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brokenrecord) wrote2010-01-03 01:10 pm
brokenrecord) wrote2010-01-03 01:10 pm
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Ok, so a few days late, but here are the movies and TV I watched and books I read in 2009! I have short reactions/reviews of the movies followed by a rating out of 10. I'm just going to link to the TV I watched here on my listography because it's way too long and I don't know that anyone actually wants to look through it. I watched a total of 69 movies, 1823 episodes of TV, and read 17 books.
1. Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right by Al Franken
2. Watchmen by Alan Moore
3. Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris
4. Club Dead by Charlaine Harris
5. Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris
6. Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris
7. Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris
8. All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris
9. From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris
10. Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris
11. The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening by L. J. Smith
12. The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle by L. J. Smith
13. The Vampire Diaries: The Fury by L. J. Smith
14. The Vampire Diaries: Dark Reunion by L. J. Smith
15. The Vampire Diaries: The Return Nightfall by L. J. Smith
16. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
17. The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks
Some of the movie reviews are spoilery. The names of each title are bolded, though, so you can skim through and skip any that you haven't seen and know you don't want to be spoiled for. Some are definitely more spoilery than others.
1. The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) - This was pretty good. James Stewart was great, as always. The Alfred Hall scene was really cool. 9/10
2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) - I liked this, but I guess I wanted it to be better than it was. I wanted it to exceed my expectations, but it was basically just what I thought it would be. Everything that you would think would happen in this sort of movie did happen. I don't know. Honestly, most of the movie I felt like I was just waiting for Brad Pitt to get hot. (He was ridiculously hot once he got down to his 40s or whatever in this movie, btw.) Brad Pitt was really great in this. I also really liked Benjamin Button's mother, she was great. Oh, but one thing I really hated was the frame story. Just, why was it set during Hurricane Katrina? It was just pointless. And I REALLY hated the daughter. She was really irritating. "I'M REALLY PISSED OFF AND AM NOT GOING TO READ THIS STORY ANYMORE TO YOU EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE BASICALLY GOING TO DIE IN LIKE 2 HOURS BECAUSE I'M A BRAT AND SELFISH LIKE THAT." Although it was fairly ridiculous that THAT'S the way she revealed to her daughter that Benjamin was her father. But whatever. I mean, I didn't hate it by any means, but it wasn't brilliant like I wanted it to be. 8/10
3. Vertigo (1958) - Oh man, I really loved this. I absolutely love Jimmy Stewart, so I really liked him in this. It was weird to see him being such a creepy character since he's always such a good guy. Yeah, it was just a really great movie. 10/10
4. Psycho (1960) - Ah, this was great. I knew the twist before watching it, but it was still really cool. Anthony Perkins was really great in this. 10/10
5. Marnie (1964) - I liked this more than I expected to. I definitely liked the first half more than the second half, though. I really didn't like that her husband raped her and she kind of just got over it. Yeah, she had issues, but he forced her into marrying him, too, so it all just felt very... unsettling, I guess. And the psychological stuff at the end was just like... no. That wouldn't happen. But anyways. I did really love the first half, though! It just kind of fell apart once they got married. 8/10
6. Torn Curtain (1966) - I wanted to like this, but it wasn't that great. Paul Newman was great, but... that was kind of it. Julie Andrews's character was infuriating. She thinks her fiance is defecting to East Berlin and she's like "WELL I'M NOT HAPPY ABOUT THIS BUT I WILL TOTALLY BETRAY MY COUNTRY AS WELL BUT I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW THAT I DON'T LIKE THIS BUT I WILL FOLLOW YOU ANYWHERE." It was kind of a ridiculous movie and very implausible. 7/10
7. Rachel Getting Married (2008) - This was pretty good. There were some scenes that I wasn't a huge fan of; the dancing scene at the wedding went on forever, and the toasts at the rehearsal dinner also went on longer than I would have liked. Anne Hathaway was amazing in this, though. Actually, all the acting was really great. 8/10
8. Dial M for Murder (1954) - This was really good. I totally didn't get the twist at first and kind of had no idea what was going on for a little while, but I loved how it all worked out. The plot was really great. 10/10
9. Suspicion (1941) - This was decent, but definitely not one of Hitchcock's best. I love Cary Grant, so I liked him a lot in this, but this wasn't his best performance. The ending was kind of weird, and I read afterwards that Hitchcock's original ending had him actually killing the wife in the end, and I wish that ending had been kept. As it turned out, the ending was just kind of anti-climactic. 8/10
10. Foreign Correspondent (1940) - I was really enjoying this up until the last third of the movie, and then it was just like... wtf? Once they got into the plane, it was just kind of bizarre. It was oddly reminiscent of Titanic once the plane crashed into the sea and then they kind of just hung out on the various bits of plane. I feel like it was unnecessary to redeem Fisher, and I don't really understand why that happened. And then the last scene was just really weird and out-of-place. Like, yeah, ok, what you're saying is important, but it really isn't more important than avoiding the bombs falling on you because if you survive, you can tell your story again, but if you don't... well, obviously that's it. So that was just weird. It's really disappointing, though, because up until that point, I really did like the movie. 7/10
11. Frost/Nixon (2008) - I really enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. Frank Langella and Michael Sheen were both great. It was definitely entertaining and really fascinating. 9/10
12. Stage Fright (1950) - I wasn't expecting to like this for some reason, but I really did. I really didn't see it coming that Jonathan actually did kill the guy. And I totally love unreliable narrator stuff like that, so I really liked that what we saw from him telling Eve about what happened wasn't true. I liked that Eve was actually smart about it once she figured it out and acted like she was on his side until the second she was able to call out for help, since in a lot of older films (and even films today), the girls act utterly idiotic. Like in Torn Curtain, where the wife is like "Well, whatever, I'll move to East Germany with you and betray my country for you! No big deal!" So I don't know, I really liked that. I just thought it was really well-done. 9/10
13. To Catch a Thief (1955) - I love Cary Grant and Hitchcock films, but this was kind of dull, really. I don't know why. It wasn't terrible; it just didn't really catch my interest. I figured out who the real thief was pretty early on, and definitely by the funeral. I don't know; it was decent, I guess. 8/10
14. Doubt (2008) - This was good but not great. Meryl Streep is excellent in this as she is in basically everything, but I did prefer some other actresses' work this year, so I'll be a bit disappointed if she wins the Oscar. I realize the point of the movie isn't really whether or not the priest did it, but I'm the kind of person that just has to know, so I was disappointed that it wasn't revealed if he was guilty or not (even though I wasn't really expecting it to be). I liked Amy Adams in this, but I think she's been better in other stuff. Phillip Seymour Hoffman was great as usual, and VIola Davis was great as well. I don't know, I can't really pinpoint anything that was really bad about the film, but I really didn't connect with it. Oh, but one thing I did find ridiculous was the mother saying that the kid would just have to tough out the possible sexual abuse until the school year was over. Like, what? Brilliant parenting there! 8/10
15. Dead Like Me: Life After Death (2009) - This was ok, but by no means as brilliant as the series. It was definitely too short. I mean, really, I feel like they needed an entire season to get through some of the stuff (like Reggie finally meeting George and Cameron turning out bad. The Cameron thing especially came on really quickly; it was like, one second everything's ok, and the next, they have to kill him). But even without an entire season, it should have been more than 88 minutes. But anyway, it was fine. I didn't mind the loss of Rube as much as I did the recasting of Daisy. I thought I wouldn't care very much with Daisy because she was always my least favorite character anyways, but I do hate recasting in nearly every situation. Also, I really, really wanted something to happen between Mason and George since I shipped them so much during the series, but nothing did. :( At least nothing happened between Daisy and Mason. And it felt like George spent way too much time away from the whole group; I really would have liked much more interaction between all of them. Anyway, I appreciate that they did go to the effort to make a movie so there'd be some closure to the series, but... the movie really brought no closure at all. 7/10
16. The Reader (2008) - I actually liked this more than I thought I would. I didn't think it was brilliant, but it was interesting. I find it weird that Kate Winslet got nominated for this instead of Revolutionary Road since I thought her performance in RR was much better. 8/10
17. Chinatown (1974) - I kind of just watched this on a whim, but I really loved it. It was weird seeing Jack Nicholson so young! He was really good, though. The film really held my interest, and I absolutely loved the ending. I was expecting everything to work out just fine, but I loved that the ending was really dark and everything didn't turn out fine. 10/10
18. Rebecca (1940) - This wasn't what I expected from this movie, but I really loved it. The housekeeper was ridiculously creepy, but very unlike any character I've seen before. I totally didn't guess that the husband actually hated Rebecca and killed her (I thought for a second at the beginning maybe he had killed her, but then I was like "Nah, that doesn't seem likely."). And then I thought that he would get put away in jail, and I really didn't expect that she had wanted to die because she had cancer. It was just really well-done, and I really enjoyed it. 10/10
19. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) - This is seriously one of the most gorgeous films I've ever seen. I'm just in awe of the special effects (I have no idea how they did most of that stuff without computers or CGI or anything like that). And the cinematography was amazing. It was also one of the weirdest films I've ever seen. I think if I hadn't already heard that the first 20 minutes had no dialogue and were just of apes, I might not have kept watching. Except I might still have just because of how absolutely beautiful those scenes were. I thought I understood what was going on and following the plot for the most of the film, but then in the last... 15 or so minutes when Dave goes through the stargate, I was just... entirely bewildered. And then I read stuff on imdb and stuff that Kubrick said about the film and it made a little more sense to me and I appreciated the film more. I can understand why some people think this is one of the best films ever made, but I didn't really connect to it, I guess. Like, I really respect this film and think it's pretty brilliant, but at the same time I'm not in a huge hurry to rewatch it. Still, as I said, it is definitely one of the most gorgeous films I've seen. I can't even convey how beautiful this film was, because yeah. It was just amazing. 10/10
20. Schindler's List (1993) - I had seen a few scenes from this in AP Euro, so I already knew I would like it, and I did. I think it was really well-made, but I wouldn't call it one of the best films ever made or one of my absolute favorites. I don't really know what to say about this, actually. It was definitely depressing and moving at moments. I thought the acting was excellent. I don't know. It was very good. 9/10
21. It Happened One Night (1934) - Oh man this was so adorable. I totally loved it. I don't really know what to say about it. I've never seen Clark Gable in anything before, but I loved him in this. I just wished we could have actually seen them get together in the end! 10/10
22. Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) - Ok, I found this much more entertaining than 2001: A Space Odyssey. It was pretty hilarious. Like, I wasn't laughing out loud while watching it, but afterwards I was remembering lines and just cracking up. The conversations between the Russian leader and the president were hysterical. I think the funniest part of the entire movie was the president saying that he wasn't just calling to say hi, and then the Russian leader getting offended and the president having to assure him that of course he likes calling just to say hi. Oh, and my other favorite line (paraphrased) was "There's no fighting in the War Room!" Oh, and it was just gorgeous. Kubrick was certainly a brilliant director. The War Room scenes in particular were just gorgeous. Really excellent film. 10/10
23. The Visitor (2008) - The first half of this was about what I expected, and I enjoyed it about as much as I thought I would. I didn't like the second half as much, though, when Terrick's mother came to New York. I thought the quasi-romance between her and Walter was unnecessary. I don't know. I really just enjoyed Walter kind of... starting to enjoy life a little more in the first half and learning the drums and becoming friends with Terrick and his girlfriend. Anyways, I liked this movie for the most part, but the second half definitely wasn't as enjoyable as the first. And it ended up much more depressing than I thought it would! I don't know, I just assumed everything would work out okay and Terrick would get out and be able to stay in New York. I guess that was kind of unrealistic to expect. Richard Jenkins is really pretty amazing in this, though, so he totally deserves to be nominated. 8/10
24. Changeling (2008) - I actually liked this more than I thought I would. Angelina Jolie was pretty good, too (although there were a few scenes where she was kind of screechy or... off in some way). It's kind of mind-blowing that this actually happened and that the police somehow just assumed that Christine Collins wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a random boy and her own son. The movie was also a lot... prettier than I thought it would be? I don't know. The cinematography was very nice. And I just loved the look of 1920s Los Angeles. Anyway, I did enjoy the movie, and it was very well-made, but I didn't really connect to it, it dragged on a little long, and ultimately I feel like it's a pretty forgettable movie. 8/10
25. Touch of Evil (1958) - I didn't like this as much as Citizen Kane in terms of plot and such, and I think part of the problem was that I was kind of multitasking while I watched the movie and I should have been more focused on what was going on. That being said, Orson Welles was an absolutely brilliant director (shocking, I know). The opening 4-minute or whatever tracking shot is pretty amazing, and I just love how he uses light and black and white photography and frames his scenes and everything. And he was a really great actor, as well. 8/10
26. The Apartment (1960) - I really enjoyed this. It really wasn't what I expected it to be (I mean, it was up until what happened in the middle, and then it was just like WAIT WHAT JUST HAPPENED?), but that's kind of a good thing? I mean, I wanted a light, fluffy, fun movie, and it was for a little while, but it ended up being a better movie than that. 9/10
27. His Girl Friday (1940) - This was very cute. I love Cary Grant always. And I really loved the lead female character in this; she was pretty awesome. It was just fun and fast-paced and really enjoyable. 9/10
28. Network (1976) - There was something about this movie that kept me from loving it, but I'm not really sure what. The acting was wonderful, the writing was great, the plot was interesting and different. The more I think about it, the more I really appreciate what the movie was doing. Yet even with all that, I'm just kind of "eh" about it. I feel like I should really love it, but I pretty much just appreciate that it's good. I guess I really just didn't connect to it in the slightest. 8/10
29. Double Indemnity (1944) - I liked this a lot. It ended much darker than I thought it would. I don't know, I don't really have much to say about this one. It was very good, but I didn't absolutely love it. 9/10
30. The Hustler (1961) - Oh man, I really loved this. Like, I recognize it has flaws, and the middle part after he loses to Minnesota Fats but before he talks to Bert Gordon and then gets his fingers broken dragged a bit. I wasn't as interested with his relationship with Sarah. But I still just really loved it. Paul Newman was so excellent in this. I'm so impressed that he and Jackie Gleason did most of the shots themselves. I totally was not expecting the ending with Sarah, but I really liked that, and I loved the last game. The movie felt really long, but in a good way (for the most part). It felt like you were really following this period in this guy's life, and it felt like you could really see him changing in front of your eyes, from being arrogant and naive to being totally broken down and yeah, I just really loved it. The character was just so interesting. 10/10
31. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) - I didn't think I'd really enjoy this movie much outside of Paul Newman, but I really loved it. It was much funnier than I thought it would be. I totally cracked up at several moments, including the fight scene in the beginning between Butch and that guy in his gang challenging him. Oh, and I absolutely adored him riding the bike back and forth in front of the windows while the Sundance Kid is in bed with his girlfriend/lover/whatever. And they were so adorable as a duo! Such a great friendship. And I found out afterwards that this was written by William Goldman, which is totally awesome, and if I had known that, I definitely would have been expecting to like it more than I originally thought I would. But (and this is totally random), the guy who was the tracker, Lord Baldemoore or whatever, his name sounded way too much like Lord Voldemort. The first time it was said, I was really confused for a moment before hearing it for a second time. Anyway, I totally loved this movie. 10/10
32. The Awful Truth (1937) - Ok, so I'm writing this reaction like 4 months after I saw this movie, and I don't really remember much about it other than it was disappointing. To remind myself of what to mention right after I saw the movie, I wrote myself a note, "Why did he not go to Florida? Why did she get a divorce just like that? This movie makes no sense," and I don't entirely remember what the hell I was talking about. Except I think I remember the divorce coming on really quickly and stupidly. Yeah, I don't know. Not a huge fan of the movie, in any case, which is sad because I do love Cary Grant. I don't think he was as great an actor during this point in his career, though; I think he got a lot better later on. 7/10
33. The Sting (1973) - I liked this, but not as much as I hoped, I guess. I think I just kind of wanted it to be as awesome as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and I didn't like it quite as much. Not that it wasn't good or anything (honestly, I don't even know why I didn't absolutely love it), but it just wasn't as good as I wanted. I do wish Paul Newman and Robert Redford had done more movies together, though, because they were great together. I did really like this overall, even if most of this reaction doesn't make it seem that way. 9/10
34. Frenzy (1972) - ugh this movie was stupid. Just... it didn't make any sense! Why would the police look for a connection to the victim or motive when the victim was just one of several killed by a serial killer. I mean, what I know about serial killers (which, granted, isn't a lot, but still; I know a little) is that with serial killers, the killings don't have motive. The kill itself is the motive for killing. The victims are random and have no connection to the killer. Maybe the serial killer will kill a mother or father or relative or whatever to start off when they're younger and just beginning, but after several? No. And it was CLEARLY the same killer as everyone else killed (I don't think the police were questioning that it wasn't part of the serial killing at all). Also, the guy kills people with neckties; wouldn't it make sense for the witness to maybe mention that when the innocent guy left the building, he was still wearing his necktie? I mean, he could have brought one with him, but it just wasn't mentioned. I don't know. Just so much about this bothered me. The police were SO idiotic, and it just made absolutely no sense why they would suspect who they did. I just hate it in movies like this where someone witnesses someone leaving the scene of a crime as they arrive and are like "OH WELL THIS GUY MUST BE THE KILLER" even though THE DOOR WAS FREAKING LOCKED COME ON. UGH. Yeah, the stupidity in this movie was kind of off the charts. 6/10
35. Sunshine Cleaning (2009) - I was really looking forward to this movie, but it was kind of a let-down. All the best parts were in the trailer. I can't really pinpoint what was wrong with it, but it was just like... the parts individually were good, but together they didn't add up to much. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't something I really have any urge to see again. 7/10
