Panopticon Blog

In mid-June, rural Manchester, Tennessee, becomes the music capital of the United States. The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, which debuted in 2001, has garnered a reputation as a genre-jumping, impeccably curated and run music festival. In a typical ‘Roo day, you could see indie rock, hip-hop, bluegrass, world, jam and funk bands, all usually at the top of their games.

For the past two years, I’ve been lucky enough to attend Bonnaroo as a fan during the day, and then work as a camera operator during the festival’s celebrated overnight sets. (Be sure to check out my work at the Thievery Corporation set on Fuse, debuting Thursday, June 17th at 7pm. Check listings on fuse.tv for subsequent airings).

These are my impressions of Bonnaroo, 2010:

Thursday:

After a day and a half of driving from Brooklyn to Manchester, we finally made our way through the campgrounds, the incredibly chill security checkpoints, and the signiture Bonnaroo arch and were ready for some music. At around 5pm, I made my way to This Tent to check out the critically lauded metal act Baroness. Baroness, though I’ve never heard their records, turned out to be a very standard metal band. When they kept things fast and crunching, they sounded like a younger cousin to High on Fire (a good thing). When they slowed things down, they sounded an awful lot like latter-day Pelican (not a good thing). To mix things up, we headed over to That Tent to check out Local Natives. I found myself relaxing, sitting in the grass behind a large standing crowd, and the passing cloud and warm weather definitely mellowed me out. That being said, I spent most of my time wondering if the band was intentionally mimicking The Fleet Foxes or if they were just really derivative. From there, we caught a few songs from Miike Snow, an electronic rock act which reminded me a bit of Kenna or Erasure. The set was hampered by some uncharacteristic, for ‘Roo, poor sound, but the band was intriguing. To break from music, we headed to the Comedy Tent to check out Margaret Cho, whose set was more raunchy than I would have ever imagined. Finally, for our late-night music fix, we headed to The Other Tent to check out Lotus. Now, I’d never heard of Lotus, but their cathartic, propulsive instrumental dance rock reminded me of a jammier Holy Fuck. A dude in front of me was dancing like there was no tomorrow, and another hippie with dreds began juggling glow in the dark balls much to the delight of the mostly stoned crowd. The band was totally awesome, and one of my favorite sets of the whole festival.

Friday:

We started our extremely hot Friday afternoon camped out in the shade of a tree by The Other Tent, where Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeroes and Dr. Dog played pleasant but unmemorable sets of indie-rock. I left Dr. Dog early to check out The National on Which Stage, one of my most anticipated sets of the festival. They did not disappoint. I haven’t been a huge fan of The National until their latest, “High Violet,” which I think is easily their best album. And what sounds mopey and gray on record is quite anthemic and rock n’ roll in person. This has a lot to do with front-man Matt Berringer, who goes back and forth from silky baritone to throat-shredding screams, walked into the crowd several times, and even crowd surfed during the band’s signature tune, “Mr. November.” After The National, I dipped backstage and around to the pit of the main What Stage, where Tenacious D was finishing up their set. They were pretty great, but disappointingly ended early and, more crucially, did NOT bring out Conan O’Brien for a rumored cameo. From there, I trekked back to The Other Tent to catch just enough of Les Claypool to get me excited for the Primus show I bought tickets for this summer at the Williamsburg Waterfront.

I elected to skip headliners Kings of Leon entirely (though I did hear them covering a Pixie’s tune faintly from my resting spot, just under the ferris wheel) to prepare for my long night of work. I got to That Tent expecting to shoot The Black Keys, but the band elected at the last second not to have their set filmed. Because of this, I was able to run over and catch a bit of The Flaming Lips. The Lips were playing a set of their own music before launching into a late-night set covering Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon.” Maybe it’s just how far away I was — the crowd was massive — but I felt an uncharacteristic amount of indifference and even hostility toward the Lips (people were shouting “play Dark Side!” during the band’s original songs). And though it was great to see songs of the band’s masterpiece “Embryonic,” I felt like the band was kind of spinning its wheels before the “Dark Side” set. I had to head back to work at this point and shoot two hip hop acts, Kid Cudi (surprisingly decent) and B.O.B (pretty terrible). At 5 am, I left the ‘Roo for the night.

Saturday:

We walked into ‘Roo and headed to the What Stage after getting shut out of Conan O’Brien’s set at the Comedy Tent (definitely the most in-demand set of the weekend… wish it was on a stage as opposed to the finitely seated comedy/film tents) we headed to the What Stage to catch just a bit of Big Sam’s Funky Nation, which was exactly what you’d expect but still pretty cool. From there, it was off to my other most anticipated set, Isis. Isis is, in my opinion, the best metal band of the last 15 years (I did name this website after one of their albums, after all) and the news that they were breaking up made my heart heavy. I’d seen the band a half dozen times before this, but they seemed energized by their unusual setting, and as gray clouds crested the hill during “In Fiction” from “Panopticon,” the band had the large crowd in the palm of its hand. Following the mighty Isis were the legendary Melvins, who played to one of the smallest crowds of the weekend (surprisingly) but still impressed the hell out of me. They were one of the few bands I’ve ever seen not only pull off having two drummers, but to absolutely rely on it. I can see why they were Kurt Cobain’s favorite band.

After my metal fix, I made my way to the What Stage to catch Jack White’s other, other band, The Dead Weather. I’ve always been skeptical of The Dead Weather, why do I want to see one of the world’s best guitarist’s playing drums, but their set had a bluesy crunch to it that was hard to deny. And Jack did come out from behind the kit to shred on the guitar for three songs, which was definitely a treat. I then fought my way through an incredibly packed crowd watching Weezer to try to catch a little Jeff Beck. I only caught a song or two, and decided I better beat the crowd and head over to Stevie Wonder. In spite of going on 20 minutes late, and my worry that his set would lean harder on cheesy balladry than funk, Stevie brought it hard. At the most crowded set of the entire weekend — he united all the stoners, hippies, indie-kids, hip-hop kids, indie rockers in one place — Stevie Wonder proved that he was a legend.

I was forced to miss Jay-Z to get ready to work, though I heard he was fantastic. Again working at That Tent, the first band up was Thievery Corporation. With a rotating crew of internationally flavored vocal talent, a huge crew of musicians (bongos AND sitar), and an eye catching visuals, the set was one of the weekend’s strongest. At the end of the set, one of the MC’s anchoring a hip-hop/reggae tinged tuned called for all the ladies in the house to join him on stage. From behind me, over the pit barricades, came a tidal wave of eager fans, all but crushing security on their way to stage. It was something else. Next up were the Disco Biscuits. Listen. I get why people like The Disco Biscuits. I do. They’re great musicians, and if I was on a few pills of ecstasy, I wouldn’t mind that their songs are incredibly repetitive and 45 minutes long. But shooting them for 3 hours (from 3 til 6 am) was quite the chore and by the time I hit the car at 6:30am, I was wiped.

Sunday:

The early part of Sunday is a haze of heat (it was 99 degrees) and exhaustion. We attempted to watch Regina Spektor at the Which Stage, but the heat got the best of us. We retreated into the cold comfort of a fruit smoothy and stood away from the crowd. I floated from the Which Stage to the What Stage to catch a little John Fogerty. I’m sure he was saving his Creedence stuff for the end of his tent, but in spite of the excellent blues band backing him, I found myself drifting away from his set to get over to They Might Be Giants. I’ve always heard good things about TMBG, and these rumors were true. Playing to a crowd of indie-rockers, hippies and 5-year-olds, TMBG’s played one of the weekend’s most feel-good, enjoyable sets. After this, we floated around a bit, catching a bit of Ween while we ate dinner (they were very cool, I wish I had seen more). We watched some of Pheonix after that and, to me, it was one of the weakest sets of the whole weekend. The band’s songs all sound the same to me, and in a live setting, it was even more apparent. We slipped away from the huge stage to the tiny Troo Music Lounge, where funk band Orgone just ripped it up during their short set.

From Orgone we followed the surging masses toward the What Stage, where Dave Matthews Band was set to finish off the weekend. I realize I may have my hipness-card revoked for saying this, but DMB was definitely one of the best sets of the weekend. Though they expectedly got lost in a stray jam or two, DMB focused more heavily on the rock n’ roll, really highlighting their incredibly strong musicianship and delighting the crowd with one barn burner after another. Special points to saxophonist Jeff Coffin, who just absolutely destroyed his epic solo early in the set. The band’s two and a half hour set, buoyed by a truly impressive light/video show, raced by, and by the time the band closed with “All Along the Watchtower,” it was hard to believe that Bonnaroo, 2010, was already over.

So, that’s it. Lost is over, and its extremely unlikely there will be a more thought provoking, cinematic, fan-obsessed show on network television ever again (cable, maybe, but not on the risk-averse dinosaur networks). In the end, the show was sanctified by as many as it mystified, especially the bizarre sixth season. But to dwell on the show’s shortcomings – and, between the often groaning dialogue and plot-holes the size of an airplane or two, there certainly were shortcomings – is to miss the incredible overarching accomplishment that is Lost. The show aspired to, and deconstructed, myth-making in thrilling and emotionally fulfilling ways reached only by very few contemporary pieces of entertainment. And in leaving many of its mysteries unresolved, its all but guaranteed that fans and newcomers alike will obsess with the show’s details, big and small, for years to come.

