Michael's movies make top movie lists of the year and decade

http://chadhartigan.wordpress.com/2009/12/31/best-films-of-the-decade-part-five/

BEST FILMS OF THE DECADE, PART FIVE
December 31, 2009, 5:32 pm
Filed under: Uncategorized

End of the line! These movies are all the s$#!.

You can start at the beginning with part one here and part two here and part three here and part four here. Otherwise….

HUNGER (2008)
Steve McQueen

A seriously unpleasant moviegoing experience, why would anybody want to watch a film like this? To be startled by fearless direction and fierce originality. McQueen creates some of the most indelible images of the decade with cinematographer Sean Bobbitt and it’s a good thing too since pure visual storytelling makes up roughly 80% of the runtime. The only dialogue, more or less, all comes from one, genius 17 minute static shot. Structured in a completely unique way where the protagonist switches from reel to reel before settling on a spectacular Michael Fassbender who carries us through a gutting finale.

http://noordinaryfool.com/2010/01/01/secondnoffas_shortlists/

The Second Annual NOFFAs – The Shortlists
Posted on Friday, 1 January 2010 by Longman Oz

Happy New Year! Happy New Year!

As with last year, I am beginning 2010 with the short lists for my just-for-fun No Ordinary Fool Film Awards.

The criteria are simple – (1) I had to see the film both for the first time and on a cinema screen during the past calendar year and (2) there was a major bias towards films typically categorised as being “art-house”, “independently released”, or “world cinema”. Major releases get their own standalone award!

There have been a couple of changes, though, from last year. For a start, it has been necessary to hold over awards for both the best Irish film and the best animated feature film due to an insufficient number of eligible films in either category. Unfortunate, of course. However, what is one to do?

The other change is that some of the major award categories have been expanded from lists of three to five. This is primarily to reflect what an exceptional year that it has been for cinema and how many strong contenders that there are in several of the categories. Indeed, the “best director list” still ended up being a nightmare to compile, whilst there are quite a few very good films sitting outside of this year’s top ten. That said, I think that there are thirty-one different films listed below, which is impressive in itself.

With all of that said, I am now pleased to say that the following are, indeed, the short-listed films in each award category. The winners will be announced this day week, so be sure to tune in for that!

The NOFFA for Best Original Score:

* Johan Söderqvist (Let the Right One In)
* Jon Brion (Synedoche, New York)
* Tindersticks (35 Shots of Rum)

The NOFFA for Best Picture from a Major Studio:

* Gran Torino
* Milk
* Public Enemies

The NOFFA for Best Irish Film:

* [Withheld]

The NOFFA for Best Animated Feature Film:

* [Withheld]

The NOFFA for Best Documentary Feature:

* Gerda’s Silence
* German Souls
* Three Miles North of Molkom

The NOFFA for Best Cinematography:

* Anthony Dod Mantle (Antichrist)
* Christopher Doyle (The Limits of Control)
* Gökhan Tiryaki (Three Monkeys)

The NOFFA for Best Adapted Screenplay:

* Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire (Johnny Mad Dog)
* John Ajvide Lindqvist (Let the Right One In)
* Laurent Cantet, Robin Campillo, & François Bégaudeau (The Class)

The NOFFA for Best Original Screenplay:

* Andrea Arnold (Fish Tank)
* Arnaud Desplechin & Emmanuel Bourdieu (A Christmas Tale)
* Charlie Kaufman (Synecdoche, New York)

The NOFFA for Best Actress in a Supporting Role:

* Charlotte Collins (Fish Tank)
* Julie Ferrier (Micmacs)
* Marisa Tomei (The Wrestler)
* Ok-vin Kim (Thirst)
* Samantha Morton (Synecdoche, New York)

The NOFFA for Best Actor in a Supporting Role:

* Michael Caine (Is Anyone There?)
* Michael Fassbender (Fish Tank)
* Nicolas Duvauchelle (The Girl on the Train)
* Niels Arestrup (A Prophet)
* Tom Noonan (Synecdoche, New York)

The NOFFA for Best Actress in a Leading Role:

* Carey Mulligan (An Education)
* Charlotte Gainsbourg (Antichrist)
* Katie Jarvis (Fish Tank)
* Melissa Leo (Frozen River)
* Yolande Moreau (Séraphine)

The NOFFA for Best Actor in a Leading Role:

* Alfredo Castro (Tony Manero)
* Tahar Rahim (A Prophet)
* Tom Hardy (Bronson)
* Toni Servillo (Il Divo)
* Vincent Cassel (Mesrine – Parts I & II)

The NOFFA for Best Director:

* Andrea Arnold (Fish Tank)
* Charlie Kaufman (Synecdoche, New York)
* Jacques Audiard (A Prophet)
* Lars Van Trier (Antichrist)
* Michael Haneke (The White Ribbon)

The NOFFA for Best Picture:

* Antichrist
* Il Divo
* Fish Tank
* Let the Right One In
* Mesrine – Parts I & II
* A Prophet
* A Serious Man
* Synecdoche, New York
* Three Monkeys
* The White Ribbon

Some Thoughts:

The sharper observers amongst you may notice that Antichrist picked up four nominations above despite a less-than-glowing review on my part. However, I have thought about that film so much since then that it would be impossible to describe it as being anything other than a significant release. Hence, it has ended up being short-listed both for best film and best director respectively. On the other hand, both Ms. Gainsbourg and Mr. Dod Mantle had always been likely to be candidates in their respective categories.

