The Year So Far...

We are pretty much at the midpoint of 2009, and with what I have seen so far, I suppose it's now time for me to comment on the films that have been released thus far. Like last year, I've found a lot of movies that I consider to be good, but am confident that they will probably not hold their top spots indefinitely. Likewise, the films that are low on my list aren't particularly terrible, and hopefully (or tragically) there will be others to take note of. Right now, I'd like to say what I think are the best out right now and name one film that is the worst of the bunch at this point.

Best So Far: Drag Me To Hell
-Sam Raimi's horror-comedy succeeds on nearly every level. It delivers great suspense in the horror realm while at the same time making the over-the-top nature of the genre recognize the comedic abilities it possesses. The film is a perfect example of that great blend that is helped by strong performances throughout the whole cast, headlined by Alison Lohman. She particularly is great because she herself is complex and not quite so much the damsel in distress stereotype. A great time at the show by an ace filmmaker.

Rest of the Best:

Adventureland
-A great disservice was done to this movie by the advertisements. They promised a comedy on the level of Superbad when it was anything but. It was actually much better that. It was a sweet comedy that based its characters in reality instead of the realm of caricature. Everyone gives a great performance and delivers at making this late 1980s world full of real problems for real people. This was a film that deserved better than what it got.

Away We Go
-Finally, a Sam Mendes film that actually leaves you happy at the end. His direction does help move the comedy along, but what really sells this film is the strong and complex relationship between stars John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph. Rudolph in particular is absolutely astonishing in a role that is magnificently well played. A few false notes with some over-the-top characters aren't enough to bring the movie down tremendously, particularly with the two leads playing so wonderfully.

Coraline
-The look was maybe a little too similar to Nightmare Before Christmas, but the story and characters were still dazzling. I've never been the biggest Henry Selick fan, but his vision of Neil Gaiman's tragically beautiful world was definitely worth the look. It'll be out on video soon, and I encourage all to take the trip.

The Escapist
-Unfortunately, I didn't get to see this in theatres. Still, that didn't stop me from recognizing what a masterfully crafted film this turned out to be. Brian Cox heads a really great ensemble that works with a familiar premise executed in a really striking way. I'm not sure when the next opportunity to see this film will come around, but I highly encourage all to see it.

Star Trek
-I almost passed this up, but I do think this film deserves special mention because of how well it was able to succeed with hard core fans and oblivious summer moviegoers. The story may have taken a backseat, but that sometimes is preferable in order to focus on the characters, and they are particularly acted well by the whole ensemble. Director J.J. Abrams did an excellent job at bringing Star Trek into the new century, complete with style and substance.


The Worst So Far: The Soloist
-Wolverine stunk pretty bad, but at least it had the somewhat expectation to fail. The Soloist is the type of terrible movie made even worse by the good intentions from the cast and filmmakers. Everytime a sincere moment is trying to be conveyed, it comes across instead as overbearing and irritatingly slow. Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. are fine actors, but the material makes them sit in a vat of pretentious pudding. Joe Wright feels more contrived than ever, even more so than his previous films like Atonement, and the whole thing eventually suffocates itself with its own preachy messages that fall on uninterested ears. This was meant to be an Oscar contender at one point but was delayed a release date. I can see why, and beg you to not figure it out yourself.


The next six months hold many good things, and I'm definitely looking out for many of them, including Public Enemies, (500) Days of Summer, Inglorious Basterds, Shutter Island, Invictus, The Lovely Bones, Nine and many others. It will certainly be interesting, and I'll keep you all posted.