Swarez's Top Ten of 2009

Van Diemen's Land

The first film I saw at this year's Fantastic Fest and the one I think stuck with me the most. The depute feature from Jonathan auf der Heide tells the story of a group of prisoners stuck on the island of Tasmania, known then as Van Diemen's Land. They escape from their captors and venture in to the vast wilderness of the island which was probably not the best idea they ever had. Based on a true story the film is a tour de force in both performance and visual terms. If Terence Malick ever made a cannibal movie then this would be it.

District 9

Another feature depute from a young genius but this time aided with considerable more funds and the guiding hand of one Peter Jackson. Neill Blomkamp's Sci-Fi action film takes a well known political situation and throws some aliens in the mix along with mecha robots and shooting pigs. Visually stunning, well acted and structured the film is by far the best science fiction film of this year.

Mr. Bjarnfredarson

By far the best Icelandic film in years. Ragnar Bragason and his gang of merry men finish off their three TV series with a stand alone movie featuring their characters.  A beautiful, funny but first and foremost a tragic look at how a man becomes a complete asshole through his strict upbringing and tries to save his relationship with his friends who he has tormented for years. Does it work for people who don't know the characters? That's a good question but the film was designed to be able to stand on its own without you having seen the TV series. I hadn't seen the series before I saw the film, am going through them now, but still I loved it. Wonderful characters and a wonderful story that brought tears to my eyes.

And it's kicking some Avatar ass at the box office as we speak.

Inglourious Basterds

Tarantino lost me for a while with his awful Death Proof so I had my doubts with his WW 2 opus that was originally supposed to be a take on the Dirty Dozen theme but turned in to a talky, beautiful drama with the characters that the film takes its name from pushed to the side and more interesting side characters allowed to shine. This turned out not to be the film I thought it was going to be, an action filled war film but I was not let down with what I got instead. Brilliant writing and performances keep your eyes glued to the screen and leaves you wanting for more. 

Now I'm excited again to see what Tarantino cooks up next.

Black Dynamite

A movie that made me wish I was a bad ass pimp so I could spout those genius lines produced by the makers of this hilarious comedy. On paper it doesn't look that promising, a spoof on 70's blacksploitation that's been done before but Michael Jay White and crew manage to create one of the funniest films I've seen in ages. With the look down to a "T" and performances that match those from films of that era they manage to create an authentic looking action film about drugs, pimps, ho's and Kung Fu treachery without resorting to the infantile shit mongering that the makers of Epic Movie and such ilk resort to. But it also begs the question; Why the hell are those fucking movies more popular than this? It probably says more about audiences today than anything else.

Bronson

Nicolas Winding Refn's first english feature and one that grabbed the attention of many. A powerful performance by unrecognizable Tom Hardy and stylized setting make this a must see. But it's definitely not a film for everyone. The theatrical look and highly stylized feel might be off putting and the fact that there isn't much of a plot to speak of rubbed some people the wrong way. It rubbed me in the right way though.

I've been a fan of Refn's since Pusher and loved all his films so far, and look forward to see the viking goodness that is Valhalla Rising.

Yatterman

Damn you Miike and your candy colored insanity. Probably the best anime adaption I've seen, completely off the wall with it's craziness and delightfully self aware as well. Miike manages to turn a cheesy one dimensional 70's cartoon character in to a dynamic but ultimately silly superhero forced to fight the same gang every week with the same results. If there ever was a film that could give you diabetes this would be it.

Sting Ray Sam

Probably the cheapest film of the bunch but rich in character, entertainment and wackynes that far too few mainstream films dare to do. A episodical musical sci-fi western it's technically not a feature film but rather a series of episodes strung together but was one of the highlights of the year for me. Corey McAbee proves that he is one of the most unique filmmakers out there.

Orphan

One of the more surprisingly effective horror films of this year. One that I completely dismissed at first but was drawn in hook, line and sinker when I finally sat down and watched it. Story vise it's not original at all; Parents want a child, find an adorable one at an orphanage, bring her home, shit hits fan. The way director Jaume Collet-Serra (director of the Paris Hilton vehicle House of Wax no less) handles the tired old material is masterful and the cast bring it home with honest and truthful performances, Top prize goes to Isabelle Fuhrman who knocked me on my ass with her incredibly creepy and uncomfortable performance, especially considering that she was 10 years old when she did it. This is a film that was very overlooked and sadly so because it's one kick ass flick.

Rampage

Another FF favorite. Uwe Boll proves that there is a really good filmmaker hidden under those stacks of computer game  adaptions that he has been making his career on. Shocking, angry and often quite funny for all the wrong reasons, this nihilistic look at middle America and how a seemingly normal kid can snap for no apparent reason hits you in the gut. The documentary feel of the cinematography and improvised dialog from the actors make this a terrifyingly realistic film. And the scary part is that he manages to make you root for a person you'd want to see dead if you read about him in the news.