a year in movies

One little chronicling project I undertook and stuck with in 2009 is to keep a list of all the movies I watched in a year. For me, the movies I watched can be a quick snapshot that helps me remember a time and a place. I used to save every single one of my movie ticket stubs for just this reason. I think I'll keep this up in 2010 because it's fun to have these collected all in one place to look back on.

I liked each of these movies in their own ways and would recommend almost all of them (just a couple of duds and disappointments, but no real dislikes for the whole year). All of the "popcorn" movies on the list that I actually ventured to the megaplex to see were either a) exactly what I expected (i.e. mildly entertaining but mostly formulaic - Benjamin Button, Up in the Air), or b) pleasant surprises that I was hugely entertained by (Star Trek, Sherlock Holmes).

The italics and accompanying photos are the movies that affected me most deeply and stand out as my favorites of the year. I only counted first-time viewings in this category, but not all were released in 2009. These films share three main characteristics: emotional depth that I connected with, flawless acting, and stunning visuals. Often all of the above.

(List is in chronological order by date watched, includes a link to each film's IMDB page and a note on where I watched it)

Changeling (imdb), dollar theater
Slumdog Millionaire (imdb), Salt Lake Film Society @ Broadway
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (imdb), megaplex
Black Dynamite (imdb), Sundance @ Tower
Afghan Star (imdb), Sundance @ Rose Wagner

Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire (retitled Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, imdb), Sundance @ Rose Wagner

The Wrestler (imdb), Salt Lake Film Society @ Broadway
No Direction Home: Bob Dylan: Disc 1 (imdb), Netflix
Trouble the Water (imdb), SLC Film Center @ Library Square
Coraline: 3D (imdb), megaplex
The Dhamma Brothers (imdb), SLC Film Center @ Library Square

Wendy and Lucy (imdb), Salt Lake Film Society @ Broadway
Revolutionary Road (imdb), Salt Lake Film Society @ Broadway
Groundhog Day (imdb), Netflix
If Lucy Fell (imdb), Netflix
Half Nelson (imdb), rewatch, I own
Gigantic (imdb), Salt Lake Film Society @ Broadway
Star Trek (imdb), megaplex
The Ice Storm (imdb), Netflix
Adventureland (imdb), dollar theater
Doubt (imdb), Netflix

The Brothers Bloom (imdb), Salt Lake Film Society @ Broadway

Away We Go (imdb), Salt Lake Film Society @ Broadway
No Direction Home: Bob Dylan: Disc 2 (imdb), Netflix

Phoebe in Wonderland (imdb), Netflix
Sicko (imdb), Giovale Library rental
Jackass Number 2 (imdb), rewatch, Cameron owns

Rachel Getting Married (imdb), Netflix
W. (imdb), Netflix
Across the Universe (imdb), borrowed
Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince (imdb), megaplex

The Cove (imdb), Salt Lake Film Society @ Broadway

The Color Purple (imdb), Netflix
Paper Heart (imdb), Salt Lake Film Society @ Broadway
Romeo & Juliet (imdb), borrowed
Billy Elliott (imdb), Netflix

Up (imdb), dollar theater
Milk (imdb), rewatch, I own
Don't Look Back (imdb), I own
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (imdb), Netflix

Where the Wild Things Are (imdb), megaplex
The Class (imdb), Netflix

The September Issue (imdb), Salt Lake Film Society @ Broadway
Pieces of April (imdb), rewatch, I own

An Education (imdb), Salt Lake Film Society @ Broadway
The Royal Tenenbaums (imdb), rewatch, I own
Fantastic Mr. Fox (imdb), Salt Lake Film Society @ Broadway
Up in the Air (imdb), megaplex
Sherlock Holmes (imdb), megaplex

Grey Gardens (imdb), Netflix
Pirate Radio (imdb), dollar theater