Every year, this is the creative task I least look forward to. I know I have to do it, just to get it off my chest, but not only is it a huge undertaking but it can also be cruel. Given the fact that many of the films that are yet to be released (or at the very least viewed by me) will make it into this years’ Oscar shindig, they won’t so much as get a mention here.
Additionally, I am only one man and as such have only a limited amount of time and eyeballs. To give an example, take a quick look to the right at my top ten video for last year, made at roughly this time last year. When you’ve had a look at it, read on and you can see my actual list, when all the dust had finally settled. This will give you an indication as to just how choices can change during Oscar Season. Anyway, have a gander at this, and then we can move on...
For those of you not able to name all ten, shame on you, but see below for a
complete listing, in reverse order;
Tropic Thunder, Henry Poole Is Here, He Was A Quiet Man, L'Orfanato, Wall-E,
Taken, In Bruges, The Dark Knight, Vexille, Burn After Reading
The final and completed list was actually very different for those reasons
mentioned above. And no, there isn’t another video. I really didn’t have time.
But it ended as follows, again, in reverse order.
10 Slumdog Millionaire 09 Burn After Reading 08 The Wrestler 07 Vicky Cristina Barcelona 06 In Bruges
05 Milk 04 Frost/Nixon 03 The Reader 02 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button 01 Revolutionary Road
So really I should make it clear right from the off that, in almost direct polar Oscar opposite to the rest of the more British casual movie-going public, my movie year really runs from February to January, as opposed to January to December. But, for the sake of massive opinion to the contrary (and, more importantly, a handy week ) I will try and review my movie year despite having practically one-sixth of it still to go. I'll try and cover (or at least mention) that have yet to surface in goold ol' blighty for most of us, but the final list you will see a few pages from here is open to (and will, without doubt) be subject to change.
Firstly, I'm going to take a leisurely wander back through the last twelve months of cinema and try to highlight the highs (and lows) of 2009.
As mentioned, one of the inherent problems with reviewing the year is that the beginning (January & February) doesn't really classify as 2009, given that most of the films released then were made in the previous year and as such, qualify for last years' awards merry-go-round. Most of these highlights truly deserve a mention, however.
The very first film I watched in 2009 was Seven Pounds starring Will Smith in a nod firmly directed at the Oscar judges. Whilst the film did highlight some of Smith's more considered acting abilities, it failed to really live up to the hype that was afforded it pre-release. The first Part of Soderbergh's Che also got it's release in January, with the second part arriving on UK cinema's in February. However, it was the Oscar heavyweights that really took January by the scruff of the neck and provided some fantastic cinematic performances wtih Slumdog Millionaire, The Reader, Rachel Getting Married, Frost/Nixon and Revolutionary Road all coming to our screens in this month. Additionally, but with less hype attached, but no less skill and achievement was Defiance starring Daniel Craig. Mostly overlooked by the Oscars, but noteworthy for a couple of great performances from the aformentioned Craig and Liev Schreiber.
Also on January's roster of note for releases were; Barry Lyndon, Better Things, Beverly Hill Chihuahua, Boogie, The Broken, A Christmas Tale,
Clubbed, JVCD, Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, Role Models, Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants 2, The Spirit and Underworld : Rise of the Lycans.
Highlight - Revolutionary Road
Worth A Mention - Defiance
What Happened? - The Spirit
So altogether, January was a great month for the movies in the UK with my own number one favourite film of 2008 being released (Revolutionary Road, a movie I still have yet to convince my other half to see, knowing that she will find it utterly stunning, as I did) plus Danny Boyle's Best Picture Oscar winner, the amazing Slumdog Millionaire. The month was littered with great performances which is no surprise in the height of Oscar season. On the downside (and there has to be one for us to appreciate the highs) were the disappointing efforts of Beverly Hill Chihuahua and the Spirit, both of which thankfully have, in the past twelve months, disappeared into the ether almost entirely.
So...next up February, the month of Oscar bedlam. Click on the arrow on the bottom right of the page to go there.
