WATCHMEN (2009)
Directed by: Zack Snyder
Written by: David Hayter & Alex Tse
Starring: Malin Åkerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode & Jackie Earle Haley

Summary:
"Watchmen" is set in an alternate 1985 America in which costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society, and the "Doomsday Clock" - which charts the USA's tension with the Soviet Union - is permanently set at five minutes to midnight. When one of his former colleagues is murdered, the washed up but no less determined masked vigilante Rorschach sets out to uncover a plot to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes. As he reconnects with his former crime-fighting legion - a ragtag group of retired superheroes, only one of whom has true powers - Rorschach glimpses a wide-ranging and disturbing conspiracy with links to their shared past and catastrophic consequences for the future. Their mission is to watch over humanity... but who is watching the Watchmen?"

My View:
A very faithful adaptation that captured the style and feel of the graphic novel very well. But why no giant squid at the end? It could have worked.

Moon (2009)
Directed by: Duncan Jones
Written by: Duncan Jones & Nathan Parker
Starring: Sam Rockwell & Kevin Spacey

Summary:
Sam Bell has a three year contract to work for Lunar Industries. For the contract's entire duration, he is the sole employee based at their lunar station. His primary job responsibility is to harvest and periodically rocket back to Earth supplies of helium-3, the current clean and abundant fuel used on Earth. There is no direct communication link available between the lunar station and Earth, so his only direct real-time interaction is with GERTY, the intelligent computer whose function is to attend to his day to day needs. With such little human contact and all of it indirect, he feels that three years is far too long to be so isolated; he knows he is beginning to hallucinate as the end of his three years approaches. All he wants is to return to Earth to be with his wife Tess and their infant daughter Eve, who was born just prior to his leaving for this job. With two weeks to go, he gets into an accident at one of the mechanical harvesters and is rendered unconscious. Injured, he awakens back at the station in the infirmary, he assumes assisted by GERTY. GERTY tells him that a rescue team named Eliza will come to the station to clean up the aftermath of the accident. After his recuperation, he takes an unauthorized trip back to the broken harvester, where he makes an unexpected discovery. Because of his find, he begins to doubt his sanity, then his true identity, then the company and GERTY's willingness to do what is best for him. Because of his resulting beliefs, his sole mission becomes how to get back to Earth on his own.

My View:
One of the best performances of the year. Sam Rockwell is amazing in Moon and it's no easy feat to carry a film all by yourself. The biggest misjustice at the oscars this year was his absence.

Up (2009)
Directed by: Pete Docter & Bob Peterson
Written by: Pete Docter & Bob Peterson
Starring: Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer & Jordan Nagai

Summary:
Carl Fredrickson, a little boy and a dreamer who idolizes the adventurer Charles Munts. When he meets Ellie, who also worships Munts, they become close friends. However Charles Munts falls into disgrace, accused of forging the skeleton of the monster of Paradise Falls. He travels in his blimp to South America to bring the monster back alive but is never seen again. Eventually he Carl grows up and marries Ellie. They promise each other that they would travel together to Paradise Falls and build a house there. Many years later, Ellie dies and Carl, who's lonely, refuses to move from their house despite the offers of the owner of a construction company. When Carl accidentally hits a worker that damaged his mailbox, he is sentenced to move to a retirement home. However, he uses many balloons to float his house in order to travel to Paradise Falls. Adventure ensues.

My View:
The best animated film of the year. Disney / Pixar make their most charming film to date which is no easy feat.

Crazy Heart (2009)
Directed by: Scott Cooper
Written by: Scott Cooper & Thomas Cobb
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal & Colin Farrell

Summary:
Fifty-seven year old Otis Blake - better known by his stage name Bad Blake - is a minor legend as a country & western singer. But that minor legend status only allows him currently to perform in not even B-rate venues such as bowling alleys, although he does have a standing gig to perform at his friend Wayne Kramer's bar in Houston. Bad is an overweight, chain-smoking alcoholic. He is informed by a doctor that his self-destructive lifestyle will send him to an early grave. This self-destructive behavior has also led to several failed marriages and a grown son who he has not seen since he was aged four and whose current whereabouts Bad does not know. While performing in Santa Fe, Bad meets newspaper journalist Jean Craddock, who wants to do a piece on him for her newspaper. Despite the differences in their ages, Jean and Bad begin a relationship. Jean and her four year old son Buddy are the closest thing Bad has had to a family in quite some time. Bad's professional career also takes a turn when he reconnects with a more famous former touring partner named Tommy Sweet, who wants Bad to write some songs for him. What looks to be both a promising professional and personal future for Bad may be jeopardized by his long standing self-destructive lifestyle.

My View:
Not an amazing film overall, but Bridges performance is very good. The music is great as well.

The Messenger (2009)
Directed by: Oren Moverman
Written by: Oren Moverman & Oren Moverman
Starring: Ben Foster, Jena Malone & Woody Harrelson

Summary:
While on a recent deployment to Iraq, US Army Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery is injured when an improvised explosive device goes off within close proximity to him. He is back in the States recovering from the more serious of those injuries, including one to his eye and leg. He has resumed a sexual relationship with his long time girlfriend Kelly, despite the fact that she is now engaged to another man who Will knows. With the few months Will has left in his enlistment, the army assigns him to the Casualty Notification Team in his area. Not having a background in counseling, psychology or grief management, he is unsure if he is well suited to this job. He is partnered with a career soldier, Captain Tony Stone, who teaches Will the precise protocol involved in the job. Tony tells Will, who quickly learns by on the job experience, that this job has its own dangers. As Will learns to adapt to the range of emotions of the next of kin, he is unprepared for the reaction of Olivia Pitterson, whose husband was killed in Iraq. His initial encounter with Olivia leads to him wanting to get to know her better, which may not be in either her or his best interest. Despite being a recovering alcoholic, the more experienced Tony tries to guide Will as best he can under their collective circumstances.

