Hottest Movie Stars of 2009
[Actresses]
5. Zooey Deschanel (500 Days of Summer)
4. Malin Akerman (Watchmen, The Proposal, Couples Retreat)
3. Rashida Jones (I Love You, Man)
2. Kate Beckinsale (Whiteout, Everybody's Fine)
1. Megan Fox (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Jennifer's Body)
[Actors]
5. Taylor Lautner (New Moon)
4. Hugh Jackman (X-Men Origins: Wolverine)
3. Chris Pine (Star Trek)
2. Joseph Gordon-Levitt (500 Days of Summer, G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra)
1. Ryan Reynolds (X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Proposal)
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Favorite Movies of 2009
10. The Blind Side
Probably the best 'feel-good' film of the year. The Blind Side features an outstanding cast of talented actors including Sandra Bullock in possibly the best performance of her career. Though the film may come across as your typical inspirational movie, it proves to be a highly entertaining portrayal of an incredibly compelling true story.
9. Away We Go
A fantastic little indie comedy from Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Revolutionary Road) about a hilarious, yet heartfelt journey of an expecting couple struggling to find themselves. Away We Go features very impressive performances from John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph, two actors best known for their roles on TV.
8. I Love You, Man
Despite having a rather simple premise, the film is driven by hilarious performances from Jason Segel and Paul Rudd as well as the great supporting cast. I Love You, Man is filled with awkward situations, heartfelt relationships, hilarious one-liners, and non-stop laughs.
7. Sugar
An incredibly powerful independent film that captures the struggles of Dominican baseball players aspiring to make it to the big leagues. Sugar succeeds at being an atypical sports-flick mixed with raw human drama thanks to an outstanding breakthrough performance by its unknown star, Algenis Perez Soto.
6. The Hangover
Without a doubt, the summer's biggest surprise hit. Even without a cast of well-known actors or a previously existing franchise for support, The Hangover proved that a funny and original R-rated comedy film can still appeal to mass audiences.
5. Where the Wild Things Are
Spike Jonze's film adaptation of the classic children's book, Where the Wild Things Are is a beautifully innovative work of art. Jonze successfully maintains the spirit of the book while still adding his own artistic visions. Though Wild Things is certainly not your typical 'family film,' people of all ages can appreciate the film in one way or another, whether it's the breathtaking visuals, outstanding acting, or Max's wild and emotional journey.
4. Up
Yet another wonderful piece of work from the guys at Disney/Pixar. Much like previous Pixar films, Up includes a perfect blend of comedy, action, and powerful emotional themes and succeeds at turning a rather simple story into one incredibly heartfelt adventure.
3. Star Trek
Forget Transformers. Forget Terminator. J.J. Abrams's reboot of this classic science-fiction franchise perfectly demonstrates exactly what a summer action flick should be. The film features outstanding acting performances from its young, rather unknown cast and breath-taking action sequences that don't solely rely on massive explosions and CGI. But what really makes Star Trek an incredible film is its ability to appeal to hardcore "Trekkies" as well as those of us who are just looking for a solid sci-fi action film.
2. (500) Days of Summer
Unlike typical 'romantic comedies', (500) Days of Summer separates itself from the genre through its honest, sometimes painful, depiction of real-life relationships and its intelligently unique story structure. It strives at being both charming and witty as well as emotionally powerful thanks to the brilliant performances from its two young stars, Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. This is a fantastic little indie gem that is definitely worth checking out.
1. Avatar
Probably the most anticipated film of the year...and fortunately, it lives up to all the hype. James Cameron proves yet again to be one of the only filmmakers in Hollywood to effectively make use of an extremely large budget and ground-breaking technology. Despite following a somewhat familiar storyline, the film basically revolutionizes the possibilities of what can be done in a movie. Avatar excels all across the board from its outstanding acting performances and brilliant directing to its stunning visual effects and heart-racing action sequences. This could very well be the 'Star Wars' of a new generation.
