Karen's Top 10 Films of 2009

I love movies. I really do. And even though prices seem to have skyrocketed, I love going to movies in the theater. I'm one of those weird people that actually likes sitting in a big, dark room full of people, all watching the same thing. There's some vague sense of community to be found in laughing at the same places or gasping, or handing your neighbor a tissue because you are both moved by something beautiful you have both just watched. Plus, there's popcorn. It's overpriced, and I happen to pop a pretty decent pot of corn myself, but it's just different at the movie theater.

I don't appreciate the talking. The texting. The children at movies far above their maturity level. I'm not talking babies (who, in my experience, usually sleep through the whole thing) or tweens that are just a bit too young for that PG-13. I'm talking 2, 3, 4-year olds at some of the most violent and grown up films you can imagine. I am so grateful to have discovered the 21+ theater this year. It's really changed my movie-viewing life.

I've seen some fantastic films over the past twelve months. Twenty-five of the year's releases. That number is down from last year, and I haven't seen many of the films that have wandered onto the Top 10 Lists of critics that get paid to watch movies all day long. In fact, I consider myself fairly well-versed in movie buzz, and I haven't even heard of some of the movies the critics are calling the Year's Best.

But, who cares? I've seen movies that I liked. A lot. And I've got my own Top 10 List of movies normal people might actually watch and enjoy.

Of course, if anyone wanted to give me that golden pass to see all these awesome movies for free (I'd even pay for my own popcorn!), I'd gladly see all those small, unknown, and often amazing films that no one outside of the cast and crew have even heard of.

But, until that happens, this is just going to have to be good enough. Without further ado, here are my Top 10 Films of 2009:

10. Sherlock Holmes (Warner Bros.)

A perfect blend of humor, action, intrigue, thrills, and hot men. Far from the refined Holmes and pudgy Watson that so many past films have given us, Robert Downey, Jr and Jude Law give us a pair of flawed, but brilliant characters and shows just how co-dependent their relationship really is. The mystery is fun, too, and Rachel McAdams is beautiful as Irene Adler, the one thief Holmes can never quite bring himself to catch.

9. Sunshine Cleaning (Overture Films)

A nice, small film about two sisters who start a crime scene cleanup business to try to improve their lives. Amy Adams is a driven single mother and older sister to Emily Blunt, an underachiever with a drug habit. Alan Arkin gives an outstanding performance as their widowed father, who is constantly moving from one bad deal to another, just trying to have something to leave behind to his girls when he is gone. It's humorous, but mostly dramatic, simple, but sweet.

8. The Hangover (Warner Bros.)

I generally avoid R-rated comedies because I really don't like the raunchy humor that is typical of the genre. But Bradley Cooper is in it. And Ed Helms. And I just had to know what happened that night in Vegas. So I watched. And I laughed my butt off. Easily the best comedy I've seen in a long time. It's definitely not for everyone, but I can't remember the last movie that had me laughing in literally EVERY scene.

7. The Soloist (DreamWorks)

For the second year in a row, Robert Downey, Jr has starred in two of my Top 10 movies. Why? Because the man is seriously talented and makes some seriously good movies. This one is the true story of LA Times columnist Steve Lopez and the schizophrenic, homeless violinist that makes a big impact on his own life. Filmed in some of the most beautiful and the most devastating parts of Los Angeles, this movie made me think just a bit differently about the way music can bring us together. And it made me want to do something good for someone.

6. Watchmen (Warner Bros.)

If The Hangover isn't for everyone, Watchmen is for an even more exclusive group. Adapted from the graphic novel by Alan Moore, this is a very violent, yet visually stunning film about masked vigilantes trying to save the world from an unknown, but dangerous, enemy. An enemy that is coming after the costumed heroes, one by one. The cast (which includes Patrick Wilson, Jeffery Dean Morgan, Malin Ackerman and Jackie Earle Haley) is amazing, the effects are incredible, and the translation from page to screen is nearly perfect, at least to someone who only read the graphic novel once or twice and hasn't spent 25 years obsessing over it. Again, not for everyone, but definitely one of the best films I saw this year.

5. District 9 (TriStar)

Yes, it's an alien movie. But it's so much more than that. It's about individuals. It's about how we treat each other. It's about equal rights and fairness and protection. And it's about love. I've never seen an alien movie where the aliens looked so real. And I've never seen actual apartheid footage used in a more jarring way. And I can't wait for the sequel.

4. (500) Days of Summer (Fox Searchlight)

It's the story of boy meets girl. But it's not a love story. This is what we're told at the very beginning. And it's true. But it is one of the sweetest romantic comedies I've seen in a long time. The movie starts with the end of the relationship and jumps back and forth through the story of how Summer and Tom met, fell in love, broke up, and moved on. It's real, yet beautiful, and was released precisely when I needed it to be.

3. Star Trek (Paramount)

It's not exactly a reset of the classic series. It's a continuation. Sort of. A Romulan Prince from the future travels back in time and changes the past for some of the beloved characters of the original series. I know it sounds kind of lame, but all you need to know is that it was directed by JJ Abrams. And he is awesome. Oh, yeah. And Chris Pine plays James Tiberius Kirk. That is all.

2. The Blind Side (Warner Bros.)

An amazing (and mostly family-friendly) story about a wealthy family that opens their home and their hearts to a homeless teenager. Through their love and support, they guide him and open doors for him. It's the true story about Michael Oher, who, just this year, was drafted as Offensive Tackle to the Baltimore Ravens. Football is incidental to the movie, though. It's not about sports. It's about love and family, and reaching out to those in need.

1. Up (Disney/Pixar)

It's my humble opinion that this is the best film Pixar has ever made. It's beautiful (ESPECIALLY in 3D). It has memorable characters. And it is a great story about three lost souls, emotionally abandoned in different ways, that find each other and provide things they didn't even realize they really needed. While I saw some great movies this year, no other film made me feel the full range of emotions as vividly as this one did. And if Up is not nominated for Best Picture, there is something very wrong with the Academy. Especially since there are now 10 slots instead of 5.

Honorable Mentions: Fantastic Mr. Fox, Wolverine, The Fourth Kind.

Worst Films of 2009: Taken, Bride Wars.