Best Movies of 2009

It's awards season once again, beginning with the Golden Globes airing this Sunday on NBC. Dave and I will order the traditional extra-large pizza and settle in for glitzy red carpet pre-show so I can pick apart everyone's outfit, followed by hours of manufactured suspense. I can't wait. :)

I haven't seen a lot of the "best" movies out there, and I've got only a couple more days to complete the best picture nom list for the GG, but I feel compelled to publish my own list of the Best Movies of 2009 while the thought is in my head and the time is available.

10. Adventureland - I'm a sucker for angsty coming-of-age stories set in the 80's.

9. The Hangover - Hilarious bachelor party movie where everything goes horribly wrong in the most spectacular possible way.

8. Food Inc. - This movie was pretty much preaching to the choir with me, but I thought it was a very informative, well edited film in that didn't need to resort to extreme measures to make its point.

7. Star Trek - I was really excited to see the Star Trek franchise resurrected, and this prequel didn't disappoint. OK, so some of the time travel stuff was a bit hokey, but remember it's Star Trek! It's not supposed to be brilliant.

6. Precious - I was afraid to go see this movie. Everything I'd heard about it was that it was so heartrendingly awful to watch what happens to the title character that you'd leave the theater a quivering heap. I thought it was an uplifting story, it feels very real, and there's no tear jerking.

5. Up In The Air - Can emotionally unavailable men mature enough to accept sticky entanglements? Apparently they can, but only for unavailable women.

4. A Serious Man - This movie made me laugh out loud. Louder than I have laughed in years. Several times.

3. Hurt Locker - Think you can handle stress? Not in this job! Amazing cinematography in an extremely realistic setting.

2. District 9 - Gritty, original sci-fi morality tale with aliens and spaceships. woo!

1. (500) Days of Summer - Sexy Zooey Deschanel and all-growed-up Joseph Gordon-Levitt captivate in this fascinating anti-love story. I had to see it twice. I can't wait to see it again. The score and sound track are awesome too.

Honorable Mention (in no particular order):

The Informant - Matt Damon in a 'stache...'nough said.

I Love You Man - Very funny Paul Rudd bro-mance. But I love any movie with over-the-top vomit scenes.

Whip It - Ellen Page is just so adorable. She can do no wrong.

Julie & Julia - I'm a big Julia fan and Meryl Streep captured her perfectly.

An Education - Nick Hornby writes an exceptionally seductive screen play. The true story is even creepier. read about it.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - The Harry Potter franchise gets darker and smarter.

Up - Pixar does it again.

Watchmen - Nicely done comic hero flic.

Avatar - OK, it's dumb, but the flying is way cool.

I realize that this list is missing some "important" films that I just didn't get around to seeing, but really want to catch sometime in the not-too-distant future... The Invention of Lying, Moon, Inglorious Basterds, Invictus, The Road, Sherlock Holmes, but this is as good as it gets for now.