Elsewhere, most of the year’s heavyweight films (at least for the type of cinema that I mostly watch!) are well represented here. Arguably, A Serious Man, with just one nomination has been very hard done by. However, I think that I would just end up sounding like quite a pompous ass if I tried to explain the decision-making there in any detail.

On the other hand, my biggest disappointment has been with the dearth of innovative and provocative documentary features shown on Irish cinema screens this year. Anything that I saw was worthy rather than being marvellous in the way that both My Winnipeg and Waltz with Bashir were last year. Hopefully, there will be stronger offerings coming our way next year, so!

That said, wow! Hunger may have stood head and shoulders above every other film that I saw last year. However, the competition is definitely going to be much more intense this year. The countdown to next Friday begins now! Nevertheless, any thoughts on this article or other cinematic highlights from 2009 are fully welcome below in the interim!

http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/feature.php?id=757

Top 50

Eye For Film's pick of the best films of the last decade.

by Jennie Kermode, Amber Wilkinson, Scott Macdonald, Anton Bitel, Andrew Robertson, George Williamson, Severine, James Benefield, James Gracey, Val Kermode, Steve Harwood, Stuart Crawford

Picking just 50 films to represent a decade is a difficult job, and our reviewers nominated a couple of hundred which we managed to whittle down to this list. Now you can sit back and enjoy reading about our pick of the finest films of the Noughties.

5 - Hunger

Bringing a startling immediacy to the story of the 1981 protests in the Maze that led to the hunger strike and death of IRA terrorist Bobby Sands, Steve McQueen's sensually photographed yet unrelentingly brutal film is nothing short of a triumph. Michael Fassbender's intense commitment to the central role (for which he lost nearly two and a half stone) makes the charismatic and undeniably principled Sands all the more compelling, though we are never allowed to lose sight of the ugly reasons for his incarceration. We like this film because it brings striking beauty and emotional depth to a challenging story.

http://www.themovieanalyst.com/2009/12/30/the-movie-analysts-top-10-hollywood-movies-of-2009/

The Movie Analyst’s Top 10 Hollywood Movies of 2009

by Suraj on Dec.30, 2009,

Monsters, robots, 3D imagery and what not; 2009 was full of it all. Now that this year is done and dusted, let us take a peek into the list of movies that made it to the The Movie Analyst’s Top 10 Hollywood flicks of 2009.

1- Inglourious Basterds

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Cast: Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Michael Fassbender, Eli Roth

Points: Quentin Tarantino seems to be hanging on to a lost world of movie-making and setting his own standards which he matches every time he comes up with a wonderfully complex story such as this. Tarantino gives life to this intriguing and absorbing World War II drama by adding a touch of fantasy and signature Tarantino-style visualization.

http://rushblogg.blogspot.com/2009/12/top-ten-10-favorite-movies-of-2009.html

Thursday, December 31, 2009
Top Ten (10) Favorite Movies of 2009

Below is a countdown list of my favorite movies of 2009. Mind you, this is not a list of movies that I believe are the best. Such a list would only be subjective anyway. So without further ado, here are my favorite movies of 2009:

TOP TEN (10) FAVORITE MOVIES OF 2009:

3. "Inglourious Basterds" - Quentin Tarantino struck gold at the box office in this fascinating and well written tale about two attempts to assassinate Adolf Hitler in 1944 Nazi-occupied Paris. Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Diane Kruger, Michael Fassbender and Mélanie Laurent co-starred.

http://frankmengarelli.wordpress.com/2010/01/01/top-ten-of-the-year-thus-far/

4. “Inglorious Basterds”. Dir. Quentin Tarantino. With Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Melanie Laurent, Michael Fassbender, Eli Roth, and Til Schweiger.

http://coolercinema.blogspot.com/2010/01/bests-of-2009.html

Friday, January 1, 2010
Bests of 2009

Happy New Year! As I catch up from spending the holidays with family, here’s a quick look back at the 2009 year in film, based on what I’ve seen so far.

Best Villain: Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz) in Inglourious Basterds

Best Performance by an Animal: The chicken in The Hangover

Best Performance by a Prop: Hans Landa’s pipe in Inglourious Basterds

Best Use of Office Supplies as Weapons: Drag Me to Hell

Best War Tactic: The acquisition of arrows in Red Cliff

Best Waste of Talent: The Men Who Stare at Goats

Best Example of “Quirky” Becoming Cliché: Away We Go

Best Kiss: Underwater makeout session to Jens Lekman’s “Your Arms Around Me” in Whip It

Best Sex Scene: The melodramatic humping to Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” in Watchmen

Best Sign that Sacha Baron Cohen’s Critics Are Right and He’s Nothing But a Comic Terrorist: The sabotaging of Ron Paul in Bruno

Best Sign that Diablo Cody’s Critics Are Right and She’s Nothing But a Manufacturer of Too Cute Wannabe Catchphrases: Any of the dialogue in Jennifer’s Body

Best Appearance of the Movies at the Movies: Manhattan Melodrama in the Biograph Theatre sequence in Public Enemies

Best Reminder Why I Haven’t Missed John Travolta: The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3, motherf@#$%!!

Best Argument Against Procreation: Jae Head as the utterly obnoxious S.J. Tuohy in The Blind Side

Best Use of Special Effects: The interaction of Sam Bells in Moon

Best Thirst-Quencher: (tie) Blood transfusion bags in Thirst and a can of Coca-Cola in The Road

Best Junk Food: Twinkies in Zombieland

Best Junk: Dr. Manhattan’s perfectly swaying blue member in Watchmen (don’t pretend you didn’t look)

Best (By Which I Mean Most Ludicrous) Cliché: The assassin who just happens to wear a very exotic (and thus very traceable) designer boot in The International.

Best Absurd Metaphor: “The Parking Lot” in A Serious Man

Best Exchange in an Absurd Jack Black Movie:

Olivia Wilde’s Princess Inanna: “I want you to enter the holiest of holies.”

Jack Black’s Zed: “That’s a coincidence because I want you to sit on the poliest of polies.”

Best Example of a Movie’s Delayed Release Leading to Inappropriately Lackluster Reviews: The Soloist

Best Example of a Movie’s Oscar-Season Release Leading to Overly Praiseworthy Reviews: Up in the Air

Best Unfairly Overlooked Performance: Maya Rudolph in Away We Go

Best Laugh: Nicolas Cage’s wheezing cackle after saying the name “G” as Terence McDonagh in Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call – New Orleans

Best Amazing f#%@#&! Coincidence: Captain Kirk stumbling into to the other Spock’s cave in Star Trek

Best Costumes: The furry, dirty wild things in Where the Wild Things Are

Best Breakout Male Performance: Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker

Best Breakout Female Performance: Carey Mulligan in An Education

Best Stunt: Naked strut to the bed by Vera Farmiga’s body double in Up in the Air

Best Interrogation Across a Table: Landa (Waltz) and LaPadite (Denis Menochet) in the country farmhouse in Inglourious Basterds

Best Uncut Interrogation Across a Table: Father Moran (Liam Cunningham) and Bobby Sands (Michael Fassbender) in Hunger

Best Inscrutable Female Subject in a Documentary: Anna Wintour in The September Issue

Best Inscrutable Male Subject in a Documentary: Mike Tyson in Tyson

Best Example of Imitation Trumping Performance: Morgan Freeman’s too perfect Nelson Mandela in Invictus

Best Use of Split-Screen: The “expectations vs. reality” segment of (500) Days of Summer

Best Movie About the Growing Pains of Love: Adventureland

Best Reminder that I’m Fooling Myself When I Say I Don’t Get Worked Up About the Oscars Anymore: The frightening potential that Precious might win Best Picture

Best Reason to Celebrate: A mostly forgettable movie year is over.

So, what did I miss? Any “bests” you’d like to add?

http://thedarkrooms.blogspot.com/2010/01/best-films-of-2009.html

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
Dir. Quentin Tarantino
President Woodrow Wilson said of The Birth of a Nation that it was “like writing history with lightning.” With Inglourious Basterds, Quentin Tarantino has re-written history with blazing nitrate celluloid. Some have accused him of trivializing the Holocaust in this defiantly inaccurate revenge tale, but hey, Hollywood has been trivializing Hitler’s atrocities for years with their endless parade of Oscar-baiting Holocaust films. But Tarantino’s movie is not about the Holocaust, nor is it about Hitler, nor is it even a true revenge film. It is about the movies themselves and our need for cinema as a vessel of wish fulfillment. Almost all of the major characters in Inglourious Basterds are attracted to cinema in one way or another, from Mélanie Laurent’s Jewish refugee who plays German movies in her theater in spite of her hatred for them, to Michael Fassbender’s British lieutenant and former film critic, to Diane Kruger’s German film star, to Brad Pitt’s good ol’ boy soldier who satisfies his desire to see movies by ritualistically killing “Natzies,” and naturally to Joseph Goebbels and even Hitler himself, a noted film fan. Perhaps for the first time in his career, perpetual film geek Tarantino rises above mere pop culture pastiche to something approaching true cultural critique. Hitler gets it in the end, and he gets it good. Not by his own hand, but by the guns of two furious Jewish men amidst the burning flames and triumphant cackle of a vengeful Jewish woman. We know it’s not real. But we want it to be. We need it to be. That is one of our driving incentives to see films (and all forms of art really), to provide us with the satisfying conclusions that we cannot (or did not) achieve in reality.

http://thefinecut.blogspot.com/2010/01/2009-year-at-movies.html

Friday, January 1, 2010
2009: A Year at the Movies

I actually wanted to wait until the year was officially over to present the best films that came out this year, as well as some other random thoughts. It should be noted that I still have plenty of movies to catch up with over the next year, including some films I still want to catch in theaters the next month, such as "Avatar", "The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus" and "The White Ribbon". Plus, I have films such as "Silent Light" and "The Headless Woman" in my home now via Netflix. Since my list is not limited to 10, I will make any updates and note them if I feel I want to include any additional films in this group.

This was not exactly the greatest year for movies. In fact, it was rather depressing, but there were some films that gave me hope that all is not lost. I have seen a total of 45 movies as of this writing either in theaters, on DVD or VOD. I only counted films that received an official release in the United States this year on any format. For example, I did not include Bong Joon-Ho's "Mother" (that I saw at the New York Film Festival) which would have easily made my best movies list but will not be released here until spring. First, I will present what I consider the 13 films that stood out most for me, followed by special categories that highlight special achievements, as well as reflect my complicated reactions to what cinema offered us in 2009.

