Best of 2009

One of the freshest and most sincere comedies I've seen in ages. A witty and insightful script and sharp performances take the film several notches up from your standard Hollywood romcom fare. The characters make mistakes, learn from them, and honour their integrity, all while still being funny and thoroughly entertaining.

Sugar is a young man from the Dominican Republic. Like so many others in his hometown, he is chasing a nearly impossible dream, to play baseball in the American Major Leagues, to help his family out of poverty. He gets his first big break when he is invited to spring training, and then lands in rural Iowa to play for a Kansas City farm team.



The film follows Sugar as he tries to adjust to his new life. Along with the pressures of the game and being the best, he is completely isolated from his family and friends back home. The language barrier is especially difficult to get over. He has trouble ordering food in a restaurant, and even though he wants to, and is encouraged by his incredibly patient host family, he can't carry a conversation at the dinner table.



Algenis Perez Soto delivers an inspired performance as Sugar, which is all the more remarkable considering he's never acted before. A former aspiring ballplayer himself, Soto was discovered by the filmmakers among six hundred others in auditions and scouting across the US and Dominican. We get to know Sugar on a profoundly intimate level, even with very little dialogue, thanks to Soto's expressive eyes and presence.



The rest of the cast is just as outstanding, it's hard to single out any one of them. Some are professionals, but many of the baseball players and smaller roles are actual prospective or former players rather than actors, which adds authenticity to the scenes on the field.



Writer-director team Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden have developed artistically since their feature debut, 2006's Half Nelson. Considering how great that film was, any improvement is most impressive. They have honed their skills just tiny bits here and there, but have maintained the overall style of their first film. They continue to use lots of focus pulls and vibrant colour, a nice touch that adds punch to their very naturalistic stories. Though with their storytelling talent, it's impossible for audiences to lose interest, it's still nice to have that little extra something that reminds us visually we are watching a real movie and not an amateur home video. It's kind of the opposite effect of the Dogme movement. As far as the writing is concerned, the script deftly avoids clichés and never goes where you expect it to.



Sugar is easily the best film of 2009 so far. I know it's only April, but it's going to be very difficult to top this one.

An incredibly fresh story with original characters. There is an indie sensibility to the storytelling, but absolutely zero quirk; every moment feels honest and real. The dialogue is crisp throughout, but especially in the hilariously snappy opening scene. The naturalistic performances give the film a sort of documentary feel, like we're watching the lives of real people instead of characters in a fictional movie.

An instant romantic comedy classic. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel are so charming and have great chemistry together. The film has little touches of whimsy everywhere from the indie soundtrack to a random send-up of the falling-in-love musical montage (complete with animated bird). The relationship is realistic, a perfect mix of sour and sweet. Easily one of the best films of the year.

The most shocking thing about this movie is that I didn't hate it! Despite the presence of Kristen Stewart, it was was not only watchable, but totally sweet and funny. The coming-of-age story wasn't too juvenile, and the acting was great. It's too bad Jesse Eisenberg is so often compared to Michael Cera, because Eisenberg is far and above a better actor. Ryan Reynolds continues to impress with an understated role, making me further wonder why he keeps doing stupid superhero blockbusters when he's capable of so much more. The details of the script, from the music selection to the little slices of life as a carnie, made the whole experience almost perfect.

A gorgeous, subtle little film with a deceptively simple story, but with great ambition and ideas about growing up, first love, deception, and loss of innocence. Post-war, pre-Swinging-60's England is captured beautifully by Danish director Lone Scherfig, and she manages to get great performances from her cast. That's no biggie for the always perfect Peter Sarsgaard, but the real revelation here is newcomer Carey Mulligan as young Jenny. I'll be shocked if I don't hear her name called out on that cold January morning when they announce the Oscar nominees.

A sweet and simple film that plays like a love letter to Canada. Though cancer plays a small role, the real story is a young man's personal journey across the country on his motorcycle.



The subject matter is held fairly lightly, and there is plenty of humour thrown in among a few more serious moments. Joshua Jackson proves to be an enormously appealing actor and delivers a subtle and fresh performance as Ben. I hope this is the beginning of a lot more lead roles on the big screen for him. I know he spends a lot of time on TV, but he's too good to be wasted there.



Not sure if it would play well internationally, but the many distinctly Canadian icons are fun to look at and might even make you want to hit the road as soon as you leave the theatre.

I was in Cairo earlier this year, and I can say first-hand that it is probably one of the craziest cities in the world. Easily the craziest that I've ever been to, and I've been quite a few places.

Here, Patricia Clarkson plays Juliette, a woman who arrives in Egypt to meet her husband for a long-delayed and much-deserved vacation. But Mark, a UN ambassador, is held up in Gaza, and nobody knows how long it will take for him to get to Cairo to meet her. So she is picked up at the airport by Tareq, an old friend of Mark's, and he gets her safely to her hotel.

When Juliette starts to go crazy from staying indoors -- Mark warned her not to wander the streets on her own, as it's not safe for women -- she takes up Tareq's offer to show her the city. Slowly, they build an unlikely friendship, and perhaps even love, but neither one is prepared or willing to act on it.

Without so much as a kiss, we witness a beautiful affair, captured perfectly by Clarkson and Alexander Siddig, who plays Tareq. Both performerances are richly nuanced and subtle, and very little dialogue is needed for the actors to get their emotions across. It's the smiles, the stolen glaces, the innocent touches, and completely silent scenes that speak volumes.

