Top Ten of 2009 (intro)

As we reach the end of 2009, we... what, that was six months ago? Oh well, better late than never.

Eligibility for this list is that it needed to play its first booking in the Dayton-Springfield area (where I reside) in the calendar year 2009. This means 2009 Oscar films such as Crazy Heart, The White Ribbon, or The Last Station are not eligible until the 2010 list.

Before unveiling my choice for the ten films of 2009, here, in alphabetical order, are my 10 runners-up:

Away We Go. I found Sam Mendes' road movie totally engagin, and the pairing of Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski totally engaging. And I was geniuinely moved by the ending, of finding the home they were searching for.

District 9. I'm kind of surprised it didn't crack my top ten too. Certainly the most original of the big sci-fi hits of the year. Sharlto Copley take a character which inspires derision at the begining of the film, and then sympathy, and pity, and finally a rooting interest. One of the true acting feats of the year.

Every Little Step.

The Fantastic Mr. Fox.

Food, Inc.

The Hangover.

Moon.

Ponyo.

The Princess and the Frog.

A Serious Man.