The Best Movies of 2009 (presented in alphabetical order):

Hunger (Directed by Steve McQueen)

First time director Steve McQueen's film is about the 1981 IRA hunger strikes in Maze Prison and eventually details the last 6 weeks of leader Bobby Sands' life. This film has imagery both harrowing and beautiful. A nearly 20 minute scene where Sands (played by Michael Fassbender) and a priest (played by Liam Cunningham) debate the righteousness of the strikes is possibly my favorite scene from any film this year, as well as containing about 90% of the movie's dialogue. "Hunger" is about the debate as to whether fighting for a cause is worth the destruction of one's own body. The film sees Sands as both a symbolic martyr, as well as someone's son.

Most Promising Directors:

Steve McQueen "Hunger"
Duncan Jones "Moon"
Cary Fukunaga "Sin Nombre"

These are three directors working with low budgets, who can tell thematically-resonant stories, are willing to experiment and have a strong eye for compositions. That their debut features are different genres about completely different subject matter gives me hope about the diversity of directors in the coming decade.

Great Performances:

Michael Fassbender as Bobby Sands in "Hunger"

I still think it's too bad more people recognize him from "Basterds" than they do here, but, once again, that 20 minute scene where Sands and the priest debate his hunger strike showed this was an actor to watch.

http://ethanfilms.blogspot.com/2010/01/top-25-of-2009-part-2-top-10.html

2. Inglourious Basterds

Written & Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Starring Christopher Waltz, Brad Pitt, Eli Roth, Diane Kruger, Til Schweiger, Daniel Bruhl, Michael Fassbender and Melanie Laurent

Tarantino films have a shelf life of about 6 screenings before they really turn kinda sour. Jackie Brown, Reservoir Dogs, Death Proof, Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, some elements are great, but for the most part all those films are kinda dull, a little too over the top in every respect, and, well, just annoying at points. Basterds is not. The ensemble cast works perfectly as we jump between the serious tale of Shoshanna and the Nazi premiere party mixed with the comedic action of the Basterds trying to scalp Nazis and invade the premiere. But tying it all together with the intimidating danger and hilarious comedy is Chris Waltz as 'The Jew Hunter' Colonel Hans Landa. He's viscous, dangerous and scary, you are never sure what he's up to, if you want to laugh at his lines or want to hide in case he finds you, and in that lies the genius which keeps Basterds away from the rotting nature of Tarantino's other films. It's a wonderful film, paced well, shot perfectly and with a great soundtrack, dialogue, acting, nothing is wrong with this film, a perfect WW2 action film, of which there haven't been many for years. The last one to be as good or as funny was Schindler's List.

(If I go to hell for that joke it was worth it)

http://thefilmstage.com/2010/01/01/jacks-favorite-films-of-2009/

Jack’s Favorite Films of 2009
Posted on 01 January 2010 by Jack Giroux in

Writing this list was nothing short of headache inducing. Why? Because this has been nothing short of a fantastic year for movies. If you told me earlier this year that Adventureland, Watchmen, World’s Greatest Dad, 500 Days of Summer and even Drag Me to Hell wouldn’t be making my favorite films list I would have called you crazy. That goes for another handful of excellent to even great films that aren’t on this list. This was a fantastic year to be a cinephile or even the average joe movie goer. More importantly, this year was another reminder of why we love movies. There’s been a countless number of films that have transported us to other worlds and introduced us to new characters that we loved and felt for. That is a part of the magic of cinema and this year is proof of that. With all that smaltzy intro fluff out of the way, here are my favorite films of the year and even more mentioning of very good to great films that aren’t in the final fifteen:

3. Inglorious Basterds

Quentin Tarantino’s best? Maybe not. But another Tarantino classic? Most likely: yes. This ensemble was somewhat miss-marketed as the “action event of the summer” and in retrospect, in many ways it was. Tarantino’s dialog and build ups are exciting and blow away any other action sequence seen during that season of Transformers and G.I. Joe. Three other reasons why this is a great film ensemble: Christoph Waltz, Mélanie Laurent, and Michael Fassbender. Their show stealing performances deserve the overused term: tour-de-force.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/films-best-moments-of-2009/article1416628/

So last weekend's box office was the highest ever, about $270-million for Avatar, Sherlock Holmes , et al . What does this tell us? Simply, if movies are good, people will go. Now, if movies are great – ah, that's a different story. A great movie will be remembered, no matter what it grosses. Here are scenes, in almost alphabetical order, from my 12 favourite films of '09, which I'm tremendously glad live on in my mind.

Hunger Interior, day. The hallway of Maze prison, Northern Ireland, during the 1981 hunger strike of Bobby Sands (Michael Fassbender) and his fellow IRA prisoners. Slowly, silently, liquid begins spilling out from under each cell door – urine. Wearily, a prison worker mops it up. And we in the audience feel viscerally the hopelessness of this ancient, bitter, conflict. A movie that's painful to watch and would be almost too painful to recommend, were it not so carefully rendered by writer/director Steven McQueen.

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20100101/NEWS/912309986/1005

BEN AROUND: Looking back at 2009
by Ben Flanagan Tusk Writer
Published: Friday, January 1, 2010 at 3:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, December 30, 2009 at 10:51 p.m.

