s, sitting down to some coffee and cigarettes. All of them integrated into this lifestyle of when and how to have conversations, how to look, what to do. Jarmusch’s least intimate piece.

Broken Flowers-I’ll give Don Johnston this, he’s the least affected, the most distant of Jarmusch’s leads. He sinks and sulks through his old black book like a guy without a care in the world, wishing his wife had left and he had just been left alone. I believe he only follows Winston out of boredom, and retains that boredom throughout his journeys, melancholy only slipping in at the end for his son. Maybe his dream to offer someone else a life that can go on without distraction. He surely can’t give it to the women currently or previously in his life. And that’s what makes the end so heartbreaking, so emotional, so human. Sorry Don, you’re not lonely. You’re not calm and cool. You’re sad.

The Limits of Control-The limits aren’t those ordinarily defined as so, like The Nude following and tempting the Lone Man, trying to distract him from his assassination mission. The limits are placed by the mission itself stringing the Lone Man around perfectly with matchboxes, foreign language inquisitions, and the ultimate goal. The Lone Man is so individual, so powerful yet the whole movie we are watching him follow someone else’s orders, adhering to a very strict protocol to accomplish something for no reason of his own.

Ranking the Films:
10. Broken Flowers
9. Coffee and Cigarettes
8. Permanent Vacation
7. Down By Law
6. Dead Man
5. Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
4. Mystery Train
3. Night on Earth
2. Stranger than Paradise
1. The Limits of Control

It's My Birthday and I Can Cry if I Want To

Slacker, a film brought to us in the early 1990's by cult favorite Richard Linklater, has become a prophetic source.  Time has unfortunately proven it a film accurately depicting many twenty-somethings (and older) throughout the entirety of time, not limited to the era the film takes place in.  I know Austin, Texas has had a steady growth rate, but was unaware that its character had spread throughout the entire United States, to say the least.  The biggest offenders?  Mumblecore and pricks like me who think they'll blog and tell us what it's all about.  The difference between mumblecore and Slacker or bloggers and Slacker?  We take ourselves far too seriously.

As I watched a bunch of youngins pushing product, parlaying politics, and just sputtering utter nonsense I was amused at this satirical twist on the mumblecore genre.  Then I remembered this came out in 1991 and mumblecore is still among us.  My appreciation for the film fell off as I continually encountered these god damned fools spewing their shit.  It went from amusing to annoying about a third of the way in and never came back; a film I can pat on the back but ultimately never watch again.

That's when the ridiculousness hit me.  Movies like Lynn Shelton's Humpday do this on purpose!  My definition of the genre, as should be stated, is a bunch of pseudo-intellectuals discussing what they believe to be original ideas in circles, and in the end no one gives a shit because it doesn't really matter.  I should also state that this entire opinion, of a blogger, has been formed around Humpday, as I have never braved the genre since.  This should be your first clue into the relation between blogger insight and mumblecore insight.  I'm telling you upfront, third paragraph, whatever.

"I'm a fucking tool."  -"Let's talk about it."

Most kiddies are taught at a young age not to believe everything they hear, but most people do it anyways.  You think the rants on the Kennedy assassination and a later moon landing from Slacker were out-of-this-world?  Look at our current, past, and future state of politics.  Before I continue ranting, I took part in a writing class yesterday where the term 'forseeable future' was deemed unreasonable because no one can see the future.  That's bullshit, if not, then history's bullshit because that's the whole point of studying it.  Yet here we are, getting excited about campaign promises and swayed by campaign advertisements.  They all tell us similar positive news, and then reality sets in and we play the blame game.

We get in our little groups of friends talk about how great it's going to be, and then we get into our little groups and talk about how bad it is.  Like drones.  We forget the people we're talking about our humans and we forget that we are humans.  Maybe we aren't? 

Time to get way the fuck off tangent from my original thesis for the final time.  Look at today's world.  It's the same as the world in Slacker, but now with tools created to take advantage of it.  The same writing class from earlier (a business writing class mind you) built around the idea that everything needs to be streamlined.  We should be writing in lists, because they are easier, because they are for the everyman.  Fuck that guy.  The writer/speaker should have complete freedom to say something, but with the responsibility that it is something worth saying.  The reader/listener should have complete freedom to ignore whatever they want, but also bypass their ignorance and upbringing to listen in when something worthy is out there.

Don't be afraid to put your ear down on the rails and listen for that train to come through.  It may pick you up and take you somewhere unexpected.  And be smart enough not to keep your head down when it rides through.  Stop picking a poison, and choose a cure.  If you've made it this far, I'm not sure which you've done.

Required listening on the topic: "Brilliant Man" by The National

People and Their Place in Time-The Last Days of Disco

Whit Stillman’s little seen ode to disco (but not really) has an equally minimal interest in plot. Alice Kinnon, played by Chloë Sevigny, leads a group of youngsters finding their way to adulthood in a story more concerned with the people of the story. Sure, club owner Bernie is stowing cash in his basement to avoid paying higher taxes, but it’s drifted over in favor of showing the decisions made by those involved around it, all surprisingly okay with everything that happens.

So what about these stars of the show? They’re worth discussing, their ideas and actions in today’s world and the previous, how people repeat themselves, what they hide and what they present. All of it mishmashed in the changing times of young adulthood. Sure, sometimes they feel like 90’s era folks time-warped back to the early 80’s, but that’s half the point. None of the generations are particularly special, they all disappear and are replaced with a new movement that will suffer the same fate.

Oh, and spoilers, minor ones. This isn’t exactly a movie worth noting spoilers, but I’ll do it anyways because there‘s nothing quite like a first impression.

Alice, the lead is the one who rises from the death of disco, re-adjusting to find herself, rather than a place in her era, resulting ironically in a place in society. In the beginning she hangs on her roommate Charlotte’s every word, plugging Scrooge McDuck as sexy and taking the blame for it by a guy, possibly cheating on his girlfriend whom he is separated from, but also fucking. Her railroad-style apartment, the instability in her life, people coming and going like the times they live in (as her adviser/roommate Charlotte is quick to point out the lack of privacy). She lives life like the book she is trying to push for publication at her company, in hopes of prestige and advancement.

The book, supposedly the account of the Dalai Lama’s brother, is ushered in as she is to the hot NYC club (exclusive to a certain type of people). Accepted as brilliant, the book is approved and sent to the presses. Alice, as well, the jewel of Des, Jimmy, and Josh’s eyes, and a point of jealousy for her completely unselfish (of course!) friend Charlotte. Charlotte, the same one who passed on it earlier, but we’ll come back to that.

