TFC Journal at TheFilmChair.com

I saw fewer new movies this year than in any other since I started putting together my top ten lists. That’s not bad news. I just cut out a lot of… well… crap. No, I didn’t see Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, and no, I didn’t see Sherlock Holmes. I love movies, but what’s the point in watching all the bad when there’s so much good out there. (That doesn’t explain how I ended up seeing Nine, though. Ugh.)

The good, in fact, was so good that I could have chosen any one of the 11 pictures on my top 10 list to be the best movie of the year. That’s a testament to the quality of all the pictures listed below. All the films on my list, from Tarantino, Reitman, the Coen brothers, Bigelow and more, may very well be the best work these directors have ever done. But when I rewatched Ramin Bahrani’s Goodbye Solo and was more moved than I was the first time around, I knew that it was the best film of the year.

Without further ado, here are my best films of 2009:

1. Goodbye Solo (dir. Ramin Bahrani)
   No other American director focuses his or her lens on the world that Barhrani does. In doing so, Bahrani tells a story about the human experience that can shift paradigms. Quiet and understated, but with more power in any given scene than any other film this year, Goodbye Solo is a genuine masterpiece.
2. A Serious Man (dirs. Ethan & Joel Coen)
   As brilliantly made as any other Coen film, but with added personal significance for the filmmakers. A Serious Man makes the Coens’ previous work seem so much clearer and, yes, more important.
3. Inglourious Basterds (dir. Quentin Tarantino)
   Tarantino defies history and in doing so shows the power of the medium. Who knew Tarantino had this, his best film since Pulp Fiction and maybe ever, in him?
4. Summer Hours (dir. Olivier Assayas)
   This French drama about our relationships with and through the objects around us is mesmerizing. Skillfully and delicately pieced together from script to screen.
5. The Hurt Locker (dir. Kathryn Bigelow)
   When it comes to pure, visceral filmmaking, no other film this year has anything on The Hurt Locker.
6. Up in the Air (dir. Jason Reitman)
   Reitman’s film about white-collar unemployment and personal isolation, isn’t at the top of my list, but I can’t think of any other film that defines the decade like Reitman’s third feature.
7. Up (dir. Pete Docter)
   Part three in Pixar’s trifecta of greatness, following Ratatouille (2007) and WALL-E (2008)
8. Sin Nombre (dir. Cary Joji Fukunaga)
   A riveting feature debut, Sin Nombre could have been a simple border-crossing drama, but instead evolves something grander. It’s a thriller, a gangster film, and a tragic love story all in one. It’s epic in just 96  minutes. Can’t wait to see what else Fukunaga has in store for us.
9. Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire (dir. Lee Daniels)
   If nothing else, Precious contains two of the most powerful performances you’ll see this or any other year courtesy of Gabourey Sidibe and Mo’Nique.
10. Alexander the Last (dir. Joe Swanberg) & Humpday (dir. Lynn Shelton)
    Mark it down: 2009 was the year mumblecore came of age. While I didn’t get a chance to see Andrew Bujalski’s Beeswax, the two films listed here turned a self-indulgent film movement into a pointed storytelling powerhouse. This is what all the earlier viewers were waiting for.

Honorable Mentions
Sugar (dirs. Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck) | Avatar (dir. James Cameron) | Star Trek (dir. J.J. Abrams)

Best Actor – George Clooney, Up in the Air
Best Actress – Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
Best Supporting Actor – Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Best Supporting Actress – Mo’Nique, Precious

Quote of the Year – “That’s right, things aren’t so bad. Look at the parking lot, Larry. Just look at that parking lot.”- Rabbi Scott, A Serious Man.

