The year of 2009 has come and almost gone, and what a year it has been. With hundreds of titles released, the job of narrowing down the best of the best is not an easy one. Some small films have really risen to the top while some blockbusters have bombed. By the end of the year, this top 10 list may change a little, but all in all, big or small, this list contains the movies I think are the best of the best-the must-sees of 2009.10. Earth: This Disney documentary takes the focus away from humans and shifts it to the animal kingdom in this beautifully shot film. Going from Africa to Antarctica and polar bears to elephants to blue whales, this documentary really gives a great view of the diverse animal life on our planet. Even if you aren't a nature lover, the incredible stories following different animal families trying to survive in a world of aggressors gives us something to cheer for.

9. Zombieland: If you think Zombieland is just another Shaun of the Dead, then you are very wrong. Starring Woody Harrelson, Jessie Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin, Zombieland follows around Columbus (Eisenberg), one of the last survivors of a zombie infestation (thanks to his neurotically effective rules). If you are looking for a good laugh, a hilariously surprising cameo and some great one-liners that you will be repeating again and again, Zombieland is just for you.

8. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince: I really enjoy the Harry Potter books, and I really don't enjoy when a good book is ruined by a lackluster movie. Luckily for me and many fans, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince pulls off the balance between staying true to its story while still making a great movie. Knowing that director David Yates will return for the final two films is uplifting because he did such a good job with this one.

7. Where the Wild Things Are: Spike Jonze's adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic children's book came out to mixed reviews. Some thought it was too grown-up for a younger audience, some thought it tried to extend the source material too far, but I thought it was just right. Jonze, one of the most interesting directors in Hollywood, managed to create a film that truly captures what it is to be a confused child growing up and all of the emotions from anger to fear to just wanting to be loved.

6. A Serious Man: From Fargo to The Big Lebowski to No Country for Old Men, Joel and Ethan Coen have made everything from funny to strange to dark movies to a mix of all three. A Serious Man is a tale about Larry Gopnick (played by newcomer Michael Stuhlbarg), a Jewish man living in the Midwest in 1967, as his life unravels by its seams like that of a modern-day Job. With a script filled with allegory and symbolism, the actors (most of whom were new to feature films) all rise to the occasion and make one of the weirdest and most thought-provoking movies I have seen in a while.

5. Star Trek: Star Trek isn't just for the hardcore fans anymore. This sci-fi action flick from acclaimed director J.J. Abrams starred quite a cast, including many breakout stars like Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Anton Yelchin as well as many other big names (Eric Bana, Leonard Nimoy). The movie was interesting and even kept me, a nonfan, very much involved and wanting more Kirk, Spock, Scotty and the rest of the crew soon after it ended. This was a great reboot to the series and can be loved by anyone: man, woman, child or Romulan.

4. The Hangover: What can be said about the most-quoted buddy comedy of the summer that hasn't already been said? The premise of four guys getting drunk in Vegas for their buddy's bachelor party and waking up with a trashed hotel room and missing their friend is nothing new, but the journey is what made this so special. With perfectly cast actors and a surprise breakout performance from Zach Galifianakis, along with some amazing cameos (Mike Tyson, specifically), this is a great comedy that proves director Todd Phillips (of Old School fame) still has it.

3. Moon: Probably the least recognizable on my list, Moon (no, not the Twilight one) is the story of a man, Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell), who is approaching the end of his lonely three-year stay on the moon where he has been sent to help solve the Earth's future power problems. Rockwell gives the should-be Oscar-winning performance of a lifetime as essentially the only on-screen character for two straight hours (he is kept company by his robot GERTY, voiced by Kevin Spacey), carrying the film with apparent ease. The plot contains many great twists that will keep the viewer guessing until the very end.

2. District 9: The sleeper hit of the summer, directed by then-unknown Neil Blomkamp, is about the relationship between aliens forced to live in slumlike conditions after their ship lands in Johannesburg, South Africa and the humans who are trying to figure out who the aliens are. Though it appears to be a basic sci-fi action film, it is actually so much more than that. A film that has both incredible character development and such relevant commentary on how humanity deals with the unknown creates a very strong dynamic. Factor in the incredible effects and this becomes a must-see.

1. Inglorious Basterds: Quentin Tarantino doesn't come out with a movie every single year, but when he does, it's always worth seeing. Aside from the superb acting from Brad Pitt, Eli Roth and Christoph Waltz, there was also an amazingly smart script shot in a beautifully stylistic way that only Tarantino could pull off.



Any definitive list of movies cannot be complete without including the months of December and early January. It is at this time that studios release their major blockbusters pushing for big Oscar nominations. While there appear to be upward of 20 great films in the coming months, here are the top five movies I'm most excited to see over break!

Nine: Take another musical directed by Rob Marshall, director of Chicago. Throw in Daniel Day Lewis, scantily clad women (Penelope Cruz, Fergie, Kate Hudson, Nicole Kidman) and skillful singing and dancing, and it's sure to be a great time. Adapted from a 1982 Tony Award-winning musical, which was adapted from a play, which was adapted from Federico Fellini's classic film 8 , it looks like this film has something for everyone.

Avatar: If you haven't seen a preview for Avatar, James Cameron's $400 million technologically advanced sci-fi love story, then look it up now. James Cameron has literally created a world out of nothing with a technology so advanced he had to wait 10 years for science to catch up to his vision. With Cameron, master of both the romantic love story (Titanic) and sci-fi action film (Terminator, Aliens), a crossover epic is very welcome.

Sherlock Holmes: Pair Guy Ritchie, the king of heist movies (Snatch, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels), with Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law and Rachel Weisz to bring Arthur Conan Doyle's sleuth to the 21st century. The trailers look very promising, with a much different and more explosive Sherlock Holmes than we imagine but without forgetting the sleuthy nature at the core of the character.

Up in the Air: Director Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking, Juno) comes back this time dealing not with lobbyists or teen pregnancy but with the mid-life crisis. The film follows Ryan Bingham (George Clooney), a constantly traveling corporate hire whose idea of a good time is picking up frequent-flyer miles and sampling the hotel bar. When his company decides to permanently ground him, he is forced to look at the life he has made for himself and see if he is really happy. Handling heavy characters with light charm is what Clooney and Reitman do best, and with extremely positive early festival buzz, this is definitely a must see.

Invictus: Invictus dramatizes Nelson Mandela's efforts to rally post-apartheid South Africa in support of the 1995 national Rugby World Cup team led by Francois Pienaar. Directed by the acclaimed Clint Eastwood and starring Morgan Freeman as Mandela and Matt Damon as Pienaar, this film has awards written all over it.