Bam. The book’s a fake. The publisher still loves it, it’s just no longer concealed under a false identity. Alice breaks out of her shell, taking on the ‘lunatic’ (per Des) Josh, the one already practicing individualism proudly, addressing the clap maturely, and sitting in the dark alone because she’s resting (that‘s why, Jimmy!). The lady who stays at home and doesn‘t need to roll with the sea of crowds at the disco, the lady of the new era. And she’s awarded with a promotion, the only character employed by the film’s end. Jimmy runs off to Spain, Des retreats with Charlotte to a life of falsehood and big ideas without the means to execute them, and Tom (Alice’s one-night stand) gets to hang onto his gonorrhea and herpes.

Her turning point? Lady and the Tramp. She stands with Josh, for the scottie, the nice guy who doesn’t get what he wants, but doesn’t change. Something better suited will come along. It does for Alice, her last kiss with Des, nothing more than a draining of her transitory personality that was never hers’ to begin with, merely an extension of Charlotte (who of course Des will fall for, post-film). Scottie, also Josh in canine form, the traditional loyalist who stands by his morals, rather than the morals of the time.

Des is his rival and complete opposite, the man who pretends to be gay, so ladies are let down easier when he moves on. The man far too assured of his confidence, stating his surefire reinstatement to the club, after he receives his pink slip, almost immediately (and admittedly he’s right). The man who delves into his past consistently for sympathy. And the man who can’t understand why Josh is also fired at the end (for his decision to give Des a pass on jail time). “Et tu, Brute?”

Not quite. The phrase Jimmy takes as a recognition of loyalty from Caesar (the man who asked for change if change was necessary) to Brutus, a meaning Des (trying to follow Jimmy’s escape at the time, before being pulled back into reality by Josh) can’t seem to wrap his head around, his own attacks cocky, calculated, and sarcastic. He’s like most of the people in the movie, and in life, taking on new ages as if they were their own, changing without any real reason.

Yes, I’m going to wind this back to Alice (Brutus in better hands) and Josh (Anthony, stubborn, as is). Two of the most respectable characters in the film (along with the consistently less ignorant Departmental Dan). Of course, Alice doesn’t resort to violence or any other grave measure to bring upon change. She is similar to Julius’ slayer in her conviction to her ways as a person unfit to live in her time thanks to her accelerated progression. Josh, as Anthony, fits the mold. The man who stands by what he knows, but accepts what he’s given (like ’no’ for example). Note: This is not a recommendation for a sequel of Julius Caesar in which Anthony and Brutus hook-up.

And the crowds swaying between their traditions and their future? You can lump together just about everybody else: Des, Jimmy, Charlotte, Tom, Holly (Charlotte and Alice’s other roommate), and even the slowly Developing Dan. The people seemingly there just to be in the mix, no real purpose as individuals. Unlike Brutus and Anthony, Alice and Josh just go along at the end, realizing the dead end that is trying to sway the sheep. Instead they seek out happiness, which IS contagious (plug for Quiet Chaos), as seen when the people on the train erupt into disco, into themselves. There is hope for originality (some, some)!

It would be unjust to wrap this up without giving Alice’s counterpart Charlotte her due. The bitchy, ignorantly self-aware roommate dangerously accustomed with her public persona, so much so, that it has taken over her private life (remember her admittance earlier that she had no privacy anymore?). She begins on the same level as the still Departmental Dan, but as he comes to accept his mistakes and the fact that he lives outside his justifications (dating Holly for her accepted beauty (fiction), before discovering Alice’s concealed wit (non-fiction)), she follows them stronger than ever. Her reward? Des. Congratulations!


A little selfish, somewhat fleeting, no clear thesis statement.  Pretty sure this qualifies as a blog post.  Sleep well dames and gents.

Who SHOULD Be Nominated for and Winning Oscars

Oscar Sunday is a short three days away and the Academy has had their say.  Some voted for environmental purposes, some voted for friends, many voted for careers, and a slim representation of the 5% slipped in their votes.  Of course, I disagree with most of the choices.  My stake in Hollywood is as minimal as can be, guaranteeing nominees delegated their position not because of a favor owed or chance to increase my economic outlook.  Winner Italicized.

Best Supporting Actor:

Johannes Thanheiser (Revanche)

Burghart Klaußner (The White Ribbon)

Ray McKinnon (That Evening Sun)

Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds)

Christian McKay (Me and Orson Welles)

Best Supporting Actress:

Ursula Strauss (Revanche)

Edith Scob (Summer Hours)

Bailee Madison (Brothers)

Mo'Nique (Precious)

Julianne Moore (A Single Man)

Best Actor:

Johannes Krisch (Revanche)

Nanni Moretti (Quiet Chaos)

Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart)

Piotr Jagiello (Somers Town)

Paul Hofmann (Import/Export)

Best Actress:

Nina Hoss (A Woman in Berlin)

Carey Mulligan (An Education)

Maria Onetto (The Headless Woman)

Catalina Saavedra (The Maid)

Arta Dobroshi (Lorna's Silence)

Best Director:

Gotz Spielmann (Revanche)

Michael Haneke (The White Ribbon)

Ramin Bahrani (Goodbye Solo)

Max Färberböck (A Woman in Berlin)

Hirokazu Koreeda (Still Walking)

A Look at Film in 2009

Originally meant to be a posting of my Top 25 only (which do get a bit of special treatment), I realized that the majority of people in the audience of my favorite movies are 40-70 years older than me.  Thus, I decided it better to post a comprehensive list and mini-reviews of all 96 movies I saw that released in 2009.  Don't be daunted by the post's length, control F your way through it, but take the time to check out the top of the list. 

I unfortunately was not able to include Tetro, Disgrace, or Seraphine, all of which took way too fucking long to release on DVD.


The Worst Movie of the Year

96. The Lovely Bones-A film only memorable for its continual unraveling of anything considered decent, or even just poor, in movies. I’m not sure what audience Peter Jackson was trying to reach with this bloody, girly adaptation of Alice Sebold’s previously-acclaimed novel. Who knew Susie’s death would crumble the movie more than her family? Her mother, played by the usually adequate Rachel Weisz, disappears halfway through to tend to orange trees. Her grandmother (Susan Sarandon) gets three minutes of Mrs. Doubtfire-esque comedy. And her father is played by Mark Wahlberg, who continues his run of bonafide future Criterion releases following ‘The Happening.’ All the characters involved eventually wind up conveniently in place to please the masses and infuriate the other 5%.

Trash

95. Paul Blart: Mall Cop-At least it found some fans. Aimed at what must be a pre-pubescent audience, Mall Cop fires its jokes from the 90’s without any of Doug Heffernan’s comical charm.

94. The Cake Eaters-It’s somehow hard to believe that Kristen Stewart’s worst movie of 2009 may not have been ’Twilight.’ Guy leads a cast of characters hellbent on expressing mediocrity through banal dialogue, poorly-constructed stereotypes, and contrived story points.

93. Duplicity-Yes this mess of a storyline was written by the same man responsible for ’Michael Clayton’ and the Bourne series. Julia Roberts’ returned for this? A plot filled with so many twists, turns, and repetition that anyone still intrigued by the end will be too busy re-calibrating themselves to see it.

92. Humpday-Lynn Shelton’s mumblecore effort made sure that I’d never watch another mumblecore picture. Watching a bunch of pseudo-intellectuals talk themselves in circles about the merit and reasoning behind a man cheating on his wife with his best friend in a gay porno gave one of the (hopefully) worst representations of today’s young adults.  Film Comment's Amy Taubin gives it its due calling it a 'grossly incompetent, indie-buzz bomb."

You Can Make it Through These Pictures, But Not Easily

91. World’s Greatest Dad-This actually starts out as a decent Robin Williams vehicle, before the poor plot ends up as exposed as Williams’ genitals. After his dick of a son dies, Williams rides an unamusing and completely nonsensical (even for the genre) ride to a disappointing end revealing the film’s message in the least effective way imaginable.

90. Treeless Mountain-There is a difference between glacially (pre global warming) paced films and this. Two young girls wait patiently for their mother to return, while the audience waits patiently for something interesting to happen.

89. It’s Complicated-If Alec Baldwin and Meryl Streep weren’t cast in Meyers’ ‘write what you know…without ever advancing yourself’ picture it would’ve failed miserably. They provide some sparks in a dull arena, which somehow makes Steve Martin bland and has three of the worst performances ever given by young actors. It’s no wonder Nancy Botwin sells pot, as her son won’t be bringing home the bacon as an actor anytime soon.

88. Watchmen-A faithful adaptation? That’s what Zack Snyder believes and the rest of us have come to find a lie. From the unwatchable sex scene between Nite Owl II and Silk Spectre II, to Matthew Goode’s too comic portrayal of Ozymandias, and an ending that destroys much of the graphic novel’s point, the film version of Alan Moore’s masterpiece is anything but.

87. The Soloist-Someone was printing Oscar banners during this film’s entire creative process. Every scene feels soaked in dialogue meant to attract the attention of the Academy, while ignoring the seemingly easily adaptable story of a relationship between a middle-class white journalist and an uber-talented black cellist. Even the slums of LA look bright, rather than gritty.

86. Amreeka-Another interesting story dumbed down to racial stereotypes. The strong acting is put aside by the ongoing helplessness of everybody present, all them incredibly efficient at preaching their point. Amreeka’s (somehow) subtle relationship with her son’s principal can’t even save this indie commonfare.

85. In the Electric Mist-A thriller without any thrills! New Orleans serves as an admirable backdrop to a tale that never creates an atmosphere of fear. Tommy Lee Jones in his umpteenth performance as an officer of the law never shows us vulnerability, while John Goodman slips in and out of his accent at will.

84. Julia-Tilda Swinton vanishes as the title character, along with the viewer’s interest almost immediately. The overly long films fails to give Swinton anyone to work off of, as the child is plot-fodder and wife-beating Mitch is as present as he was with his family.

83. Public Enemies-Johnny Depp! Christian Bale! Michael Mann! Wisconsin locales! Exciting film? Rather, a gung-ho gangster flick rarely gravitating from established historic mafia portrayals in cinema, instead relying on its disorienting, excuse me, pretty HD camera and big name stars to pull its weight. It’s barely distinguishable from the heap only seven months removed from viewing.

Glad I Watched Once and Only Once


82. The Informant!-Steven Soderbergh’s film about a whistleblower from the Midwest was advertised heavily as a comedy. It isn’t. It’s dry humor is barren, and Damon’s appropriate performance as Mark Whitacre is wasted; at least until a slight pick-up as things begin to fall apart for his character in the second half. And I am, apparently, the sole detractor of the film’s score.

81. Everlasting Moments-Criterion is about to make a mistake releasing this picture about a slow-witted, submissive woman at the center of a population that doesn’t believe in repercussions. Maria and her family are well-rounded throughout most of the film, until their patience results in happiness that can only occurs in so things can wrap up, as this does with scenes constantly in a hurry to leave the screen.

80. The Boys Are Back-Clive Owen in a sentimental performance as a widowed father in charge of some messy boys (including himself). Cinema meant to appeal to Blind Siders, the film ending up landing without a peep. The more interesting child, the one living with Owen’s ex, shakes things up for the better for awhile before the focus goes elsewhere.

79. The Great Buck Howard-John Malkovich in an incredibly wacky and tuned performance, is thrown to the pigs as his co-stars galley about insincerely and impersonally. Emily Blunt arrives as Colin Hanks’ lover in an awkward, shallow display that could only be described with the lyrical genius of the other Blunt.

78. Precious-A hard-nosed tale that loses its edge thanks to director Lee Daniels. Mo’Nique’s furious showing as Precious’ mother is wasted in slow-motion and quick cuts to gimmicks meant to enhance the characters. Precious herself gets the same treatment when we get to tap into her mind, which according to Daniels is filled with nothing but glittery fantasies of stars. And one can’t forget the delightful Blu Rain as one of the most ridiculously angelic characters of the year.

77. Sherlock Holmes-Holmes and Watson! Ah-ha! Action, mystery, and witty exchanges, how pleasant! Unfortunately, the movie is not made up of entirely Holmes and Watson investigating, instead finding time (barely) to litter in Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler who must have been getting low on funds for bypassing her usually selective process when choosing films. All of this hampered even more by the misguidance of the unfortunately stubborn and predictable Guy Ritchie, and always terrible Mark Strong.

76. Big Fan-My personal disappointment of the year, Robert Siegel’s first film falls victim by over-emphasizing everything that made ‘The Wrestler’ (which he penned) worthy of its praise. Paul Aufiero is surrounded by a bunch of cartoony one-dimensional family members who bugger him insistently to get a real job and give up his obsessions. He holds firm by going nowhere and dedicating his entire life to the New York football Giants. And I don’t give a damn.

Decent Fare

75. The Girlfriend Experience-Beginning way too politically (we get the situation Mr. Soderbergh), the film eventually finds its way. Sasha Grey performs admirably, clothed, but the more interesting character is her boyfriend whose plight as a prostitute’s lover is highly sympathetic despite his Jersey Shore-like physical appearance.

74. Bright Star-One of my few disagreements with the critics at ThePlaylist, Jane Campion’s latest looks at the young love of Fanny Brawne and John Keats, or more accurately Fanny and her lover. Without a doubt this is Fanny’s story, with Keats used about as sparingly as possible in such a tale. Fanny started out on the path of driven individual and ended up an obsessed female without any real identity to fall back on.