Until something better blows my mind (and the valiant “Avatar” impressed, but failed to violate my eyeballs), Quentin Tarantino’s rocking World War II fantasy “Inglourious Basterds” tops my list for best films of the year. Featuring brilliant performances by Christoph Waltz, Michael Fassbender, Daniel Bruhl, Melanie Laurent, Mike Myers, Til Schweiger, Brad Pitt, Jacky Ido and Diane Kruger, I’d also bet it’s the best-acted piece of entertainment audiences saw in 2009. Upon hearing Lt. Aldo Raine’s not-so-humble final line, I struggled to disagree and celebrated Tarantino’s return to greatness, where he belongs.

http://sansbroccoli.com/2010/01/wills-favorites-of-09/

Will’s Favorites of ‘09

Posted by William Schiffelbein on Jan 1, 2010 in Editorials0 comments

Well, we’ve reached the end of 2009. In fact, I’m writing this introduction on the first day of 2010 while lounging in deep contemplation, attempting to compile a list of my favorite movies of the year. The task of building a list is generally a daunting task. It requires you to sort through every movie you’ve seen from that year and find ten movies that mean something to you. Then, after narrowing down an already massive list so drastically, you’re faced with ranking them. Subsequently, after you’ve polished your thoughts you’re inevitably faced with the harshest of criticisms which call you out for not including this movie or over-praising that movie. All of these details are made even more harrowing once you realize how fantastic 2009 was in the grand scope of cinema.

So why do we put ourselves through this hell?

Because we f#%@#&! love movies.

Enough babbling. Here’s each of our lists chronicling the year 2009 in film:

Will’s Favorite Movies of 2009

2. Inglorious Basterds

A masterwork of virtuoso filmmaking that intensely displays the power of cinema. It’s hard to believe that Quentin Tarantino could top some of his previous works like Kill Bill and Pulp Fiction. Not only did he top them, he “Bear Jew’d” the s$#! out of them. Each scene is meticulously crafted to the point of perfection and the impact of each character is exemplified by resoundingly brilliant performances from everyone involved. This is sure to go down as a classic in American filmmaking.

6. Hunger

I love walking out of the theater and simply knowing that the movie I just watched is so important to the history of cinema that it’s first home video release will be through Criterion. British filmmaker Steve McQueen has crafted something so hauntingly powerful that it will go down as a modern classic. Though McQueen’s vision is indispensable to the picture’s acute sense of emotional appeal, the film’s success would not have been possible to such a degree without the moving performance of Michael Fassbender as IRA leader Bobby Sands. It’s a true tragedy that so few people have seen this film, and if you’re one of those people, you owe it to yourself to do so.

Best Performances of 2009:

Every movie’s success, from small character studies to epic blockbusters, hinges on its performances. Every great movie this year is replete with fantastic performances. Not only was this a great year to see some of our favorite stars return to the big screen, but we were also treated to some memorable breakout performances. Check out some of my favorite actors and actresses this year:

Best Actors:

-Michael Fassbender, Hunger: This guy has had a great year. Both Hunger and Inglorious Basterds featured this phenomenal actor, whose performance in each made the respective film immensely better. His role as Bobby Sands is one of those perfect performances, much like Mickey Rourke in last year’s The Wrestler. His commitment to the role makes Christian Bale’s weight loss in The Machinist look like Sandra Bullock in All About Steve. It’s a travesty that he’ll get passed up for an Oscar nomination, but this performance will live on in the hearts and minds of those who’ve witnessed his sheer power on screen.

http://blog.nicksflickpicks.com/2010/01/remembering-2009.html

Oct 21, AMC Rivers East 21, Chicago, IL
The Silver Hugo, i.e., the runner-up choice for Best Picture out of 145 films, went to Andrea Arnold's Fish Tank, which also scored the Best Director and Best Supporting Actor citations. I'll have more to say about Fish Tank in the coming year, and if Michael Fassbender can't fight his way to a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the 2010 Oscars, then the system is even more broken than we already know it is. Still, I should admit that part of my lingering affection for the memory of this screening has to do with a rare moment of theological frisson. I forsook my already-purchased ticket to the one scheduled screening of Fish Tank I could attend, because I felt bad about all the work I wasn't getting done during the Festival, but then I was glum for almost a week, regretting having taken the professional high road. "Are you there, God? It's me, Margaret!" I prayed. "Please let Fish Tank win one of the top prizes, so that I can attend some kind of Encore screening!" Does the fact that this in fact transpired, to an absolute tee, mean that I have to start wavering even further in my agnosticism?

http://thefilmformant.wordpress.com/2010/01/02/top10of2009/

1. Inglourious Basterds

Taken from my review last year:

“Spread across five chapters, the characters in Inglourious Basterds are many. Brad Pitt as the leader of the Nazi killing band of ‘Basterds’, Lt. Aldo Raine, isn’t the ’star’ of the movie as the ads insinuate. Pitt’s ‘Aldo the Apache’ as he’s known, is just one of many leads. He headlines Chapter 2, appropriately titled ‘Inglourious Basterds’. Each chapter is its own mini-movie and the other headliners include a theater owner (Melanie Laurent) with revenge on her mind after the massacre of her family, a British Lieutenant (Michael Fassbender) sent to France to help the ‘Basterds’, a German actress/British double agent (Diane Kurger), and Hans Landa, a Nazi Colonel nicknamed ‘the Jew Hunter’ played by Christopher Waltz. Each come to the forefront for their respective chapters. They cross paths throughout, like Pulp Fiction, but for the most part the movie is divided up so that everyone has their equal time. In terms of plot, what the film succeeds in putting all the pieces together for a brilliant final chapter.”