36. The Brothers Bloom (2009) - I really, really enjoyed this. I heard a lot of mixed reviews about this before I saw it, and it was one of my most anticipated movies of the year, so I was really afraid of it failing to meet my expectations, but it ended up being really great. It wasn't exactly the movie I expected it to be, but I enjoyed it just the same. Rinko Kikuchi was absolutely hilarious, too, and totally stole like every scene she was in. 9/10
37. 17 Again (2009) - I liked this, but not as much as I wanted to. I don't know why. I just remember hearing a lot about how great it was, but it was pretty average. Okay, maybe above average, because average is pretty low these days. Zac Efron was great (whatever, he catches a lot of flack, but he actually can act. I mean, he doesn't deserve an Oscar or anything, but he was good). 7/10
38. Roman Holiday (1953) - This was really great. I wanted a happy ending between them, but at the same time, how it ended was pretty perfect. (And I can always imagine that years down the road they can get married and everything will be okay.) This movie was really charming and sweet and just excellent. 10/10
39. Priceless (2006) - Aw, this was really sweet. It's about the type of movie you'd expect it to be, but not in a bad way. It was just really sweet and charming. Audrey Tautou was great, and so was Gad Elmaleh. I really enjoyed this. 9/10
40. Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959) - I know this movie is supposed to be one of the worst ever made, but it's pretty entertaining. I mean, I'd actually watch it again at some point in my life just for the sheer so bad it's good value. For some reason one of the things that struck me as most ridiculous about it was how poorly done the sets were. I mean, yeah, the whole spaceship CLEARLY hanging from a string was bad, but there was also the obvious fact of them being inside a soundstage and not really outside pretty much at all times. I mean, there's one point where they're supposed to be in the graveyard at night, and you can clearly see their shadows against the back wall, or another point where you can see the wrinkle in the sheet that's covering the back wall. I can't really decide what the most hilarious scene was. The first one that leapt out at me was the one where there are the three spaceships and the army is trying to shoot at them, but the spaceships are basically just NOT MOVING. They're pretty much just hovering there, not trying to avoid anything, and they keep completely missing them, and finally the spaceships are all "Yeah, we're bored of this" and just kind of mosey on off-screen. Also hilarious was... well, the entire last like 20 minutes or so where everything is revealed to the humans. It's like, really? This thing that destroys sun particles is going to destroy the entire universe? He kept talking about it like "THE UNIVERSE IS GOING TO JUST DISAPPEAR AND THERE WILL JUST BE THIS VOID" and I was like "...wouldn't that take a REALLY long time?" Because it takes forever for the sun's light to reach some places, and I feel like there are some corners of the universe it would never reach at all? That might not be right, but it sounds true to me. (I took Astronomy! I may or may not know what I'm talking about!) I also enjoyed how incredibly slow the three dead guys moved, because all their victims could have so clearly run away. And how nearer to the end the police guy was like "OK HERE'S THE PLAN... WE HIT HIM AND RUN AWAY" and it was just kind of hilarious because it was like "YEAH, THAT MIGHT ACTUALLY WORK. TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH TO REALIZE IT." Oh, and it was so ridiculous how they controlled the dead guys. Like, one second they have so little control that one of them nearly kills one of the aliens, and the next second, the alien is telling the humans "He will kill the girl if you don't do what we say!" or whatever, and it's like, really? You have that much control over them? And the woman dead one is just kind of hanging around watching people every so often and makes no attempt at killing them most of the time. OH and I enjoyed how they have this vast plan (PLAN 9, IN FACT) and all they have to show for it is THREE dead servants. Like, wow, terrifying. How will the human race fight back against that mighty threat? And the end is so like... ok, good job, you destroyed that one ship, but there's still the mothership with the main leader guy, and he could easily just send another ship a few days later once he realizes the destroyed ship isn't coming back. So yeah, anyways, entirely ridiculously horrible movie, but much fun to watch. 5/10
41. I Confess (1953) - I thought I liked this movie all right while I was watching it, but after it ended, I realized I had like a million different issues with it. I think my main one was that the main character just wasn't very likable. I mean, he wasn't someone I truly hated, either, he was just so dull. And he was just kind of idiotic throughout the movie. I mean, ok, I realize that his religion is important to him and he's not supposed to tell anyone else what's said in confession, but seriously, I feel like God would forgive him for telling the police about a murderer. I mean, what do you think is more important to God: making sure murderers aren't running around loose on the streets, or not telling the police what someone said in confession? I mean, he wouldn't even have to say it outright, he could just allude to it like "So I know who the murderer is, but he told me in confession so I can't tell you" or like "I was talking to such-and-so RIGHT AFTER THE TIME OF THE MURDER and he wanted to CONFESS SOMETHING to me, cough cough." And his whole attitude at the beginning, where they keep asking him questions and he's like "WELL I CAN'T TELL YOU ANYTHING AT ALL, IT'S PERSONAL AND DOESN'T CONCERN YOU TRUST ME", it's like, seriously, way to make yourself look innocent dude. When he was on trial, I kind of wanted him to be found guilty just because at that point it was like he pretty much deserved it. Although the detectives were no better. It was like, "Gee, two young girls see a guy in a priest's outfit from BEHIND while it's very DARK out leaving the place around the time of the murder; CLEARLY A PRIEST KILLED HIM AND I GUESS IT HAS TO BE FATHER LOGAN SINCE HE WAS THE ONLY PRIEST AT THE SCENE OF THE CRIME THE NEXT DAY." BUT WHATEVER. I think part of it is that I'm just never going to really understand someone in the priest's position because I would absolutely never be a priest (well, not that I could, since I'm a girl, but still) and am pretty biased against organized religion. ...okay this movie wasn't really awful and definitely wasn't the worst Hitchcock I've seen, but I think I had more issues with it than I realized. 6/10
42. Charade (1963) - This was vaguely disappointing. I don't know why. It wasn't awful, but I just didn't connect to it. And I couldn't keep track of whoever Cary Grant's character was supposed to be at any point in time. Mostly, I just found it forgettable. 7/10
43. I Love You, Man (2009) - This was pretty funny. It wasn't brilliant (and I think I liked Forgetting Sarah Marshall last year more), but it was still really enjoyable. Paul Rudd is just really awesome; he manages to walk the line between being pathetic and being adorable really well. And I love Jason Segel. So overall, good experience. 8/10
44. Star Trek (2009) - Oh man, I loved this. It was just so much fun! I had never had any exposure to Star Trek before, and I think this was a good introduction to it. I adored Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine ridiculous amounts (and I have such a ridiculously huge crush on Chris Pine now). I was expecting the movie to be more about Kirk being in charge of everything and was surprised that most of the movie was actually how he got to that point, which left me really wanting the next movie. Just really enjoyable all around. 10/10
45. The Hangover (2009) - ...I didn't think this was that funny. This is like with Wedding Crashers or Superbad all over again, except I think this movie has been getting way better reviews. I don't know why my problem with it was! It wasn't terrible, and there were some funny moments, but I definitely wouldn't describe this as one of the funniest movies in years. Bradley Cooper is ridiculously hot, though, so that definitely helped. 7/10
46. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) - I think I kind of loved this. It wasn't quite what I expected, but I found it really interesting. Also, I was totally picking up on gay subtext between the main guy and his friend who died, and then I was like "wtf this was made in 1958, I'm being idiotic" and then I read the trivia about the movie and some stuff about the original play, and apparently I wasn't totally crazy! The movie was just really gripping, and the acting was all excellent. 10/10
47. Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009) - I wanted to watch something cute and predictable, and this should've fit that bill, but... ugh. The movie just kind of really irritated me. The problems could have been solved so freaking easily! I mean, for one, she could have just STOPPED SHOPPING. Or sold SOME of the clothes, or something. I DON'T KNOW. But I feel like it all went on way too long, and everything could have been fixed much sooner. Hugh Dancy was pretty gorgeous in this, though, and there was a random Ed Helms cameo, so those things helped. I also really randomly disliked the inclusion of the parents in the movie (they just bugged me!). 5/10
48. Spellbound (1945) - This was not great, but not terrible. Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman were great, and I enjoyed a lot of the storyline. All the psychological explanations were pretty ridiculous, but I suppose they didn't really know any better at the time, so I can forgive that. The scene with the skiing was absolutely idiotic, though, because people do not ski that close together and they failed at turning and just... yeah. It looked really stupid. I expect more from you, Hitchcock! It wasn't terrible, though, by any means. 8/10
49. The 39 Steps (1935) - I enjoyed this! It reminded me a bit of... Saboteur, I think? Or maybe not. It reminded me of something else he did. But it was enjoyable. I liked that the girl wasn't a total idiot, for the most part. 9/10
50. He's Just Not That Into You (2009) - Oh god, why did I watch this movie? I knew I wasn't going to love it, but I guess I just wanted something predictable? I don't know my reasoning. I think it was because I wanted to watch something with Bradley Cooper. It was just so... ugh. It was just really offensive to me. I hated how Gigi couldn't figure out anything doing with guys on her own; the only way she's able to start acting relatively normal and not like a crazy, psycho bitch is because a guy is telling her everything she should do and think. I hated Jennifer Anniston and Ben Affleck's storyline because it just reminded me of Robin/Ted on HIMYM. If one person in a relationship is not interested in marriage and is telling you they are never going to want to get married, don't be shocked when they tell you (for the thousandth time) that they DON'T WANT TO GET MARRIED. The resolution to that storyline was idiotic, too, like "Well, you guilted me into proposing to you! This marriage is going to go wonderfully!" I mean, isn't that exactly the opposite of the message they were sending with Bradley Cooper and his wife? He hadn't really wanted to get married, but she was like "Marriage or break up!" and he was like "Fine, whatever" and look how well that turned out. Seriously, come on. Just... lksjf gah. The men had basically all the power throughout the movie, and I hated that. 4/10
