Dynamic Top Tens of 2009

[Aunt Peg]

01. A Single Man (Tom Ford)
02. Mother (Joon-ho Bong)
03. City of Life and Death (Chuan Lu)
04. The Queen and I (Nahid Persson)
05. To Die Like a Man (Joao Pedro Rodrigues)
06. The White Ribbon (Michael Haneke)
07. A Prophet (Jacaues Audiard)
08. Wild Grass (Alain Resnais)
09. The Hedgehog (Mona Achache)
10. The Agony and the Ecstasy of Phil Spector (Vikram Jayanti)

Honourable mentions: Actresses (Je-yong Lee), Agora (Alejandro Amenabar), Mine (Geralyn Pezanoski) & Skirt Day (Jean-Paul Lilienfeld).

[PsychoWalrus]

1. Up
2. Fantastic Mr. Fox
3. A Serious Man
4. Dogtooth
5. A Prophet
6. Mother
7. Drag Me to Hell
8. Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call- New Orleans
9. Coraline
10. Where the Wild Things Are

[therewillbeblus]

1. Inglorious Bastards (Quentin Tarantino)
2. Antichrist (Lars Von Trier)
3. The Informant! (Steven Soderbergh)
4. The House of the Devil (Ti West)
5. Two Lovers (James Gray)
6. Up in the Air (Jason Reitman)
7. Observe and Report (Jody Hill)
8. Youth in Revolt (Miguel Arteta)
9. A Serious Man (Joel and Ethan Coen)
10. The White Ribbon (Michael Haneke)

Past lists: 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005-2000

[flyonthewall2983]

1. Public Enemies - Michael makes a smooth transition from the ultra-modern landscapes of Collateral and Miami Vice, to the less exotic fields of the Midwest and streets of Chicago. He also manages, as he did before with Ali, to evoke a higher sense of realism than in other period pieces. Johnny Depp's Dillinger is a reckless romantic, who lives by the spur of the moment, and never fails to capture the moviegoer's attention.
2. Up In The Air
3. The Hurt Locker
4. The Brothers Bloom - Rian Johnson's follow-up to Brick, is on the surface an easy-going caper film with three charming leads (and a hot assistant to boot). But it doesn't take long to see that it goes beyond that, into more murky territory (or at least enough for the film to allow).
5. Moon
6. World's Greatest Dad - Bobcat Goldthwait's third film as a feature director proves the third time is a charm in this hilariously morbid comedy-drama. Robin Williams shows a subtle side that previously won him an Oscar, but delivers it without pouring the syrup too thick. This may be the most honest movie about high school I've seen since Election. It reduces the culture and attitudes to their essence.
7. In The Loop
8. Watchmen

List and positions subject to change, of course.

Letterboxd revision

[flyonthewall2983]

1. Public Enemies - Michael makes a smooth transition from the ultra-modern landscapes of Collateral and Miami Vice, to the less exotic fields of the Midwest and streets of Chicago. He also manages, as he did before with Ali, to evoke a higher sense of realism than in other period pieces. Johnny Depp's Dillinger is a reckless romantic, who lives by the spur of the moment, and never fails to capture the moviegoer's attention.
2. Up In The Air
3. The Hurt Locker
4. The Brothers Bloom - Rian Johnson's follow-up to Brick, is on the surface an easy-going caper film with three charming leads (and a hot assistant to boot). But it doesn't take long to see that it goes beyond that, into more murky territory (or at least enough for the film to allow).
5. Moon
6. World's Greatest Dad - Bobcat Goldthwait's third film as a feature director proves the third time is a charm in this hilariously morbid comedy-drama. Robin Williams shows a subtle side that previously won him an Oscar, but delivers it without pouring the syrup too thick. This may be the most honest movie about high school I've seen since Election. It reduces the culture and attitudes to their essence.
7. In The Loop
8. Watchmen

List and positions subject to change, of course.

Letterboxd revision