The award season isn’t over but many nominees are in and most of the critics have spoken. So get ready to add some titles to your Netflix queue. In alphabetical order, initials referenced are noted and linked where possible below. The flicks in bold are those that I’ve seen… always too many, never enough. Stay tuned for my favorites of the year.
- Adventureland – PH, MP
- Amreeka – GA
- Avatar – CC, GG, PH, DE, AOS, Bafta
- Bad Lieutenant – RE
- Big Fan – GA
- Bright Star – SA, AOS
- Brothers – DE
- Cheri – MLS
- Coraline – AFI, PH, DE
- The Cove – PH
- Crazy Heart – RE
- The Damned United – PH
- District 9 – RC, PH, BM
- An Education – CC, SAG, RE, SA, BM, Bafta
- Everlasting Moments – DE
- Every Little Step – BM
- Fantastic Mr. Fox – RC, DE
- 500 Days of Summer – GG
- Food, Inc. – MLS, DE
- Funny People – MLS, AOS
- Gomorrah – AOS
- Goodbye Solo – AOS
- The Hangover – AFI, GG
- The Headless Woman – Sla
- The Hurt Locker – RC, AFI, CC, GG, SAG, RE, CFC, SA, NYFCC, BSFC, LAFC, SFFC, GA, PH, MLS, BM, Sla, NSFC, MP, AOS, Bafta
- I Love You Man – BM
- The Informant – SA
- Inglorious Basterds – CC, GG, SAG, RE, CFC, PH, MLS, BM, Sla
- In the Loop – BM, DE, MP
- Invictus – CC
- It’s Complicated – GG, SA
- Julia – Sla
- Julie & Julia – GG, SA
- Knowing – RE
- The Maid – GA
- Me and Orson Welles – MP
- The Messenger – AFI, SA
- Nine – CC, GG, SAG, SA
- Of Time and the City – RC, DE, MP
- Precious – AFI, CC, GG, SAG, RE, SA, PH, MLS, AOS, Bafta
- The Princess and the Frog – RC
- Revanche – MLS, Sla
- A Serious Man – AFI, CC, RE, CFC, SA, GA, Sla, DE, MP
- A Single Man – RC, AFI, MP
- Sin Nombre – BM
- The Stoning of Soraya M. – SA
- Sugar – AFI, BM, MP
- Summer Hours – MLS, DE, AOS
- The Sun – Sla
- Tetro – Sla
- Thirst – RC
- 35 Shots of Rum – Sla
- Two Lovers – MLS, Sla
- Tyson – DE
- Up – RC, AFI, CC, BM, MP
- Up in the Air – NBR, RC, AFI, CC, GG, RE, CFC, SA, PH, MLS, BM, AOS, Bafta
- Where the Wild Things Are – CFC, MP, AOS
- The White Ribbon – RC, RE
AFI, AOS – AO Scott for At the Movies, Bafta – British Academy of Film and Television Arts, BM – Ben Mankiewicz, BSFC – Boston Society of Film Critics, CC – Critic’s Choice Awards, CFC – Chicago Film Critics, DE – David Edelstein for New York, GA – Gotham Independent Film , GG – Golden Globes, LAFC – Los Angeles Film Critics, MLS – Mick LaSalle for SF Chronicle, MP – Michael Phillips for At the Movies, NBR – National Board of Review, NSFC – National Society of Film Critics, NYFCC- New York Film Critic’s Circle, PH – Peter Hartlaub for SF Chronicle, RC – Richard Corliss for Time, RE – Roger Ebert, SA – Satellite Awards, SAG – Screen Actors Guild (best ensemble), SFFC – San Francisco Film Critics, Sla – Slant Magazine (see site for full lists)
* As always the list isn’t comprehensive just those I’ve run across, feel free to add additional notes in comments.
We’re wrapping up the year and critics and award shows are singing the praises of the best of 2009. Following is a consolidation of what I’ve found on folk’s best lists.