51. The Hurt Locker (2009) - This was pretty intense and really cool. The acting was excellent. I don't really know what to say about this; it was just... a really great movie. 10/10
52. Up (2009) - This was so adorable! I didn't enjoy it as much as I loved Wall-E, but it was still excellent. Kevin and Dug were two of the coolest characters ever. I didn't cry through it like a lot of people seemed to, based on their reviews (I mean, yeah, it's sad she died, but they were together since they were children! They lived a long and happy life together! I just can't be that devastated over it). Everything with the dogs was hilarious (and I was glad that they were like reformed at the end. And that the way to defeat them was to throw a tennis ball and then shame the alpha dog). I think my favorite line was "I have just met you and I love you." I could not stop laughing at that. Really cute movie. 10/10
53. In a Lonely Place (1950) - I had never heard of this movie before I watched it, but it was really cool. I didn't expect it to end like that, so I loved that it did. I knew he wasn't going to end up being the murderer, but he definitely was abusive and had rage/violence issues, so her ending up with him just because he didn't kill that girl wouldn't have been a great ending. I also randomly really adored the sets in this movie. I kind of really want to live in that apartment complex; it was pretty kickass. 10/10
54. Moon (2009) - This was not what I expected when I went to see this movie, but it was really great. Sam Rockwell was wonderful in it. I adored GERTY. Whoever thought of using emoticons to express a robot's feelings is like a genius; I could not stop laughing whenever its expression would change. I also enjoyed that GERTY was a robot who didn't actually want to kill anyone, since that seems rare in most sci-fi. All the shots when they're outside of the base on the moon were absolutely gorgeous. (Also, random Effy from Skins cameo!) 9/10
55. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) - This wasn't as great as I was expecting, but it wasn't terrible. I did have several issues with the movie, though. Mostly that it was just so anti-climactic. The battle in the book at the end when Dumbledore and Harry come back that's supposed to be so epic was really lame. They just stood around while Snape killed Dumbledore, broke some glasses/windows, and left. The reveal of Snape being the Half-Blood Prince was pretty much just "...so?" since it hadn't been built up basically at all. The end where Hermione was like "Well, Dumbledore died. That's sad. ...so, anyways, Ron isn't mad at you and Ginny for hooking up!" Like, seriously, nice segue. And I hated that the funeral was cut. The movie just didn't really seem to build to anything. I enjoyed it while I was watching it, and it was beautifully shot, but... there was just a lot off about it. 7/10
56. Inkheart (2009) - Oh god this was bad. I'm writing this months after I actually saw the movie (as I tend to be lazy and forget to right a reaction right after I watch the movie), so I don't remember all the reasons I hated it so much, but I know that I did. I think mostly it made no sense and so many of the issues could have been solved really easily. I thought this might be a little boring but predictable and cute, but instead it was just horrible. 4/10
57. Coraline (2009) - I enjoyed this! It was really cool visually, and it was just kind of fun. I liked Coraline (the character) a lot. 9/10
58. Down By Law (1986) - This was vaguely entertaining, but I honestly wasn't very engaged by it. It wasn't terrible or anything, it was just kind of forgettable. And I had a hard time telling a lot of the characters apart. 7/10
59. Ed Wood (1994) - I really loved this! I saw this pretty soon after I saw Plan 9 From Outer Space for the first time, and they did a remarkable job remaking the parts of that film for this one. The casting was absolutely amazingly perfect. It was really just a fascinating, great movie. And Johnny Depp was phenomenal. 10/10
60. Were the World Mine (2009) - I wanted to like this more than I actually did. It wasn't terrible, but I had issues with it. It was all right. 6/10
61. Zombieland (2009) - I really enjoyed this! It was entertaining, and I loved all the characters. I like that it ends on an upbeat note, yet you know that they're still only a couple of people against massive amounts of zombies, and there's probably only so much time they have left alive. It was really great, though. 9/10
62. An Education (2009) - I thought this was really good! The acting was really amazing, particularly Carey Mulligan. Alfred Molina was hysterical, as was Rosamund Pike. And I really enjoyed Peter Sarsgaard as well. Really, the acting all the way through was awesome. And I loved the story as well. The only part that felt a little off was the ending; it seemed a little too... easy or pat or something? Even though I know this was based off a memoir so it's not like they made it up. But still, the very end was not quite as good as the rest of the movie. Still, I really loved it. 9/10
63. (500) Days of Summer (2009) - I liked this, but I wanted to love it, and I didn't. Something just didn't quite connect for me, I guess. I found Summer a little annoying, to be honest, so it was hard to see exactly why he was so in love with her. I don't know. And I kind of always hate when a woman insists that she's not interested in commitment or marriage or anything and then in the end it was like "Well, I only needed to find the right man, as it turns out!" Like, some women actually can want to not be married and be happy. So while I enjoyed the movie, I couldn't fall in love with it as I hoped. I think my expectations might have been a little too high. Oh well. 8/10
64. Adventureland (2009) - Martin Starr! He looked so bizarre! Well, at least since I expected him to look exactly like he did in Freaks and Geeks, which doesn't make sense (I have the same problem with John Francis Daley). I also am really loving Jesse Eisenberg these days. The movie was pretty average. There were some fun and entertaining parts, and then there were some boring parts. Kristen Stewart sounds bored in everything she does. I kind of hate listening to her speak, I've discovered. 7/10
65. A Serious Man (2009) - Oh man, this was really great. I feel like I need to watch it again to fully process it. I loved how this was both really funny and incredibly dark. The acting was amazing. The ending was just... holy crap. I adored the cinematography (Roger Deakins is awesome). I loved everything about this. 10/10
66. The Lady Vanishes (1938) - This is definitely not Hitchcock's best film, but it was very good. The beginning was a bit slow, but once Ms. Froy disappeared, it picked up a lot. I loved that Ms. Froy was actually a spy. I thought that was so cool, because I don't think many middle-aged women in movies those days (...or these days, really. At least not if they're not like movie star gorgeous) were spies. I so didn't expect that the tune was a secret code or whatever, either. I thought the relationship between the lead guy and girl was pretty sweet. I liked that he pretty much believed her from the start even though his only previous experience with her was arguing. And their kiss was super adorable. The shoot-out part was a little weird (I don't know, it didn't really seem to fit with the rest of the movie). But overall, I really enjoyed it. 9/10
67. Comedian Harmonists (1997) - I watched this in my German class, so it was fun to take a break from the normal stuff we do in class and watch it, so that probably made me enjoy it more than if I was watching it on my own. It was pretty entertaining, and the music was excellent. I got incredibly annoyed with Erna once she left Harry for Bob, and then even more annoyed at Harry at the end for taking Erna back. Although I did enjoy that immediately after that it was like "Harry and Erna divorced years later" or whatever. It was enjoyable but rather predictable, ultimately. 7/10
68. Avatar (2009) - Technically, this was brilliant and stunning and beautiful and all that. Plotwise... eh. Incredibly predictable. The dialogue at times was very cheesy, as well, and I was able to get past that in Titanic, but I couldn't here. Sam Worthington was very hot (well, when he wasn't blue). I really loved Michelle Rodriguez's character, so of course she had to die. I actually also really liked... Neytri? Or whatever her names is? I really wanted the movie to end after they blow up their home or whatever and they find out that the main guy (I can't remember any of their names) betrayed them and the girl is like "NEVER COME BACK" and he has his voiceover about having to wake up from a dream. I don't know, it just would have been so much less predictable and a much more powerful ending. And then we wouldn't have to have had the supreme fail of the white guy saving everyone (seriously, no one else could bring the people together? And he was the only one to be able to figure out how to write that pterodactyl thing? Seriously? ugh, I just found it very offensive). Although I liked that the girl had to save him in the end. The women in the movie were actually really kickass, if you ignore the fact that 2/3 of the main ones were killed. Oh, and my other major issue was that I have a severe phobia of needles so I did not appreciate seeing someone get stuck with a needle in 3D IMAX. But that probably is just applicable to me. Anyways. Not horrible, but definitely not as amazing as a lot of people are saying. 7/10
69. Sherlock Holmes (2009) - ...this was kind of boring. I don't know. It wasn't terrible, but I expected it to be more engaging and exciting. RDJ was excellent, and I liked Holmes and Watson. I loved Rachel McAdam's character, but did not enjoy her acting. It seems like there will be a sequel, though, and I'm kind of hopeful that the sequel will be a huge improvement on it. 7/10
And, if you're interested, here is my ranking of movies that came out in 2009:
1) A Serious Man
2) Up
3) The Hurt Locker
4) Moon
5) District 9
6) Inglourious Basterds
7) Star Trek
8) An Education
9) The Brothers Bloom
10) Coraline
11) Zombieland
12) I Love You, Man
13) (500) Days of Summer
14) 17 Again
15) The Hangover
16) Avatar
17) Sherlock Holmes
18) Sunshine Cleaning
19) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
20) Adventureland
21) Were the World Mine
22) Confessions of a Shopaholic
23) He's Just Not That Into You
24) Inkheart
Inglourious Basterds and District 9 I saw yesterday which is why I included them in the rankings but not in the reactions and ratings above. My opinions usually change about movies after some time is passed (not drastically, but it lets me see which ones really stick with me. Like, I loved The Brothers Bloom right after I saw it, but now I'm kind of eh about it. So obviously I liked both those movies a lot, but the ranking is not definite. (...I'm way too srs bsns about this, I know.)