As with most TV shows, Lost had its up and downs. If forced to decide on the best season, I’d go with either 5, which featured the tightest story telling of the show’s run, or season 2, which contained the show’s most fascinating psychological gamesmanship. But, funnily enough, the show’s weakest seasons, 3 and 6, contain the lion’s share of my favorite episodes.

And now, my Top Ten episodes of Lost (if you haven’t watched to the very last episode, SPOLIER ALERT!):

10.         Jughead (Season 5: Episode 3)

To me, season 5 was the most consistent season of Lost, and the first few episodes where the time travel was most intense represented the tightest, most mind-cooking story-telling the show has ever attempted. Lost was a show that created its own intra- and extra-textual archana, and to witness our characters “unstuck” traveling through blips of Island narrative was the coup-de-gras of the series’ bold story scrambling. “Jughead” was the strongest of all these episodes, with Island characters eventually coming into contact with young Charles Widmore and Eloise Hawking (who are revealed to be Farraday’s parents in a twist worthy of Back to the Future), creating audacious yet logical connections between our contemporary characters and the Island history they’ve been slowly discovering throughout the first 5 seasons. This was the first time we felt that, wow, maybe our heroes are directly responsible, in the past, for their future problems on the Island.

9.      Ab Aeterno (Season 6: Episode 8 )

The second best completely stand-alone episode of Lost (stay tuned for the first) was the epic, long overdue backstory of uber-Other Richard Alpert. Rather than coldly dissect the mystery of Alpert’s connection with the Others and our heroes, the show flashes back to the 1860s, where Richard is a Spanish-speaking, heartbroken slave brought to the Island aboard the Black Rock ship. In addition to wonderfully mysterious performances by Mark Pelligrino and Titus Welliver as the Island’s angry twin brothers/world-view metaphors, Jacob and Man in Black, Nestor Carbonell knocks it out of the park, playing Richard as an almost completely different character, full of faith, grief and eternal love. This is one of the few episodes that could be enjoyed almost fully by a complete Lost novice.

8.      Man Behind the Curtain (Season 3: Episode 20)

The illuminating backstory of the Island’s most mysterious figure, Ben Linus, set up the strongest three-episode arc in the series run. “Man Behind the Curtain” at once humanized Ben Linus, with his sad past as an unwanted, motherless child with a monstrous, alcoholic father, and made him scarier than ever. As a child, Ben wanted freedom more than anything, and saw the Island’s Others as his ultimate escape from the hippie-pseudo-scientist DHARMA initiative. By purging the island of its science-explains-all interlopers, Ben becomes the leader of the Others and, less overtly, returns the Island to Jacob’s army of isolationist, mystical protectors. As always, Michael Emerson proved one of the shows MVPs, especially the brutally sad scene where he murders his own father.

7.      Pilot (Season 1: Episode 1 & 2)

It’s amazing how much of the show’s iconography and theme are present from the very first moment of the show. “Pilot,” first and foremost, is as theatrical as television comes, with the cunning complexity and narrative abandon of an action film. Director J.J. Abrams orchestrates the opening crash with such visual aplomb (remember the guy getting sucked into the plane engine?) that it’s almost impossible not to sit up and take notice. But he also sets up the characters we come to know and love with such economy that it’s hard to believe this is the first we met them. Jack and Kate’s counting to five, Locke wiggling his toe, and many more moments became so iconic that they were reiterated all along the series’ run, right into the final episode.

6.      Happily Ever After (Season 6: Episode 10)

The show’s most divisive season was knocked as some as being aimless, favoring an unclear flash “sideways” story structure to something more illuminating to the series’ unanswered sci-fi questions. It was a bold and not always successful move, but this Desmond centric episode, in which Island reality and sideways reality finally connected, recalled the show’s most impressive mind-twisting moments. “Happily Ever After” brought the show’s final march toward intra-textual mirroring, and its narrative reasons, to a head with storytelling acumen and emotional power. Watching Desmond and Charlie relive a parallel version of Charlie’s plunge in Season 3’s “Greatest Hits” brought Lost back to its peak, and Desmond and Penny meeting for the first (last, eternal?) time in the Sideways reality was a fitting ending to the show’s most enduring romance.

5.      Live Together, Die Alone (Season 2: Episode 23)

An undeniably bold move – focusing the season finale on a character we hardly knew at the time, Desmond – turned out to be a story-telling miracle. The episode featured a huge download of Island history – Desmond’s time in the hatch, etc – but also setting up Desmond’s crucial off-Island backstory that turned out to be a major key to the entire series. “Live Together, Die Alone” also capped Lost’s most cogent and thought provoking psychological mystery to date, by directly confronting the question of fate versus free will through John Locke’s ultimate moment of decision regarding the symbolically loaded button in the DHARMA hatch. Along with a gaggle of other mysteries that would haunt the show until the very end – i.e. The Others, the four-toed statue – “Live Together, Die Alone” showed Lost’s true colors, and answered every question with another, more fascinating, question.

4.         Greatest Hits (Season 3: Episode 21)

Quite possibly the most purely emotional episode of the series. With Charlie’s inevitable death march and subsequent enlightenment still one episode away, “Greatest Hits” was like one final day with a mortally ill, beloved relative. Season 3 foundered for a while, but once Desmond announced Charlie’s watery fate, the show’s story telling gained a sickeningly suspenseful momentum. With a gorgeous performance by Dominic Monaghan, culminating with Charlie’s final goodbye scene with Hurley (Jorge Garcia, who really began showing range here), “Greatest Hits” married suspense, story-telling delicacy and emotion in bold and surprising ways that Lost rarely achieved afterward.

3.      The End (Season 6: Episode 16)

The series finale didn’t work for everyone as a way to wrap up Lost, but it’s almost impossible to criticize it on a purely stylistic level. The direction, music, cinematography, editing and acting hit an absolute peak in “The End,” and for that alone it deserves a place on this list. On one hand, “The End” was one hell of an action film, achieving edge-of-your-seat momentum the show only captured in its very best moments for nearly its entire epic two-and-a-half-hour running time. On another hand, it was a joyful reiteration of visual and narrative beats from the show’s first 5 seasons that, instead of seeming cloying, felt more like a reinforcement of season 6’s motif of meta-narrative – this drama has been playing out forever, and will continue, even after the end of time. On a third hand, there was the surprising, poignant resolution of the divisive flash-sideways plot, which elevated the story to a mythic, spiritual level, and allowed great swaths of Island story, both seen and unseen, to blossom in the imagination for years to come. I, for one, am glad that the show didn’t end with a dry explanation of why every little thing happened, but rather with emotional clarity and lingering mystery. Jack’s final scene, seeing his friends finally escape on a plane with Vincent lying at his side, was as perfect and emotionally satisfying as I could have ever expected.

2.      Through the Looking Glass (Season 3: Episode 22)

The show’s most shocking narrative twist capped Lost’s creative peak. The end of Season 3 was an incredible emotional journey, capped by Charlie’s heroic, devastating death, but also an instantaneous explosion of narrative possibility. By radically switching from flash-backs to flash-forwards, the show simultaneously answered a slew of lingering questions (most notably, will the castaways ever leave the island?) with a dizzying set of new ones (“We have to go BACK?” WHY?). As with most season finales, “Through the Looking Glass” moved with the verve of an action film on the Island, and off-Island, cultivated an increasingly bizarre set of mysteries that the show would spend the remainder of its run exploring. It also exploded the show’s most enduring narrative technique, allowing for the flash-forwarding, time-traveling, paralleling, and sideways-flashing narrative blitzkrieg that endured to the show’s conclusion.

1.      The Constant (Season 4: Episode 6)

Quite possibly the best single episode of any television show I’ve ever seen. A bold claim, I know, but not without merit. Centering around Desmond Hume’s temporal crisis set off by the Island’s mysterious energy, “The Constant” was at once Lost’s emotional, science fiction and structural/technical high-point. As masterfully directed by Jack Bender and shaped by the show’s expert craftsmen (especially the editors), “The Constant’s” narrative shifts are on par with many similar feature films, giving Desmond’s predicament a visual language that’s extremely complex but instantly understandable. The story itself is a master-class in science fiction television, using the brilliant Daniel Farraday (Jeremy Davies, another highlight in the cast) to weave a brain-tickling web of scientific theory worthy of Hawking or, more appropriately, Vonnegut. But none of this works without Henry Ian Cusick as the story’s emotional core, bringing the poignant tale of Desmond’s reunion through space and time with his beloved penny to a dizzying climax. When Desmond finally reaches Penny via telephone, what follows is the most satisfying dramatic scene the show ever produced. When Desmond marvels that Penny answered his call, all these years later, and she lets him know that she will do everything she can to find him, I dare you, even if you’ve never seen another episode of Lost, not to tear up. “The Constant” epitomizes everything that Lost did successfully in its six years in one 44 minute episode, and for that it will go down as a masterpiece that will be watched, studied, and just plain enjoyed for years to come.

