Since the new year has begun, let's take a look back at the best films that you should see from last year.
10. "Avatar" – James Cameron's space epic delivers on all of the anticipation. With a cliché story and stock characters, he managed to build a film about environment, emotion and atmosphere with lush three-dimensional worlds. The realism of Pandora is astounding and I promise that it will be a few years before you see anything at this level again.
9. "Zombieland" / "Star Trek" – Sure ties are cheats, but these two films gave me the most fun in theaters this year. "Star Trek" was everything anyone should want for a summer blockbuster: a well conceived plot, great action and lens flares galore. "Zombieland" came after summer, but it had all of the comedy and blockbuster aspects to carry on the fun. Floating titles and rules on screen, Woody Harrelson and a great cameo made this film one of the year's funniest.
8. "Where the Wild Things Are" – Not many children's movies are made specifically for adults, but here is what might be the most mature kid's movie of the decade. Expanding upon the source material, the environment and wild things are gorgeously shot to perfectly bring the classic children's book to life.
7. "The Brothers Bloom" – Rian Johnson's second film builds quite a bit upon "Brick." "Bloom" is smart, witty and such a fun con movie. Comparable to the charms of "The Sting," this little film may never gain household attention, but it is a step above mindless summer flicks, trading in action and nonsense for brains and comedy.
6. "(500) Days of Summer" – If romance is the staple of romantic comedies, then this little film ripped out the heart. The heartbreak and depression of breakups have never come through as clear as in this film; we witness the highs and lows of a relationship several times throughout this self-proclaimed "romantic comedy for guys."
5. "District 9" – Neill Blomkamp's debut surprised everyone with a great story and believable computer generated aliens. The profoundness of the feature extends beyond the explosions on screen, emphasizing world culture and the genocides that still plague African nations. While this is hardly the promised "Halo" film from Peter Jackson, style and story made "District 9" the best science fiction piece of the year.
4. "Fantastic Mr. Fox" – Wes Anderson's first animated feature proved to be the best animated film of the year. George Clooney's first of two top five films is charismatic and charming as the title character. The stop-motion animation built a fun environment with the typical Anderson straight-on camera style. Anderson also brought many of his usual stars on board as support, including Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman and Owen Wilson.
3. "Inglourious Basterds" – The most intriguing war film ever came from none other than Quentin Tarantino in the only way that he could do it. History buffs probably should shy away, but for anyone looking to witness the most heartfelt homage to cinema, "Basterds" fulfilled all expectations. It took the right frame of mind for me to truly see the significance of the film, because the focus is not on battles or heroics, but rather on deception and the performances necessary to survive behind enemy lines.
2. "Up in the Air" – George Clooney's best performance of the year came with another success from writer/director Jason Reitman, his third excellent film in a row. The heartfelt story of a man consumed by his career might depress you a bit, but ultimately it sends the right message to all about what the important things in life should be. It might not have the best-constructed narrative, which seems choppy, uneven and somewhat disconnected at times, but the characters stitch the scenes together well enough to make a great film.
1. "The Hurt Locker" – Where "Inglourious Basterds" built upon the fiction of war, "The Hurt Locker" creates a gritty realism of the Iraq War in the best film of the year. Jeremy Renner stars as Staff Sgt. William James, a bomb diffuser, who puts his team in the most extreme danger possible daily. It is no holds barred with suicide bombs, improvised weapons and the best sniper battle I have seen. Kathryn Bigelow, one of the few female directors in Hollywood, directs what is her best film with excellent docu-real style and the grit of war.
Alex Kartman is a junior telecommunications major and writes ‘Scene Selection' for the Daily News. His views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper.
Write to Alex at ajkartman@bsu.edu.
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