And brilliant it still remains. Having seen the movie five times now I can still say that the final chapter still sends a chill down my spine. I still get chocked up when a certain character meets their unfortunate end. I see the brilliance of the final moment of the film, the way that it still affects me and makes me think. It shows that Quentin Tarantino has made a movie that I’ll go back and revisit time and time again. One that does something his previous films don’t do, require thoughtful analyzes. Tarantino is saying a lot about violence and those who commit it. It’s interesting that a man once accused of sensationalizing violence has more to say about it than anyone else. And that’s just one aspect of the film that I love. And that’s why it’s my favorite movie of the year.

Happy New Year!

http://www.soundonsight.org/the-100-best-films-of-the-decade-part-9/

The 100 Best Films of the Decade (Part 9)

Posted by Ricky on Jan 1st, 2010

21- Hunger (2008)

Directed by Steve McQueen

Genre: Bio-pic

Renowned English video artist Steve McQueen’s feature film debut Hunger, is an alternately harrowing and poetic take on the fatal 1982 hunger strike of Irish Republican Army prisoner Bobby Sands. There are long stretches without dialogue in McQueen’s visually stunning wide-screen movie where the camera is always-in-motion. However the best scene in Hunger comes when McQueen sets aside his artistic eye for a 20-minute long steady take turning it into a two-person character piece. Michael Fassbender’s physical commitment to the role is frightning and outdoes even Christian Bale in The Machinist (in terms of weight loss) and ultimately Hunger is a cinematic punch to the gut. Haunting, brutal, heartbreaking, poignant, and captivating.

http://schofizzymoviereview.blogspot.com/2010/01/top-10-films-2009.html

Saturday, January 2, 2010
Top 10 Films: 2009

2009 was a fantastic year for cinema. So many amazing films released that a Top 10 really does not give enough justice to all the quality films that released. Enough of my yammering, checkou my Top 10 Films for 2009 after the break...

3. Inglourious Basterds
No other director has the balls like Quentin Tarantino! He breaks the fourth wall and outright claims he may have delivered his masterpiece and I couldn't agree more. Inglourious Basterds is Tarantino's most completed work to date. A Tarantino film always houses remarkable performances, but here everyone within the film is letter perfect. If Christoph Waltz does not win for Best Supporting Actor this year, something is definitely wrong. Not to mention Brad Pitt, Melanie Laurent, Eli Roth, Daniel Bruhl and Michael Fassbender. Absolutely stunning. Lastly Inglourious Basterds has one of the best scores of the year, including the infectious finale Rabbia E Tarantella.

http://the-cinefile.blogspot.com/2010/01/2009-in-review-part-two-best-films.html

Saturday, 2 January 2010
2009 in Review: Part Two. The Best Films...

28) FISH TANK
Directed by Andrea Arnold

Katie Jarvis steals the show in her debut performance as a disaffected teenaged girl in Andrea Arnold’s excellent follow-up to the brilliant RED ROAD. Good support too from Michael Fassbender.

20) INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
Directed by Quentin Tarantino

A bravura piece of work, by one of Hollywood’s most interesting filmmakers. I reviewed it here, and my memory hasn’t diminished it at all. There are flaws aplenty (Eli Roth, the Basterds are the least interesting characters in the movie, it’s too long), but the opening scene alone is worth anything that could have followed it. Worth commending two outstanding performances as well, from Christopher Waltz (who will win an Oscar) and Melanie Laurent, who, sadly, won’t.

http://reelguys.podbean.com/2010/01/02/my-year-in-film-2009/

My Year in Film - 2009

Written By: Ezequiel Gutierrez
Head Guy

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As I look back on 2009 I am reminded that film is still the best way to escape. 2009 was a particularly shitty year, personally, for me, and If it weren’t for the amazing movies that 2009 gave to me I’m not sure where I’d be. I started this blog in mid 2009 as an outlet for me to discuss my love for all things film. Movies have always been a passion of mine and this blog has truly helped me get through some very difficult times. I have met some very interesting people this year and have had conversations with some of my personal inspirations. I’d like to thank Peter Sciretta, Editor-in-Chief of Slashfilm.com for his continuing input. Peter runs the best film blog on the Internet and has, time and again, shown that he truly loves film. He is an inspiration to me and to the future of Reelguys.net. There are so many other online journalists who have offered advice and written some truly amazing and fun thoughts on film this year. First, reelguys Contributing Writers: Matt Duncan and Juan Valenzuela. You both truly have a gift and I am proud that you write for our blog. Thanks for all your hard work and I look forward to 2010. Other online journos include:

Scott Weinberg Cinematical
David Chen Slashfilm and the /FilmCast
Geroge Rousch Latino Review
Harry Knowles Aint it Cool
Katey Rich Cinemablend
Alex Billington First Showing
Devindra Hardawar Slashfilm and the /Filmcast
Adam Quigly Always Watching and the /Filmcast
You are all very inspiring… Thanks for a great 2009!! Your work inspires me.