THE BIG ONES

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”
George Clooney in “Up in the Air”
Colin Firth in “A Single Man”
Morgan Freeman in “Invictus”
Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker”

Earlier in the season, this race could have been more interesting. Voters might have been split between Clooney’s movie-star role and Firth’s disappearance into his deeply wounded character, with Renner possibly playing new-guy spoiler. Than Jeff Bridges, who is so darn likable (even in a weak movie) and way overdue for an Oscar, showed up, and made this a done deal.

Will Win: Bridges
Should Win: Firth
They Forgot: Sharlto Copley in “District 9” – the movie simply doesn’t work without him.

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

Matt Damon in “Invictus”
Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger”
Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station”
Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones”
Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”

Considering this category lately has been going to the creepiest villain, it seems that this would be a race between Stanley Tucci and Christoph Waltz. But considering Tucci’s film was universally panned by critics, and Inglourious Basterds has turned into a dark horse Best Picture contender, it’s pretty obvious that Waltz can’t lose. It helps that he deserves it.

Will Win: Waltz
Should Win: Waltz
They Forgot: Anthony Mackie in “The Hurt Locker” – the quiet counterpoint to Jeremy Renner’s loose cannon.

Performance by an actress in a leading role

Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”
Helen Mirren in “The Last Station”
Carey Mulligan in “An Education”
Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia”

This is probably the only exciting acting race of the night. I really believe the only non-factor is Helen Mirren. Mulligan was the early critical favorite, though she’s faded lately, and Sidibe gives the most nakedly emotional performance. Who knows how votes for Mulligan and Sidibe will affect the frontrunners, perpetual also-ran Meryl Streep (nominated a ton, but hasn’t won in 20+ years) and the oh-so-lovable Sandra Bullock. Both women starred in uneven movies, so it will really come down to who voters think is due.

Will Win: Bullock
Should Win: Mulligan
They Forgot: Can’t think of anyone. Sadly, this has been a weak category in recent years.

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

Penélope Cruz in “Nine”
Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air”
Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart”
Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air”
Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”

Again, there’s no real contest here. Mo’Nique has won every award in the book for her Mommy Dearest performance in Precious. Her only possible spoilers are the ladies from Up in the Air, who will likely cancel each other out. Which is too bad, since Farmiga and Kendrick both steal the movie from the also-excellent Clooney.

Will Win – Mo’Nique
Should Win – Kendrick
They Forgot – Julianne Moore in “A Single Man” – for creating a layered character in two brief scenes with the brilliant Firth.

Adapted screenplay

“District 9″
“An Education”
“In the Loop”
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
“Up in the Air”

I think In The Loop and An Education are too little-seen to make a dent here. This is really a contest between Precious and Up in the Air. Many perceive Precious as an actor’s showcase and are likely to ignore the screenplay. Up In The Air, long a favorite to win Best Picture, will probably take this as a consolation prize for its sharp dialogue and bold late-inning plot changes. Potential spoiler: The wholly original District 9. Sure it’s a splatter sci-fi film, but it’s genuinely clever.

Will Win: Up in the Air
Should Win: Up in the Air
They Forgot: The Informant! – a goofy intrigue spoof, or a meditation on the nature of the truth? Both.

Original screenplay

“The Hurt Locker
“Inglourious Basterds
“The Messenger
“A Serious Man
“Up”

There are many that think Mark Boal will be swept along with a Hurt Locker wave, if that happens. I’m keen to doubt that. I think voters will (correctly) award The Hurt Locker as a directorial achievement, and honor Tarantino with a second Oscar for his brilliantly revisionist World War II action mélange, Inglourious Basterds. I actually think Basterd’s biggest threat comes from Up, but don’t count on it.

Will Win: Inglourious Basterds
Should Win: Inglourious Basterds
They Forgot: Adventureland – Greg Motolla’s miniature portrait of teens working at an amusement park in the 80s is neither as goofy or shallow as it sounds.

Best Director

“Avatar” — James Cameron
“The Hurt Locker” – Kathryn Bigelow
“Inglourious Basterds” — Quentin Tarantino
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” — Lee Daniels
“Up in the Air” – Jason Reitman

Looks like Daniels and Reitman will have to deal with consolation prizes for their movies – this is a three way race. After slowly gaining critical steam throughout the year, Tarantino’s “second wave” as an action/exploitation director seems to have peaked with Inglourious Basterds. That being said, no one can resist the Cameron/Bigelow contest, and one of them will win. Call me sentimental, but I think it will be hard not to give the first ever Oscar to a female director to Bigelow, especially since most people think that (gasp!) she actually deserves it. Me too.

Will Win: Bigelow – “The Hurt Locker”
Should Win: Bigelow – “The Hurt Locker”
They Forgot: Neil Blomkamp – the youngster managed to make a James Cameron/David Cronenberg/NBC’s The Office mash-up work like gangbusters.

Best motion picture of the year

“Avatar”
“The Blind Side”
“District 9″
“An Education”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
“A Serious Man”
“Up”
“Up in the Air”

Let’s reflect on the quality and diversity of these nominees – a crowd-pleaser (Blind Side), three small indie dramas (Serious Man, Precious and An Education), a studio produced romantic dramedy (Up in The Air), the second animated film ever to be nominated for Best Picture (Up), a edgy Tarantino flick (Inglourious Basterds), two science fiction blockbusters (D9 and Avatar) and the most critically successful Iraq movie ever made (The Hurt Locker). Really, there’s something for everyone to root for here. As for who might win, I’m guessing District 9 will take just enough votes away from Avatar to clear the way for The Hurt Locker to make history as the lowest grossing Best Picture winner ever. That’d be great, but Basterds has an outside chance of being a real shocker.

Will Win: The Hurt Locker
Should Win: Inglourious Basterds
They Forgot: A Single Man – More than just the year’s best performance, A Single Man is the year’s most deeply felt movie.

Best animated feature film of the year

“Coraline”
“Fantastic Mr. Fox”
“The Princess and the Frog”
“The Secret of Kells”
“Up”

In arguably the greatest year for animation in our era, this has unfortunately become an almost no-contest victory for Up, which was also nominated for Best Picture. Both Coraline and Fantastic Mr. Fox have small, but rabid, fan bases, but everyone seems to agree that Pixar’s latest is amongst its finest, and the studio’s roll will continue.

Will Win: Up
Should Win: Coraline
They Forgot: Ponyo

Best documentary feature

“Burma VJ”
“The Cove”
“Food, Inc.”
“The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers”
“Which Way Home”

Huge upsets are not out of the question in this unpredictable category, but smart money is on The Cove, if only for its similarities to the previous year’s, also heist-film-structured Man on Wire. Food Inc. might just be too upsetting. The Most Dangerous Man may have late traction, but I doubt it.

Will Win: The Cove
Should Win: Sadly, I haven’t seen any of these
They Forgot: Slow year for me at documentary screenings. Didn’t see any.

Best Foreign Film

“Ajami”
“El Secreto de Sus Ojos”
“The Milk of Sorrow”
“Un Prophète”
“The White Ribbon”

By all accounts, this is The White Ribbon’s prize to lose. And it might, if recent history is any indication. Potential spoiler is Un Prophete, which swept the French equivalent of the Oscars. Or one of the other, lesser-seen films could shock. I bet we see a surprise here.

Will Win: Un Prophete
Should Win: Haven’t seen em
They Forgot: Ponyo – Miyasaki’s latest is for little kids, but it’s enchanting

AND THE REST……

Achievement in art direction
“Avatar”
“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
“Nine”
“Sherlock Holmes”
“The Young Victoria”

Will Win: Avatar – even though it’s done with computers, it’s amazingly designed.
Should Win: Sherlock Holmes – sumptuous steam-punk wonderland
They Forgot: Coraline – made by hand, a miniature, perfect world

Achievement in cinematography

“Avatar”
“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“The White Ribbon”

Will Win: Avatar – See “Art Direction”
Should Win: The Hurt Locker – it takes a lot of work to look this natural
They Forgot: Coraline – beautifully gothic, done one frame at a time

Achievement in costume design

“Bright Star”
“Coco before Chanel”
“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”
“Nine”
“The Young Victoria”

Will Win: Nine – Never count out Colleen Atwood
Should Win: Imaginarium – Grungy and fantastical
They Forgot: Sherlock Holmes – Downey Jr. and Law have never looked better, and that says something

Achievement in film editing

“Avatar”
“District 9”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”

Will Win: The Hurt Locker – how do you deny the year’s most suspenseful film?
Should Win: The Hurt Locker – a no-brainer. The opening sequence alone should be taught in all film-school editing classes.
They Forgot: The Informant! – Soderbergh’s loony, hard to describe movie is all about pacing.

Achievement in makeup

“Il Divo”
“Star Trek”
“The Young Victoria”

Will Win: Star Trek – classic movie-movie make-up
Should Win: I’ve only seen Trek
They Forgot: District 9 – That arm! GROSS! Awesome.

