THE TOP 20 FILMS OF 2009                                                         
By Daniel Dercksen

As a film journalist feeding your passion by spending most time in the dark, it is great to experience the world of film in all its magical guises and potent content. It's mostly content versus context and hopefully a blissful union that celebrates the and writing of films.
Having seen 215 of the 220 films released in South Africa during 2009 on the big screen in a cinema, it is an impossible task to select top ten films  that are ambassadors of the best cinema has to offer.
Here's a list of the Top 20 films that were released in South Africa on the commercial and arthouse circuits and offered ideal escapism,  celebrating the art of filmmaking and the craft of storytelling in their respective genres, turning the ordinary into the extraordinary, offering first rate entertainment:

# 1 Avatar
There's a new, magical, word that transforms the history of cinema and the future of entertainment on the big screen: Avatar If there is one film guaranteed to blow your mind, it's most definitely this ultra spectacular and epical fantasy-adventure. It is a unique film that connects to primal emotion and the human intellect; it is a life changing experience that engages you emotionally and intellectually. It is a film you will experience and feel, and ultimately take home with you. It takes us to a spectacular world beyond imagination, where a newcomer from Earth embarks on an epic adventure, ultimately fighting to save the alien world he has learned to call home.   Read more    Review   

# 2 Every Little Step
Documentary filmmaking at its most exciting. A captivating and tearful journey into the heart and soul of dancers and the birth of a new musical.  The documentary that explores the incredible journey of the latest revival of the musical A Chorus Line from ambitious idea to international phenomenon.  It goes behind the scenes with exclusive interviews and footage of the revival's audition process, revealing the dramatic journey of the performers. Read more

# 3 Invictus
It sometimes helps to see you own familiar world through someone else's eyes. It is a rewarding experience to see the birth of a New South Africa through the eyes of filmmaker Clint Eastwood, who's remarkable Invictus offers an emotional journey into the heart and soul of a country that stood divided and was united by Nelson Mandela. Invictus tells the inspiring true story of how Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) joined forces with the captain of South Africa's rugby team, Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon), to help unite their country. In 2009 Eastwood also gave us the powerful human dramas Grant Torino, taking on the role of an iron-willed and inflexible Korean War veteran, living in a changing world, who is forced by his immigrant neighbours to confront his own long-held prejudices; and he directed  Changeling, a captivating journey into the life of a woman who believed in hope, despite all odds.  Read more Review

# 4 Song of Sparrows
World cinema that speaks to everyone, no matter what corner of the world you are from. From director Majid Majidi (Children from Heaven) comes this unforgettable story of Karim, who works at an ostrich farm outside of Tehran, Iran. He leads a simple and contented life with his family in his small house, until one day when one of the ostriches runs away. Karim is blamed for the loss and is fired from the farm. Thus begins his new profession: ferrying people and goods through heavy traffic. But the people and material goods that he deals will daily starts to transform Karim's generous and honest nature, much to the distress of his wife and daughters. It is up to those closest to him to restore the values that he had once cherished... Read more

# 5  District 9
It's 'War of the Worlds' in Soweto when a spaceship settles over the township and changes the future of South Africa in Neill Blomkamp's  mind-blowing and explosive sci-fi thriller.   Over twenty years ago, aliens made first contact with Earth.  Humans waited for the hostile attack, or the giant advances in technology.  Neither came.  Instead, the aliens were refugees from their home world.  The creatures were set up in a makeshift home in South Africa's District 9 as the world's nations argued over what to do with them. Now, patience over the alien situation has run out. Control over the aliens has been contracted out to Multi-National United (MNU), a private company uninterested in the aliens' welfare.  Read more

# 6 Departures
An inspiring and life affirming film about a man who discovers the miracle of life through the rituals of death. Winner of the 2009 Oscar for Best Foreign film. Daigo Kobayashi is a devoted cellist in an orchestra that has just been dissolved and now finds himself without a job. Daigo decides to move back to his old hometown with his wife to look for work and start over. He answers a classified ad entitled "Departures" thinking it is an advertisement for a travel agency only to discover that the job is actually for a funeral professional who prepares deceased bodies for burial and entry into the next life.  Read more


