10 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.  Go behind the scenes of Invictus Read the review






9 Revolutionary Road
Sam Mendes masterfully draws all passion out of the loveless marriage, powerfully exploring the dynamics that destroy an idyllic world. It poses a question that has been reverberating through modern relationships: can two people break away from the ordinary without breaking apart? Now available on DVD with great bonus features that include commentary by director Sam Mendes and screenwriter Justin Haythe; 'Lives of Quiet Desperation' the making of the film; and deleted scenes. Go behind the scenes






8 The Proposal
When high-powered New York book editor Margaret (Sandra Bullock) faces deportation to her native Canada, the quick-thinking exec declares that she's actually engaged to her unsuspecting put-upon assistant Andrew (Ryan Reaynolds), whom she's tormented for years. He agrees to participate in the charade, but with a few conditions of his own. The unlikely couple heads to Alaska to meet his quirky family and the always-in-control city girl finds herself in one comedic fish-out-of-water situation after another. With an impromptu wedding in the works and an immigration official on their tails, Margaret and Andrew reluctantly vow to stick to the plan despite the precarious consequences. Anne Fletcher ("Step Up," "27 Dresses") directs from an original screenplay by Peter Chiarelli. David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman of Mandeville Films ("Beverly Hills Chihuahua," "Traitor") produce.  Now available on DVD. Go behind the scenes







7 The Reader
In post-WWII Germany when teenager Michael Berg becomes ill and is helped home by Hanna, a stranger twice his age. Michael recovers from scarlet fever and seeks out Hanna to thank her. The two are quickly drawn into a passionate but secretive affair. With no screenplay completed, Daldy--who studied German as a boy and had lived in Berlin--began asking Minghella about the possibility of directing THE READER. Realizing it would be some time before he himself could become so involved with the production, Minghella agreed to let Daldry direct, with the provisos that it become Daldry's next project, and that he and Pollack would stay on board as producers. Now available on DVD.  Go behind the scenes




6 The Hangover
From "Old School" director Todd Phillips comes a comedy about a bachelor party gone very, very wrong. Two days before his wedding, Doug (Justin Bartha) drives to Las Vegas with his best buddies Phil and Stu (Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms) and his future brother-in-law Alan (Zach Galifianakis), for a blow-out bachelor party they vow they'll never forget.  But when the three groomsmen wake up the next morning with pounding headaches, they can't remember a thing.  Their luxury hotel suite is beyond trashed and the groom is nowhere to be found.  With no clue about what happened and little time to spare, the trio must attempt to retrace their bad decisions from the night before in order to figure out where things went wrong in the hopes of finding Doug and getting him back to L.A. in time for his wedding. But the more they begin to uncover, the more they realize just how much trouble they're really in.The film is directed by Todd Phillips ("Old School") from a screenplay by Jon Lucas & Scott Moore ("Four Christmases"). Now available on DVD.   Go behind the scenes



5 Julie & Julia
Meryl Streep is Julia Child and Amy Adams is writer Julie Powell in Nora Ephron's comedy Julie & Julia. Before Ina, before Rachael, before Emeril, there was Julia, the woman who forever changed the way America cooks. But in 1948, Julia Child (Meryl Streep) was just an American woman living in France.  Her husband's job has brought them to Paris, and with her indefatigable spirit, she yearned for something to do.  Fifty years later, Julie Powell (Amy Adams) is stuck.  Pushing 30, living in Queens and working in a cubicle as her friends achieve stunning successes, she seizes on a seemingly insane plan to focus her energies.  Julie decides to spend exactly a year cooking all 524 recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking (which Child co-wrote with Louise Bertholle and Simone Beck) - and write a blog about her experiences.Director-writer-producer Nora Ephron seamlessly melds these two remarkable true stories into a comedy that proves that if you have the right combination of passion, obsession, and butter, you can change your life and achieve your dreams. Go behind the scenes



4 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. Go behind the scenes Interview with Writer/director Pete Docter (Monsters, Inc) and first-time producer Jonas Rivera 





3 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.  Go behind the scenes







2 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.  Go behind the scenes of District 9










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.   Behind the Scene    Review   

Editor's choice TOP 20 FILMS OF 2009

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