A couple weeks ago I was thinking of actually posting a review for every movie I see when I actually see it here and then linking to all the reviews at the end of the year, but now that it's actually the new year and I've seen 2 movies already, I'm feeling lazy. I don't know, I don't need to decide this second. I can always try it out and change my mind. I mean, whatever, I'm probably thinking too hard about this.
1. Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right by Al Franken
2. Watchmen by Alan Moore
3. Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris
4. Club Dead by Charlaine Harris
5. Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris
6. Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris
7. Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris
8. All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris
9. From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris
10. Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris
11. The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening by L. J. Smith
12. The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle by L. J. Smith
13. The Vampire Diaries: The Fury by L. J. Smith
14. The Vampire Diaries: Dark Reunion by L. J. Smith
15. The Vampire Diaries: The Return Nightfall by L. J. Smith
16. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
17. The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks
Some of the movie reviews are spoilery. The names of each title are bolded, though, so you can skim through and skip any that you haven't seen and know you don't want to be spoiled for. Some are definitely more spoilery than others.
1. The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) - This was pretty good. James Stewart was great, as always. The Alfred Hall scene was really cool. 9/10
2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) - I liked this, but I guess I wanted it to be better than it was. I wanted it to exceed my expectations, but it was basically just what I thought it would be. Everything that you would think would happen in this sort of movie did happen. I don't know. Honestly, most of the movie I felt like I was just waiting for Brad Pitt to get hot. (He was ridiculously hot once he got down to his 40s or whatever in this movie, btw.) Brad Pitt was really great in this. I also really liked Benjamin Button's mother, she was great. Oh, but one thing I really hated was the frame story. Just, why was it set during Hurricane Katrina? It was just pointless. And I REALLY hated the daughter. She was really irritating. "I'M REALLY PISSED OFF AND AM NOT GOING TO READ THIS STORY ANYMORE TO YOU EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE BASICALLY GOING TO DIE IN LIKE 2 HOURS BECAUSE I'M A BRAT AND SELFISH LIKE THAT." Although it was fairly ridiculous that THAT'S the way she revealed to her daughter that Benjamin was her father. But whatever. I mean, I didn't hate it by any means, but it wasn't brilliant like I wanted it to be. 8/10
3. Vertigo (1958) - Oh man, I really loved this. I absolutely love Jimmy Stewart, so I really liked him in this. It was weird to see him being such a creepy character since he's always such a good guy. Yeah, it was just a really great movie. 10/10
4. Psycho (1960) - Ah, this was great. I knew the twist before watching it, but it was still really cool. Anthony Perkins was really great in this. 10/10
5. Marnie (1964) - I liked this more than I expected to. I definitely liked the first half more than the second half, though. I really didn't like that her husband raped her and she kind of just got over it. Yeah, she had issues, but he forced her into marrying him, too, so it all just felt very... unsettling, I guess. And the psychological stuff at the end was just like... no. That wouldn't happen. But anyways. I did really love the first half, though! It just kind of fell apart once they got married. 8/10
6. Torn Curtain (1966) - I wanted to like this, but it wasn't that great. Paul Newman was great, but... that was kind of it. Julie Andrews's character was infuriating. She thinks her fiance is defecting to East Berlin and she's like "WELL I'M NOT HAPPY ABOUT THIS BUT I WILL TOTALLY BETRAY MY COUNTRY AS WELL BUT I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW THAT I DON'T LIKE THIS BUT I WILL FOLLOW YOU ANYWHERE." It was kind of a ridiculous movie and very implausible. 7/10
7. Rachel Getting Married (2008) - This was pretty good. There were some scenes that I wasn't a huge fan of; the dancing scene at the wedding went on forever, and the toasts at the rehearsal dinner also went on longer than I would have liked. Anne Hathaway was amazing in this, though. Actually, all the acting was really great. 8/10
8. Dial M for Murder (1954) - This was really good. I totally didn't get the twist at first and kind of had no idea what was going on for a little while, but I loved how it all worked out. The plot was really great. 10/10
9. Suspicion (1941) - This was decent, but definitely not one of Hitchcock's best. I love Cary Grant, so I liked him a lot in this, but this wasn't his best performance. The ending was kind of weird, and I read afterwards that Hitchcock's original ending had him actually killing the wife in the end, and I wish that ending had been kept. As it turned out, the ending was just kind of anti-climactic. 8/10
10. Foreign Correspondent (1940) - I was really enjoying this up until the last third of the movie, and then it was just like... wtf? Once they got into the plane, it was just kind of bizarre. It was oddly reminiscent of Titanic once the plane crashed into the sea and then they kind of just hung out on the various bits of plane. I feel like it was unnecessary to redeem Fisher, and I don't really understand why that happened. And then the last scene was just really weird and out-of-place. Like, yeah, ok, what you're saying is important, but it really isn't more important than avoiding the bombs falling on you because if you survive, you can tell your story again, but if you don't... well, obviously that's it. So that was just weird. It's really disappointing, though, because up until that point, I really did like the movie. 7/10
11. Frost/Nixon (2008) - I really enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. Frank Langella and Michael Sheen were both great. It was definitely entertaining and really fascinating. 9/10
12. Stage Fright (1950) - I wasn't expecting to like this for some reason, but I really did. I really didn't see it coming that Jonathan actually did kill the guy. And I totally love unreliable narrator stuff like that, so I really liked that what we saw from him telling Eve about what happened wasn't true. I liked that Eve was actually smart about it once she figured it out and acted like she was on his side until the second she was able to call out for help, since in a lot of older films (and even films today), the girls act utterly idiotic. Like in Torn Curtain, where the wife is like "Well, whatever, I'll move to East Germany with you and betray my country for you! No big deal!" So I don't know, I really liked that. I just thought it was really well-done. 9/10
13. To Catch a Thief (1955) - I love Cary Grant and Hitchcock films, but this was kind of dull, really. I don't know why. It wasn't terrible; it just didn't really catch my interest. I figured out who the real thief was pretty early on, and definitely by the funeral. I don't know; it was decent, I guess. 8/10
14. Doubt (2008) - This was good but not great. Meryl Streep is excellent in this as she is in basically everything, but I did prefer some other actresses' work this year, so I'll be a bit disappointed if she wins the Oscar. I realize the point of the movie isn't really whether or not the priest did it, but I'm the kind of person that just has to know, so I was disappointed that it wasn't revealed if he was guilty or not (even though I wasn't really expecting it to be). I liked Amy Adams in this, but I think she's been better in other stuff. Phillip Seymour Hoffman was great as usual, and VIola Davis was great as well. I don't know, I can't really pinpoint anything that was really bad about the film, but I really didn't connect with it. Oh, but one thing I did find ridiculous was the mother saying that the kid would just have to tough out the possible sexual abuse until the school year was over. Like, what? Brilliant parenting there! 8/10
15. Dead Like Me: Life After Death (2009) - This was ok, but by no means as brilliant as the series. It was definitely too short. I mean, really, I feel like they needed an entire season to get through some of the stuff (like Reggie finally meeting George and Cameron turning out bad. The Cameron thing especially came on really quickly; it was like, one second everything's ok, and the next, they have to kill him). But even without an entire season, it should have been more than 88 minutes. But anyway, it was fine. I didn't mind the loss of Rube as much as I did the recasting of Daisy. I thought I wouldn't care very much with Daisy because she was always my least favorite character anyways, but I do hate recasting in nearly every situation. Also, I really, really wanted something to happen between Mason and George since I shipped them so much during the series, but nothing did. :( At least nothing happened between Daisy and Mason. And it felt like George spent way too much time away from the whole group; I really would have liked much more interaction between all of them. Anyway, I appreciate that they did go to the effort to make a movie so there'd be some closure to the series, but... the movie really brought no closure at all. 7/10
16. The Reader (2008) - I actually liked this more than I thought I would. I didn't think it was brilliant, but it was interesting. I find it weird that Kate Winslet got nominated for this instead of Revolutionary Road since I thought her performance in RR was much better. 8/10
17. Chinatown (1974) - I kind of just watched this on a whim, but I really loved it. It was weird seeing Jack Nicholson so young! He was really good, though. The film really held my interest, and I absolutely loved the ending. I was expecting everything to work out just fine, but I loved that the ending was really dark and everything didn't turn out fine. 10/10
18. Rebecca (1940) - This wasn't what I expected from this movie, but I really loved it. The housekeeper was ridiculously creepy, but very unlike any character I've seen before. I totally didn't guess that the husband actually hated Rebecca and killed her (I thought for a second at the beginning maybe he had killed her, but then I was like "Nah, that doesn't seem likely."). And then I thought that he would get put away in jail, and I really didn't expect that she had wanted to die because she had cancer. It was just really well-done, and I really enjoyed it. 10/10
19. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) - This is seriously one of the most gorgeous films I've ever seen. I'm just in awe of the special effects (I have no idea how they did most of that stuff without computers or CGI or anything like that). And the cinematography was amazing. It was also one of the weirdest films I've ever seen. I think if I hadn't already heard that the first 20 minutes had no dialogue and were just of apes, I might not have kept watching. Except I might still have just because of how absolutely beautiful those scenes were. I thought I understood what was going on and following the plot for the most of the film, but then in the last... 15 or so minutes when Dave goes through the stargate, I was just... entirely bewildered. And then I read stuff on imdb and stuff that Kubrick said about the film and it made a little more sense to me and I appreciated the film more. I can understand why some people think this is one of the best films ever made, but I didn't really connect to it, I guess. Like, I really respect this film and think it's pretty brilliant, but at the same time I'm not in a huge hurry to rewatch it. Still, as I said, it is definitely one of the most gorgeous films I've seen. I can't even convey how beautiful this film was, because yeah. It was just amazing. 10/10
20. Schindler's List (1993) - I had seen a few scenes from this in AP Euro, so I already knew I would like it, and I did. I think it was really well-made, but I wouldn't call it one of the best films ever made or one of my absolute favorites. I don't really know what to say about this, actually. It was definitely depressing and moving at moments. I thought the acting was excellent. I don't know. It was very good. 9/10
21. It Happened One Night (1934) - Oh man this was so adorable. I totally loved it. I don't really know what to say about it. I've never seen Clark Gable in anything before, but I loved him in this. I just wished we could have actually seen them get together in the end! 10/10
22. Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) - Ok, I found this much more entertaining than 2001: A Space Odyssey. It was pretty hilarious. Like, I wasn't laughing out loud while watching it, but afterwards I was remembering lines and just cracking up. The conversations between the Russian leader and the president were hysterical. I think the funniest part of the entire movie was the president saying that he wasn't just calling to say hi, and then the Russian leader getting offended and the president having to assure him that of course he likes calling just to say hi. Oh, and my other favorite line (paraphrased) was "There's no fighting in the War Room!" Oh, and it was just gorgeous. Kubrick was certainly a brilliant director. The War Room scenes in particular were just gorgeous. Really excellent film. 10/10
23. The Visitor (2008) - The first half of this was about what I expected, and I enjoyed it about as much as I thought I would. I didn't like the second half as much, though, when Terrick's mother came to New York. I thought the quasi-romance between her and Walter was unnecessary. I don't know. I really just enjoyed Walter kind of... starting to enjoy life a little more in the first half and learning the drums and becoming friends with Terrick and his girlfriend. Anyways, I liked this movie for the most part, but the second half definitely wasn't as enjoyable as the first. And it ended up much more depressing than I thought it would! I don't know, I just assumed everything would work out okay and Terrick would get out and be able to stay in New York. I guess that was kind of unrealistic to expect. Richard Jenkins is really pretty amazing in this, though, so he totally deserves to be nominated. 8/10
24. Changeling (2008) - I actually liked this more than I thought I would. Angelina Jolie was pretty good, too (although there were a few scenes where she was kind of screechy or... off in some way). It's kind of mind-blowing that this actually happened and that the police somehow just assumed that Christine Collins wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a random boy and her own son. The movie was also a lot... prettier than I thought it would be? I don't know. The cinematography was very nice. And I just loved the look of 1920s Los Angeles. Anyway, I did enjoy the movie, and it was very well-made, but I didn't really connect to it, it dragged on a little long, and ultimately I feel like it's a pretty forgettable movie. 8/10
25. Touch of Evil (1958) - I didn't like this as much as Citizen Kane in terms of plot and such, and I think part of the problem was that I was kind of multitasking while I watched the movie and I should have been more focused on what was going on. That being said, Orson Welles was an absolutely brilliant director (shocking, I know). The opening 4-minute or whatever tracking shot is pretty amazing, and I just love how he uses light and black and white photography and frames his scenes and everything. And he was a really great actor, as well. 8/10
26. The Apartment (1960) - I really enjoyed this. It really wasn't what I expected it to be (I mean, it was up until what happened in the middle, and then it was just like WAIT WHAT JUST HAPPENED?), but that's kind of a good thing? I mean, I wanted a light, fluffy, fun movie, and it was for a little while, but it ended up being a better movie than that. 9/10
27. His Girl Friday (1940) - This was very cute. I love Cary Grant always. And I really loved the lead female character in this; she was pretty awesome. It was just fun and fast-paced and really enjoyable. 9/10
28. Network (1976) - There was something about this movie that kept me from loving it, but I'm not really sure what. The acting was wonderful, the writing was great, the plot was interesting and different. The more I think about it, the more I really appreciate what the movie was doing. Yet even with all that, I'm just kind of "eh" about it. I feel like I should really love it, but I pretty much just appreciate that it's good. I guess I really just didn't connect to it in the slightest. 8/10
29. Double Indemnity (1944) - I liked this a lot. It ended much darker than I thought it would. I don't know, I don't really have much to say about this one. It was very good, but I didn't absolutely love it. 9/10
30. The Hustler (1961) - Oh man, I really loved this. Like, I recognize it has flaws, and the middle part after he loses to Minnesota Fats but before he talks to Bert Gordon and then gets his fingers broken dragged a bit. I wasn't as interested with his relationship with Sarah. But I still just really loved it. Paul Newman was so excellent in this. I'm so impressed that he and Jackie Gleason did most of the shots themselves. I totally was not expecting the ending with Sarah, but I really liked that, and I loved the last game. The movie felt really long, but in a good way (for the most part). It felt like you were really following this period in this guy's life, and it felt like you could really see him changing in front of your eyes, from being arrogant and naive to being totally broken down and yeah, I just really loved it. The character was just so interesting. 10/10
31. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) - I didn't think I'd really enjoy this movie much outside of Paul Newman, but I really loved it. It was much funnier than I thought it would be. I totally cracked up at several moments, including the fight scene in the beginning between Butch and that guy in his gang challenging him. Oh, and I absolutely adored him riding the bike back and forth in front of the windows while the Sundance Kid is in bed with his girlfriend/lover/whatever. And they were so adorable as a duo! Such a great friendship. And I found out afterwards that this was written by William Goldman, which is totally awesome, and if I had known that, I definitely would have been expecting to like it more than I originally thought I would. But (and this is totally random), the guy who was the tracker, Lord Baldemoore or whatever, his name sounded way too much like Lord Voldemort. The first time it was said, I was really confused for a moment before hearing it for a second time. Anyway, I totally loved this movie. 10/10
32. The Awful Truth (1937) - Ok, so I'm writing this reaction like 4 months after I saw this movie, and I don't really remember much about it other than it was disappointing. To remind myself of what to mention right after I saw the movie, I wrote myself a note, "Why did he not go to Florida? Why did she get a divorce just like that? This movie makes no sense," and I don't entirely remember what the hell I was talking about. Except I think I remember the divorce coming on really quickly and stupidly. Yeah, I don't know. Not a huge fan of the movie, in any case, which is sad because I do love Cary Grant. I don't think he was as great an actor during this point in his career, though; I think he got a lot better later on. 7/10
33. The Sting (1973) - I liked this, but not as much as I hoped, I guess. I think I just kind of wanted it to be as awesome as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and I didn't like it quite as much. Not that it wasn't good or anything (honestly, I don't even know why I didn't absolutely love it), but it just wasn't as good as I wanted. I do wish Paul Newman and Robert Redford had done more movies together, though, because they were great together. I did really like this overall, even if most of this reaction doesn't make it seem that way. 9/10
34. Frenzy (1972) - ugh this movie was stupid. Just... it didn't make any sense! Why would the police look for a connection to the victim or motive when the victim was just one of several killed by a serial killer. I mean, what I know about serial killers (which, granted, isn't a lot, but still; I know a little) is that with serial killers, the killings don't have motive. The kill itself is the motive for killing. The victims are random and have no connection to the killer. Maybe the serial killer will kill a mother or father or relative or whatever to start off when they're younger and just beginning, but after several? No. And it was CLEARLY the same killer as everyone else killed (I don't think the police were questioning that it wasn't part of the serial killing at all). Also, the guy kills people with neckties; wouldn't it make sense for the witness to maybe mention that when the innocent guy left the building, he was still wearing his necktie? I mean, he could have brought one with him, but it just wasn't mentioned. I don't know. Just so much about this bothered me. The police were SO idiotic, and it just made absolutely no sense why they would suspect who they did. I just hate it in movies like this where someone witnesses someone leaving the scene of a crime as they arrive and are like "OH WELL THIS GUY MUST BE THE KILLER" even though THE DOOR WAS FREAKING LOCKED COME ON. UGH. Yeah, the stupidity in this movie was kind of off the charts. 6/10
35. Sunshine Cleaning (2009) - I was really looking forward to this movie, but it was kind of a let-down. All the best parts were in the trailer. I can't really pinpoint what was wrong with it, but it was just like... the parts individually were good, but together they didn't add up to much. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't something I really have any urge to see again. 7/10
36. The Brothers Bloom (2009) - I really, really enjoyed this. I heard a lot of mixed reviews about this before I saw it, and it was one of my most anticipated movies of the year, so I was really afraid of it failing to meet my expectations, but it ended up being really great. It wasn't exactly the movie I expected it to be, but I enjoyed it just the same. Rinko Kikuchi was absolutely hilarious, too, and totally stole like every scene she was in. 9/10