I’d also like to thank Chris Guill for taking this journey with me. You and I have been talking about movies for many years. When I came to you with this idea I knew you’d love it. The idea of recording our thoughts was sort of a no brainier, and now we are 11 episodes into a very young but promising podcast. I have a great time being geeky with you and discussing our love for the art. I do, however, hate discussion embargos. However, they make the show better, so it’s easy to get over. Thanks for a being a great friend and co-host.

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Lastly, I’d like to thank anyone who has ever visited our little blog or listened to our podcast. Your support and input is very rewarding. Again, I’d like to extend an invitation for anyone of you to join Chris and I on the podcast. If you love film as much as we do, we want to hear your voice.

Now, the films of 2009

2009 was a personal best for me, as far as watching films are concerned. I saw more films this year than most past years combined. However, there were a significant number of films I truly wanted to see that I wasn’t able to. This is not a top ten list. This is just a look back on the films I did see.

“Inglourious Basterds”, like Aldo Raines last scalpel Swastika, is Quentin Tarantino’s masterpiece. A film, like Camerons “Avatar”, Quentin had wanted to make for several years. I remember hearing about this project before “Kill Bill” and knew that it would be a favorite of mine. As a student who loved everything about WWII and the historical effect of Hitlers Regime mixed with Quentin’s pen and desire for perfection, this movie set a knew bar to which I will now judge all films. Tarantino writes screenplays for his actors and I truly believe that Christoph Waltzs performance, as a Col. Hans Landa, is his finest character, a performance that you could describe with so many words. The two that come to mind are charming and sadistic. Hans Landa isn’t a character you love to hate, but hate that you love him. Brad Pitts also delivers his best work since “Fight Club” as ragtag leader Lt. Aldo Raine. Other notable performances go to Michael Fassbender, whom you know as the Spartan who uttered the lines, “Then we will fight in the shade” in “300” and Diane Kruger of “Troy” and “National Treasure” fame as fellow conspirators against the 3rd Reich. However, the main charcter of the film is Shosanna Dreyfus, played by French actress Melanie Laurent. She plays yet another of Tarantino’s strong female leads that he loves to write so much. “Inglourious Basterds” is officially my favorite Tarantino film.

http://www.criticsnotebook.com/2010/01/sarah-manvels-best-of-2009-2000s.html

Getting So Tired and Emotional, Baby

Kerry Brown/Sony Pictures Classics

By SARAH MANVEL

The year 2009 has been an unusual one at the movies. Enormous blockbusters and children's animated series have held their usual sway at the box office, but they have done so while actually being good — and some of them have even been British. Women have been more visible in movies, as actresses and also behind the camera. I am so happy that women directed three of the movies on my list. What unexpected feminist joy! Things are also changing when a movie such as "The Hangover" — on the surface a totally macho film — is really about men failing miserably at taking a quick break from the women in their lives. The fact that two on my list are animated is also a surprise — when Hollywood seems determined to devise totally separate films for every possible marketing niche, it's wonderful to see that quality family films will always have a market.

FISH TANK Michael Fassbender is quickly becoming the most interesting actor working in the United Kingdom. Half Northern Irish and half German, it seems he can do what he likes. In this movie, he is the device the plot rolls around, as the new boyfriend of a teenage girl's mother. Katie Jarvis as Mia, the unhappy teenager, is this year's breakout success, who took a difficult part and dominated the movie with it. No other British director films working-class stories with such a sense of belonging. Mike Leigh laughs at his characters and Ken Loach puts his on pedestals, while Andrea Arnold observes with understanding, but doesn't interfere with her own opinions. Her movies are painfully recognizable to those of us who don't live in Notting Hill, and all the more powerful for it.

http://www.retrieverweekly.com/blog/2010/01/02/top-ten-films-of-2009/

Top Ten films of 2009

January 2nd, 2010 - 01:17 by Paul-William deSilva

By Daniel Supanick

Staff Writer

Looking back on 2009, it’s clear that it was a mixed bag in terms of the films it saw released. The year started out surprisingly well, but gave way to a summer release schedule that contained both big surprises and huge disappointments, and a fall selection that ended the year on a very good note. In all, though, it was a year for surprises and innovation.

2. Inglourious Basterds- Let me get this out of the way: Inglourious Basterds is a great film about myths and truths, and how these things can mar each other or take the place of the other completely based on who is relaying the story. That said, I loved every minute of this film. I loved the tense, twenty-minute conversation that opens the film. I love the introduction to the Bear Jew. I love the David Bowie-set scene with Shosanna preparing for the film premiere. I love the scene where Michael Fassbender talks about there being a special rung in Hell for those who waste good scotch. And I love, totally and completely, the final shot of the film. Inglourious Basterds is Tarantino at his best since Pulp Fiction. His mixing of film styles and his message don’t get muddled here, and actually serve each other well. Here, he creates his own version of history that paints the picture he wants to paint. Everything that is and has ever been great about Tarantino is in this film, and is also great on its own. Also, to talk about this film and not mention Christoph Waltz’s searing and grand performance in the role of Hans Landa is a crime. Inglourious Basterds is one of the year’s few must-see films.

http://www.premiumhollywood.com/2009/12/30/celluloid-heroes-jason-zingales-best-and-worst-film-of-2009/

Celluloid Heroes: Jason Zingale’s Best (and Worst) Films of 2009

Posted by Jason Zingale (12/30/2009 @ 3:05 pm)

For film critics, the end of the year means only one thing: “best of” lists. It’s probably one of my favorite parts about the job, so when Bullz-Eye decided to do a decade-end feature in place of our annual retrospective, I didn’t let that deter me from putting one together anyway. This year’s crop of films was just as uneven as in past years, but while you might have had to dig a little deeper to find some real gems, there’s no denying that 2009 still delivered some truly great movies. Here’s a look at my ten favorite films, along with a few honorable mentions and a list of the year’s worst.

