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My, What a Big Gun You Have | Benicio Del Toro Goes Revolutionary in Che, Pt. 1.

Due to a multitude of factors (work, reality, lack of interest) my film-going was severely diminished in 2009 as opposed to previous years. With that in mind, this list is in many ways compromised as I’ve missed films I should have seen, stopped taking chances on films I’ve might have seen, and given up on the films that I ought to see.  That being said, the 10 films on this list are exceptional works that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to anyone. With each new year, the majority of pundits bemoan gloom and doom and the death of cinema with exceeding regularity. I sense exactly the opposite; with the advancement of technology we’ve entered a golden age of opportunity for filmmakers to create and distribute their films electronically for little or no money to a worldwide audience. The challenge (as always) is if they have anything to say — something you won’t have to worry about with the following: 
Secret Sunshine: Dir: Lee-Chang Dong. Brilliant Korean film that played briefly at the Metro. The saga of a woman overcoming enormous emotional and physical trauma to embrace the beauty of life ... in her own inimitable way. A film that stops on a dime, consistently changes direction, and is magical, unpredictable and true in ways that are completely at odds with the conventions of main-stream cinema.

Limits of Control: Dir: Jim Jarmusch. Widely misunderstood, Jarmusch’s fever-dream noir re-interpretation of John Boorman’s Point Blank with Isaach De Barkole playing the Lee Marvin character and fighting the good fight for art against commerce. A film that will grow in stature for years to come.

Waltz With Bashir: Dir: Ari Folman. Justifiably recognized world-wide, Folman’s memory nightmare of his time as an Israeli infantry soldier during the Lebanese war speaks a harsh truth about the destruction combat has on all peoples. By inviting animation, Folman captures the hallucinatory intensity of the futility of destruction. 

O’Horten: Dir: Bent Hamer. The sweetest and loveliest film I saw all year. The saga of how time passes us all only to return if we allow it to. By equal means funny and sad, filled with the poetry of life and hope that invites the viewer to share in the sacred secret of humanity. 

Three Monkeys: Dir: Nuri Bilge Ceylan. A harsh and uncompromising examination of personal and collective corruption within Turkish society. Mesmerizing direction and superlative acting combine to maximize the artistic integrity of an extraordinarily difficult cultural and subject matter. Another film that will grow in stature in time. 

Tulpan: Dir: Sergey Dvortsevoy. A Kazakhstan screwball comedy that adroitly combines neorealism with Jerry Lewisism. Life-affirming in all the best of ways, a simple story of a man trying to win the woman within his heart is blessed with a honesty and generosity that most films can only dream of. 

Ponyo: Dir: Hayao Miyazaki. Another animated masterpiece by philosopher extraordinaire Miyazaki. A film that contains no villain (when was the last time you saw that?), that thrills and inspires everyone to become the best that they can possibly become. Magnificent consciousness combines with extraordinary artistry. 

Gomorrah: Dir: Matteo Garrone. A frightening unsentimental journey into organized crime in Italy and how it pervades on all levels of society. Riveting from beginning to end with a scope of purpose that is exhilarating and unsettling at the same time. When one learns about the history behind the film, the finished accomplishment becomes even more remarkable. 

Che, Pt. 1: Dir: Steven Soderburgh. An epic achievement that plays more like the Wild Bunch (sans violence) than a traditional biopic. Simultaneously intimate and expansive, the film feels like a true epic without the cliches and false heroics. Career defining performance by Benicio Del Toro as the title character.

You The Living: Dir: Roy Andersson. Andersson is a living treasure and one of the greatest artists working in film today. An episodic illumination of the mystery of life, all filmed within studio, recalls late Bunuel at his best.

Filled with the wonders of cinema that only true genius can offer.