Top Ten Tuesday: Best of 2009, So Far…

June 1st is upon us.   We have reached the halfway point of the year in movies.   We felt it was time to go back over and check out our Top 10 Movies of 2009 so far.   Check them out.   Let us know your Top 10 of the year so far.   We’ll see how many of these are still on our End of the Year Top 10 lists at the end of December.

10. The Great Buck Howard

Loosely based on 60’s pop culture staple The Amazing Kreskin, ‘The Great Buck Howard’ is an endearing comedy centered around an amazing performance by John Malkovich in the title role. Once America’s premiere mental magician, Buck Howard is reduced to performing to small crowds in small towns but is convinced a comeback is in the cards. Colin Hanks co-stars as Troy, a wannabe writer who becomes the road manager for the once-famous magician/mentalist/illusionist Buck.

The heart of ‘The Great Buck Howard’ is the relationship between Troy and Buck as Troy learns about life and loyalty watching Buck practically force a career-making comeback and eventually fade back into obscurity. The young innocent navigating the washed-up celebrity as he clings to the fringes of show-biz reminded me at times of ‘Ed Wood,’ and even more, ‘My Favorite Year.’   Hanks, Emily Blunt and Steven Zahn are all good in supporting roles, but it’s Malkovich, with his “face you love to hate”, obnoxiously aggressive handshake and corny slogans who own this film.

Whether name-dropping fellow fossils or creeping   everyone out with his confusing sexuality (he toasts buddy George “Sulu” Takei with “May the Force be in You”), Malkovich delivers a layered performance that ranks with his very best. Part comedy, road film, character study, buddy film, and mystery (how he always manages to find his hidden appearance fee becomes the source of running speculation), ‘The Great Buck Howard’ may or may not amaze audiences, but Malkovich certainly will. It’s a great performance and, I think, a great movie.

9. Observe & Report

Jody Hill could even make Eddie Murphy funny(again), so the fact that his movies incite nonstop laughing is no surprise. Mix that with the fact that he had Anna Farris and Seth Rogen to work with it was a forgone conclusion that this would be one of the funniest movies of the year. Seriously though, Danny McBride’s character name is “Caucasian Crackhead”, with a name like that how could the movie not be amazing? Michael Pena shows up in a role that you didn’t know he could do, but steals the movie at times. Toss in Ray Liotta, Jesse Plemons, the Yuan twins, and Collete Wolfe and you have the greatest mall cop movie ever made.

8. Taken

I don’t know who you are. I don’t know what you want. If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don’t have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that’ll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don’t, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.

And he does, and he does, and he does.   Liam Neeson turns into an action star with this one, breathtaking performance.   Written by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen and directed by Pierre Morel, ‘Taken’ is likened to the ‘Bourne’ films, and deservedly so.   It is a fast-paced action adventure about a man who will do anything, even tear down the Eiffel Tower, to find his kidnapped daughter somewhere in Paris.

The first 20 to 30 minutes are pretty much all buildup, as Neeson’s Bryan Mills, former spy and loving father, works towards just getting to Paris.   Once there, as soon as he steps off the plane, all Hell breaks loose.   The rest of the film is unrelenting, nonstop, and it easily ranks up there with the best of the James Bond films.   Seeing Neeson punch, kick, and destroy bad guys on his way up the chain to his daughter makes you want to see more action from him, and hearing the news that he is to play Hannibal in ‘The A-Team’ film even whets my appetite for that project.   ‘Taken’ is a great action film, and, even more so, it is simply a great movie.

7. Sin Nombre

If you told me that Cary Fukunaga was a first time writer and director after watching Sin Nombre I would have slapped you in the mouth because this dude is absolutely fantastic. Sin Nombre takes you inside the lives of border jumpers from Honduras, and a teenage kid who has no choice but to run with a Mexican gang. The imagery is absolutely breathtaking and the story will keep you on the edge of your seat. This is a must see movie so when this hits DVD, you have to check it out… or else, we are not your friends.

6. Away We Go

On the heels of the relatively disappointing ‘Revolutionary Road’, director Sam Mendes jumps back on the horse’s back to prove he’s not lost his touch. ‘Away We Go’ is the most uplifting and rewarding movie of the year so far. The film stars John Krasinski (The Office) and Maya Rudolph (Idiocracy) as a Burt and Verona, young unmarried interracial couple having a child. With the recent change in their lives currently “baking in the oven” so to speak, they set off on a cross country journey in search of finding that perfect place to start their family. Along the way, they get a first hand glimpse of various non-traditional families with which they spend time with, some rewarding, some scary, but all serve to enlighten Burt and Verona in their own ways as they struggle to determine what their own lives should look like. The film is a funny, smart and thoughtful meditation on what family is and what goes into creating a happy family. The cast is great, featuring Catherine O’Hara, Jeff Daniels, Jim Gaffigan and Allison Janey, but Maya Rudolph and especially Maggie Gyllenhaal shine in their performances. If there’s only one atypical romantic dramedy you must see this year, it’s ‘Away We Go’.