73. Killshot-A stiff Mickey Rourke (as Bird) made out to be a wiseman of sorts isn’t rescued by the flexible Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Richie) who plays, essentially, his mimic. Bird’s discretion leads both directly and indirectly to Richie’s own demise, leading him down a senseless path of slaughter without any respectable code of any kind. How it was suppose to be? Yes. Entertaining to watch? No.

72. Adam-A nondescript Hugh Dancy vehicle designed to do little other than show his ability to walk the line of friendly introvert and complete retard per Kirk Lazarus. The relationship reaches its climax realistically, prompting a ’thank God,’ and then a small nod of affection for its cuteness before fading into some mental hideaway.

71. The Cove-Documentaries blow. They consist of a bunch of extremists trying to sprout their ideas through obnoxious behavior, their cause eventually left behind post the initial public reaction. Mark Monroe’s peek into the world of dolphin murder entertains with its elements of stealth, namely obtaining the footage needed for the film, but too often sways from its original premise, stumbling into my very narrow-minded thoughts on documentaries. What is the result? The way the people of Taji kill dolphins is inhumane and 99% of people who see it are going to gasp and go on doing nothing, including me.

70. Avatar-A beautiful world wasted on amateur, been there, done that storytelling. Kevin Costner, sorry, Sam Worthington leads a mix of experienced and inexperienced actors with mostly terrifying results (the scintillating delivery of one liners alone merit a Razzie nomination for Michelle Rodriguez). They can be excused to a point courtesy of James Cameron’s campy dialogue and characters. The real problem of Cameron’s message is how he delivers it; zero gray area and highly judgmental. It is impossible to compare a world with visual, modern evidence of God to one without. The anti-human tirade gets stale quickly.

69. The Last Station-Sofya, Tolstoy’s wife, was the only character who lived as a Tolstoyan should. Valentin, played by the never a standout, never a disappointment James McAvoy, is close but far too much of the flock-mentality of the other so-called Tolstoyans, those consciously-living by another man’s decree. Sofya can be greedy and unnecessarily outspoken, yet does so with love and her family in mind. Tolstoy himself is far too selfish (though admittedly so), while his confidant Vladimir Chertkov and daughter are unrecognizably villainized come the credits. Valentin and Masha’s ‘love’ was based on nothing other than flirtation and naivety.

68. The Young Victoria-A pleasurable cast (withholding Mark Strong) held through a common story by Paul Bettany’s Lord Melbourne. The story evolved on his sly attempts at destroying partnerships for his own purposes, mixing up the normality associated with pictures on Royalty. He is the reason for the film’s strongest moments including Prince Albert’s welcome explosion against him.

67. Adventureland-The quiet indie that defines a generation of youth hipsters/malcontents with an abundance of music everyone should listen to. And then the next one comes. Greg Mottola’s personal look at his own time of adversity is a charming combination of clichés (fireworks) and actual emotion (James discovering Em’s secret). Good, but lost with time.

66. The Hangover-A constant rush of comedy looking to hit at least some of its jokes with just about the entire male audience. It lands some (clips from the camera) and misses completely on others (Mike Tyson, a naked Ken Jeong). Ultimately it falls prey to being a cheap(er), and admittedly funnier, hardy-hardy-har between other companion pieces detailing the actions of reckless brahs.

65. Jerichow-The technical aspects were nailed: fine acting, prudent dialogue, and sound structure, but it didn’t take enough chances to push it beyond a ‘solid’ consideration. The calm tale of betrayal throws in twists to try and change our allegiances before a finale pops up without enough alluding to. A little wider scope and the film would be worth revisiting.

64. Il Divo-A peculiarly fitting soundtrack that highlights the eccentric Giulio Andreotti, also correctly interpreted by the astounding camerawork. The movie drops a lot of strands for the viewer to grab onto, often releasing the names of multiple Italian bigwigs in a chaotic flurry. It excels in its entertainment purposes, but meshes everyone together so much that we are left with Andreotti’s character and everybody else.

63. The Maiden Heist-It is disgraceful that a film containing the talents of Morgan Freeman, Christopher Walken, Marcia Gay Harden, and William Macy went straight to DVD. The movie begins full of humor, as the three leads attempt to steal the artwork they’ve become so attached to, but disintegrates as they attempt the actual heist. The story leaves the characters entirely in the past and demands all attention be placed on the technical aspects of the robbery. Marlow’s final realization brings back some of the early magic, and would’ve been all the more beautiful had it not been for the gradual loss of momentum leading up to it.

Somewhere in the Middle

62. District 9-A promising new Sci-Fi turned 90’s actioner. Sharlito Copley creates (as most of what he did was impromptu) an entirely believable Wikus, a man caught between two sides of apartheid. He is a gentle, unaware man thrown into the forefront of an uprising and forcefully transformed into something unrecognizable. He is contradictory; greedy yet caring. There are more problems unknown to him that he can’t help; the film suffers from its desire to manipulate us toward the humans and then towards the Prawns. Then there’s the last third, when Colonel Koobus decides to audition for next year’s ’The Expendables.’

61. State of Play-After serving as a mature look at the despair of modern-day journalism, the film avoids its primary strength for plot purposes. The newspaper world is left behind, as Cal and company go on an investigative hunt bringing them upon miscast, questionable people like the humorless Jason Bateman as Dominic, while ignoring the essentials that made the movie work in the first place such as Rachel McAdam’s lively Della Frye.

60. Nine-Wishing to remove 8 ½ from the list of classics, Rob Marshall’s mishmash musical partial remake of a partial remake turned out decent taking into consideration managed expectations. Daniel Day-Lewis is once again the star, taking an older Guido and making his faults a bit more relatable, difficult seeing as he is a whiny film director with hordes of woman whirling around in his fantasies. The songs vary greatly with god-awful vocals emanating from Judi Dench to shockingly-bearable tunes from Fergie and Kate Hudson. Very little of the music progresses the story, as the lyrics tend to the obvious, rather than the poetic.

59. Star Trek-Sufficient acting from Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto lead a franchise revival that has the core for a great sequel. A blockbuster that remains too safely in the realm of a blockbuster, J.J. Abrams’ reboot sets his characters up to face their adversaries and each other. Leonard Nimoy’s cameo felt preachy, and Nemo was an unsuitable foe to the USS Enterprise, but they are both happily out of the way.

58. Coraline-Most kids’ movies are stuffed with the same jokes, characters, and plots. Coraline is a more realistic youngster, brash and adventurous. The story suits her, dealing with the very thing most people go to movies for, escaping reality. Her tale comes packed with wacky side characters and creatures to keep the children interested, sacrificing very little until the third act when she seems invincible, rushing through her opposition without so much as a sweat.

