Top 10 Movies of 2009

Hi everyone! I hope you're all settling into 2010! I'm very proud to say that I haven't written 2009 on any papers yet : )

I wanted to share with all of you my top 10 movies of 2009 because not only do I love being in films, I also am a bit of a film junkie myself. I mean, my boyfriend is a film critic and I have the luxury of seeing just about everything months before it comes out and for free. Glamorous, I know. I'm not being sarcastic. It's pretty awesome.

Anyway, here they are with a brief explanation justifying why I've chosen them:
1) (500) Days of Summer
For those of you that know me well, you know that I hate just about everything about your typical romantic comedy. I hate the whiny, needy women, I hate the tanned, smiley men, but most of all I HATE that the woman always ends up with the guy that was mean to her throughout the entire movie, but then they both realize why they love each other and.....well, you get it. (500) Days of Summer was not this, and that's why it gets my top slot.

2) Up
This has to be my favorite Pixar film. It's a delicate balance between tragedy and comedy and I almost cry every time I see it. Oh, and SQUIRREL!

3) The Hurt Locker
I had my doubts about ever liking an Iraq war movie. But this one focuses on the characters brilliantly without losing the tension throughout. The tension comes through the characters. My favorite shot is when Jeremy Renner is standing in the supermarket looking for cereal. One of my favorite shots of the year. Way to go Bigelow! Girl power!

4) Away We Go
I know this isn't as high on many people's top 10 lists, (if at all) but for some reason I really related to Maya Rudolph's performance in this. I'm not one of those girls that grew up naming their babies or imagining their weddings. I think I'm going to be like her when I'm pregnant - still feeling like a kid and a bit lost, wandering and wondering, remembering the fake orange tree in my backyard....

5) District 9
This may be my favorite sci-fi movie of the decade and that's saying a lot because I'm a pretty big nerd at heart. I watch Star Trek with my brother and yes, Han shot first. I thought Sharlto Copley was brilliant as a man transforming from powerful government employee to alien. One of my favorite performances of the year.

6) Avatar
Admittedly, I would not get excited for this movie. I refused. I said it would not make enough money back. Secretly, (well, not so secret anymore) I hoped for this because I never really cared for Titanic and have constantly mocked the "I'll never let go," scene. I like romance, not sappy romance. Jack + Rose = ewww. But, Avatar just...well....I felt kind of like James Cameron punched me in the stomach a little bit. Made me pay attention. The bright colors, it was beautiful to watch, the detail - was I on drugs? Did James Cameron poison me and make me LOVE this movie? No, he didn't, but the man knows what he's doing. And it worked.

7) Up in the Air
The first thing I thought when watching this was - "Damn Anna Kendrick, I coulda played that role." But, good for her, she nailed it. This movie, to me, is about loneliness and how difficult it is in a world filled with text messaging, instant messages and distant forms of connections to actually have a real human interaction with someone.

8) Moon
Okay, so I love Sam Rockwell. I love Sam Rockwell in space. I love lots of Sam Rockwells. And lots and lots. The starkness of the environment combined with the isolation, fighting insanity - it messed with my mind and I loved it for that.

9) Star Trek
something about the way this film was shot, the light reflecting of the Enterprise, the way I REALLY understood the VUlcans - way to go Abrams. Thanks for making me fall in love with "Trek" all over again.

10) Sin Nombre
I wasn't sure what to expect from this film. I watched it on DVD with my mom knowing nothing than - my boyfriend Rob, "Loved it." I generally don't like "immigration porn" as Rob likes to put it, or films about people trying to escape to a better life in America. Despite how different the characters' lives are in this film from my own, I could relate to the naivete of the young girl, hoping the gang member who saved her life would always be there for her and could always be there for her. Not that I like gang members or anything, I don't. I think that sometimes young people take risks because we feel invincible, but we aren't.