5. Moon

Duncan Jones bursts onto the indie filmmaking scene with this creatively fresh addition to the science-fiction genre. The film stars Sam Rockwell in an intensely compelling performance as a man working a three-year commitment running a mining station on the moon. He’s the sole living being on the station, accompanied only by his thoughts of returning to his family and an artificial intelligence robot there to assist him called GERTY, voiced by Kevin Spacey. The story takes place during the final two weeks of Sam’s commitment, but on the cusp of returning home, Sam begins to experience strange things and discovers a secret that changes everything. For an indie sci-fi flick with a limited budget, ‘Moon’ is surprisingly believable with realistic sets and special effects. The movie is virtually a one man show, but Rockwell pulls it off with flying colors, creating both a suspenseful mystery and a dramatic human story dealing with themes of loneliness and hope, but also a distinctly science-fiction concept that sets the film apart from the usual action flicks calling themselves sci-fi. ‘Moon’ is a must see movie for any sci-fi fan, but has plenty to offer to anyone interested in a well-written, remarkably acted dramatic story.

4. Watchmen

They said it couldn’t be done.   They said the “Watchmen” graphic novel was completely unfilmable.   They said it would never work as a feature film.   They.   Were.   Wrong.   Director Zack Snyder does an amazing job, as he did with ‘300,’ carrying over the visuals from the source material into his film.   There are spectacular images to be found in ‘Watchmen,’ but, more so than the visuals that carry over, Snyder has captured Moore’s dark tone with complete accuracy.   Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach absolutely steals the show in the acting department, yet there is so much at work in ‘Watchmen.’   It is a film whose story, visuals, and performances all serve to create an immaculate package of super hero storytelling, melancholy as it may be.

There are a number of electrifying scenes.   The prison break scene and the film’s opening credits are faultless and stunning, but none take your breath away quite like the subtly imaginative scene with Billy Crudup’s Dr. Manhattan narrating his own history.   Zack Snyder’s ‘Watchmen’ may not be the perfect film, but it is the best feature film adaptation of Alan Moore’s original graphic novel that could have possibly been crafted.   That alone puts it head and shoulders above most other superhero films, particularly when stacked up against those that have come out this year.

3. The Hangover

‘The Hangover’ is by far the funniest films that I have seen in a long time. Todd Phillips has been kind of hit or miss for me with most of his work as a director and/or producer, but he won my favor with this one! Zack Galifianakas is his usual funny self. Every line that he has is laugh worthy. Bradley Cooper is certainly making his name known around Hollywood and this is no exception. He’s funny, charming, and let’s be serious… he’s easy on the eyes! Wink Wink! It’s not the same old comedy that seems to keep being repackaged and sold under a new name and a rearranging of cast. Your friends are all going to be quoting this movie, so just go see it already! P.S. I love you Carlos!

2. Up

You’ll laugh.   You’ll cry.   You’ll get swept away by the adventure the people over at PIXAR have come up with with their latest feature film, ‘Up.’   Like every other film in the PIXAR library, ‘Up’s incredibly adventurous story is rivaled only by the flawless CG animation that no other company even comes close to.   Some are going so far as saying ‘Up’ is PIXAR’s best film to date, and it is difficult to argue with that statement.   Writers and co-directors Pete Docter and Bob Peterson pull off every element with an effortless precision.   The moments in ‘Up’ that make you cry are just as effective as the moments that cause you to lose your breath from laughter.   Through these emotional ups and down involving the film’s characters you never lose any sense of the adventure the team behind ‘Up’ have crafted, either.   ‘Up’ truly is picture perfect PIXAR, and it comes about as close to being the perfect Summer movie as you are likely to see.

1. Star Trek

Director, writer, creator-extraordinaire J.J. Abrams (‘Lost,’ ‘Alias,’ ‘Cloverfield,’ ’Mission Impossible 3’), going where no man has gone before, successfully resurrected what many thought was a “Mission Impossible” – a rebooting of Paramount’s gravy train ‘Star Trek.’ The Gene Roddenberry sci-fi TV show received a fresh new take by Abrams with a film that took us on a new space adventure, while still keeping with Trek lore.

Star Trek heroes Captain Kirk and Leonard “Bones” McCoy were enthusiastically played by Chris Pine and Karl Urban. Serving on the ship’s bridge were navigator Pavel Chekov, Anton Yelchin (‘Terminator: Salvation’), helmsman Hikaru Sulu, John Cho (‘Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle’), and communications officer Uhura, Zoe Saldana (‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl’). The genius casting of the whole crew was chief engineer Scotty’s, Simon Pegg, once again saving the day. This voyage’s nemesis came from Eric Bana as the Nero, another villain trying to destroy Starfleet. Lastly, Zachary Quinto (‘Heroes’) takes on the  role of  First Officer and Vulcan Spock, while Leonard Nimoy also made a brief appearance as the older Spock.

While it doesn’t quite deliver the emotional punch of 1982’s ‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,’ it definitely comes close to the spirit and heart of classic Trek. The Federation’s finest ship in the fleet, the USS Enterprise, never looked so good and the film saw a stellar opening weekend of $76.5m.