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

“Avatar” — James Horner
“Fantastic Mr. Fox” — Alexandre Desplat
“The Hurt Locker” — Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
“Sherlock Holmes” – Hans Zimmer
“Up” — Michael Giacchino

Will Win: Up – Goacchio’s score is an instant classic
Should Win: Fantastic Mr. Fox – brilliantly jaunty
They Forgot: Coraline – such strange choices (eerie boys choir?) for a kids movie gave Coraline it’s offbeat tone

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

“Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog”
“Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog”
“Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36″
“Take It All” from Nine
“The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart”

Will Win: Crazy Heart – Best song in a movie full of mostly dull songs
Should Win: Crazy Heart – The best of a weak crop
They Forgot: Don’t know

Achievement in sound editing

“Avatar”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“Star Trek”
“Up”

Will Win: The Hurt Locker – boom!
Should Win: Up – it’s ALL sound editing!
They Forgot: District 9 – so much splatter, so little time

Achievement in sound mixing

“Avatar”
“The Hurt Locker
“Inglourious Basterds”
“Star Trek
“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”

Will Win: Avatar – the most sound mixing
Should Win: The Hurt Locker – the best sound mixing
They Forgot: Fantastic Mr. Fox – for the seamless handling of dialogue

Achievement in visual effects

“Avatar”
“District 9″
“Star Trek”

Will Win: Avatar – a whole new world
Should Win: District 9 – call me traditional, but D9’s incredible mix of practical effects and CGI impressed me more than Cameron’s lava-lamp world
They Forgot: Where the Wild Things Are – those faces, that world, flawless.

I’ll begin with the same disclaimer that I always do when publishing a Top Ten List: I have not seen all the films that have been appearing regularly on other critics’ Top Tens, including In The Loop, The White Ribbon, The Cove, The Young Victoria, etc. etc. But what I have seen in 2009, after the relative quality wasteland of 2008 (how many great films from last year can you think of off the top of your head?), has been encouraging in its quality. I actually had a pretty tough time narrowing things down to ten (though I could have easily fit everything I’ve liked thus far this year into fifteen). This has been a great year for tough dramas, science fiction and, above all, animation.

10. Two Lovers

Joaquin Phoenix gives a remarkable performance, full of Method ticks that recall Brando’s great blue-collar roles, as Leonard Kratidor in James Gray’s thoughtful tale of a bi-polar man caught between two women – the deeply unstable Michelle (Gwyneth Paltrow) and the more reliable, family endorsed Sandra (Vinessa Shaw). This is mostly an actors’ showcase – Isabella Rosellini is also quite good as Leonard’s mother – as well as a charmingly miniature portrait of family, business, love and sex in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn.

9. The Informant!

In the year’s most underrated movie, director Stephen Soderbergh deftly deconstructs populist legal dramas – like his own Erin Brockovich – with a deceivingly goofy tale of an inept whistle blower, brilliantly played by a rumpled Matt Damon. What starts as a comic satire of corporate intrigue, complete with inscrutable voice-over and a jaunty score by Marvin Hamlisch, turns into a grand inquisition on the nature of The Truth.

8. Up

Up is Pixar’s most emotionally mature film to date, and also one of its goofiest. That the film keeps up both tones throughout is a testament to the brilliant storytelling of the Pixar team. The much-loved opening – a fifteen-minute, nearly wordless montage of an entire married life – deserves the hype, but the film’s second half, with scenery worthy of Miyasaki and scenarios (talking dogs flying planes!) worthy of Looney Tunes, is amongst Pixar’s most purely entertaining work.

7. Up in the Air

For most of its running time, Up in the Air is a whip-smart, up-to-the-second topical character study of a professional corporate downsizer who, more than anything, values his traveler’s lifestyle, to the point of practically fetishizing his frequent flyer miles. George Clooney, smarmy yet vulnerable, continues his run of great roles, but it’s really the film’s ladies – Vera Farminga as his kindred traveling soul and Anna Kendrick as an up-and-coming corporate downsizer – that really steal the show. Co-writer/director Jason Reitman keeps things snappy, funny and surprisingly sentiment free, for the most part. Even though the film becomes shockingly moralistic and excessively judgmental of its characters in the final few minutes, it’s still one of the year’s most entertaining films.

6. A Serious Man

Every Coen Brothers’ movie is inscrutable in its own way – usually they work within a well-worn genre and then explode it from the inside. I suppose A Serious Man’s genre would be memoir/religious/suburban satire, but this does not begin to do the film justice. Ostensibly a tale of seemingly undeserving abuse of a decent, mild-mannered physics teacher (Michael Stuhlberg, wonderfully exasperated), A Serious Man also deals with questions of fate, faith and rock and roll in the 1960s Midwest. A Serious Man really only belongs to one genre: Coen.

5. A Single Man

Some have accused Tom Ford’s debut film of being an hour and a half long perfume commercial, a claim that I reject completely. Yes, Ford’s direction is maximally sumptuous, but lets not mistake style with lack of substance. Ford’s meticulously arranged, austerely photographed film binds its protagonist, a homosexual man struggling to survive in the wake of his long-time lover’s death, within the social structures of his particular time and place. Colin Firth, in a devastating, Oscar-deserving performance, reveals all the pain, and the little moments of beauty, of a man with nothing left to lose.

4. Fantastic Mr. Fox

The 2009 film most destined to become a cult classic has got to be Fantastic Mr. Fox. Directed by Wes Anderson, in his finest work since Rushmore, this stop-motion gem falls between several genre cracks – it’s too talky for kids, it’s too cute for the cynical, it’s too weird for casual filmgoers. And while it may take a while to find it’s audience, I think that in time there will be legions of fans cherishing this caper film where Mr. Fox (George Clooney, hilariously loquacious) spurns his job as a journalist (!) to lead a chicken stealing heist. Blessed with the year’s finest, most quotable screenplay, Fantastic Mr. Fox is a future classic.

3. The Hurt Locker

War movies often lose the personalities of their characters within broad historical plotlines, clumsy political commentary and empty explosions. The Hurt Locker avoids all these traps by sticking with a very small, elite squad of bomb diffusers in Iraq. Yes, there’s nerve-racking suspense and bone rattling explosions. But there are quiet moments of character, especially between the live-wire Sgt. James (Jeremy Renner, in a star-making performance) and the steadier Sgt. Sanborn (Anthony Mackie, quieter but also terrific). Director Katheryn Bigelow keenly observes the intra-group dynamics with the same pitiless scrutiny in which she stages the film’s transfixing action sequences.

2. Coraline

In what was probably the finest year for animation ever, Henry Selick’s beguiling adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s novel Coraline was the cream of the crop. Lovingly crafted stop-motion puppetry and captured in sumptuous 3D (though the film is still brilliant in two measly dimensions), Coraline is an endlessly rewarding visual feast. The story, a Freudian dreamscape where our plucky heroine finds an ideal, identical (in most ways) world through a tiny door in her new home, may be a bit scary for a children’s film, but like many classics it evokes – Alice in Wonderland, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Pee Wee’s Big Adventure – the film taps into the essential terror and wonder of late childhood.

1. Inglourious Basterds

It seemed as if Quentin Tarantino had painted himself into a retro-sploitation corner over the last few years – how did the once groundbreaking filmmaker end up a career rehasher of D-grade genre flicks? Not that this digression hasn’t yielded some fruit (I especially liked Kill Bill Volume 2) but the prospect of a grindhouse World War II film from QT hardly seemed like reason to sit up and take notice. And yet, Inglourious Basterds confounds expectations, both intra- and extra-textual. Full of impossible to predict plot-twists, white-knuckle suspense, soot-black humor and acid-tongued dialogue, Basterds is without a doubt QT’s best film since Pulp Fiction. Equal measures classically constructed and deeply offbeat, this two pronged revenge tale – one anchored by Brad Pitt’s hilariously hammy Lt. Aldo Raine and his “Natzee” killing basterds, the other by the wonderful Marie Laurent’s cinema owning, heritage hiding Shoshanna – dovetails in an explosive finale that above all celebrates the God-like power of cinema. Holding the two strands between his teeth is Christoph Waltz, whose performance as Hans Landa, the “Jew Hunter,” will go down as one of the great villains of the 2000s.

As much as I’d like to think there’s great variety in my musical taste, it’s inevitable that this annual list of Best Albums will only cover a small cross-section of what 2009 had to offer. Unintentionally or not, this list mostly neglects Hip-Hop, R&B, Pop, World Music, Country, Classical, Techno and many, many more genres. That being said, it’s amazing how, since the advent of file-sharing and ITunes, “genre” has become more and more fluid — many musicians on this list have borrowed tools from wildly different sources in the never-ending quest to find something indelible. Here are albums that have succeeded in 2009:

Honorable Mention: (alphabetical by artist)

The Antlers — Hospice

Do Make Say Think — Other Truths

Fever Ray – Fever Ray

Maxwell — BLACKsummer’s Night

Mos Def – The Ecstatic

THE TOP TEN

10. The Twilight Sad – Forget the Night Ahead

The best of the Glaswegian neo-shoegaze movement, The Twilight Sad anchors dread soaked lyrics to soaring, My Bloody Valentine symphonies of noise.

