Looking Back at 2009 - Top 10 and More

(Edited on 1.30.10: "Crazy Heart" was viewed after the time of the initial posting.)

I delayed writing this post slightly this year to allow further time to view the films released in 2009. While there are still several movies that I haven't been able to see, I felt that Golden Globe weekend was about as far as I could push the date back. At the time of this posting, I've seen 99 films with a US release date from 2009.

The Top 10 Films Released in 2009

1. Watchmen
2. Inglourious Basterds
3. The Limits of Control
4. Antichrist
5. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father
6. Up
7. Summer Hours [L'heure D'été]
8. In the Loop
9. Up in the Air
10. The White Ribbon [Das Weisse Band - Eine Deutsche Kindergeschichte]

Individual Accolades

Best Director:
1. Jim Jarmusch – "The Limits of Control"
2. Zach Snyder – "Watchmen"
3. Pedro Amodovar – "Broken Embraces" ["Los Abrazos Rotos"]
4. Quentin Tarantino – "Inglourious Basterds"
5. Olivier Assayas – "Summer Hours" ["L'heure D'été"]

Best Performance by an Actor:
1. Jeff Bridges - "Crazy Heart"
2. George Clooney – "Up in the Air"
3. Joaquin Phoenix – "Two Lovers"
4. Christopher Waltz – "Inglourious Basterds"
5. Peter Capaldi – "In the Loop"

Honorable Mention (bumped for Jeff Bridges): Souleymane Sy Savane – "Goodbye Solo"

Best Performance by an Actress:
1. Julianne Moore – "A Single Man"
2. Meryl Streep – "It’s Complicated"
3. Tilda Swinton – "Julia"
4. Meryl Streep – "Julie & Julia"
5. Vera Farmiga – "Up in the Air"

Best Screenplay:
1. Quentin Tarantino – "Inglourious Basterds"
2. Nick Hornby – "An Education"
3. Lars Van Trier – "Antichrist"
4. Jesse Armstrong – "In the Loop"
5. Michael Hanke – "White Ribbon" ["Das Weisse Band - Eine Deutsche Kindergeschichte"]