57. Brothers-Suprisingly, Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal share very little screen time. Tobey’s Sam is off in a far too simplistic, feeble Afghanistan for the majority of the movie, while Jake’s Tommy is wooing Sam’s wife Grace (Natalie Portman). The tension is absent until Sam comes back home, where he has a quick outburst and the movie ends thereby denying us all of the premise. It should be noted for future casting decisions that Portman would look more comfortable nursing Maguire than as his lover. The biggest Oscar snub of the year comes courtesy of Bailee Madison, the young girl who gives an almost incomprehensibly acute performance as Isabelle.

56. Broken Embraces-Pedro Almodovar’s latest arrives long-winded, but entertaining with its knack for red herrings and tangled relationships. Penelope Cruz’s Magdalena becomes involved with a blind writer called Harry and a rich old fellow by the name of Ernesto, neither candidate suitable for the other in either case. It all wraps up nicely with a confession from Judit and the reappearance of plotlines and characters thought to be left for dead (Diego). Thankfully Almodovar keeps things tight during the changes in the timeline.

55. The Baader Meinhoff Complex-A strong case against politics in their entirety. The core ideas of terrorists and police, distilled amongst future recruits causing the initial ideas for formation to unravel until people are doing things for reasons unrealized. The problem with Baader and Meinhoff’s group is that their original members also lacked proper intelligence for such a movement, coming off as arrogant rebellions feeding off their status as figureheads. The needless violence is followed by a jail stint served by character and viewer alike, as objectives seem further from grasp and we are only witness to the RAF’s side of things.

On the Verge

54. Bronson-A surefire cult classic, Tom Hardy’s odd and fascinating portrait of Britain’s famous prisoner boils with lunacy. This is about Bronson, his viewpoints and his values at the forefront. Those who attempt to understand his antics are punished like pawns by this man who wants to remain concealed and naked at the same time. A legacy built mostly in his mind, Bronson suffers when he turns to his contemplative side, oftentimes unusually adept at prying through his thoughts.

53. Silent Light-It takes time for the non-professional actors to hit their stride, but when they do the film transforms from a piece in need of a major edit to a beautiful one rewarding patience. The turning point late in the film strikes hard on the worst kind of betrayal; the kind one understands. Blame doesn’t work out that conveniently, and the characters find themselves yearning for the past, but ardently facing the present without much outspoken complaint.

52. Invictus-Nelson Mandela is an excellent person to characterize on screen with his humanistic value nearly magical enough to be considering escapist fare. Morgan Freeman is clearly suited for the task, while Matt Damon does little to disturb Freeman’s picture. Segments of Mandela’s peaceful ways are not overstuffed with sentiment, but the film heads downhill once the rugby matches steal the spotlight.

51. The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus-The tumultuous task of replacing Heath Ledger mid-shoot was handled well within the story’s reasoning. What ultimately does the film in is the destruction of Ledger’s onscreen persona, Tony Shepherd. Shepherd bleeds charisma through the bright, imaginative backdrops of Parnassus’ mind and in the dusty, dark lives of real folks. When he leaves us, signs of melodrama and an unwanted other male, one believing love for his carnival cutie is their destiny, sneak in as pests. And for argument’s sake, Jude Law is the best fill-in.

Worth Another View

50. Coco Before Chanel-Audrey Tautou guides us faintly through the fashion designer’s early life without ever a sign of ego. Her relationships bend, break, and heal like the rest of ours, and the glamour of her Chanel brand is positively absent. Far too uneventful for most, Tautou is able to hold the audience’s attention with her calm desirableness and a curious caution to everything entering Coco’s world.

49. The Merry Gentleman-A slow-burning, suspense-enhancing story leads to an interesting conclusion in Michael Keaton’s directorial debut. The tense situation at hand leads to wonderful interactions between the characters in the moment, but doesn’t hint enough at their past lives with the slight exception of Kelly MacDonald’s Kate. Everyone moves on without an exploration of faults, possibly the point of the story: Why do we do what we do?

48. Five Minutes of Heaven-Not quite the Hollywood match-up of Frost and Nixon, and partially better off for it. The straightforward tale of two impeccably acted Irishmen attempting to meet years after one murders the other’s brother, is able to find its way to a gratifying ending after struggling through lengthy periods of time meant only to prolong the inevitable. The majority of the film takes place before the meeting, where the execution can’t keep up with the hype. The events following their eventual meeting contain the meat of the picture.

47. Import/Export-Uplifting in absolutely no way, Ulrich Seidl’s lightless look at the bottom-feeders of humanity paints a disturbing portrait for even the most unaffected of us. In a world where the ultimate goal is merely survival, Olga and Pauli are dragged through an endless string of worsening situations filled with few moments of compassion. Pauli’s stepfather, mid blow-job, attempts to get Pauli to fuck the girl who was previously on all fours barking like a dog. Olga, meanwhile, follows a male nurse of her liking to find out which elderly patient shit in the hallway. Longevity becomes a problem with the subject matter and prevents us from receiving it in doses, ultimately downgraded it.

46. Away We Go-A couple that actually remains in love! Sam Mendes’ offbeat comedy hits the road smoothly as Verona and Burt feel like family after a few short minutes. The guests the couple visits are a mix of highlights and oddities taken too far. The stroller ride around a house in Madison and a wife’s slink down on a stripper pole make up for the lesser stops at the siblings’.

45. The Men Who Stare at Goats-A screwy satire on war that never becomes too grating on the subject. George Clooney and Ewan McGregor make a clumsy pair ripe for the picking, with Jeff Bridges peace-fighting hippy Bill Django serving as a lax link into the past of the whole operation. Peace as war. Kevin Spacey disappoints greatly as the plot plunges into boredom late in the game.

44. A Single Man-A solid effort that didn’t quite do its story justice. Tom Ford’s bow into film is neither as stylish or as moving as I was convinced it was going to be by the trailer. Its greatest augur, the haunting original score by Abel Korzeniowski constantly implying the impending doom of Colin Firth’s George. Julianne Moore is gleefully sad in her small (time wise) part, hampered only by the time limits of the day and its predictability. George’s saving relationship with his spry student also saved the movie, in spite of the overuse of nudity.

43. In the Loop-Credited to five different writers, the film rips through its sharp-tongued quick-witted dialogue and profanity without pause until the credits roll. Malcolm Tucker, a vile straight shooter leads a group of politicians satirizing today’s incompetent leaders, but somehow with all the material available, relies too much on general humor. As viewed through the eyes of an uncompromising apolitical, the film maintained my interest and for that I must give it its due.

42. Up-Pixar’s tearjerker of an elderly man floating away on balloons combines elements of humor and actual, non-glorified emotion quite well. The shockingly harsh opening, for a movie aimed at children, sets up a breezy, affectionate tale of opposites, in age and personality, finding their passion together. Talking dogs and a female bird named Kevin help keep the mood light, while the villain, Charles F. Muntz unexpectedly forces the story into longevity issues.