9. Isis – Wavering Radiant

If Isis is the Radiohead of their admittedly small genre of post-metal, and Oceanic and Panopticon are their OK Computer and Kid A, respectively, then Wavering Radiant is Isis’ In Rainbows. The record touches on the heaviness of The Red Sea and the post-rock psychadelia of Panopticon and with its stunning climax, “Threshold of Transformation,” reaches new heights all it’s own.

8. Arbouretum – Song of the Pearl

Like their last album, this one’s a grower – initially a bit too mellow for my taste, it’s become one of very few records this year I’m willing to sit down and enjoy at any time of the day or night. Dave Heumann remains one of indie-rock’s least appreciated guitar talents.

Down by the Fall Line by Arbouretum from Thrill Jockey Records on Vimeo.

7. Converge – Axe to Fall

Quite possibly the best hardcore punk band of the 00s. Axe To Fall is the most immediately gratifying, punch-a-hole-in-a-brick-wall metal album of the year. Jake Bannon and company have never sounded tighter than opening track “Dark Horse,” with it’s crazed polyrhythmic drumming and stuttering guitar solos, and draw inspiration from both Tom Waits and Neurosis in the album closing pair “Cruel Bloom” and “Wicked World.”

6. Bat For Lashes – Two Suns

Delivers on the potential of first album, Fur & Gold, in a big way. From the opening strains of “Glass,” where Natasha Khan whips up an afternoon’s worth of D&D’s worth of fantasy imagery with her soaring vocals and grandiose production, to the left-right stereo rolling thunder of “Siren Song” to the perfectly crafted goth disco-pop of “Daniel,” Two Suns proves itself one of the year’s most rich headphone albums. Two Suns is the kind of sonically immersive pop that Bjork put out through the 90s, with a hint of Tori Amos’ gothic femininity.

5. Future of the Left – Travels with Myself and Another

Future of the Left are a leaner, meaner, catchier monster than Andy Falkous’ previous band, Mclusky. As in the past, Falkous’ lyrics are both brilliantly idiotic (“You need Satan/more than he needs you”), and idiotically brilliant (“slight/bowel movements/preceded/the bloodless coup”). But it’s the musical chops on display here that really thrill. From the soaring intensity of opener “Arming Eritrea” to the throat-shredding roar and muscular punk rock of “Chin Music,” to the synths-from-Hell boogie “You Need Satan More Than He Needs You,” Future of the Left work with such confidence that, after your first listen, you’ll wonder why they’re not much bigger rock stars. The first seven songs on the album are absolutely flawless, and the rest ain’t too bad either.

4. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavillion and Fall Be Kind

Let it be known, I had not formerly been a supporter of Animal Collective – their earlier work struck me as intentionally difficult. But this year, they’ve turned me around pretty much completely. Maybe I just finally “get it,” or maybe Animal Collective have just buckled down and steered their considerable artistic talent in a more accessible direction. With its sunny, druggy harmonies, Merriweather is their Pet Sounds – domestic bliss seen through the liquid of a lava lamp – and “My Girls” is their “Wouldn’t It Be Nice.” Fall Be Kind, their EP released just before year’s end, might actually be even better – five perfect songs, with the good vibes of “What Would I Want? Sky” practically oozing out of your stereo and “On a Highway” exploring the darker side of being a traveling band.

3. Lightning Bolt – Earthly Delights

In Lightning Bolt, two guys named Brian make music that sounds like it’s being played by nine guys named Brian. Almost universally acclaimed for their crazed, down and dirty live performances, Lightning Bolt’s albums have sometimes felt like afterthoughts. Not so with Earthly Delights, an album whose songs flow forth from, rather than serve as an excuse for, the Brians’ technical virtuosity. “Colossus,” with its locked-in groove, is practically a stoner rock song. “Funny Farm,” on the other hand, is like a bi-polar hoedown that’s neglected its schizophrenia medication. And the album’s final track, the marathon, 13-minute “Transmissionary,” is the closest the band’s ever gotten to capturing its live fire on a record – it also goes to prove to whomever is still unconvinced that Brian Chippendale is the best drummer in the business.

2. Grizzly Bear — Veckatimest

Veckatimest is a record so perfectly crafted that it already felt like a classic when it was first released. What sets Grizzly Bear apart from countless other Beach Boys worshiping, oh-so-polite indie rock bands is the musical muscle of each of its four members. Just listen to singer Ed Droste’s cooing baritone on the blissful “Two Weeks” and the elegiac “Foreground”; and guitarist/singer Daniel Rossen’s off-kilter strums on the jaunty “Southern Point” and the thunderous “Fine For Now”; and bassist/multi-instrumentalist Chris Taylor’s inventive production on the swirling “Ready, Able” and his smooth backing vocals on “All We Ask”; and how drummer Chris Bear expertly goes between spacious syncopation on “Cheerleader” to thunderous rolls on “I Live With You.” Each member sings in beautiful close harmony, and when each member of the band brings his strength to album highlight “While You Wait For the Others,” the results are nothing short of astonishing. This was my album of the 2009 by a country mile for most of the year, at least until…

1. The Flaming Lips — Embryonic

The Flaming Lips came back from the dead. After the spectacularly uneven At War With the Mystics and some lackluster singles, the Oklahoma veterans roared back with their most ambitious, craziest album to date. Embryonic blissfully floats like early Pink Floyd and stings like the drug-soaked psychadelic epics of Can – sometimes all in the same song, like “Silver Trembling Hands” – but with lyrical motifs and rock-solid songwriting that’s strictly Flaming Lips. Swaggering out of the gate with the paranoid “Convinced of the Hex,” it’s instantly clear that these aren’t the Flaming Lips of the sugar coated classics The Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. Songs like “Worm Mountain” and “See The Leaves” almost approach metal in the stuttering drum bursts of Kilph Scurlock, and “Scorpio Swords” and “Aquarius Sabotage” are pure free-jazz madness. Even when Wayne Coyne warbles his way through the album’s most accessible song, “I Can Be a Frog,” there’s a madness bleeding around the edges that makes it one of the most uncomfortable lullabies in recent memory. In the age of the single, Embryonic is a cohesive album experience – musical figures and lyrical motifs concerning insanity, death and transcendence fade in and out throughout the album’s 18 tracks. The journey concludes with the tectonic “Watching the Planets,” one of the most propulsive tracks in the band’s impressive catalogue. It’s time to start mentioning The Flaming Lips in the same sentence as Radiohead – what other band can you think of that has four of the greatest albums – Transmissions of the Satellite Heart, The Soft Bulletin, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots and now Embryonic – of the last 20 years?

In indie rock circles, 2008 was the year of sensitive guys with beards in flannel shirts singing glorious harmonies (Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, etc.), 2009 has moved in an even more psychedelic direction. The beards and the harmonies are still here, but things have gotten weirder, with more and more echoes of the drug-soaked music of the mid-70s. Of course, genres of all shapes and sounds should be considered when trying to sum up a year in music. Coming up with a list of 10 great songs will admittedly overlap a bit with my upcoming Top Ten Albums, but I have tried to make an effort to expand my reach a bit. Here’s ten great songs that would make a great 2009 retrospective playlist:

10. Bon Iver – Blood Bank

Justin Vernon went out of his way to confound expectations in his follow-ups (the band Volcano Choir and the EP Blood Bank) to the instant classic For Emma, Forever Ago. Unfortunately for him, “Blood Bank,” off the EP of the same name, sounds like a great undiscovered track from For Emma and is the strongest work Vernon has done in that album’s wake.

9. Franz Ferdinand – Ulysses

Franz Ferdinard kind of got a bad rep by being lumped in with the likes of The Killers and Interpol in the grand skinny-jean, post-punk wave early in the aughts. But of all those bands, it’s only Franz Ferdinand who could pull off this paranoid, disco-infused rant — catchy as hell and subversive in ways most major label bands wouldn’t dare.

8. Cursive – Mama, I’m Satan

On his best days, Tim Kasher of Curisve is one of our best songwriters, and “Mama, I’m Satan” off of Mama, I’m Swollen is one of those days. As on the whole album, Kasher is obsessed with sex and societal power structures – but on “Satan,” he backs these lyrics with a rollicking barnstormer of a song that shows more clarity of the Curisve voice than anything the band has done since “Art is Hard.”

7. Future of the Left – Arming Eritrea

Travels With Myself and Another is a series of gut-punches, none better than album opener “Arming Eritrea.” Starting with a string of defensive bleats against someone named Rick, the song hiccups between a craggy guitar riff and a naked, nasty drumbeat. Then suddenly the song soars into a cascading wall of sound, before dropping back into its syncopated groove with singer Andy Falkous upping the ante his glass-in-the-throat howl. All in three minutes.

6. Grizzly Bear – While you Wait for the Others

Veckatimest is a collection of great songs, first and foremost, so selecting just one from the album is a bit difficult. “While You Wait for the Others” turns out to be the best distillation of the band’s power – Daniel Rossen’s off-kilter guitar stabs, Ed Droste’s killer croon cameo during the song’s bridge, Chris Taylor’s bubbling bassline and Chris Bear’s off-kilter drumming, and, of course, the whole band joining in for their glorious harmonies.

