It suddenly dawned on me during the holidays, somewhere between watching every Star Wars film in a day and stuffing my face with After Eights (before eight!!!! Don’t tell!!!), that 2009 has been an absolutely fantastic year for film. Turkey sandwiches and fireworks stuck in the rolls of flab newly created by Mars fun-sizes were the only thing stopping me from jumping up and enjoying a celebratory ham. Choosing the five best was a torturous task, but I’m going to admit now that I didn’t even consider Up!. Sue me.
1. Avatar. Action films and James Cameron go together like emos and Twilight, but his latest offering is also a testament to America’s unfaltering ability to criticise itself. Hoorah for liberal society.
2. Moon. Atmospheric Sci-fi which isn’t about the befriending, discovering or blowing up of aliens. And the computer isn’t even evil. Watch it anyway; it’s the best ‘true’ space flick since 2001.
3. Slumdog Millionaire. Danny Boyle scored a perfect 15 in a film that’s about as feel-good as 5th Ave is Indie. Starring that guy from Skins.
4. An Education. Girl meets boy, boy is man, man steals things, something about a cello…. film about coming of age where the main character comes of age in a much more thrilling way than we did (or will).
5. Coraline. A darker, funnier and tighter package than The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride, Coraline is the pinnacle of the stop-motion love affair.
