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Best films 2009 December 31, 2009

Posted by joost in : film, reflection , comments closed

I’ve seen 166 feature films and 104 short films in 2009. As much as I appreciate an overview of “The Best Films of 2009″, I feel it never truly fits the moniker. International release dates vary, and films shown on festivals sometimes have been touring the circuit for well over a year. And other times I am blown away by a film that I somehow missed in the year it was initially released. For these reasons, my end of the year list usually consists of the best films that I have seen and that for the most part have been released in the past year.

  1. The clone returns home (2009)
    A slow-paced, visually strong philosophical contemplation on cloning, the soul, and what makes us human.
    Seen and reviewed during the 25th Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival 2009 / imagine.
  2. Moon (2009)
    Avatar might have been the spectacle of the year, Moon shows how filmmaking on the other end of the sci-fi spectrum can result in an emotionally more touching experience. Fantastic script, great performance by Sam Rockwell and a superb soundtrack by Clint Mansell.
  3. Martyrs (2008)
    A very violent and gruesome film about physical abuse and how to create victims. A study into the strength and the fathomless depths of the human spirit. Difficult to watch, but hard not to recommend. “Handle with care”.
    Seen and reviewed during the 25th Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival / imagine. Also check out this alternative “trailer” that doesn’t show any footage of the film but gives you a good idea what the impact of seeing Martyrs can be like.
  4. Lebanon (2009)
    An attack on the senses. Claustrophobic interpretation of what it was like to be in an Israeli tank invading Lebanon in 1982.
  5. Il y a longtemps que je t’aime (I’ve loved you so long) (2008)
    Kristin Scott Thomas portrays the first steps of a woman who has just been released from prison. Great character piece with effective story telling, each scene adheres to the writing mantra “come in late, leave early”.
  6. Synecdoche, New York (2008)
    Mindfuck of the year by who else than Charlie “to recurse is divine” Kaufman. The film is top heavy at times and does not always succeed in keeping the audience’s emotions in a headlock. But overall it does manage to use a unique way of storytelling to challenge notions of life, death, sickness and vanity.
  7. The Wind That Shakes The Barley (2006)
    One of the more “recent old films” that made a profound impact on me. Perhaps flawed because of its talkative nature, this film nevertheless succeeds in drawing you in to the roots, beliefs, convictions and sacrifices of the Irish conflict. Heartbreaking.
  8. Hunger (2008)
    I think I saw this one as part of a double bill with The wind that shakes the barley – not an easy Saturday afternoon by any means! A very carnal film, first hitting you on the head with a sledge hammer and then shitting on you. Featuring my favorite actor of the moment, Michael Fassbender (seen this year in: Hunger, Fish Tank, Inglourious Basterds, Eden Lake).
  9. Let the right one in (2008)
    It can be hard to live up to expectation with all the prior buzz and awards. Luckily the film is as good as people say. It’s a touching portrait of teenage adolescence, loneliness, bullying, being in love. “Suspenseful drama” feels like a more appropriate description than “horror”, even though the film definitely has its gory moments. One of those films where things click – story, cast, cinematography, music.
    Seen and reviewed during the 25th Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival / imagine.
  10. (500) Days of Summer (2009)
    Tricky, because I know I have a sweet spot for romantic comedies, but then again, this film is everything the genre is not. Pulp Fiction-esque structure, great juxtaposition between scenes, plenty of visual flair to rhyme with what the film wants to convey, elegant integration of music without being too hipster, and performances that hit home. “This is a story of boy meets girl. But you should know upfront: this is not a love story.”
  11. The Wrestler (2008)
    Some actors live a lifetime in order to portray a character faithfully. Mickey Rourke shines in this film about a down on his luck old wrestler.
  12. Frost/Nixon (2008)
    Who would have thought that a film about a TV interview could be so entertaining and gripping?
  13. Revolutionary Road (2008)
    Sam Mendes shows that he truly is an actors director, but with fine understanding of how to convey those performances.
  14. Rachel Getting Married (2008)
    Jonathan Demme and Anne Hathaway up their game.
  15. Happy-go-lucky (2008)
    Perfect example of the “slice of life” way of film making, where you can’t help but love the main characters despite their flaws.
  16. Fish Tank (2009)
    This film manages to avoid many of the usual social realist cliches and focuses on a coming of age story against the backdrop of lower social class society in Britain.

Post scriptum
Avatar. One of the last films I have seen in 2009, and one of the films that had been on my toseelist for over two years or so. It’s too early for me to be able to judge how good the film really is, or rather, I think “the wow-factor” distracts from key story telling and character issues that I have with Avatar.

Yes, it is truly an immersive experience. Yes, Avatar will be the new reference point in years to come for what can be done with computer wizardry. Yes, Cameron has a better grip on and understanding of 3D than people like Zemeckis.

But… after all these years of development why don’t I then care for the characters or for their journey? With such a big canvas and so much time I expect not only depth in the screen but also in the narrative and characters! In the end the magic quickly wears off, all the glitz doesn’t compensate the lack of emotional engagement.

November activities December 2, 2009

Posted by joost in : LFA, festivals, film, reflection, screening, screenwriting, work , comments closed

An overview of what I have been working on in the last month: