This was a good summer for movies. I find it increasingly difficult to differentiate how great one summer is from the next. Last year there was "Dark Knight," "Wall-E" and "Iron Man." Before that there was "Transformers, "Bourne Ultimatum," and "Stardust." Each year has a handful of great summer flicks, but this summer seemed to really stand apart as having a great lineup of blockbusters and surprises. Here is my top 10 of the summer of 2009 on this week in Scene Selection:
10) "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" was an impressive spectacle with the effects and camera work to wow. But ultimately the plot lacked something to make it truly great. It did deliver on great characters and the angst of a teenager. It is one of the best in the series, ranking second to "Prisoner of Azkaban" in my opinion. Look out for "The Deathly Hallows" next year.
9) "Public Enemies" hit the right notes for me. I know many people hate it, but the style really worked for me for what it did to break away from unwritten Hollywood rules. The plot was never meant to be deep because the legend was stripped away, and for once we were given a biopic of John Dillinger without his lore. It also had the best shoot out sequences of the year with two masterful scenes that deliver the standoffs.
8) "Moon" was an interesting sci-fi flick that looked great for being low budget and was well acted, but it remained unconvincing as a revolutionary film due to its predictability. It was great to have a different type of antagonist that was not who we thought it would be. It also was one of those special summer films that left me thinking for days after viewing it. Its themes are excellent and it is well worth seeing while it's in theaters here in Muncie.
7) "Up," the latest from Pixar, proves that the studio can do no wrong. The journey to South America is wonderful and whimsical. It just felt to me like Pixar is comfortable with including elements they use repeatedly in their films. It was great to see that a mature film with very deep emotions can remain light at heart and entertain audiences of all ages.
6) "Inglourious Basterds" packed the explosions when it needed to and had a brilliant cast. Brad Pitt was hilarious as the drawling Lt. Aldo Raine and Christopher Waltz was one of the most villainous characters ever as Col. Hans Landa. The story lagged at times for me, but the brilliant scenes outshined the film's flaws.
5) "Star Trek" wowed the crap out of me. I did not expect a brain-wrapping piece of work like this with a twisting plot and enjoyable character introductions. The CGI is incredible and it helps that this franchise just became mainstream.
4) "(500) Days of Summer" was my most anticipated flick for the season and I loved the artistic style and independent mood of the film. It also used a phenomenal non-linear structure to create a great modern look at romance. Throw this into the league with "Swingers" as a great double feature idea.
3) "The Brothers Bloom" may only be the second film from Rian Johnson, but this con film is sharp and brilliant due to the focus on relationships rather than the crime itself. Adrian Brody and Mark Ruffalo are amazing as the two brothers, and Rachel Weisz is a great leading lady. Its intelligent entertainment makes it a must see.
2) "District 9" may have come out of nowhere, but the depth of this film kept gnawing at me for the weeks to follow. It has racial politics, aliens and action to match. The CGI is the best next to Star Trek, maybe, yet it cost so much less. I can't wait to see Neill Blomkamp's future works.
1) "The Hurt Locker" felt like the most realistic war film I have ever seen. The camera sails right into the action, and the emotions run deeper than most average dramas. I hope that this gets the award recognition it deserves, especially a Best Actor nomination for Jeremy Renner.
That's my look into what you might have missed this summer. Get out and see a great film to expand your culture. Until next time, get busy livin', or get busy dyin'.
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