1. “Inglourious Basterds”

Quentin Tarantino’s WWII revenge fantasy is every fan’s dream movie. Not only does it feature the director’s trademark dialogue (and plenty of it), but it also boasts a stellar ensemble cast, award-worthy performances from Christoph Waltz and Michael Fassbender, and some of the most thrilling sequences of the year. The German bar scene may feature QT at his nostalgic best, but the opening chapter is his magnum opus. That “Inglourious Basterds” can run for an additional 120 minutes and still be just as engaging is a testament to the film’s supreme quality.

http://notesfromthedark.wordpress.com/2010/01/03/10-films-of-2009/

Inglourious Basterds – Quentin Tarantino – USA

This is a film that needs no introduction, a war film from DJ Tarantino that has long been in development and talked about on the internet geek sites since before Kill Bill. The film’s initial reception was a mood of disappointment, but is arguable that this is owning to a particularly unfair standard set for Tarantino. The filmmaker has become better known nowadays for the thrills of Kill Bill, never mind that Kill Bill had an usual level of action for Tarantino. Less and less people crave the indulgent but indulgent language Tarantino first became known for and which ‘Inglourious Basterds’ is stock full of.

Indeed the film has some of the best dialogue that Tarantino has ever committed to silver screen, never mind the witty-but-I-know-it and the holy-than-thou feeling, Tarantino gets language and here it is on show. The opening conversation introducing Col. Hans Landa with the farm, and the conversation in the French tavern are riveting. And that is pretty good for just talk.

It was also nice to see Tarantino return to what set him apart amongst his peers once. Tarantino isn’t afraid to kill anyone, indeed he will introduce a character as if he is the hero of the film before killing him off 20 minutes later. Tarantino treats his audience with respect and refuses expectations, that secures this film a place on this list.

Fish Tank – Andrea Arnold – UK

It is always distressing to find a performance in a film that you know deserves to lauded and praised in award season but will be unfairly forgotten owing to the film’s budget and status. It is even more distressing to find two performances in the same film. That is true of Andrea Arnold’s Fish Tank and the performances from the two leads Katie Jarvis and Michael Fassbender,

Katie Jarvis plays Mia, a young girl enduring life in a British council flat, dealing with rage and anger inside her that she can’t define or even understand. Michael Fassbender plays Connor, the kind, new boyfriend of Mia’s alcoholic and somewhat abusive mother. The film follows the dangerous relationship that Mia and Connor strike up and all the tones that it goes through.

The tones are lent weight by the utterly convincing and adult, thoughtful performances from Jarvis and Fassbender. It is owing to the success of these two that this piece of social realism cinema is so engrossing, we hope for the best for both characters and we are torn when they don’t get it.

Fassbender is on the rise and it is owing to his strength as an actor and his intelligent choices of projects that he is also featured in another film on this list, ‘Inglourious Basterds’. Jarvis was discovered for this film and it is sad to see that she has no projects coming up.

http://kylestamourbrennan.wordpress.com/2010/01/03/best-seen-in-09-so-far/

Best Films Not In the Oscars (2009)
January 3, 2010

I suppose like many people I have a belief that the Oscars don’t always get it right. The political nature of the Oscar Campaign race has seemed to every year allow for some films to get credit over other films that they seeming don’t deserve. This all relatively subjective though, what I may have thought the best film of 2009 was is most likely different than what You, or the thousands of memebers in the Academy of Arts and Sciences would choose.

This is a List consisting of the Best Films that are Not likely to get acknowledged by the American Oscars.

*Fish Tank.

In Fish Tank (which is not about Fish or tanks for that matter), 15 year old Mia’s life is turned on its head when her mom brings home a new boyfriend. Andrea Arnold casts the same unflinching, unprejudiced gaze and touches on the themes of her Oscar-winning short Wasp to create an original and unsettling tale for our age. Following his acclaimed central performance in Hunger, Michael Fassbender stars opposite talented newcomer Katie Jarvis.

Hunger.

With Hunger, British filmmaker and artist Steve McQueen has turned one of history’s most controversial acts of political defiance into a jarring, unforgettable cinematic experience. In Northern Ireland’s Maze prison in 1981, twenty-seven-year-old Irish Republican Army member Bobby Sands went on a hunger strike to protest the British government’s refusal to recognize him and his fellow IRA inmates as political prisoners, rather than as ordinary criminals. McQueen dramatizes prison existence and Sands’s final days in a way that is purely experiential, even abstract, a succession of images full of both beauty and horror. Featuring an intense performance by Michael Fassbender, Hunger is an unflinching, transcendent depiction of what a human being is willing to endure to be heard.