Jim's favorite movies of 2009: The movie

Nicely done, Jim. I was pleased to see a few of my favorites (which you hadn't yet discussed on this space) like "Police, Adjective" and "Fantastic Mr. Fox."

And an excellent choice for No. 1. It will be near the top of my list as well.

Jim, Great choices, great compilation. Beautifully put together. A Serious Man is the funniest, scariest movie of the year. Great way to end. Thanks for the memories, Dan

Jim,

I've never seen a list done like this before. A lovely approach.

Roger

For those of us that are less informed, can we get a short list of the movies showcased in this clip? I didn't recognize a number of the clips and haven't seen many movies this year.

I was in Britain for 6 weeks this summer and while in Inverness I stopped into this theater playing two movies: "35 Shots of Rum" and a movie called "Sleep Furiously". Have you seen this movie Jim? It's actually quite interesting for a movie about absolutely nothing. However now I wish I had gone to see the other. But I recommend it. It's just a series of non-events. The camera never moves and after about an hour it starts getting really funny. And how does "A Serious Man" not have a dvd release date?

Great video! I still think your video from 2007 is my favorite of your 'best of' videos, just because of the visual concept. You made shots from 10 different films feel like they were all living in the same film, riffing off of 'The Eclipse' while by extension, remaking your own version of the opening of 'NCFOM'.

I'm a little disappointed 'Watchmen' was removed from the list since you posted it on MSN Movies. Still, it's a great list. A Serious Man is most definitely my #1 movie of 2009 as well.

As with any worthwhile list, you've got a couple of movies I strongly disliked (Serious Man, Headless Woman), a couple I absolutely loved (Limits of Control, Police, Adjective, Summer Hours) and a few in-between.

At first, I thought you were holding too long on that scene from Inglorious Basterds but with the final camera move to show Christoph Waltz descending the stair case on the right (after we saw Melanie Laurent) I am reminded of some of the strengths of QT at his best. He's certainly not an intensified continuity guy despite the "ADHD" personality he projects in interviews.

JE: Interesting. I see "Serious Man," "Headless Woman," "Limits of Control" and "Police, Adjective" (and "White Ribbon" and "The Hurt Locker") almost as one continuous movie -- about attempts to frame the unknown, the unabsorbable. They're all epistemological detective stories that hold our gaze and get us to question what we think we know about what we observe. As for the "Basterds" shot -- it blew me away and yet I don't know anybody else who even mentioned it. It's a complex single take, performed in the shape of a 3D figure 8 (THIS is 3D filmmaking, Mr. Cameron) drawn in the air over the lobby, and it marks the only time all the film's major characters are tied together in a single shot -- though they never all occupy the frame at the same time. It's seamless, and this is almost the whole thing (a few tenths of a second trimmed at the end to avoid another subtitle right before the cut to Tilda Swinton doing HER drag runway walk to match Christoph Waltz's runway promenade). It's introduced by the Headless Woman -- one blonde in a red dress looking down, match cut to another, shot from below: Shoshanna, the projectionist. The former has her sunglasses knocked off (but puts them back on, as blinders, after the accident; the latter has just put her face on and pulled down her "Maria Braun" veil to go onstage at this surprise party she's throwing...

I will never be able to listen to "Surrealistic Pillow" the same way ever again. Nor will I think of Santana "Abraxas" as I did before.

Jim, I loved the compilation, loved the video. And you have put together a fascinating group of films. I think I will have to see Goodbye Solo again, and Sita Sings the Blues. I have not seen White Ribbon yet, but I will soon with our friend Joan.
Happy New Year dear one.

Beautiful presentation of your year-end list, Jim.

I wish we could all see movie like you do! I have seen four on your list, including those on the cutting-room floor, and I love them all.

On a related note, the absolute best internet moments of real criticism of any film in 2009 are all the quite insightful comments and seriously thoughtful writers, including you, I read regarding "Inglourious Basterds." The seriousness of writing about movie zeitgeist is not dead, it just those writers, careful observers, and lovers have been pushed out of the contracting print media and have found safe internet harbors.

Cheers to you and the best writers about movies!

could that explosion scene from "Hurt Locker" be any more perfect? not a single wrong shot, edit, performance note, in the whole scene.

Hi Jim, Sita Sings the Blues has been touted as "the Greatest Break-Up Story Ever Told." Frankly, and while I am of the opinion that it is indeed a great and very satisfying film, Sita Sings the Blues is actually more like "the Greatest Revenge Story Ever Told."

(^_^)

Fortunately enough, The Headless Woman is available for instant watch on Netflix so I just watched it. I can think of few movies I've seen recently that say so much by doing so little. The sound editing was some of the best I've seen this year and visually I loved what was taking place. Apparently the film is being accused of being too ambiguous (and we all know much we hate ambiguity) but everything in the film is done with such purpose. This includes a degree of ambiguity, as we shown in a shot towards the end of the film in which we see the wedding party through a sort of hazy lens provided by a glass door. Anyway, bravo on your own editing of this piece. It was great to see some of my favorite films of the year tied together so logically and seamlessly.

It was great not only to see "Summer Hours" here, but my favorite shot from "Summer Hours"! The upward stairs (and Helene) disappearing into the trees. It's a relatively brief shot--glad I'm not the only one who appreciates it.

Great video! Any chance or consideration to making one for your favorites from the past decade?

Nice. You say that many of these films are "epistemological detective stories," so then may I recommend Accept The Mystery as a fitting secondary title for your movie?

And while we're all busy trying to accept the mystery, may I also mention two of my favorite shots of '09?: Tulpan's pair of birth scenes, which are about the mysteries of our animal stewardship and, more generally, of existence. And there's another shot in that movie, in which an animal doctor comes to take away an injured camel on his motorcycle. He continually asks, to characters offscreen, "Is she there?" and we come to learn he is referring to the camel's mother, who will not idly watch her child taken away. When she disappears, there's a desperate attempt to get the troublesome cycle started, and then she comes running... It's pure cinema to rival the Coens', but different in that the filmmakers have constructed a setpiece in which so many elements are out of their control. Still, it unfolds like clockwork.

Simply sublime. The best one yet.

Jim, annotated, please.

JE: Working on the "commentary track" now!

Mom, can I watch it again?

Favorite dogs (and cats) of 2009?

That was brilliant. Bravo.

I was wondering, where do you get the clips from? i'd like to edit a similar video myself

I've read your excellent homage to Barbara Stanwyck at her website, and I tried to write a mail for you there, but couldn't find a place where to leave a commentary.
I'm trying to prove that she played the minor role of a chorinne in Ginger Rogers' early effort FOLLOW THE LEADER (1930), and I have a photograph to support my theory. Only that years seem to refuse my thought. By 1930 Barbara was already a starlet, isn't it? Could she have played an uncredited chorus girl?
If you give me a email address, I can attach this photograph I'm making reference to.
Thanks in advance.

I've read your excellent homage to Barbara Stanwyck at her website, and I tried to write a mail for you there, but couldn't find a place where to leave a commentary.
I'm trying to prove that she played the minor role of a chorinne in Ginger Rogers' early effort FOLLOW THE LEADER (1930), and I have a photograph to support my theory. Only that years seem to refuse my thought. By 1930 Barbara was already a starlet, isn't it? Could she have played an uncredited chorus girl?
If you give me a email address, I can attach this photograph I'm making reference to.
Thanks in advance.