41. Whatever Works-Woody Allen, the usually intrusive director who creates far too many clones of himself as leads, somehow is able to walk the line between entertaining and annoying. Whatever works, why not? Larry David is casually natural and obnoxiously observant, forgiven by the fact that he’s usually right. Patricia Clarkson tries too hard in what she wishes was an Oscar-nominated role.

40. Fantastic Mr. Fox-Funny, quirky, and clever like all Wes Anderson films, his latest, fast-paced indie is only held back by the lack of emotion previously present to compensate for his pretentiousness. He wisely keeps his normally loud soundtrack from overshadowing the actual mise-en-scene. Somehow its relentless pace and reliance on intelligent action wasn’t enough to fill seats.

39. Lorna’s Silence-An unmatched premise with near-perfect casting that submits to the inclusion of unnecessary drama in places deemed ’slow.’ Arta Dobroshi’s brilliance is hardly wasted as she balances her guilt and compassion, along with her allegiances. Every decision of hers’ comes with the utmost importance. Others in the cast are not given consistent screen time, as the story becomes too jumpy particularly in the second half.

38. Somers Town-Incredibly realized characters litter the black and white landscape of their lonely lives. From their attempts at wooing a waitress far out of their league by rolling her home in a wheelchair to feeling their first effects of alcohol, Tomo and Marek, two boys destined to be picked on, locate their own little freedoms and joys together. The ending, in color, forces the boys a bit too near the unachievable knocking the tone off-kilter, putting into question what exactly is worth taking from the film.

37. Up in the Air-Jason Reitman’s latest major effort racked up the nominations at the Oscars, but deservedly only so for the acting. Reitman never quite catches up with the current times his picture is trying so hard to speak on. Clooney’s Ryan Bingham starts off in the sky, before uncomfortably venturing back home (to Wisconsin!) where the plot unravels without paying enough attention to what made the character so interesting in the first place. Vera Farmiga’s Alex is not given her due in the end, bowing out in highly predictable fashion.

36. Departures-An overly sentimental movie that somehow works. Humans’ natural reluctance to death takes over as lead Diago finds a job preparing the dead causing his old friends and wife to abandon him and his ’dirty’ occupation. The sides of those who calmly accept death (the undertakers, incinerators, Diago) and those who can’t are clearly divided. The procedure of readying the dead is interesting in itself as the Japanese, portrayed openly with public baths and physicality of the preparation of the dead, need such a calculated, clean way of handling the deceased to disguise grief. Diago seems to stray into normality for too much of the picture, never as close to death as you’d believe him to be.

Narrowly Out of Contention

35. Moon-A phenomenal ending and realization lessened by a safe movie. Sam Rockwell’s Sam and Sam, along with his spaceship’s computer Gerty exert more emotion alone together, than Sam does in his video conferences with his family lowering the consequences as the story progresses. The effects on the moon look decent for a low-budget Sci-Fi, but noticeably cheap at points during harvesting.

34. Two Lovers-Joaquin Phoenix’s last hurrah pre-Unibomber phase is a low-key look at a man trying to obtain his infatuation and still hold onto his safety net. The ending is lucid from early on, yet watching Phoenix’s easily bothered, always worried Leonard (who also lives with his parents) tightrope between the two ladies manages to maintain tension. It all results in a final heartbreaking scene, one where you can’t help but feel sorry for everyone involved.

33. Crazy Heart-Jeff Bridges eases into Bad Blake’s life on a road full of small crowds, alcohol, and what was. Bridges’ personality is so distinguishable outside of film it’s a wonder how he manages to slip so concealed into each of his characters. His performance helps push along a film with little in terms of innovative plot developments, all effective, but never with the depth of the likes of ’The Wrestler.’ The country music isn’t so much honky-tonk as grit and grind, like most of the people populating the small towns Blake plays in. ‘The Weary Kind’ should be a lock for Best Original Song.

32. The Maid-The only film with boobs in what feels like every scene that doesn’t try to impress its audience. Raquel, the driven-crazy family maid, is followed so intimately by the camera you half expect her to turn around, grab it, and thrash its dictator for invading her private space. The paterfamilias of her taken-on family helps keep their side grounded, as he removes himself quietly for his own vices (golf) enabling him to maintain his sanity like when one of his bottled ships is busted. Often discomforting and inhumane, Sebastian Silva’s ode to an ignored occupation ends up a means to self-analyze.

31. Where the Wild Things Are-A heavily-divided movie among critics, Maurice Sendak’s classic children’s tale finds itself somewhere in the middle. Max enters a world of his own imagination crowning himself King of its inhabitants, each of which think and speak like different parts of Max, thereby an argument against those criticizing the film for its on-the-nose dialogue and presentation. The opening and closing scenes are near-perfect as a foundation for Max’s dream world, full of immaturity and neglect.

30. O’ Horten-Beginning at a near sufferable pace, O’ Horten wanders his own head and town finding others sharing in his lonesomeness. Comedy sneaks in as O’ Horten rides shotgun with a blinded man after helping him off his arse on the side of a road. Breaking nearly every screenwriting rule known to Hollywood, the change of pace is welcome as we actually get to know this man at a time of high grief and watch as he plugs to find happiness in little things.

29. The Road-My most respected author adapted by the director of ‘The Proposition,’ a criminally overlooked Australian western. My least favorite of McCarthy’s work, John Hillcoat’s cinematic version actually made me want to take another look at the author’s latest. Charlize Theron is Charlize Theron and that’s never going to change (her only worthwhile venture I’ve seen was her ‘Arrested Development’ cameo), but the real story is between father and son, written by McCarthy for his own son which explains an ending as happy as he’d ever write. The mood of the ongoing need for survival is a tad off, but the relationship mucked through the dark and dusty countryside holds up.

28. The Bad Lieutenant, Port of Call: New Orleans-Nicholas Cage is a zany, coke snorting, gambling, half-rapist, and completely hilarious and enjoyable. He wanders around crime scenes and bars, sometimes imagining reptiles, other times break dancing, but always taking part in something unpredictable. He’s even able to sell-out and get away with it, because everything’s done out of fun without sacrificing some kind of structured story to go along with this character who runs the show. Eva Mendes is the only one who seems to have missed out on the joke, taking things too seriously and boring potentially exciting moments to a complete halt.

27. A Serious Man-Nearly all Coen Brothers movies require multiple viewings to gather all the details, and that is evident nearly from the get-go of their most recent. Their philosophy in writing of continually throwing shit into their protagonist’s way is taken to the max with the poor, befuddled Larry Gopnik played to perfection by theatre actor Michael Stuhlbarg. He’s told calmly to move out of his home and into the Jolly Roger hotel by his wife’s new lover, Sy Ableman and must deal with his brother who spends his days holding up the bathroom or on the couch writing mysterious mumbo-jumbo. The ambiguous ending only adds to the frustration and delight of the whole thing.