# 7 The Time Traveler's Wife
One of the most imaginative love stories of the year. Based on Audrey Niffenegger's best-selling book about a love that transcends time, it was adapted by Bruce Joel Rubin (who won an Oscar for his script of Ghost), and directed by  Robert Schwentke (Flightplan).  Eric Bana (Star Trek, Munich) plays a time traveler - cursed with a rare genetic anomaly that causes him to live his life on a shifting timeline, skipping back and forth through his lifespan with no control. Clare (Rachel McAdams) has been in love with Henry (Eric Bana) her entire life.  She believes they are destined to be together, even though she never knows when they will be separated. Read more Interview with Rachel Mc Adams and Eric Bana

# 8 Passengers
One of the most extraordinary love stories and intelligent mindbenders of the year. Make sure not to know too much before watching the film. It is one of those quiet films that will remain with you long after leaving the cinema. After a horrific plane crash, a young therapist, Claire Summers (Anne Hathaway), is assigned by her to counsel the flight's five remaining passengers and  determined to uncover the truth. She is drawn deeper into a conspiracy--and deeper into a relationship with Eric--that will soon collide in an explosive twist of fate. There are no bonus features. Read more

# 9 Angels and Demons
The team behind the global phenomenon The Da Vinci Code returns with Tom Hanks reprising his role as Harvard religious expert Robert Langdon, who once again finds that forces with ancient roots are willing to stop at nothing, even murder, to advance their goals. When Langdon discovers evidence of the resurgence of an ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati - the most powerful underground organization in history - he also faces a deadly threat to the existence of the secret organization's most despised enemy: the Catholic Church. Based upon the bestselling novel by Dan Brown. Read more

# 10 Watchmen
A spectacular visual treat, brimming with sensuality and filled with hardcore action. If you are seeking pure escapism that is vibrant, visual and visceral, ensure to experience its potent magic on the big screen. Fortunately, the effect-driven context  is supported by a complex narrative that offers food for thought, and vibrant characters that sizzle.  This complex, multi-layered mystery adventure, set in an alternate 1985 America in which costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society, and the "Doomsday Clock" - which charts the USA's tension with the Soviet Union - is permanently set at five minutes to midnight.  Read more

# 11 Man on Wire
An original and exceptionally well crafted documentary that celebrates the art of storytelling. On August 7th 1974, a young Frenchman named Philippe Petit stepped out on a wire illegally rigged between New York's twin towers, then the world's tallest buildings. James Marsh's documentary brings Petit's extraordinary adventure to life through the testimony of Philippe himself, and some of the co-conspirators who helped him create the unique and magnificent spectacle that became known as "the artistic crime of the century." Read more

# 12  Drag me to hell
This is the most fun you'll ever have watching a horror! Director Sam Raimi ("Spider-Man" trilogy, "Evil Dead" series) returns to the horror genre with an original tale of a young woman's desperate quest to break an evil curse. Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) is an ambitious L.A. loan officer with a charming boyfriend, Professor Clay Dalton (Justin Long). Life is good until the mysterious Mrs. Ganush (Lorna Raver) arrives at the bank to beg for an extension on her home loan. When Christine shams Mrs. Ganush and dispossessing her of her home, the old woman places the powerful curse of the Lamia on Christine, transforming her life into a living hell. Read more

# 13 Brüno
If there is one film that is guaranteed to cause ample outrage and shock anything that has a pulse, it's the outrageous biting satire Brüno, and extreme and daring onslaught on the senses that will turn your worldview inside out and upside down. Exposing shocking hypocrisies of Western culture, Baron Cohen and director Larry Charles and have created the gutsiest, craziest and most dangerous comedy to be released in mainstream theaters.  In Brüno, Baron Cohen introduces moviegoers to the next character from his award-winning series: a gay fashionista who is the host of the top-rated late night fashion show in any German-speaking country…apart from Germany.Brüno's mission?  To become the biggest Austrian celebrity since Hitler.  His strategy?  To crisscross the globe in the hopes of finding fame and love. Brüno is shock treatment for the conventional; making no feeble excuses or justifications and never compromising its affirmations. It succeeds triumphantly as social commentary that dares to challenge and provoke conversation and rousing debate. Brüno is an anthem about who we are, about what we are, but mostly about our desperate quest for recognition and acceptance. Read more