5. Lightning Bolt – Transmissionary

In a somewhat left-handed compliment, most people say that a record simply cannot capture the live fury of a Lightning Bolt concert. “Transmissionary,” the 13 minute epic finale of Earthly Delights, certainly comes close. Behind Brian Chippendele’s relentless drumming and Brian Gibson’s detuned, repeating bassline, the song somehow feels like it’s going at hyper-speed and slow-motion at the same time.

4. Bat For Lashes – Siren Song

Two Suns is ostensibly a concept album about two sides of singer Natasha Khan’s personality – the loyal partner and the wild lover. “Siren Song” not only illustrates this lyrical concept the most coherently of any song on the album, but it also produces the record’s most haunting sonic journey. Khan’s echoey 50s girl-pop voice in the verses eventually gets swept away on a wave of galvanizing, rolling tympanis and double, triple and quadruple looped vocals.

3. The Flaming Lips – Watching the Planets

The climax of The Flaming Lips’ spectacular Embryonic is “Watching the Planets,” a thunderous barnstormer; the most propulsive song the Lips have recorded in ages. Embryonic boasts hypnotic musical and existential lyrical through-lines that are summed up in “Watching the Planets’” only quiet moment – the music subsides, Wayne Coyne whispers “oh oh oh, finding the answer/oh oh oh finding that there ain’t no answer to find,” and, with a breath, the music roars back in.

2. Isis – Threshold of Transformation

Isis albums always climax well (see “Hym” on Oceanic and “Grinning Mouths” on Panopticon) and “Threshold of Transformation,” which closes out Wavering Radiant, might be the best song the band has ever written. A maturation of their quiet-loud dynamics, “Transformation” sees the crunchy riffing of The Red Sea and the stately post-rock of In the Absence of Truth sitting comfortably together, before spiraling out into a shoegaze coda that builds layers upon riffs upon layers before ending two bars too soon. It’s a calculated move – it makes you want to replay the song immediately and take the 9-minute journey again.

1. Animal Collective – My Girls

“My Girls” was released when 2009 was but days old, but no other song this year has come along to knock it off its high perch. A thrilling introduction to the hallucinatory domestic bliss brilliance of Merriweather Post Pavillion, “My Girls” is more than a great, bouncy pop song – it was also the sound of Animal Collective finally letting down their guard, both in the accessibility of the music and the direct simplicity of the lyrics. In the past, Animal Collective had buried much of the emotion of their music within intentionally difficult layers of electronic noise. The new, 2009 model of Animal Collective combines electronic music, galvanizing percussion and soaring melodies as they always have, but now they’ve allowed room for unabashed joy. This is not only the year’s best song, but also a turning point for one of music’s most unique bands.

It was actually quite a great year for music videos: Of all the top ten lists that I have compiled this year, the music video list was hardest to narrow down to ten. Yes, budgets have gotten smaller and traditional avenues for music video viewing have narrowed. That being said, the low-budget, do it yourself aesthetic has brought videos back to the relative creative purity they enjoyed in the early days of MTV. Also, it seems like established artists have found some freedom in taking risks in the sink-or-swim ether of YouTube, Vimeo and the shiny new Vevo. These days, videos HAVE to be impressive to be seen — here’s the ten that impressed me the most in 2009:

10. Two Door Cinema Club – “I Can Talk”

Triumph of ingenuity over small budget. Beneath all the clothing swapping chaos is a surprisingly coherent, seamless (pun intended) piece of direction by Megaforce.

9. Depeche Mode – “Wrong”

Patrick Daughters is one of the few directors making large-scale videos for interesting bands blessed with big budgets. A simple, action flick concept writ large. Stunningly crafted and endlessly rewatchable.

Depeche Mode – “Wrong” (official music video)

Depeche Mode | MySpace Music Videos

8. Oren Lavie – “Her Morning Elegance”

OK, we’ve seen this technique dozens of times, but rarely as smoothly and creatively as “Her Morning Elegance.” An unbroken series of stop-motion puns worthy of Pixar send a sleeping protagonist through a cloth-hewn dream wonderland – all from the comfort of her own bed.

7. In Case of Fire – “Enemies”

Jesse Elwes is one of the best underground video directors working today, with his stop motion animation that tips its hat to the Brothers Quay while maintaining its own voice. The video for “Enemies” has a hand-crafted feel with the furious energy of an action film.

6. Home Video – “I Can Make You Feel It” AND Pheonix – “1901″

Two great performance videos from radically different bands. Home Video, local indie rockers they are, created this mesmerizing, hand-crafted clip that perfectly captures the dark throb of the song. French poppers Pheonix, on the other hand, create a similar effect with expensive, beautifully coordinated lighting.

5. Coldplay – “Life in Technicolor”

Dougal Wilson may be the best “concept” video guy since Michele Gondry, though his technique is much slicker. The idea of Coldplay puppets playing a show at a day care center is a funny skewering of their stadium ready image, and the video’s twists are increasingly bizarre and hilarious.

Coldplay – Life In Technicolor II from Rury Gonzalez on Vimeo.

4. Fever Ray – If I Had a Heart

OK, so it’s kind of aimless, but a more memorable collection of moments is harder to come by in music videos this year. There’s the guy in the mask on the shore of the river. There’s all the bodies in the empty swimming pool. And that scene with the wolf – goose-bump inducing. Director Andreas Nilsson made many Fever Ray videos this year, but “If I Had a Heart” is unquestionably the best.

If I Had A Heart from Fever Ray on Vimeo.

3. Land of Talk – “Its OK”

In a time where most music videos rely on eye-catching trickery to capture the YouTube generation’s short attention span, how refreshing is Land of Talk’s gorgeous “It’s OK.” The languorous pace set by the song is matched by director WeWereMonkey’s stunning black and white landscapes and hallucinatory images. Such rich attention to detail is certainly worth multiple spins.

2. Chairlift – Evident Utensil AND OK Go – WTF?

Under the guidance of lo-fi specialist Ray Tintori, Chairlift’s “Evident Utensil” was the first, and best, video to use “data moshing” technique – essentially controlling and dramatizing digital tear for aesthetic purposes. The technique is impressive – the creativity and fluidity of the video is even more so. The same can be said for OK Go’s goofier but no less impressive video “WTF?” The content may be silly, as per usual for OK Go, but the choreography of ever-overlapping color is mind-boggling.

OK Go – WTF? from OK Go on Vimeo.

1. Grizzly Bear – Two Weeks

One of the (many) great things about Grizzly Bear is how weird they are if you dig just below their polite surface. No video to date has illustrated this as effectively as Patrick Daughters’ fittingly out-of-left-field vision for the pop gem “Two Weeks.” Daughters’ use of subtle special effects (compositing facial features from different takes, subtly enlarging the bands’ eyes and mouths) is the stuff of hallucinations, and the slow-burn (ha ha) to the video’s unsettling/hilarious climax begs repeat viewings.

I’m starting this year’s Best Of series with a new list: Best Live Performance. As we all know, CDs are going the way of the dodo, and the online purchase model is sketchy at best. Therefore, bands are making their money these days on the road, and bands with striking live shows are often more successful than their album-bound counterparts. Nothing can replace seeing a great band live, and here are the ten best shows that I saw in 2009:

10. The Twilight Sad at Bowery Ballroom, New York City

When The Twilight Sad opened for Mogwai, their sonic squalls were somewhat hampered by a smug-seeming stage manner. But when they headlined at Bowery Ballroom, the band was so thankful for their enthusiastic audience that the joy was infectious. Even though the songs are relentlessly downbeat, the mood couldn’t have been brighter.

9. Bon Iver at Bonnaroo, Manchester, Tennesse

It’s hard to pick one performance from Bonnaroo (in fact a couple of other bands who were great in Tennessee are listed below other venues) but Bon Iver’s set was a standout. Playing a mid-afternoon set to a packed tent, Justin Vernon’s haunting voice cut through the crowd like a knife, and the last few tracks where Vernon was joined by Elvis Perkins and Dearland, were spine-tingling.

8. Mogwai at The Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY

Mogwai are so good that they were able to overcome an excruciatingly bad crowd (screaming during all the quiet moments, spilling beers, etc) and deliver a searing, ear-destroying performance at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. Highlight: An encore of “My Father, My King,” the 21 minute epic that ends with 5 minutes of deafening feedback that was stuck in my ears for days.

7. The Jesus Lizard at The Fillmore at Irving Plaza, New York City

The year’s least likely rock-and-roll reunion yielded blistering results at a packed Irving Plaza. Singer David Yow may have less hair and a bigger gut than in the band’s heyday, but he threw himself into the show (and the crowd) with so much vigor that it felt like not a day had passed since the band released Goat in 1991.

6. Grizzly Bear at The Town Hall, New York City

A hometown victory lap for the almost universally loved Veckatimest, Brooklyn’s own Grizzly Bear played two nights at the Town Hall in midtown. Their set was heavy on new material – the warm echo of the sit-down venue doing particular justice to mellower tunes such as “Ready, Able” – but also included amped up versions of old favorites, such as the absolutely epic live version of Yellow House closer “Colorado.”