37. 17 Again (2009) - I liked this, but not as much as I wanted to. I don't know why. I just remember hearing a lot about how great it was, but it was pretty average. Okay, maybe above average, because average is pretty low these days. Zac Efron was great (whatever, he catches a lot of flack, but he actually can act. I mean, he doesn't deserve an Oscar or anything, but he was good). 7/10
38. Roman Holiday (1953) - This was really great. I wanted a happy ending between them, but at the same time, how it ended was pretty perfect. (And I can always imagine that years down the road they can get married and everything will be okay.) This movie was really charming and sweet and just excellent. 10/10
39. Priceless (2006) - Aw, this was really sweet. It's about the type of movie you'd expect it to be, but not in a bad way. It was just really sweet and charming. Audrey Tautou was great, and so was Gad Elmaleh. I really enjoyed this. 9/10
40. Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959) - I know this movie is supposed to be one of the worst ever made, but it's pretty entertaining. I mean, I'd actually watch it again at some point in my life just for the sheer so bad it's good value. For some reason one of the things that struck me as most ridiculous about it was how poorly done the sets were. I mean, yeah, the whole spaceship CLEARLY hanging from a string was bad, but there was also the obvious fact of them being inside a soundstage and not really outside pretty much at all times. I mean, there's one point where they're supposed to be in the graveyard at night, and you can clearly see their shadows against the back wall, or another point where you can see the wrinkle in the sheet that's covering the back wall. I can't really decide what the most hilarious scene was. The first one that leapt out at me was the one where there are the three spaceships and the army is trying to shoot at them, but the spaceships are basically just NOT MOVING. They're pretty much just hovering there, not trying to avoid anything, and they keep completely missing them, and finally the spaceships are all "Yeah, we're bored of this" and just kind of mosey on off-screen. Also hilarious was... well, the entire last like 20 minutes or so where everything is revealed to the humans. It's like, really? This thing that destroys sun particles is going to destroy the entire universe? He kept talking about it like "THE UNIVERSE IS GOING TO JUST DISAPPEAR AND THERE WILL JUST BE THIS VOID" and I was like "...wouldn't that take a REALLY long time?" Because it takes forever for the sun's light to reach some places, and I feel like there are some corners of the universe it would never reach at all? That might not be right, but it sounds true to me. (I took Astronomy! I may or may not know what I'm talking about!) I also enjoyed how incredibly slow the three dead guys moved, because all their victims could have so clearly run away. And how nearer to the end the police guy was like "OK HERE'S THE PLAN... WE HIT HIM AND RUN AWAY" and it was just kind of hilarious because it was like "YEAH, THAT MIGHT ACTUALLY WORK. TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH TO REALIZE IT." Oh, and it was so ridiculous how they controlled the dead guys. Like, one second they have so little control that one of them nearly kills one of the aliens, and the next second, the alien is telling the humans "He will kill the girl if you don't do what we say!" or whatever, and it's like, really? You have that much control over them? And the woman dead one is just kind of hanging around watching people every so often and makes no attempt at killing them most of the time. OH and I enjoyed how they have this vast plan (PLAN 9, IN FACT) and all they have to show for it is THREE dead servants. Like, wow, terrifying. How will the human race fight back against that mighty threat? And the end is so like... ok, good job, you destroyed that one ship, but there's still the mothership with the main leader guy, and he could easily just send another ship a few days later once he realizes the destroyed ship isn't coming back. So yeah, anyways, entirely ridiculously horrible movie, but much fun to watch. 5/10
41. I Confess (1953) - I thought I liked this movie all right while I was watching it, but after it ended, I realized I had like a million different issues with it. I think my main one was that the main character just wasn't very likable. I mean, he wasn't someone I truly hated, either, he was just so dull. And he was just kind of idiotic throughout the movie. I mean, ok, I realize that his religion is important to him and he's not supposed to tell anyone else what's said in confession, but seriously, I feel like God would forgive him for telling the police about a murderer. I mean, what do you think is more important to God: making sure murderers aren't running around loose on the streets, or not telling the police what someone said in confession? I mean, he wouldn't even have to say it outright, he could just allude to it like "So I know who the murderer is, but he told me in confession so I can't tell you" or like "I was talking to such-and-so RIGHT AFTER THE TIME OF THE MURDER and he wanted to CONFESS SOMETHING to me, cough cough." And his whole attitude at the beginning, where they keep asking him questions and he's like "WELL I CAN'T TELL YOU ANYTHING AT ALL, IT'S PERSONAL AND DOESN'T CONCERN YOU TRUST ME", it's like, seriously, way to make yourself look innocent dude. When he was on trial, I kind of wanted him to be found guilty just because at that point it was like he pretty much deserved it. Although the detectives were no better. It was like, "Gee, two young girls see a guy in a priest's outfit from BEHIND while it's very DARK out leaving the place around the time of the murder; CLEARLY A PRIEST KILLED HIM AND I GUESS IT HAS TO BE FATHER LOGAN SINCE HE WAS THE ONLY PRIEST AT THE SCENE OF THE CRIME THE NEXT DAY." BUT WHATEVER. I think part of it is that I'm just never going to really understand someone in the priest's position because I would absolutely never be a priest (well, not that I could, since I'm a girl, but still) and am pretty biased against organized religion. ...okay this movie wasn't really awful and definitely wasn't the worst Hitchcock I've seen, but I think I had more issues with it than I realized. 6/10
42. Charade (1963) - This was vaguely disappointing. I don't know why. It wasn't awful, but I just didn't connect to it. And I couldn't keep track of whoever Cary Grant's character was supposed to be at any point in time. Mostly, I just found it forgettable. 7/10
43. I Love You, Man (2009) - This was pretty funny. It wasn't brilliant (and I think I liked Forgetting Sarah Marshall last year more), but it was still really enjoyable. Paul Rudd is just really awesome; he manages to walk the line between being pathetic and being adorable really well. And I love Jason Segel. So overall, good experience. 8/10
44. Star Trek (2009) - Oh man, I loved this. It was just so much fun! I had never had any exposure to Star Trek before, and I think this was a good introduction to it. I adored Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine ridiculous amounts (and I have such a ridiculously huge crush on Chris Pine now). I was expecting the movie to be more about Kirk being in charge of everything and was surprised that most of the movie was actually how he got to that point, which left me really wanting the next movie. Just really enjoyable all around. 10/10
45. The Hangover (2009) - ...I didn't think this was that funny. This is like with Wedding Crashers or Superbad all over again, except I think this movie has been getting way better reviews. I don't know why my problem with it was! It wasn't terrible, and there were some funny moments, but I definitely wouldn't describe this as one of the funniest movies in years. Bradley Cooper is ridiculously hot, though, so that definitely helped. 7/10
46. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) - I think I kind of loved this. It wasn't quite what I expected, but I found it really interesting. Also, I was totally picking up on gay subtext between the main guy and his friend who died, and then I was like "wtf this was made in 1958, I'm being idiotic" and then I read the trivia about the movie and some stuff about the original play, and apparently I wasn't totally crazy! The movie was just really gripping, and the acting was all excellent. 10/10
47. Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009) - I wanted to watch something cute and predictable, and this should've fit that bill, but... ugh. The movie just kind of really irritated me. The problems could have been solved so freaking easily! I mean, for one, she could have just STOPPED SHOPPING. Or sold SOME of the clothes, or something. I DON'T KNOW. But I feel like it all went on way too long, and everything could have been fixed much sooner. Hugh Dancy was pretty gorgeous in this, though, and there was a random Ed Helms cameo, so those things helped. I also really randomly disliked the inclusion of the parents in the movie (they just bugged me!). 5/10
48. Spellbound (1945) - This was not great, but not terrible. Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman were great, and I enjoyed a lot of the storyline. All the psychological explanations were pretty ridiculous, but I suppose they didn't really know any better at the time, so I can forgive that. The scene with the skiing was absolutely idiotic, though, because people do not ski that close together and they failed at turning and just... yeah. It looked really stupid. I expect more from you, Hitchcock! It wasn't terrible, though, by any means. 8/10
49. The 39 Steps (1935) - I enjoyed this! It reminded me a bit of... Saboteur, I think? Or maybe not. It reminded me of something else he did. But it was enjoyable. I liked that the girl wasn't a total idiot, for the most part. 9/10
50. He's Just Not That Into You (2009) - Oh god, why did I watch this movie? I knew I wasn't going to love it, but I guess I just wanted something predictable? I don't know my reasoning. I think it was because I wanted to watch something with Bradley Cooper. It was just so... ugh. It was just really offensive to me. I hated how Gigi couldn't figure out anything doing with guys on her own; the only way she's able to start acting relatively normal and not like a crazy, psycho bitch is because a guy is telling her everything she should do and think. I hated Jennifer Anniston and Ben Affleck's storyline because it just reminded me of Robin/Ted on HIMYM. If one person in a relationship is not interested in marriage and is telling you they are never going to want to get married, don't be shocked when they tell you (for the thousandth time) that they DON'T WANT TO GET MARRIED. The resolution to that storyline was idiotic, too, like "Well, you guilted me into proposing to you! This marriage is going to go wonderfully!" I mean, isn't that exactly the opposite of the message they were sending with Bradley Cooper and his wife? He hadn't really wanted to get married, but she was like "Marriage or break up!" and he was like "Fine, whatever" and look how well that turned out. Seriously, come on. Just... lksjf gah. The men had basically all the power throughout the movie, and I hated that. 4/10