# 14 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
David Fincher's charming masterwork is guaranteed to change the way you see the world. It is an unbelievable cinematic experience that is masterfully crafted, splendidly scripted, with brilliant direction and powerhouse performances all round. It is a truly spectacular and captivating emotional journey, a magical experience that embraces the differences that separate and makes one feel good about being able to imagine the impossible. Surrender to it wholeheartedly and be seduced by its passion. "I was born under unusual circumstances." And so begins "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," adapted from the 1920s story by F. Scott Fitzgerald about a man who is born in his eighties and ages backwards: a man, like any of us, who is unable to stop time. Read more

# 15 Up!
Carl Fredricksen spent his entire life dreaming of exploring the globe and experiencing life to its fullest.  But at age 78, life seems to have passed him by, until a twist of fate (and a persistent 8-year old Wilderness Explorer named Russell) gives him a new lease on life.  Carl finally fulfills his lifelong dream of a great adventure when he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America. But he discovers all too late that his biggest nightmare has stowed away on the trip: an overly optimistic 9-year-old Wilderness Explorer named Russell. Read more Interview with Writer/director Pete Docter (Monsters, Inc) and first-time producer Jonas Rivera 

# 16 Whatever Works
Woody Allen at his best, once again re-inventing cinema with his unique way of telling a story and changing the way we look at film. Allen returns to New York with an offbeat comedy about  a crotchety misanthrope (Larry David) and a naïve, impressionable young runaway from the south (Evan Rachel Wood). When her uptight parents, (Patricia Clarkson and Ed Begley, Jr.) arrive to rescue her, they are quickly drawn into wildly unexpected romantic entanglements. (Taking out of their own.) Everyone discovers that finding love is just a combination of lucky chance and appreciating the value of 'whatever works'. In 2009 Woody Allen also gave us the sublime romance Vicky Christina Barcelona.  Read more

# 17 Slumdog Millionaire
A sumptuous cinematic feast that truly celebrates the art of storytelling and the craft of filmmaking.  A well deserved Oscar-winner, Danny Boyle knows how to tell a story that is entertaining, captivating and offers a meaningful journey packed with punch! Jamal Malik, an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, is about to experience the biggest day of his life. With the whole nation watching, he is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? The genesis of Slumdog Millionaire began when the Head of Film and Drama at Channel 4, Tessa Ross, received a call from Film4's book scout, Kate Sinclair, who explained that she'd read a proof of an extraordinary story.  Read more

# 18 Frost/ Nixon
Captivating entertainment that provokes intelligent conversation. A must for anyone seeking solid drama, with good performances from Frank Langella as Nixon and Michael Sheen as Frost, a first-rate script, meticulous direction.  A film for discerning audiences and those trying to get away from popcorn fluff. The battle between Richard Nixon,   the disgraced president with a legacy to save, and David Frost, a jet-setting featherweight television personality with a name to make. The untold story of the historic encounter that changed both. In summer 1977, the televised David Frost/Richard Nixon interviews attracted the largest audience for a news program in the history of American TV.  Read more 

# 19 2012
Prepare yourself for the ultimate in action adventure. You will be on the edge of your seat as Mother Nature unleashes her fury on mankind. With the release of the apocalyptic thriller 2012, it is evident that cinema is an ideal home for the end of the world. The filmmakers have utilised all their toys, talent and technology to serve the vision of writer-director Roland Emmerich and celebrate the art of film and the craft of filmmaking. 2012 is the mother lode of disaster films. Read more  Interview with Roland Emmerich  Interview with John Cusack   

# 20 A Christmas Carol
A consummate work of art, featuring first rate direction by visionary Robert Zemeckis, an astounding performance by Jim Carrey and a powerful music score by Alan Silvestri.  The classic Dickens tale bursts to glorious life in a groundbreaking 3-D motion picture event.  Ebenezer Scrooge (JIM CARREY) begins the Christmas holiday with his usual miserly contempt, barking at his faithful clerk (GARY OLDMAN) and his cheery nephew (COLIN FIRTH).  But when the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come take him on an eye-opening journey revealing truths Old Scrooge is reluctant to face, he must open his heart to undo years of ill will before it's too late. Read more  Interview with Robert Zemeckis

2009 RETROSPECT The art of filmmaking was truly celebrated with the distribution of 250 films. Read more