5. Nine Inch Nails at Webster Hall, New York City

An all time classic show, somewhat marred by circumstance. The downside was the Webster Hall, normally the best venue in New York, had severe air conditioning problems on one of the hottest days of the year. The upside, of course, was that Nine Inch Nails – on their last tour, sadly – played the classic Downward Spiral from beginning to end. A genuine thrill for fans, and if you download the Ipod ready torrent video of the show online – look, you’ll find it – you can watch one of Trent Reznor’s most special performances in the climate controlled pleasure of your apartment.

4. Future of the Left at Spike Hill, Brooklyn, New York

Officially billed as a Secret Show after the Fucked Up/Mission of Burma Williamsburg Waterfront show, Future of the Left played to a small, rowdy group of diehards at the relatively tiny Spike Hill. Turns out the confines of a small pub were very flattering to the snotty, booze-soaked punk rock of Future of the Left. Singer Andy Falkous added hilarious stage banter (at one point he called out a hipster for dancing during at a punk show) between a furious selection of barnstormers from the band’s great album, Travels With Myself and Another. (I couldn’t find video of the Spike Hill show, so check this out instead).

3. My Bloody Valentine at All Points West, Liberty State Park, New Jersey

At All Points West, My Bloody Valentine managed to be 10 times more rock and roll than headliner Tool by standing completely still. Unlike the trebly dreaminess of Loveless, My Bloody Valentine’s live sound features much more gut-shaking low-end than you’d think. Closing with the noise epic “You Made Me Realise” was a stroke of genius – many Tool fans extended middle fingers, while MBV lovers blissfully floated away for what seemed like hours on the pulsing waves of feedback.

2. OM at Club Europa, Brooklyn, New York

Ex-Sleep bassist Al Cisneros’ minimalist drone band OM is certainly an acquired taste and the addition of Grails’ drummer, Emil Amos, with his bombastic propensity, seemed an odd fit. Not so. Cisneros seemed energized by Amos’ titanic fills between the stately throb of OM’s mantras, and Robert Lowe from opener Lichens added guitar swells and haunting chants to fill out the ceremonial mood.

1. Wilco at Keyspan Park, Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York

No other band brings together indie-kids, suburban Dads, stoners, preppies and head bangers together quite as fluidly as Wilco. This July, on a perfect summer night at Keyspan Park in Coney Island, for two-plus hours, Wilco blew the minds of all the demographics lucky enough to attend. Nels Cline is possibly the best rock guitarist on the scene today, and he and Jeff Tweedy’s simultaneous solos on “At Least That’s What You Said” and “Impossible Germany” seemed to stretch into eternity in the best way possible. Tweedy was funny and relaxed throughout, and the climax of “Kidsmoke” featuring openers Yo La Tengo was a truly spectacular occasion.

Few would argue that 2008 was a relatively weak year for movies, in that there were few ambitious epics from noted directors like last year’s No Country For Old Men (Coens), There Will Be Blood (Anderson), Zodiac (Fincher) and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Dominick). That being said, there were plenty of great films in 2008 for the Academy Awards to honor, ignore and harshly snub. Here’s my predictions and thoughts on the biggest categories.

Best Picture:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
 
Should Win: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
 
Slammed by some for being an intellectual take on Forrest Gump. I say: “So what?” David Fincher’s coolly detatched, immaculately mounted take on Eric Roth’s script gives the film a weird, mesmerizing effect it may not have had in a more sentimental director’s hands. The film’s final twenty minutes is the most masterful sequence in Fincher’s career (that is saying a lot).
 
Will Win: Slumdog Millionaire
 
A perfectly fine movie that’s way over-hyped. Director Danny Boyle has covered familiar territory before (in the vastly underrated Millions) but Slumdog’s India-chic has blindsided Academy voters. I think this one of the surest bets of the night.
 
Who They Missed: The Dark Knight
 
Really, guys? The year’s most popular movie, which ALSO had some of the year’s best reviews, which ALSO had the year’s most unforgettable performance, which was ALSO the most twisty, dark, fascinating, timely comic book movie ever made – not as good as The Reader?
 
Best Actor:
 
Richard Jenkins – The Visitor
Frank Langella – Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn – Milk
Brad Pitt – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler
 
Should Win: Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler
 
Like the film itself, Rourke’s performance seems familiar but singular, surprising and touching without being sentimental. Beyond the enormous physical demands of the performance – Rourke did most of his own stunts – the actor never misses a beat in his lonely wrestler’s emotional journey.
 
Will Win: Mickey Rourke
 
It’s a really close race with the also-remarkable Sean Penn from Milk. But I have a feeling this is Rourke’s time.
 
Who They Missed: No one. This would have been my list.
 
Best Actress:
 
Anne Hathaway – Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie – Changeling
Melissa Leo – Frozen River
Meryl Streep – Doubt
Kate Winslet – The Reader
 
Should Win: Anne Hathaway – Rachel Getting Married
 
I disliked Rachel Getting Married – I thought it was phony to the core. That being said, Anne Hathaway waltzed through the contrivance and delivered a fantastic performance.
 
Will Win: Kate Winslet – The Reader
 
I admit I have not seen The Reader. But from what I hear, it’s not quite worthy of its Oscar nominations. It pains me that this will be Winslet’s first win – she has deserved it many times in the past, and heck, deserves it THIS year for her performance in the otherwise overdone Revolutionary Road. But not for The Reader.
 
Who They Missed: Sally Hawkins – Happy Go Lucky
 
It’s such a shame, because Hawkins’ performance in Mike Leigh’s tragically Academy-overlooked film is certainly the best of the year (if you trust the critics and, well, me). Her character, a relentless optimist whose depth is slowly revealed throughout the film, is one of the most memorable in ages.
 
Best Supporting Actor:
 
Josh Brolin – Milk
Robert Downey Jr. – Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman – Doubt
Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon – Revolutionary Road
 
Should Win: Heath Ledger
 
The last minute cry that the only reason Ledger will win this award is because of his untimely, tragic death really grates me. Even if Ledger were alive today, his take on the Joker is the best screen villain since Hopkins’ Hannibal Lecter and would richly deserve all its accolades.
 
Will Win: Heath Ledger
 
As close to backlash proof as you can get. Plus, The Dark Knight was majorly snubbed elsewhere, so all its fans will put their eggs in Ledger’s basket.
 
Who They Missed: Eddie Marsan – Happy Go Lucky
 
As the hot-headed driving instructor/dramatic foil to Sally Hawkins’ relentless optimist, Eddie Marsan is the unsung hero of Happy Go Lucky. His scenes with Hawkins, the backbone of the often anti-narrative film, are amazing.
 
Best Supporting Actress:
 
Amy Adams – Doubt
Penelope Cruz – Vicky Christina Barcelona
Viola Davis – Doubt
Taraji P. Henson – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei – The Wrestler
 
Should Win: Viola Davis – Doubt
 
Davis has been doing great work for a while, but to blow Meryl Streep off the screen and score an Oscar nomination for an uneven movie, in just 12 MINUTES of screen time, is remarkable. And totally deserved.
 
Will Win: Viola Davis
 
Conventional wisdom is Penelope Cruz in Oscar-friendly Woody Allen’s Vicky Christina Barcelona. But I am going with my gut. No other performance in this category makes quite as much of an impact as Davis’ two blazing scenes – and voters clearly loved the acting in this movie all around.
 
Who They Missed: Cate Blanchett – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
 
She’s really a lead, but I felt her performance should have been mentioned. No disrespect to Henson’s excellent performance, but Blanchett (even more than Pitt) is the soul of Benjamin Button.
 
Best Director:
 
Danny Boyle – Slumdog Millionaire
Stephen Daldry – The Reader
David Fincher – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard – Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant – Milk
 
Should Win: David Fincher – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
 
The Kubrick of this generation, Fincher’s films are often cold, intellectual and removed. They are also formally brilliant, fantastically mounted and fascinating. An Oscar for Benjamin Button would recognize Fincher’s achievement for orchestrating this long but never boring tour-de-technical force – and would be a belated make-up for the complete snub of 2007’s Zodiac.
 
Will Win: Danny Boyle – Slumdog Millionaire
 
It’s hard to be mad at Danny Boyle – he’s been doing great and varied work for years, and never seemed like the type to catch Academy attention. And in fairness, his direction of Slumdog is pretty great – the script’s weaknesses don’t really register in the moment, which is a testament to Boyle’s flamboyant but well orchestrated direction.
 
Who They Missed: Christopher Nolan – The Dark Knight
 
I can see the Academy skipping The Dark Knight as Best Picture – it’s script is often weak, and it’s in a “disreputable” genre – but not recognizing Nolan is really a crime. For a director to orchestrate the sublime chaos of the film’s action while keeping a keen eye on the intimate (and in Ledger’s case, intimately terrifying) performances is truly a singular feat.
 
