Bogdan Coman’s blog

There are three main categories I use to classify the movies I like:
(M) Mood-Changing Movies - Few are the movies that can shift your mood when you see them. Doesn’t really matter if it makes me feel happy, upset, angry, revenged, etc… once a movie can change my state of mine… I like it.
(E) Entertaining Movies - Go figure… usually high budget movies.
(A) Art Movies - Since filmmaking is an art, some movies can show a great video editing, sound editing, costumes, have philosophical touches, etc.

Before going over what I think are the best movies of 2009, I would first suggest “Michael Jackson’s This Is It“. As I said last year, the order is not random:

Watchmen (M&E&A) - This is the movie I like the most, not just because it’s a great one, but because I saw it when I needed the most.
Avatar (M&E&A) - If Star Wars revolutionized the film industry three decades ago and Matrix did it a decade ago, I think Avatar did it this time.
The Boat That Rocked (M&E) - Sex. Hot and passionate sex.
Invictus (M&A) - This is just another made for Oscar movie. I couldn’t help myself to notice that in South Africa they were having CRT flat screen TVs back in 1995. Probably it was just a technical issue to use old TVs, as they needed a refresh rate higher than 60hz to look good. The movie is about true leadership, uniting people and the 1995 Rugby World Cup that I had the chance to see on TV, not on a flat one, though.
The Hurt Locker (M&E) - Nicely made. If it would not be for the propagandistic idea in the end, the movie would be even better.
I love you man (M&E) - there were -5°C when we got out from this movie, but I was feeling it like +40°C
Star Trek (M&E) - Awesome job in reinventing Star Trek.
Fantastic Mr. Fox(A) - Art. Pure art.
Angels & Demons (E&A)
Everybody’s Fine (M) - Very well done. I have no idea why some people were laughing during the movie…
Paranormal Activity (M) - Brilliant! Probably the biggest ROI a movie can bring.
Nine (M&A)
Up (A)
The Blind Side (M) - when it’s about him/her, it doesn’t really matter what you think is better, but whether if he/she care about your opinion or not.
Sherlock Holmes (E&A)

Other good movies of 2009, this time in the order I watched them: The International (E), Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (E), Knowing (E), State of Play(E&A), The Proposal (E), Flash of Genius (A), The Soloist (A), Public Enemies(E&A), The Hangover (E), The Ugly Truth (E), (500) Days of Summer (M&A), District 9 (M&E&A), Inglourious Basterds (E), Julie & Julia (A), Mr. Nobody (A), Moon (M), The Informant (E), Coco avant Chanel (A), Couples Retreat (E), Law Abiding Citizen (M&E), The Men Who Stare At Goats (E), Disney’s A Christmas Carol (E&A), The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day (M&E), 2012 (M&E), Ninja Assassin (E), The Road (M), All About Steve (M), Armored (E), Up In The Air (M), Precious (M), The Young Victoria (A), The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans (E), The Last Station (A), The Lovely Bones (A).

What can I say, it was a great year to go to the theater. If my math is correct, 4 movies from the above I watched at home. In total I watched just above a hundred in the cinema room.

Again, shame on me, I’ve fallen asleep during two movies in the cinema room, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs and The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus. However, during one of them I was not the only one to do it, a friend of mine slept too, probably because of the night before

On our way home from The Bourne Ultimatum, we (I and my wife) were amazed by the video editing style, so we decided that we should have the movie when it will be released for sale, and we thought that it would be a shame if the film editor, Christopher Rouse, would not get an Oscar for this. Well, he did get one.

As I’m a film fan, I will try to create a yearly top, with the “must have” movies. Most of them would be box office movies, since we don’t have easy access for the artistic and low budget ones. Also, because when it comes to movies everyone’s a critic, I will try to hold most of my opinions.

So, the 2008 movies that I like most and I want to have (the order is not random ;-)):

RocknRolla - don’t want to spoil anything, so I will just say that you have to be crazy and have guts to do a comedy like this.
Taken - I recommend this movie for when you fill like revenging or fighting someone that you don’t have access to.
The Dark Knight - If I consider Jack Nicholson as magnificent in playing Joker in the 1989 “Batman”, I’m stunned by Heath Ledger’s performance from this Batman.
Slumdog Millionaire - this is to me the best movie from 2008 from the film making point of view.
The Wrestler - great movie in the way it’s transmitting the feelings and defining the characters.
Kung Fu Panda - very funny animated movie for grown-up people, that’s drawing lots of ethics
Australia - I’ve seen this movie from the first row seats… and it’s a loooong movie. Although, very good adventure and love story.
Seven Pounds - I love Will Smith’s acting performance from this movie (I would give him an Oscar for this one, though he’s not even among the nominees). He’s having like a constipated figure for the entire movie :-).

As for love stories (although I’m not a big fan), I liked to see and I would like to buy the 2008 movies: PS: I love you, Wall-E, Zack & Miri Make a Porno, Forgetting Sarah Marshall and, of course, Twilight. DiCaprio’s movies were very good too: Revolutionary Road and Body of Lies.

Although I’ve fallen asleep during Sex and the City and The Spirit, I can say that I regret none of the movies I’ve seen in 2008 and that the quality in general was very high. I hope that the economic crises will not affect the budgets in the near future.