Top Story: The release for Oscar frontrunner Up in the Air is moving back to Dec. 4.  The Jason Reitman-directed comedy moved to Nov. 13 for an earlier release after a very positive reception at Toronto and Telluride. However, that date put it within a week of another George Clooney film, The Men Who Stare at Goats. Overture wouldn’t blink. Now we wait an extra two weeks for the Clooney movie we actually want to see. (THR)

In Other News: J.J. Abrams’ latest spy series has all the networks in a tizzy. The show about two married spies is the prize in a bidding war between ABC, NBC, and CBS . NBC, for once, might just be winning. (THR)

Speaking of NBC, the entertainment company NBC Universal may become part of the Comcast family. (Variety)

Hugh Jackman is in talks to star in a robot boxing titled Real Steel. Shawn Levy will direct. (Variety)

Josh Brolin will star in Cartel, a dark drama set in the gritty world of Mexican cartels, for director Asger Leth and Universal. Sean Penn was originally set to play the lead, but dropped out due to personal reasons. (Variety)

Fin.

Top Story: Iconic 80s filmmaker John Hughes died suddenly of a heart attack while vacationing with his family yesterday. He was 59. Hughes directed some of the most memorable films from the 1980s including Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Weird Science.  He was also credited a the writer on numerous projects throughout the 90s and early 2000s under the pseudonym Edmond Dantes. (THR)

In Other News: Mission: Impossible 4 has a pair of writers. Paramount and producers Tom Cruise and J.J. Abrams have brought in Josh Applebaum and Andre Nemec to pen the screenplay. (Variety)

Opening today:
G.I. Joe
Julie & Julia
A Perfect Getaway

Fin.

Is papa Kirk going to be Thor? Nikke Finke says so. According to DHD, Hunky Aussie actor Chris Hemsworth will play the Norse god in Kenneth Branagh’s adaptation of the Marvel Comics property. There’s no official word from the Marvel folks, but Nikke’s source inside Marvel has given here scoop after scoop for months now.  I imagine we’ll get the official word next week.

Good choice? Hemsworth looks the part and as an actor who has worked with J.J. Abrams, you can trust that he has the talent to hold a picture together. (Abrams knows how to pick them.)

Thor is scheduled to be released in the same year as The Green Lantern, moving its date to May 20, 2011 to get a head start on the D.C. flick that usurped its June 17, 2011 release date. Glad to see the Thor people have their act together while Warner Bros. twiddles its thumbs instead of casting Hal Jordan.

Top Story: J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek reboot took home $76.5 million at the domestic box office this weekend and another $35.5 million overseas.  Obviously a franchise record.  The total worldwide bow for what will likely be the summer’s hottest ticket was $112 million. (erc BoxOffice)

In Other News: Anchor Bay picked up the rights to Michael Meredith’s family road dramedy Open Road.  The film stars Justin Timberlake and Jeff Bridges. (THR)

Matthew Goode has joined the cast of Cemetery Junction, a comedy about a salesman in the 1970s from Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. (THR)

Fin.

Star Trek (2009)–****

J.J. Abrams, I fear you may have made a Trekkie out of me. And I doubt that’s the last time you’ll here that in the next few weeks.

You see, Mr. Abrams, what you did with Star Trek, a prequel/re-imagining of the classic sci-fi series, is nothing less than a miracle. You reinvigorated a franchise that was a pop culture punchline (sorry, old school Trekkies), turning it into the best popcorn sci-fi film since The Matrix.

Thanks, J.J.

Read the rest of this entry »

Top Story: Terrence Howard and Cuba Gooding, Jr., along with Bryan Cranston, have joined the cast of the George Lucas-produced Red Tails.  Anthony Hemingway directs the film about the Tuskegee Airmen for Lucas Films. (Variety)

In Other News: Diane Keaton and Jeff Goldblum have signed on for Morning Glory. The comedy about a morning news producer who attempts to save the show from its feuding anchors will also star Harrison Ford and Rachel McAdams with J.J. Abrams producing and Roger Mitchell directing. (Variety)

There’s more Duplass brothers coming your way. The duo’s pitch for a film titled Table 19 was picked up by Fox Searchlight. (THR)

Disney and producer Jerry Bruckheimer have nabbed the rights to Horse Soldiers, a novel about a special forces unit that invaded Afghanistan on horseback after 9/11. (Variety)

Jennifer Garner is still around.  Yeah, I didn’t know either.  But apparently she’s going to star in the comedy Butter, a political satire from newbie scribe Jason Micallef. (THR)

Fin.