Best Original Screenplay:
 
Dustin Lance Black – Milk
Andrew Stanton – Wall-E
Martin McDonagh – In Bruges
Mike Leigh – Happy-Go-Lucky
Courtney Hunt – Frozen River
 
Should Win: Mike Leigh – Happy-Go-Lucky
 
Mike Leigh’s brilliant film is only recognized in a category where its inclusion is questionable – Leigh’s writing process stems from improvisation and rehearsal rather than traditional screenplay formatting. That being said, he’s doing something right, since Happy-Go-Lucky wove words and scenarios better than any other film did in 2008.
 
Will Win: Dustin Lance Black – Milk
 
The most conventional, and weakest, script of the bunch nonetheless will be voters’ opportunity to honor a film they clearly loved but probably won’t award with Best Picture. This category usually goes for edgier material (as the inclusion of indies In Bruges and Frozen River indicate) but nothing would be edgier than awarding Wall-E – a movie about animated robot that features almost NO dialogue for an hour. Maybe, but probably not.
 
Who They Missed: Robert Siegel – The Wrestler
 
Though the film may be rightfully recognized for Mickey Rourke’s titanic performance, Robert Siegel’s perfect script has largely been overlooked. Rourke imbues the film with poignancy, but it’s Siegel that keeps things unexpected and delivers a truly shattering final soliloquy for Rourke to deliver.
 
Best Adapted Screenplay:
 
Simon Beaufoy – Slumdog Millionaire
Eric Roth – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Peter Morgan – Frost/Nixon
John Patrick Shanley – Doubt
David Hare – The Reader
 
Should Win: Peter Morgan – Frost/Nixon
 
The film has been unfortunately overlooked, probably because most people thought it would be boring. But the genius of Morgan’s adaptation of his own stage play is that the showdown between David Frost and Richard Nixon in a televised series of interviews is so damned entertaining.
 
Will Win: Simon Beaufoy – Slumdog Millionaire
 
Though the locale is exotic, the script of Slumdog is as conventional as they come. But love for the movie will propel Beaufoy to the podium. There’s a small chance of Shanley’s Doubt causing an upset, but even people that thought that the acting was strong concede that Shanley’s adaptation and subsequent direction of his stage play was over-ripe on screen.
 
Who They Missed: John Ajvide Lindqvist – Let The Right One In

The year’s most chilling, unique film benefits from Lindqvist’s more-than-meets-the-eye screenwriting. Let The Right One In weaves standard pop-culture vampire lore into a truly unique, unsettling cocktail that resonates far longer than most Oscar nominated scripts from 2008.
  

Top Ten Films of 2008

Though I found many of 2008’s prestige films, from Rachel Getting Married to Milk to Slumdog Millionaire somewhat overrated — in some cases VERY overrated — some of the obvious Oscar-bait lived up to its billing. Also, a couple of films that critics dismissed, I think, are worth another look. Here, in alphabetical order, are the ten films I saw in 2008 that had exceptional qualities. On any given day, most of these films could have been the best film of 2008.

Burn After Reading

As The Big Lebowski was to hard-boiled detective noir films like The Big Sleep, Burn After Reading is to all those all-star, oh-so-important socio-political intrigue flicks like Syriana. What makes the Coen Brothers more than mere satirists is how deeply they understand the construction of these films and invert them 180 degrees – they hold a mirror up to the genre, and expose its innate artificiality. It’s a bonus that the film is hilarious – John Malkovich, Brad Pitt and JK Simmons are pitch-perfect – and that it’s written and directed with the consummate (though ridiculous) skill that the Coens deliver to their films, serious and absurd alike.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

David Fincher, one of our darkest, least compromising mainstream directors, may seem like an odd fit for a fanciful tale of a man who ages in reverse. But in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Fincher’s chilly intellectualism and screenwriter Eric Roth’s warm humanism fuse into a compelling, captivating and heart-breaking cocktail. To say nothing of the film’s technical virtuosity (from the stunning mahogany cinematography to the flawless reverse aging effects applied to the never-better Brad Pitt), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button spookily evokes the evolution of America while consciously staying tangential to history. It’s an absorbing, lonely film, and its breathtaking third act is possibly the most masterful stretch in Fincher’s already impressive filmography.

The Dark Knight

The Bush years, in their almost constant state of crisis, find their finest cinematic mirror in the unlikeliest of places – a big budget superhero movie. If Batman Begins intriguingly mined contemporary relevance in Bruce Wayne’s Gotham City, The Dark Knight foregrounds hot topics with Shakespearean intensity. Yes, the bank heist and car chase are spectacular (kudos to director Christopher Nolan for keeping the action mostly CGI free), but it’s the film’s unnerving, constant moral grayness that made The Dark Knight the year’s most discussed movie. Heath Ledger, in his brilliant rendition of the Joker, epitomized the (inter)national feelings of nagging fear and anxiety that have gripped our lives.

The Fall

By normal standards, The Fall is not a great film. The story — about a depressed stunt-man weaving a tale for an injured little girl — is jumbled, the acting is inconsistent, and the tone is often confused. That being said, The Fall is worth seeing because its very existence boggles the mind. Director Tarsem Singh, between high profile commercial directing gigs, shot The Fall in some of the world’s most spectacular, unusual locations – it is a fantasy film, completely devoid of computer effects, shot in the world’s most fantastical locations. In terms of sheer visual storytelling, it’s one of the most impressive films I’ve ever seen.

Frost/Nixon

Adapted from Peter Morgan’s screenplay taken from his own successful Broadway play, Ron Howard proves the ideal director for Frost/Nixon. Though Howard’s work can sometimes suffer from ordinariness – take the absurdly overrated A Beautiful Mind – he also has the professionalism to stand back and let a very, very strong script do its work. It helps immeasurably that Frank Langella and Michael Sheen import and resize their Broadway performances for the big screen – Langella’s guilt-stricken, competitive Nixon burns a hole in the screen, and Michael Sheen nails the trickier performance as David Frost, a man so driven by finance and ego that he almost misses his chance at professional redemption.

Happy-Go-Lucky

Mike Leigh’s largely improvised, socially conscious dramas are usually films I admire more than I love – that’s not the case with Happy-Go-Lucky, partially because the film is such a change of pace for the writer/director. Sally Hawkins, in the year’s best performance, plays Poppy, an unflaggingly optimistic 30-ish London kindergarten teacher; a character that could have been a caricature if not for Hawkins’ and Leigh’s gradual inclusion of Poppy’s more serious side that exposes her optimism as a choice rather than a mental affect. Poppy’s driving lessons, and her interaction with the tightly-wound instructor ingeniously played by Eddie Marsan, are the backbone of the often anti-narrative film, and are amongst the most gripping acting displays in recent memory.

Let the Right One In

Director Tomas Alfredson’s wintry, unnerving, oh-so-European vampire film has often been referred to as a “coming of age” film or, more strangely, a touching story of friendship. These descriptions may hint at the surface of the profoundly unsettling Let The Right One In, if only because the main characters are both twelve-year-olds (well, one is a vampire in arrested development at age twelve). Pop cultural rules of vampire films are both followed and subverted in the film’s brilliant screenplay. Let The Right One In has its fair share of bloodletting, but its final, violence-less scene is more disquieting than any horror machinations that come before.

Wall*E

For about 45 minutes, Wall*E is the best Pixar movie ever made – high praise, considering they’re responsible for Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Ratatouille and others. Not only have they raised their technical game – the film’s vision of a junked, dead Earth are as striking as any post-apocalyptic committed to screen – but the wordless courtship between the adorably analog Wall*E and his high-tech love interest EVE is a masterpiece of slapstick storytelling. That the movie’s second half is too preachy and too stuffed with action sequences is disappointing, but the relationship between Wall*E and EVE remains gorgeously subtle throughout.

Waltz With Bashir

The best films dealing with Mideast strife practically bathe themselves in political and moral murk, but Waltz With Bashir is the first to weave this uneasiness into its physical presentation. This hypnotic animation/documentary/memoir from Israeli director Air Folman circles the truth behind the 1982 Israeli/Lebanese conflict, beginning with swooping, surrealistic vignettes recalled by former Israeli soldiers and eventually centering on Folman’s own recollection of the event (he was in the Israeli military as a young man). The vivid animation allows for striking visual metaphor (including the titular “Waltz with Bashir” danced by an Israeli soldier) that ultimately give way to a devastating face-to-face look at the grim reality of war.

The Wrestler

After a triptych of formally inventive, intellectually astute films – the black and white theoretical math thriller (!) Pi, the punishing Requiem for a Dream and the searching, vastly underrated The Fountain – director Darren Aronofsky has changed gears. Giving Mickey Rourke the comeback role of a lifetime as worn-out professional wrestler Randy “The Ram” Robinson, The Wrestler is both a fascinating look behind the scenes of the “fake” sport of pro-wrestling and the limits of a life lived selling one’s body (both Rourke’s character and Marisa Tomei’s not-as-cliché-as-it-sounds role as a sympathetic stripper). But The Wrestler is Rourke’s moment, carrying the film’s tender, bittersweet emotional resonance on his broad shoulders.