26. Funny People-Judd Apatow’s ‘mature’ effort is neither too long or short on laughs. Adam Sandler proves Punch-Drunk Love wasn’t a one-off as the rich prick comedian George Simmons, who takes Seth Rogen’s (who can’t act but one character, but does okay with that) Ira Wright on as his assistant while battling cancer. Perfectly suited to fade into melodrama, Apatow keeps things tight with surprisingly three-dimensional characters. Simmons mopes through life using sarcasm as a way out of serious matters living by the doctrine of laughter equaling happiness, or at least the chance to get through the day.

Top 25 Films of 2009

25. Sugar-A low-key sports film, think about it. No home run balls destroying scoreboards or underhand pitches taught by mommy striking out sluggers. Sugar’s integration into a religious white Iowan family and their community, along with the high (read: steroid causing) expectations of a Dominican baseball import move the film along. His struggles aren’t over dramatized and his successes are determined by what he considers success, not what anyone else does. His demeanor shifts from cocky to realistic, resulting in a satisfaction that most people would accept as disappointment.

24. Me and Orson Welles-Wait. What? A Zach Efron movie this high? He plays an optimistic Richard, guided by his youth more than anything else who clashes with the stubborn, hot-headed perfectionist Orson Welles, who it must be said is played with masterful care by Christian McKay. The whole film you’re waiting for someone to truly challenge Orson, and when they finally do, events take a turn in which you begin waiting again to find out it was all a joke (that’s about as evasive as I can be spoilers-wise). As a whole, Richard Linklater’s film is fun, quick, and still harsh.

23. The Headless Woman-An account of a complete bitch who deals, in disturbingly restrained fashion, with whether she hit a dog or boy with her car is hardly a movie one would be interested in sitting through. It is to great credit then that director Lucrecia Martel is able to translate Nini's grief and guilt to us with some chance to relate to her mess through carefully consistent symbolism (hair as an example) and inklings of similar stories withheld by other characters showing us that Nini is not the only one who might do such a thing. Astounding performances from the entire cast.

22. Still Walking-An authentic, bare-bones look at a Japanese family, one full of diversified personalities all engaging with each other at such considered moments making it a mystery to see who shares what with whom. Hirokazu Koreeda allows us a vivid view into each family member’s mind and agenda; how much each of them can handle, who can trust who, which give into favoritism, and which are judgmental. The combination of all these elements turns what could be a mundane peek into a family outing into a chance to re-evaluate our own standing among family.

21. Sin Nombre-An admittedly at-times predictable thriller that utilizes movement in an incredible number of ways to relate the hardships in the similarities of life as a gangster and as an immigrant. In a world empty of soapboxes, characters live each scene as if they had no idea a camera was filming the action. El Casper is given proper treatment throughout the course of the film, ending his initiation project into his gang with the far too young Smiley and taking watch of the teen immigrant Sayra to ensure her safety. Smiley and Sayra both being great examples of using younger characters sympathetically without feeling mechanically prescribed to being seen as so.

20. An Education-Carey Mulligan’s breakout, alongside a steady Peter Sarsgaard and priceless Alfred Molina, as the enveloped, yet never overwhelmed Jenny can’t be understated. The believability of her ability to hang with the older, ritzier crowd is essential to the film’s core. Jenny is caught between the life she wants and the life her parents want for her, and when they are finally able to meet in agreement, one still hopes, but knows it is all too good to be true.

19. Inglourious Basterds-Quentin Tarantino’s return is often too self-indulgent, but rightfully so as his wit seeps through the many tongues of Colonel Landa. His mixture of patience and style remains unmatched, and fit perfectly with his gratuitous use of violence. The Basterds provide the action, Shosanna and Frederick Zoller handle the drama, and Landa serves as the instigating, resolving piston. Watching Nazi Germany fall at the hands of a cinematic wizard is an absolute delight.

18. Summer Hours-I’ve had to argue for and against this film since its release. The argument for: that the drama dissolving from each scene is a positive thing, showing the strength of family to forgive even after arguments about important matters such as the sale of their memories and futures of their children. The argument against: the children are physically forgotten for most of the picture, outside of the beginning and end, including a very displaced scene of arrest for marijuana. Either way, it’s a quality film showing us how we want to be remembered, how we are remembered, and what really is the use of memories.

17. Cold Souls-A film dealing with souls suggests heavy material, but Sophie Barthes is able to ride its entire length without ever allowing it to take itself too seriously; goofy, but able to deliver a final devastating truth for one of its inhabitants. There is an excellent balance of comedy and sensitivity, an achievement that shouldn’t be ridden off as a poor man’s ’Eternal Sunshine.’ Paul Giamatti is Paul Giamatti both literally and in the sense of his consistent acting prowess, he brings his everyman status once again with a great knack for getting us into his character’s shoes.

16. 35 Shots of Rum-Like ‘Sin Nombre,’ Claire Denis uses movement to her full advantage. Lionel works on the tracks letting him be taken for a ride some of the time, while leading his daughter, hopefully in the right direction, on his motor bike at other times. Gabrielle, the woman who is constantly trying to bring people together, works as a taxi driver immediately interested in her clients’ private lives (and the other examples will have to remain a secret as they involve major spoilers). The ending is a bit quick for my taste, but can’t derail an otherwise scintillating film.

15. Flame & Citron-From Citron (the revelatory Mads Mikkelsen) and his apparent magnetism to bicycles to the mass grave in the middle of a meaningless field, the environment works to capture the two leads along a journey careful not to glorify them. They killed, they made mistakes, they suffered the psychological consequences, and went on doing the same, their final moments indicative of what they’d gone through and what they’d become (Citron with one of the most intelligent and best action scenes of the year). It does endure the occasional stroll into familiar territory, but as one of the most expensive Danish pictures ever, it far surpasses anything Hollywood has been able to accomplish with its ridiculous budgets.

14. Hunger-Steve McQueen’s debut is loaded with both brutal and subtle imagery as he strips down everything to the essentials. His minimalist approach allows every image on screen to portray what’s necessary as evidenced by the small amount of dialogue; even true during the long conversation between hunger-striking prisoner Bobby Sands and the priest. Its effectiveness truly shines through in a scene of nothing but a guard using a squeegee to push the prisoner’s piss out of a hallway, a chance to show how the grave lengths of a hunger strike had been reduced to such routine redundancy. The only problem with the presentation is McQueen’s dismissal of the other prisoners as the second half focuses solely on Sands.

