The experts’ 3 Popular movies of 2009
Here are the 3 best movies of 2009 that got our adrenaline pumping and the dynamite exploding. We love good movies and have seen hundreds in our time.
- The Messenger. You know that gut-wrenching moment in any war-related film where a mother or father or wife opens the door to find two military men on the doorstep, and their presence alone signifies that inconceivable tragedy? Oren Moverman’s powerful debut is full of them — making this drama starring Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson (in career-best performances) one of the year’s hardest films to watch. But The Messenger full movie also one of the most rewarding, an insightful character study that’ll leave you moved.
- Invictus. Clint Eastwood’s true-life tale of how newly elected South African President Nelson Mandela (a spot-on Morgan Freeman) teamed up with the captain of the nation’s rugby team (Matt Damon) to unite the apartheid-torn land with a run at the 1995 World Cup hits all the right notes. Download Invictus movie is both an inspirational sports drama and a portrait of an inspired leader, with Oscar-caliber performances from its two leads and a heavy helping of that magical ingredient: feel-good.
- The Hurt Locker. Director Kathryn Bigelow allows little breathing room in this suspense-filled war drama about a special unit (including Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie) tasked to defuse bombs in Iraq. Download The Hurt Locker tightly-shot, almost documentary feel, captures military conflict in ways that other films this decade have failed, and may go down as one of the best war movies ever made. For now, at least, it’s one of the very best of ‘09.