Top Films of 2009?

Is the future of filmmaking represented by two of myfavorite movies from 2009? Embodying the computer-generated epic cinema offantastic spectacle, Avatar is amovie too big to be enjoyed on an iPhone, while (500)Days of Summer isan artfully crafted, intimately scaled story suitable for a tiny screen. CouldNetflix be the future for any movie that’s not an epic spectacle? One-third ofthe films in my two lists were never or barely screened in Milwaukeetheaters and three additional favorites of the past year (Revanche, The Baader MeinhofComplex, IlDivo) were actually 2008 releases that made belated whistle-stopvisits to Milwaukeein ’09.

Admittedly, the whole notion of the year-end“best-of” is fraught with foolishness. Exactly why is No. 8 better than No. 9?Who can say? But in what must be a bad mental habit picked up in grade school,people love to read lists and make their own. So, once again, here is my annualTop-15 roster of feature films and Top-5 for documentaries. Just don’t ask why Julie & Julia is better than In the Loop. It’s like trying to explainwhy an avocado tastes better than an apple. There’s no sense to it.

Feature Films

1. Up

2. (500) Daysof Summer

3. PassingStrange

4. Jerichow

5. TheImaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

6. Avatar

7. Sita Singsthe Blues

8. Julie &Julia

9. In the Loop

10. The GreatBuck Howard

11. Inkheart

12. AnEducation

13. FantasticMr. Fox

14. TheInternational

15. Youth inRevolt

Documentaries

1. Food, Inc.

2. It MightGet Loud

3. Capitalism:A Love Story

4. The Cove

5. Tyson