13. The Hurt Locker-Intensity would be the best way to describe Kathryn Bigelow’s testosterone-filled wartime film. Thanks to the visceral cinematography of Barry Ackroyd, the fact that the boiling point is always around the corner, or just in plain in sight, is always evident. Jeremy Renner as Sgt. William James himself is ready to blow at any moment, often sacrificing his own life at the expense of thrills/bravery depending on the obstacle and outcome. The star cameos come and go like any other soldier on the battlefield as the group mentality of war overshadows the needs of the individual.

12. The Escapist-The lead role was written specifically for Brian Cox and he disappears into it without a blip. A very hard film to discuss without blowing the thing that will blow your own mind, and enhance the whole message rather than make everything feel cheapened. Rupert Wyatt doesn’t so much dwell on prison life as he does the thoughts without it. Characters follow Frank Perry (Cox) for reasons far less worth the risk than his own (revenge being one), because of his dedication to the opportunities presented outside those walls.

11. Quiet Chaos-Pietro Paladini spends most of the movie sitting on a park bench outside of his daughter’s school after becoming a widow. He comes to worry how this reflects on his daughter, that maybe she is unable to express her true feelings because she mimics her father. Instead, while questioning himself, he puts on a calm exterior and helps those around him, including his daughter get past their own troubles. Pietro and his small, brutally honest pronouncements and his generally strong and respectable character help the movie bypass sentimentality and provide a well-deserved happy ending.

10. The Limits of Control-Superbly stylish in its imagery, its cinematography, and its just plain cool vibe. The entire time we follow a lone man forgoing normal pleasures to complete his job. A self-proclaimed man not of the masses, our lead ironically never dares to break from a path laid out for him by his employer. His relationships with all are strictly business, as he moves about without a pulse ordering the same drinks, passing along similar matchboxes. It should also be added that there was a second Bill Murray cameo this year.

9. The Window-A cold look at the realities of old age, the window itself being something extraordinarily wild and free to the bedridden Antonio, while nothing more than a view of the outside to his nurses, company, and family. His venture into a regular field turns into a dangerous adventure, a dreamlike search ending when his human body can no longer take it and reality sets in. A day he so wants to be glorious for the visit of his son is left like he is, broken, the final nail his son and possible future daughter-in-law’s quick dismissal of the wine he’s been saving so long for a special moment like this was suppose to be.

8. The Messenger-The best film concept to arrive in years, Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson deliver notifications to the families of soldiers that have died in combat. Said scenes are incredibly powerful, even though you know they’re coming being the basis of the film and all. One stands out in particular where the father of a young girl rips into her for marrying a man without his knowledge before immediately consoling her when he finds out the reason for the officers’ visit, my body shivers into goose bumps just recounting it. A buddy story taken to a more mature level, the film also looks at the officers’ ’normal’ lives, their new way of looking at things, and bond between one another formed over the weight of the job. They act with greater concern and compassion for each other’s mistakes and poor traits. It would’ve been nice to see more casualty notifications later in this piece instead of frontloading them all.

7. A Woman in Berlin-An uncompromising look at a vulnerable time in history told by a woman who deems it unnecessary to the story to tell us her name. Soldiers and the bombed-out homeless mix like savages, forgetting their ideals and beliefs for a moment to relish in or be victims of primal being. All of them act inhumanely, a certain few exhibiting moments of clarity, and to those we turn to hope or at least a diversion to keep our interest. And that hope comes in the form of the unnamed woman and a Russian major who partake in a relationship one can appreciate without having to root for or against.

6. The Brothers Bloom-A comedy and adventure caper that reminds us intelligence doesn’t need to come at the expense of fun. One brother is resistant, the other ambitious, both willing to con anybody who comes along despite the prior’s reservations. The bond between brothers traverses through selfishness, greed, love, and excitement, but winds up ending the way only one sees fit. It had to be done, the way he did it (again, ambiguous with my details for spoilers), and it proved all along that their relationship was as strong as one brothers should ideally have.

5. Revanche-Alex, a man without any direction or goals in life, splits from his questionable, criminal life in the city to attempt a quieter life helping out his grandfather on a country farm. Though the new life isn’t exactly his motivation; as he plans to kill a man for revenge who luckily falls into his knowledge. He hides his lust for murder, slowly changing as he chops through his grandfather’s large pile of lumber, where he meets the wife of the man he plans to kill. His want for revenge lessens, as his always-present integrity becomes the main trait in his character. Very well acted, the film is a gold mine of character flaws and merits through symbolism from the opening scene of an object splashing into water, and rippling over the flipped scenery of the world above it, an image not forgotten while watching.

4. That Evening Sun-A story that could easily fall into stereotypes, yet somehow never does. Hal Holbrook and Ray McKinnon, in exquisitely cast roles, head a cast of characters that show small attempts at change while always reverting back to their original philosophies. It’s usually not the best solution, but honorable in the loyalty to their beliefs. The tale doesn’t twist into a matter of black and white, rather a conflict of how everybody involved wants to live their life. Humor slips in, violence isn’t overused, and it always feels sincere (including a captivating ending).

3. Goodbye Solo-The film is built around Solo’s unstoppable positivety: his marriage is dying, he rarely sees his little girl, and he’s been propositioned by an old man named William to drop him off at Blowing Rock so he can commit suicide. His tolerance and faith in humanity is unbelievable, and isn’t fake as seen by his quick moments of doubt before trying again. And that is his greatest strength: the ability to get knocked out (literally in one case, as William punches him) and keep getting back up, an admired trait not seen as much as talked about.

2. (500) Days of Summer-There has never been a film on relationships as true as this. From laugh-out loud sections of Tom dancing around Los Angeles after getting laid to his much too assuming dance with Summer at a co-worker’s wedding, it hits all the highs and lows. When the relationship is dying, Tom remains optimistic passing up the signs Summer gives him, because he can’t help but think she is the perfect woman for him; she makes him happy, she must feel the same way! We’ve all been Tom and we’ve all dated Summers. Some say the ending is corny, I say the whole thing could happen again, but maybe not?

1. The White Ribbon-A film warranting a release on the Criterion Collection if there ever was one, as you’ll want to instantly learn more about the troubled German village built, and still living, on old traditions. As mysterious happenings keep happening around the village, its occupants search out to find someone to blame. The children, in this case, those who have their hospitality stripped from them at a young age and taught to do the same with their own. Their vulnerability is shown through questions with seemingly obvious answers, “Do we all die?” They are the moral center of the story, offering the adults moments of love, a break from the rigidness that runs through their supposed role models. Haneke is able to give us insight into a horde of villagers, each one memorable as an individual. The final shot puts an astounding period on a movie that begins with the narrator telling us that the story he’s sharing with us may not be what actually happened; as all stories are, but nearly none admit.