[Honorable Mentions]
Fantastic Mr. Fox
District 9
The Informant!
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Please note: There are still a TON of critically acclaimed films that I haven't seen yet that would have probably had a good chance of making my top 10...Here is a list of some of the movies that I REALLY NEED TO SEE:
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Up in the Air
Crazy Heart
Sin Nombre
Brothers
Invictus
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Nine
A Serious Man
Zombieland
Julie & Julia
A Single Man
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Most Disappointing Movies of 2009
Public Enemies
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
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Most Anticipated Movies of 2010
10. Clash of the Titans (March 26, 2010)
Fresh off the success of Avatar, Australian actor Sam Worthington stars in this remake of the 1981 film loosely based on the Greek myth of Perseus. With Terminator Salvation and Avatar under his belt, Worthington seems to be on the verge of becoming the next big Hollywood action star.
[View Trailer]
9. Grown Ups (June 25, 2010)
A comedy featuring a stacked ensemble that includes Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, and David Spade. Basically a Saturday Night Live cast reunion (+ Kevin James...)
[View Trailer]
8. Robin Hood (May 14, 2010)
Highly acclaimed director Ridley Scott teams up with Russell Crowe yet again in an epic re-imagining of the legendary story of Robin Hood. If this film is as good as Scott and Crowe's previous work together (American Gangster, Body of Lies, Gladiator), then it is sure to be a big hit.
[View Trailer]
7. The Expendables (August 20, 2010)
A blockbuster action film written and directed by Sylvester Stallone. Features a stacked cast of action veterans such as Stallone himself, Dolph Lundgren, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jet Li, and Bruce Willis as well as Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke and 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin. With basically every big name action star of the past three decades, I have some rather high expectation for this one...let's hope Sly delivers!
[View Trailer]
6. Date Night (April 9, 2010)
An action-comedy starring Tina Fey and Steve Carell. Also features appearances by Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, James Franco, Ray Liotta, Mark Ruffalo, and Kristen Wiig. Can't wait to see some great comedy chemistry between Fey and Carell, two of my favorite comedy actors.
[View Trailer]
5. Iron Man 2 (May 7, 2010)
Robert Downey Jr. reprises his role as Tony Stark in the sequel to the 2008 blockbuster hit. Gwyneth Paltrow also returns as "Pepper" Potts and is joined by Mickey Rourke, Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle, Sam Rockwell, and Samuel L. Jackson. Let's see if they can top the success of the first Iron Man and keep the hype going for The Avengers film planned for 2012.
[View Trailer]
4. Shutter Island (February 19, 2010)
Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio team up for the forth time in a row in this dark, psychological thriller. This will be Scorsese's first feature film since The Departed in 2006. I'm really excited to see Scorsese's take on the horror / suspense genre.
[View Trailer]
3. Toy Story 3 (June 18, 2010)
Tim Allen, Tom Hanks, and the rest of the gang reprise their roles in the third installment of the Toy Story series. And of course, it will be in 3-D this time...Let's just hope it will be just as good as the first two (though that is not an easy task at all).
[View Trailer]
2. Inception (July 16, 2010)
A sci-fi action thriller directed by Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight, The Prestige, Memento). Stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Here's to hoping this will lessen our anxiety for the next Batman film...
[View Trailer]
1. Alice in Wonderland (March 5, 2010)
Tim Burton's highly anticipated interpretation of a classic fantasy novel. Mia Wasikowska plays the role of Alice, alongside Johnny Depp as The Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham Carter as The Red Queen, Anne Hathaway as The White Queen, and Crispin Glover as The Knave of Hearts. This is by far the film I am most excited to see in 2010.
[View Trailer]
Well that's all for now guys. Feel free to share your thoughts on the films of 2009 or films you are excited to see next year! Please check back soon for my 'Best (and Worst) Music of 2009 list.'
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