Mreps and Muc Invite Haikal To Talk About The Films Of 2009 (Part One)

It's been awhile since I've reviewed any movies publicly but I'll keep this short and sweet. Today, with the permission of Mreps and Muc I have constructed a list of all the films I've watched from 2009 (every film!) in the categories Good to Okay to Bad. Lets start with the Good.

THE GOOD

1. Inglourious Basterds
Its all good when Quentin Tarantino is around and with 4 Golden Globe nominations as well as expected Oscar nominations, this movie was the epitome of 2009 for films. Christoph Waltz is the soon to be known Humphrey Bogart of today. Killer soundtrack + killer cast + killer script + killer plot = jizz in my pants brilliance

2. District 9
Intended to be made into the Halo film, District 9 was a surprise hit, a film that blew me away with its serious underlying message of racism and corporate dysfunctionality placed on top of a sci-fi setting with characters you care for, District 9 was a great film. You gotta love uber alien guns causing uber gore. Made in a style and form of its on, watch out for more films by Neill Bloomkamp in the future.

3. Avatar
Okay, so the $500 million budget was just a wild rumour and the real budget was only a mere $300 million (mere?) James Cameron is back motherfuckers! A visual treat and with a plot that's really been in the zone since the start, one can expect this years Oscars to be a real battlefield. Will the King scoop up the awards again??

4. 500 Days of Summer
I don't really like romantic comedies, I despise them a lot. I have dreams of killing of Sandra Bullock and Matthew McConaughey, thus ending the cycle of craptacular shitty romantic comedies but Dr. Etabrutsam will discuss them some other day. I am a fan of Zoey Deschanel, and if this film can make me laugh at the start, then its pretty good. A story with real emotional depth that talks of love and heartbreak with a cool soundtrack. Joseph Gordon-Levitt's been nominated too.

5. Zombieland
I fucking loved Shaun of the Dead and having this film around completes that love. Making a comedy revolving the zombie apocalypse never gets old. Add Woody Harrelson as the badass cowboy with a craving for Twinkies and an emotional human side to boot and you've got a recipe for a great movie. The longest laugh I ever had was in this film (Bill Murray's cameo). I love a film that has a character that you can relate to.

6. Moon
Is 2009, the year of sci-fi cause damn I've got my Top Ten already loaded with three brilliant sci-fi films. Moon is trajectory bringing you from one spot to another leaving you guessing at what's happened and the ethics of putting profits before the mindframe of those that help to secure that profit. Kevin Spacey didn't give much but I can't help but like GERTY. The twist in the film was executed brilliantly.

7. Paranormal Activity
Paranormal Activity wasn't exactly a piss in your pants type of scary. It was more of a this-seems-real-enough-that-it-can-happen-to-you scary. Suffice enough, just thinking about, 'what if those moments happened to me' sends chills down my spine. My brother and I have regularly tried the stand motionless beside the bed like a possessed person just for the lawls.

8. WatchmenA superhero movie that doesn't deal into the abstanted cliches with a realistic touch injected with a heavy dose of philosophical anonemy courtesy of Alan Moore plus cool fight scenes and a psychotic character that talks in noir format named Rorschach? Sign me up. Watchmen was the superhero movie of the year and it rocked. Zack Snyder did a surprisingly good job.

9. The Hurt Locker
Another war drama? Yawn.. But this ain't any other war drama. Its a war drama that works and deals with the dangers of the bomb squad profession in Iraq. Guy Pearce and Ralph Fiennes show up to but sadly only in cameos. Who would have thought that Jeremy Renner could act. A brilliantly executed film but its such a shame that it dragged a bit too much sometimes.

10. The Hangover

A comedy film about tracing back the steps? Would that wok out? Fuck yeah! And make loads of cash as well as critically acclaimed reviews to boot. The Hangover was the type of film that you wish would never end and the laughs don't really end. When I think Hangover, the image of the nude Chinese gangster guy saying, 'You wanna fuck with me?' while wielding an iron bar or Mike Tyson singing while playing the piano. Making a film that brings out memorable images, that's a classic in the making.

11. TakenI've always liked Liam Neeson and when you go to see a film where Liam Neeson's playing a total badass motherfucker, you shut the fuck up and enjoy every ounce of the film. Neeson runs, guns and kills everyone that stands in his way to get to his daughter. The line, 'Its always personal' never ceases to blow my balls away while I grow new ones.

12. AdventurelandHey everybody, Kristen Stewart can actually act! What a fucking surprise. That girl from Twilight with the shitty acting can actually act. I guess if a films too shit, then the acting becomes automatically shit too if you catch my drift (no you don't, don't even try to catch my drift because its too real). Adventureland deals with the art of growing up. Mostly those films annoy me but in this one here, its actually good thanks to director Greg Mottola who executes a cleverly elaborated story revolving love and having to leave the comfort of the student life.

I think I'll stop here for now since its getting kind of late. I thought of doing the Okay and the Bad together with the Good but I guess I'll separate them into parts.