The third character here, the city of Cairo, is captured authentically. While I was left unimpressed after leaving Egypt -- it took me over a month to shake off the food poising / virus I picked up there -- it only takes this tiny Canadian film a few frames to find the beauty among the chaos. We see the main highlights of course, the pyramids, the mighty Nile, and the camels. But we also get to see the smaller details, like Juliette sharing a shisha pipe with Tareq, trying an exotic tea, wandering a busy bazaar, and being stared at and followed by packs of strange men. The culture shock is at first too much for Juliette, but as time passes and Mark remains absent, she gets used to the city, even growing to like it.

We know from the start that Juliette and Tareq's romance isn't meant to be, and that even their friendship is a fleeting one, but for the time that we are with them, we get incredibly attached, and it's as sad as it is a relief when Mark finally shows up.

This is a brilliant little film that says so much in the simplest ways, and it *almost* makes me want to give Egypt a second chance myself. Almost. If I ever do go back, I want my own Tareq there with me.

This is a sweet political thriller that is much more than a crazy plot with the actors simply being used as pawns to get through all the twists and turns. Indeed, there is a LOT of plot here, I still haven't wrapped my head around all of it, but the characters are what make it so much fun. Russell Crowe is fantastic in the lead, adding lots of nuance to what could have been a dull reporter getting to the bottom of a story. Rachel McAdams and Helen Mirren are great as his eager and cynical colleagues. Ben Affleck proves once again that he's not just the punchline of a joke, and Jason Bateman ROCKS, almost stealing the show with his small role, playing against type as a sleazy PR guy. Among all the action and drama, there is plenty of biting humour to spice it all up. Definitely a highlight for 2009.

Diablo Cody's writing style definitely isn't for everybody, but her work is undeniably unique, never taking itself too seriously. This high school tale about a teenager possessed by a demon is sordid, wicked, and just plain fun to watch. The dialogue is snappy, with some very quotable lines. Great performances from both Amanda Seyfried and Megan Fox, along with the entire supporting cast.

A thoughtful drama, if a little too earnest at times. Though a tad slow at the start, the story finds it's feet as soon as Peter Sarsgaard arrives, saving grace of indie film once again. He breathes life into a dull script with a character that is flawed and immensely fun to watch. Not having read the novel, I'm led to believe that his character is a hybrid of two different characters from the source material, and it works beautifully, I can't really imagine how the story would go if he was split into two people. The three main characters, each a point of a twisted love triangle, build tension that simmers slowly to a boil. Jon Foster and Sienna Miller aren't quite as interesting to watch individually, but play important roles in a story that belongs entirely to Sarsgaard. Why this man doesn't get more lead roles is the biggest mystery here. The secondary plots involving Foster's overbearing father and sort-of-but-not-really girlfriend are forgettable and horribly acted, but even a few of those moments have some so-bad-it's-good value. While I won't call this top-notch cinema, it's definitely an overlooked gem and worthwhile for Sarsgaard alone.

In Drew Barrymore's directorial debut, all the fun is in the details and the performances. The story is somewhat familiar, but it defies all of the cliches, and is anything but tired, with the very original choice of setting the action on a roller derby rink.

Ellen Page leads the ensemble in a role that completely seperates her from Juno (the role that made her famous, but could also have typecast her). Both the stylized dialogue and the confidence are gone, and she proves that she can pull off the part of a shy and introverted teenager just as well as a snarky pregnant one.

Other standouts include Kristen Wiig as one of Page's teammates and Alia Shawkat (Maeby Funke, where have you been?) as her best friend. Oh, and there's a fun little cameo that I won't spoil.

Despite occasionally having an overly feminist vibe, Barrymore has created a colourful and fun world that is suitable for everyone, but is especially good for young girls. She also shows that she has the chops to make a bright future for herself behind the camera.

Without a doubt the most emotional and most difficult movie I've ever watched.

Drew Barrymore is adorable and always fun to watch, but who knew she could actually act? Fascinating stuff. Anything involving the Kennedys usually is.

Way better than expected, thanks to a smart and funny script (based on Noel Coward, the master of British comedy), and great casting. Colin Firth, at first under-used, is nonetheless brilliant in his sarcastic timing, and the character gets more screentime in the end. Jessica Biel, amazingly, doesn't ruin the whole thing, but actually plays the lead role with wit and empathy.

Definitely the most surprising movie and the guiltiest pleasure of the year. This movie isn't at all scary, but it is dark, funny, and completely perverse. The twist ending comes out of nowhere and makes no sense and is totally, ridiculously stupid, but in a wildly entertaining way. The movie wouldn't be anything without the performances of Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard, who, as one of my fellow movie lover friends says, should be in everything. This movie is trashy, sick, and just plain fun. Perfect lazy day entertainment if you ask me.

This is the surprise awesomeness of the year. Yes it's silly with a ridiculous plot and some really awful dialogue, but if you can let go for just a few hours, this is pure action thriller fun. And the single reason it works is Liam Neeson. How no one saw his action star potential sooner is beyond me. He has the goods to deliver some serious punches, and also the intelligence to be believable when using his more refined spy skills. On top of that, he can carry the emotional weight the role requires -- a father searching for his kidnapped daughter -- without taking it over the top. A simple film with a complex leading man that very few actors today could pull off. There's simply no better way to say it: Liam Neeson kicks ass.

Cute, amiable, innocent story of a group of college kids in the 50s who decided to break into Westminster Abbey and take back the Scottish Stone of Destiny for the pride of their country. The fresh young cast is fun to watch.

Kind of interesting, though slow in parts and not as action-packed as the trailer made it out to be. Dialogue leaves a little to be desired, but the cast is good. Nice camera work, particularly in the beginning and on the final shot.

It takes a few scenes to get used to the very low-budget filmmaking style, but the writing and performances will win you over.