Ranking the Best Picture Nominees

Can you believe the Oscars are just 27 days away? That’s right – March 7th at 8:00 PM (ET) the ‘Super Bowl of Hollywood’ will get underway for the 82nd time.

Although I have said that 2009 was a weaker year for movies than previous years – and I stand by that comment – that doesn’t mean there weren’t films I absolutely loved. There were quite a number of them! Now, as disappointed as I am that The Hangover wasn’t nominated for best picture, I think it’s time to rank these 10 films.

The Oscar for best picture is absolutely the biggest prize of the night. It lets that one movie go down in history as something truly special, something only 81 films can claim they have done (out of the hundreds of thousands of movies ever made). This year the academy decided to expand the nominees for best picture to 10 films instead of 5, which they once did before.

Now, I have two problems with this. The first is this – a year too late! If they were going to make the switch, it seems horribly timed given that The Dark Knight was robbed last year of a nomination in this category. If it were at 10 last year, it would have certainly gotten a nod, as it almost cracked the top 5. That’s not just the fanboy in me speaking, that’s a movie fan and critic speaking.

Second problem – it waters down the prize. Weird way of putting it I know, but I think the argument is valid. When movies like The Blind Side and District 9 are vaulted into the same category as Avatar or The Hurt Locker, the award just doesn’t seem as meaningful. Now granted, those films have almost no chance of winning, and it’s simply to boost ratings by getting a broader audience interested, but I think it’s a flat out mistake. Five films should have the honor of being nominees, not 10. But, I digress. It’s time to rank the best picture nominees.

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Let me say this though – I’ve only seen 8. So, A Serious Man and An Education (which I have zero interest in) will have to be numbers 9 and 10 automatically.

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In my humble opinion…The Best Picture nominees for the 82nd Oscars rank as follows:

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(haven’t seen)

10. An Education

9. A Serious Man

(just happy to be nominated)

8. The Blind Side

7. Precious

6. District 9

5. Up

(my serious contenders)

4. The Hurt Locker

3. Inglourious Basterds

2. Up in the Air

1. Avatar

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And there you have it. Hopefully I’ll see A Serious Man before Oscar time, but if not, the above ranking is 100 percent correct….according to me. Avatar takes the cake.

FINAL TOP 10 OF 2009!

After much debating with myself, I’ve come to the conclusion that the following 10 films were the best I saw in theaters this calender year. I’m disappointed I missed a few, such as The Hurt Locker, and this list could potentially see minor changes if Crazy Heart or The Lovely Bones cracks the top 10 (as both were released in 2009 in limited release).

Overall, 2009 was not as strong as I had hoped for, and certainly not as good as years past. There were a lot of disappointments, but some surprises too. I’ve learned to never doubt Pixar, never doubt James Cameron, and that my favorite comedians don’t always deliver. You can see the full list of every film I saw, in ranked order, on the tab above.

To the list!…

2009 Best Movie: AVATAR

2009 Biggest Surprises: THE HANGOVER & INGLORIOUS BASTERDS

2009 Biggest Disappointments: THE INVENTION OF LYING & TERMINATOR SALVATION

1. AVATAR – review

2. UP IN THE AIR – review

3. THE HANGOVER – review

4. BROTHERS – review

5.  UP – review

6. HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE – review

7. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS – review

8. I LOVE YOU, MAN- review

9. WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE – review

10. ZOMBIELAND – review

Review: Up

I missed out on Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo, Cars, Ratatouille, and Wall-E. Didn’t see one of ’em. Yes, it seems that after the Toy Story movies, for some reason or another, my interest in Pixar movies faded fast. Maybe I thought they were too childish, or maybe I just had a hunch the stories were far fetched and there was no way I could connect to anything in them. *Slaps self in head* Looks like I’ll be renting quite a few titles after tonight.

Yes, this is the main character in the movie. Oh and yes, the same movie that tugs at your heart while making you laugh (Buena Vista Pictures/aceshowbiz.com)

Up is a triumph in so many ways that it almost makes me want to start a rant on why animated movies should be considered for ‘Best Picture’ at the Oscars. That argument is for another time, and I might be getting ahead of myself. But to say it as simply as I can: this movie was perfect. It’s not for kids, nor is it for adults. This is an experience (yes, I saw it in 3D which made it that much cooler) that will resonate with a 5-year-old as it will with a 75-year-old. It was rejuvination into Hollywood, as Pixar apparently has a knack for doing every few years; a much needed break from the same old sci-fi action flick. Above all, it never lost sight of where it was headed. It was the most fun I’ve had watching a movie in a long time, and without a doubt, the most heartfelt and touching time I’ve had as well.

I feel like this whole Pixar thing might catch on soon; they’re getting quite good at storytelling for adults in a “childish” atmosphere. Now, granted the animation isn’t childish at all, but some might point to it that way and claim it as fact – take me for example, prior to tonight. But after watching Up, heck, even while watching it, you certainly get a good dosage of themes that aren’t for screaming babies and toddlers at a stupid new Eddie Murphy flick. This movie actually dealt with complex emotions, and it’s a fine line to try and walk if you’re Pixar to keep the young and old in the loop. They passed that test with flying colors as I’m sure the deeper sentiments went over the young ones’ heads. But I will honestly say, to all you anonymous Internet users, that I came close to shedding a tear quite a few times. And judging by the audience’s reaction, I wasn’t alone.

Honestly Pixar, how do you do it? Success again! (Buena Vista Pictures/aceshowbiz.com)

Up isn’t exactly The Reader, however. It’s not a sob-fest, it’s a healthy jolt of remarkable fun and humor, mixed in with that other emotion and all. So, while tears may have been close at points, the laughter was there to balance it out ever so perfectly. Hell, take the main character for your first example: Carl Fredricksen…a 78-year-old grumpy man. Who the heck thought that one up? That’s Pixar’s creativity at work. A house that flies from balloons? Uh-hu. It takes you to the most extraordinary places with the most wild of characters. There is no shortage of laughter in this jam packed 90+ minutes, and you can attribute that to clever writing, and insanely good characters.

Visually speaking, Up is a success already. You wouldn’t even need a good story, memorable characters, or laughter and love. But all those things are what sepearates Pixar movies from well, the crappier animated attempts. However, the visuals, and again I’ll stress you do see this in 3D, are wonderful. This company has a look that’s well known by now. The faces, the cars, everything, it all seems familiar. Some may wave a hand, saying “give me something new”, but why fix what hasn’t ever, ever broken? Up continues the unreal success Pixar has had making children and adults come together to enjoy a perfect night at the cinema. And I need to go rent a few of the ones I missed.

UP: (out of 4)