Top Story: Paramount Pictures is showing that it has confidence in the May 8 relaunch of the Star Trek franchise. The studio has already hired Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof to write a screenplay for a sequel to the J.J. Abrams-directed Star Trek 90210 flick. No word yet on if Abrams will return to direct. Hmm, is this Marvel distributor Paramount’s way of keeping Chris Pine way from Warner/DC’s The Green Lantern ? (Variety)

In Other News: Looks like those all those Jake and Kate vidders are getting some competition. Disney/ABC-TV and ESPN have signed a deal that will put shortform and longform programming from the ABC networks on YouTube. ESPN channels will appear in April with ABC programs set to hit the video streaming site in May. (Variety)

The Last King of Scotland and State of Play director Kevin Macdonald will direct the Roman military drama The Eagle in the Ninth with Focus Features on board to distribute. (Variety)

Will Fetters has signed to adapt the Nicholas Sparks’ novel The Lucky One. I mean, after the smashing success of Nights in Rodanthe, why not? (THR)

Warner Bros. has tapped Emily Browning for the lead in Zack Snyder’s Sucker Punch, a fantasy-drama about a girl who creates her own reality while confined to a mental institution. (Variety)

Drew Barrymore will star with former beau Justin Long in the romantic comedy Going the Distrance, directed by Nanette Burstein. (THR)

Fin.

Top Story: Marvel Entertainment is hiring a team of film writers to tackle its massive library of superhero characters.  Five writers will be invited to work on a Marvel property each year, possibly including current comicbook writers. This creative brain trust will help turn Marvel’s C-list characters into potentially lucrative motion picture franchises. (Variety)

In Other News: Slumdog Millionaire writer Simon Beaufoy’s first post-Oscar job will be writing the script for DreamWorks Animation’s Truckers. (THR)

The hardest working writer in showbiz has another project on his plate.  The Departed writer William  Monahan wrote the script and is in talks to direct on The Essex, a historical drama set during the War of 1812. (Variety)

Taye Diggs and Anita Briem have joined Kevin Munroe’s Dead of Night. The supernatural thriller, currently filming in New Orleans, also stars Superman Brandon Routh and Sam Huntington. (THR)

Mike Judge’s latest film has a release date. The Office Space director’s Extract will hit theaters in limited release on Sept. 6 with a wide release the following weekend. (erc BoxOffice)

Fox Searchlight has tapped Queen Latifah to star in the romantic comedy Just Wright. (Variety)

J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot and Paramount have extended their production deal through 2013. (Variety)

Opening Today:
Monsters Vs. Aliens 3D
12 Rounds
The Haunting in Connecticut
Sunshine Cleaning (limited)

Fin.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Top Story: Transformers 2 doesn’t come out until June, but DreamWorks and Paramount have already set the date for Transformers 3.  The threequel will hit theaters on July 1, 2011. (Variety)

In Other News: Director Catherine Hardwicke, who was fired from the Twilight saga because she couldn’t adapt a terrible book, is in talks to take on another young-adult series. Columbia Pictures is courting the director for an adaptation of the YA fantasy Maximum Ride. (THR)

In Zac Efron news, Dwayne Johnson suggests that Zac will take the lead in a Johnny Quest movie. (MTV)

J.J. Abrams will produce, and possibly direct, an adaptation of the Wired magazine article “The Untold Story of the World’s Biggest Diamond Heist” for Paramount. (THR)

The Weinstein Co. nabbed the US distribution right to the UK’s Nowhere Boy, the Sam Taylor-Wood-directed film about young John Lennon. (Variety)

Fin.