51. The Hurt Locker (2009) - This was pretty intense and really cool. The acting was excellent. I don't really know what to say about this; it was just... a really great movie. 10/10
52. Up (2009) - This was so adorable! I didn't enjoy it as much as I loved Wall-E, but it was still excellent. Kevin and Dug were two of the coolest characters ever. I didn't cry through it like a lot of people seemed to, based on their reviews (I mean, yeah, it's sad she died, but they were together since they were children! They lived a long and happy life together! I just can't be that devastated over it). Everything with the dogs was hilarious (and I was glad that they were like reformed at the end. And that the way to defeat them was to throw a tennis ball and then shame the alpha dog). I think my favorite line was "I have just met you and I love you." I could not stop laughing at that. Really cute movie. 10/10
53. In a Lonely Place (1950) - I had never heard of this movie before I watched it, but it was really cool. I didn't expect it to end like that, so I loved that it did. I knew he wasn't going to end up being the murderer, but he definitely was abusive and had rage/violence issues, so her ending up with him just because he didn't kill that girl wouldn't have been a great ending. I also randomly really adored the sets in this movie. I kind of really want to live in that apartment complex; it was pretty kickass. 10/10
54. Moon (2009) - This was not what I expected when I went to see this movie, but it was really great. Sam Rockwell was wonderful in it. I adored GERTY. Whoever thought of using emoticons to express a robot's feelings is like a genius; I could not stop laughing whenever its expression would change. I also enjoyed that GERTY was a robot who didn't actually want to kill anyone, since that seems rare in most sci-fi. All the shots when they're outside of the base on the moon were absolutely gorgeous. (Also, random Effy from Skins cameo!) 9/10
55. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) - This wasn't as great as I was expecting, but it wasn't terrible. I did have several issues with the movie, though. Mostly that it was just so anti-climactic. The battle in the book at the end when Dumbledore and Harry come back that's supposed to be so epic was really lame. They just stood around while Snape killed Dumbledore, broke some glasses/windows, and left. The reveal of Snape being the Half-Blood Prince was pretty much just "...so?" since it hadn't been built up basically at all. The end where Hermione was like "Well, Dumbledore died. That's sad. ...so, anyways, Ron isn't mad at you and Ginny for hooking up!" Like, seriously, nice segue. And I hated that the funeral was cut. The movie just didn't really seem to build to anything. I enjoyed it while I was watching it, and it was beautifully shot, but... there was just a lot off about it. 7/10
56. Inkheart (2009) - Oh god this was bad. I'm writing this months after I actually saw the movie (as I tend to be lazy and forget to right a reaction right after I watch the movie), so I don't remember all the reasons I hated it so much, but I know that I did. I think mostly it made no sense and so many of the issues could have been solved really easily. I thought this might be a little boring but predictable and cute, but instead it was just horrible. 4/10
57. Coraline (2009) - I enjoyed this! It was really cool visually, and it was just kind of fun. I liked Coraline (the character) a lot. 9/10
58. Down By Law (1986) - This was vaguely entertaining, but I honestly wasn't very engaged by it. It wasn't terrible or anything, it was just kind of forgettable. And I had a hard time telling a lot of the characters apart. 7/10
59. Ed Wood (1994) - I really loved this! I saw this pretty soon after I saw Plan 9 From Outer Space for the first time, and they did a remarkable job remaking the parts of that film for this one. The casting was absolutely amazingly perfect. It was really just a fascinating, great movie. And Johnny Depp was phenomenal. 10/10
60. Were the World Mine (2009) - I wanted to like this more than I actually did. It wasn't terrible, but I had issues with it. It was all right. 6/10
61. Zombieland (2009) - I really enjoyed this! It was entertaining, and I loved all the characters. I like that it ends on an upbeat note, yet you know that they're still only a couple of people against massive amounts of zombies, and there's probably only so much time they have left alive. It was really great, though. 9/10
62. An Education (2009) - I thought this was really good! The acting was really amazing, particularly Carey Mulligan. Alfred Molina was hysterical, as was Rosamund Pike. And I really enjoyed Peter Sarsgaard as well. Really, the acting all the way through was awesome. And I loved the story as well. The only part that felt a little off was the ending; it seemed a little too... easy or pat or something? Even though I know this was based off a memoir so it's not like they made it up. But still, the very end was not quite as good as the rest of the movie. Still, I really loved it. 9/10
63. (500) Days of Summer (2009) - I liked this, but I wanted to love it, and I didn't. Something just didn't quite connect for me, I guess. I found Summer a little annoying, to be honest, so it was hard to see exactly why he was so in love with her. I don't know. And I kind of always hate when a woman insists that she's not interested in commitment or marriage or anything and then in the end it was like "Well, I only needed to find the right man, as it turns out!" Like, some women actually can want to not be married and be happy. So while I enjoyed the movie, I couldn't fall in love with it as I hoped. I think my expectations might have been a little too high. Oh well. 8/10
64. Adventureland (2009) - Martin Starr! He looked so bizarre! Well, at least since I expected him to look exactly like he did in Freaks and Geeks, which doesn't make sense (I have the same problem with John Francis Daley). I also am really loving Jesse Eisenberg these days. The movie was pretty average. There were some fun and entertaining parts, and then there were some boring parts. Kristen Stewart sounds bored in everything she does. I kind of hate listening to her speak, I've discovered. 7/10
65. A Serious Man (2009) - Oh man, this was really great. I feel like I need to watch it again to fully process it. I loved how this was both really funny and incredibly dark. The acting was amazing. The ending was just... holy crap. I adored the cinematography (Roger Deakins is awesome). I loved everything about this. 10/10
66. The Lady Vanishes (1938) - This is definitely not Hitchcock's best film, but it was very good. The beginning was a bit slow, but once Ms. Froy disappeared, it picked up a lot. I loved that Ms. Froy was actually a spy. I thought that was so cool, because I don't think many middle-aged women in movies those days (...or these days, really. At least not if they're not like movie star gorgeous) were spies. I so didn't expect that the tune was a secret code or whatever, either. I thought the relationship between the lead guy and girl was pretty sweet. I liked that he pretty much believed her from the start even though his only previous experience with her was arguing. And their kiss was super adorable. The shoot-out part was a little weird (I don't know, it didn't really seem to fit with the rest of the movie). But overall, I really enjoyed it. 9/10
67. Comedian Harmonists (1997) - I watched this in my German class, so it was fun to take a break from the normal stuff we do in class and watch it, so that probably made me enjoy it more than if I was watching it on my own. It was pretty entertaining, and the music was excellent. I got incredibly annoyed with Erna once she left Harry for Bob, and then even more annoyed at Harry at the end for taking Erna back. Although I did enjoy that immediately after that it was like "Harry and Erna divorced years later" or whatever. It was enjoyable but rather predictable, ultimately. 7/10
68. Avatar (2009) - Technically, this was brilliant and stunning and beautiful and all that. Plotwise... eh. Incredibly predictable. The dialogue at times was very cheesy, as well, and I was able to get past that in Titanic, but I couldn't here. Sam Worthington was very hot (well, when he wasn't blue). I really loved Michelle Rodriguez's character, so of course she had to die. I actually also really liked... Neytri? Or whatever her names is? I really wanted the movie to end after they blow up their home or whatever and they find out that the main guy (I can't remember any of their names) betrayed them and the girl is like "NEVER COME BACK" and he has his voiceover about having to wake up from a dream. I don't know, it just would have been so much less predictable and a much more powerful ending. And then we wouldn't have to have had the supreme fail of the white guy saving everyone (seriously, no one else could bring the people together? And he was the only one to be able to figure out how to write that pterodactyl thing? Seriously? ugh, I just found it very offensive). Although I liked that the girl had to save him in the end. The women in the movie were actually really kickass, if you ignore the fact that 2/3 of the main ones were killed. Oh, and my other major issue was that I have a severe phobia of needles so I did not appreciate seeing someone get stuck with a needle in 3D IMAX. But that probably is just applicable to me. Anyways. Not horrible, but definitely not as amazing as a lot of people are saying. 7/10
69. Sherlock Holmes (2009) - ...this was kind of boring. I don't know. It wasn't terrible, but I expected it to be more engaging and exciting. RDJ was excellent, and I liked Holmes and Watson. I loved Rachel McAdam's character, but did not enjoy her acting. It seems like there will be a sequel, though, and I'm kind of hopeful that the sequel will be a huge improvement on it. 7/10
And, if you're interested, here is my ranking of movies that came out in 2009:
1) A Serious Man
2) Up
3) The Hurt Locker
4) Moon
5) District 9
6) Inglourious Basterds
7) Star Trek
8) An Education
9) The Brothers Bloom
10) Coraline
11) Zombieland
12) I Love You, Man
13) (500) Days of Summer
14) 17 Again
15) The Hangover
16) Avatar
17) Sherlock Holmes
18) Sunshine Cleaning
19) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
20) Adventureland
21) Were the World Mine
22) Confessions of a Shopaholic
23) He's Just Not That Into You
24) Inkheart
Inglourious Basterds and District 9 I saw yesterday which is why I included them in the rankings but not in the reactions and ratings above. My opinions usually change about movies after some time is passed (not drastically, but it lets me see which ones really stick with me. Like, I loved The Brothers Bloom right after I saw it, but now I'm kind of eh about it. So obviously I liked both those movies a lot, but the ranking is not definite. (...I'm way too srs bsns about this, I know.)
A couple weeks ago I was thinking of actually posting a review for every movie I see when I actually see it here and then linking to all the reviews at the end of the year, but now that it's actually the new year and I've seen 2 movies already, I'm feeling lazy. I don't know, I don't need to decide this second. I can always try it out and change my mind. I mean, whatever, I'm probably thinking too hard about this.