The 2009 RopeofSilicon Movie Awards and Full Recap

MISCELLANEOUS AWARDS

Best Ensemble Performance: The White Ribbon

RUNNER UP: In the Loop

RUNNER UP #2: A Prophet

RUNNER UP #3: Star Trek

Best Performance in a Mediocre Film: Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia)

RUNNER UP: Jake Gyllenhaal (Brothers)

Most Underrated Film of the Year: Fantastic Mr. Fox – It has earned a measly $19 million and carries a 93% RottenTomatoes rating. Sure, people say critics don’t matter anymore, but does that mean absolutely no one is listening? This is the best animated film of 2009 in my opinion and the fact it’s going to be thrown on DVD in the next few months without people enjoying it on the bigscreen is a tragedy.

Most Overrated Film of the Year: District 9 – There is always bound to be a film each of us finds ourselves disagreeing with popular opinion on. For me that film is District 9. I had a particular enjoyment of this film in theaters, but upon seeing it again I was almost completely disinterested and — after seeing it on a number of top ten lists over the past few weeks — my declining interest in it and the continued support are the main reasons you see it here.

RUNNER UP: Up in the Air – This is a good film, and I placed it as my #11 film of the year, but as far as being the Best Picture contender it has turned out to be I just can’t support that.

Most Surprising Film of the Year: Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire – After seeing the trailer I assumed watching this film would be to suffer through the misery its story would set out to portray. Instead it featured some of the year’s best acting and an overall hopeful beat at the end leaving you with more than the torment Precious went through. It’s about compassion and community and it delivers.

RUNNER UP: The Blind Side – Like Precious, my expectations for The Blind Side were lowered thanks to its trailers. Strangely enough, the awful dialogue presented in the trailers was misrepresented and far less cheesy after presented in context inside the film. However, one particular line still grates on me… but more on that in a second.

Most Disappointing Film of the Year: The Invention of Lying

RUNNER UP: Bright Star – A.O. Scott on “At the Movies” called it “Twilight for the literary set,” which I think is a perfect description, but I don’t use it as a positive as Scott does.

You can get my full top ten of 2009 disappointments right here.

Worst Use of Music in 2009: Overtone’s “Colorblind” in Invictus – This was so on-the-nose I had to stifle a laugh when it started playing during the film. It was even worse than the inexplicable use of Damien Rice’s “9 Crimes” in Shrek the Third in 2007. This song just mercilessly beats you over the head with its lyrics and to top it off it’s just not any good. I liked Invictus, but this is the only time I can ever remember a song actually serving as a film’s low point.

One of the Biggest Stories of 2009 No One Discusses Any Longer: TCM’s Top 15 List of Most Influential Films of All-Time – This list caused weeks of discussions including Slash Film‘s alternate list, CHUD‘s rebuttal and In Contention‘s user poll. Yet here we are and no one even remembers. Remember?

Best Villain I Love to Hate: Christoph Waltz as Col. Hans Landa (Inglourious Basterds)

Best Villain I Simply Hate: Mo’Nique as Mary (Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire)

RUNNER UP: Fred Melamed as Sy Ableman (A Serious Man)

Best Action Sequence: The Star Trek finale – Unfortunately I couldn’t find a clip, but the exchange between Nero and Kirk adds a particularly enjoyable stamp on this sequence and the film:

James T. Kirk: Spock, showing them compassion might go a long way to promoting peace between us and the Romulans. It’s logic, I thought you’d like it.

Spock: No. Not really. Not this time.

Nero: I would rather suffer the destruction of Romulus a thousand times than accept the help of a Federation starship!

James T. Kirk: You got it! Arm phasers. Fire everything we’ve got!

Best Visual Effects: Avatar

RUNNER UP: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Breakout Actor: Tahar Rahim, A Prophet

RUNNER UP: Alden Ehrenreich, Tetro

Breakout Actress: Gabourey Sidibe, Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire

RUNNER UP: Carey Mulligan, An Education

Craziest MPAA Rating: After recently watching Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince again I am shocked it ended up with a PG-rating. Sure, there aren’t any moments of dismemberment or an abundance of swear words, but isn’t this a particularly frightening film? Harry even blasts Malfoy with his wand causing him to bleed out and almost die. I’m not being prudish, just looking at things in perspective and the MPAA continues to baffle me. This rating even made my announcement quite the popular post.

Worst Line in a Movie in 2009: “You threaten my son, you threaten me” – Sandra Bullock as Leigh Anne Tuohy in The Blind Side