My View:
Ben Foster is one of the best young actors out there. It's a bummer he didn't get nominated for an oscar as well. This is quite possibly Harrelson's best performance.

Invictus (2009)
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Written by: Anthony Peckham &John Carlin
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon & Marguerite Wheatley

Summary:
Nelson Mandela's release from prison and his ascent to a democratically elected President of South Africa marks a radical change in the country. This change away from apartheid will not be easy for anyone in the country, but Mandela has to figure out how to galvanize the residents of the country together. Because of his love of the game, Mandela places his support behind the Springboks, the national rugby team. South Africa is hosting the 1995 Rugby World Cup, that being the only reason the Springboks are even competing in the tournament as its years on the sideline of world rugby events has not made it world ranked. The Springboks were previously considered the team of white South Africa, and as such was denounced by Mandela when he was in prison. But he does whatever he can to make it the team of all South Africa. He needs the support of the Springboks and its captain, Francois Pienaar, to achieve his unrealistic goal of the Springboks winning the World Cup, even against such rugby powerhouses the All-Blacks representing New Zealand. Mandela tries to inspire Pienaar to lead by example, much like Mandela has himself. Beyond Mandela's dream, his racially mixed security team has the added pressure of protecting him at the Springboks' matches while he places himself in potentially unprotectable situations.

My View:
Another great film from Clint Eastwood. Possibly the role Morgan Freeman was born to play.

Star Trek (2009)
Directed by: J.J. Abrams
Written by: Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman
Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Eric Bana & Zoe Saldana

Summary:
On the day of James Kirk's birth, his father dies on his ship in a last stand against a mysterious alien vessel. He was looking for Ambassador Spock, who is a child on Vulcan at that time, disdained by his neighbors for his half-human nature. Twenty years later, Kirk has grown into a young troublemaker inspired by Capt. Christopher Pike to fulfill his potential in Starfleet even as he annoys his instructors like young Lt. Spock. Suddenly, there is an emergency at Vulcan and the newly commissioned USS Enterprise is crewed with promising cadets like Nyota Uhura, Hikaru Sulu, Pavel Chekov and even Kirk himself thanks to Leonard McCoy's medical trickery. Together, this crew will have an adventure in the final frontier where the old legend is altered forever even as the new version of it is just beginning.

My View:
The best franchise reboot since Batman. Star Trek delivers an all levels. Great action, story and special effects.

Avatar (2009)
Directed by: James Cameron
Written by: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana & Sigourney Weaver

Summary:
When his brother is killed in a robbery, paraplegic Marine Jake Sully decides to take his place in a mission on the distant world of Pandora. There he learns of greedy corporate figurehead Parker Selfridge's intentions of driving off the native humanoid "Na'vi" in order to mine for the precious material scattered throughout their rich woodland. In exchange for the spinal surgery that will fix his legs, Jake gathers intel for the cooperating military unit spearheaded by gung-ho Colonel Quaritch, while simultaneously attempting to infiltrate the Na'vi people with the use of an "avatar" identity. While Jake begins to bond with the native tribe and quickly falls in love with the beautiful alien Neytiri, the restless Colonel moves forward with his ruthless extermination tactics, forcing the soldier to take a stand - and fight back in an epic battle for the fate of Pandora.

My View:
This film is truely ground breaking. Visual effects are entering a whole new era and Avatar has opened the door. I can't wait to see where James Cameron goes next.

Inglorious Basterds (2009)
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Written by: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Brad Pitt, Mélanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz & Eli Roth

Summary:
During World War II, Lt. Aldo Raine leads his squad of Jewish-American soldiers behind enemy lines in Nazi occupied France. Their job is simple: kill the enemy. They also have a particularly violent approach to what they do scalping their victims. Soon they are known and feared throughout the German army. In Paris, Shosanna runs a cinema and through a chance meeting with a German war hero, is selected to host the premiere of one of Dr. Josef Goebbels propaganda film. With all of the German high command scheduled to attend - including Hitler, Goering and Martin Bormann - it seems like the ideal opportunity for Lt. Raine and his men to bring the war to a quick end. Shosanna, who is Jewish and whose parents and siblings were killed before her eyes, also has her own plans for the evening's festivities. When she realizes that the man who killed her family Colonel Hans Landa, known as the Jew Hunter, will also be there it makes her own plans complete.

My View:
Tarantino does it again. I'm still a big Kill Bill fan but Inglorious Basterds is a close second as a Tarantino favourite. I can't wait to see where Christoph Waltz's career goes from here.

The Hurt Locker (2009)
Directed by: Kathryn Bigelow
Written by: Mark Boal
Starring: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie & Brian Geraghty

Summary:
When SFC William James joins Bravo Company in Iraq, they have a month or so left in their tour of duty. He's a bomb disposal expert and he is replacing Sgt Matt Thompson, a long-standing member of the team who was recently killed disposing of an improvised explosive device. To say that James loves what he does doesn't quite capture the emotional high he experiences when he gets to do what he does best. For his fellow squad members however, including Sgt JT Sanborn and Spc Owen Eldridge, they just want to survive the few days of duty they have left. James risk taking however drives them all to the edge.

My View:
I personally agree with Oscar's decision this year. The Hurt Locker is possibly the best war film I've ever seen. Renner deserved the oscar for this role but he's got a big career ahead of him.