The 2009 411 Movie & TV Awards, Part 1 - Movie Awards

Posted by Ben Piper on 01.27.2010

What was the very best of 2009? The 411 staff has cast their votes and here are the results.














Hello, and welcome to the 411 Movie/TV Awards for the year 2009! Yes, once again it is the annual kudo fest where the members of the staff celebrate the crème of the crop in both movies and TV that we all experienced in the year previous. I am your master of ceremonies for this rodeo, Ben Piper.

2009 was an outstanding year for entertainment. It truly had a little bit of everything. I mean, from ten foot tall blue aliens (in stunning 3-D no less), to boldly going back to where we've been before only to find it completely different yet still the same to members of the Jewish community fighting back against evil Nazis during World War II. We had serial killers trying to settle down into family life, the continued hijinks behind the scenes of a sketch comedy show, to some freakin' weird island that for some reason is now time-traveling.

And that is only scratching the surface. The nominees presented as voted upon by the 411 staff presents a wide cross-referencing mosaic of what truly stood out in pop culture this past year. And now it is time to acknowledge all of those that truly stood out to us, the 411 staff, and to toast the winners as well those that came close.

Speaking of toasts, in case you were wondering if I would in any way compare to the job Ricky Gervais did hosting the Golden Globes? He did witty banter, while drinking alcohol openly on stage. Looks like I'll be batting .500 in comparison.

Thank you. I'll be here the whole column. I kind of have to be, considering I'm the one putting it together. Without any further ado, let's get this show on the road with the first category.



I've heard and read a lot of rumblings over the past year about the quality of the films that were released in 2009. Quotes such as "Hollywood is dead" or "No one makes original films anymore." Those people are wrong – dead, dead wrong. 2009 provided audiences with some of the most exhilarating, breathtaking and poignant achievements in film to date. Yes, some of these you would have to seek out for yourself, but just because they didn't play in every AMC, Famous Players or Regal Cinema theater doesn't mean they didn't exist. They were here, for the world to see – and it was – to coin a phrase...Glorious. Or Inglorious.

Whether we were swept away into Nazi-occupied France where we met a group of scalping "basterds", was caught holding our breaths as we examined the life of a "hurt" bomb-expert in Iraq, joyously taken "up" through the clouds, boldly going where no one had gone before for years and meeting old heroes for the first time – or boldly going to where no one had dared to enter until the film technology made it possible – these were the ultimate pieces of escape; the reason why we plunk down wads of cash to sit and look at light hitting a blank screen, and the works that inspire and aspire great art and entertainment. These were the best movies of 2009. -Len Archibald

And the nominees are: Avatar; The Hurt Locker; Inglourious Basterds; Star Trek; & Up

Runner Up- The Hurt Locker: Kathryn Bigelow's film, The Hurt Locker, is not a traditional war piece. It avoids the cliché of politics and focuses on those that war impacts the most, the people that live in it every day. Calling The Hurt Locker suspenseful would be an understatement as Bigelow squeezes every ounce of tension possible out of the scenarios her cast encounters as they work disarming bombs in Iraq. Jeremy Renner's turn as SSGt. William James is truly a break out performance as he takes us to both ends of the emotional spectrum, several times.In general the performances of the three main characters are gems that shine light on how impactful and truly addictive the adrenaline of war can be. Their experience is not only transformative for themselves but for the viewing audience. This is a film that deserves the recognition it is receiving and stands out as one of Bigelow's best directing accomplishments. - Mike Gorman

Winner- Inglourious Basterds: In a win sure to attract some controversy from the Basterds haters, it's no small surprise to me that Quentin Tarantino's war film won the 411Mania Movie Award for Best Movie. Basterds is a film for cinemaphiles, awash with Tarantino's favorite genres melded perfectly together in a smooth balance. To that balance Tarantino poured in a refreshingly strict adherence to linguistics that added weight to the film, some wonderfully snappy dialogue that stands up with Tarantino's best and some fabulous performances from…well, just check out the Male and Female Performances in a Film to see what I'm talking about there. But if flashy performances, some good lines in multiple languages and a little mixing of genres was all it had, Inglourious Basterds wouldn't have been able to hold a candle—as good as it still would have been—to some of the other contenders. Tarantino also proved that he was growing as a director as he kept his trademark style down a bit and instead focused on building some of the most tense, well-paced scenes of the year. Anyone who says that the dialogue in the opening scene or the one in the tavern are "boring" simply doesn't know what they're talking about, or perhaps completely missed the point of the scenes.

One of the best things about Basterds is how Tarantino uses his trademark of multiple storylines in a more interesting, seamless way than he ever has before. This has several different beginnings, from the Basterds' mission to Colonel Landa and Shoshanna's first meeting to Archie Hicox's mission assignment. You have the emergence of Fredrick Zoller and Bridget von Hammersmark as well to add to the mix. It shifts storylines around, merging some and having them break off for a bit before they all find their natural conclusions in a highly satisfying climax. Add in a twist of an ending that surprised the hell out of most audiences and provides a hell of a satisfying twist on world history. The bottom line here is that this is easily one of Tarantino's best films in what is already an impressive resume. -Jeremy Thomas





When I sat down to write this intro for the Best Blockbuster award, I was at first tempted to just veer off into the old "sometimes we just want to turn our brain off and have fun" argument that has long defined the "blockbuster" film. But, then I realized, that's just not quite the case. Oh, sure, this award is about the movies that blew away mainstream audiences this year…but to suggest that they are nothing more than mindless fun couldn't be further from the truth. In recent years, films like The Dark Knight and the Bourne series have helped re-define what a "blockbuster" can be. We no longer have to settle for nothing more than paper-thin plots and lots of explosions (although lots of explosions can still help). In many cases, the blockbuster movies are just as worthy of legitimate attention as their more Oscar-chasing peers, and this year's crop – as evidenced by the nominees in this category – is no exception. Here we have five critically-acclaimed films that would be just as comfortable fighting it out in the Best Movie category (and, in fact, a few of them are). These five films are not "blockbusters" simply because they offered nothing more than audience-pleasing thrills. No, these films earned their Blockbuster status by just actually being that damn good. -Trevor Snyder

And the nominees are: Avatar; The Hangover; Star Trek; Up; Watchmen.

Runner Up-Star Trek: I know it's tough but, for a moment, let's remember the question mark that hovered over this film when it was first announced. Did we really need another Star Trek? The last few uninspired years of the franchise (Star Trek: Nemesis, Enterprise) had done their damage, and even many die-hard Trekkers agreed that perhaps what the series needed most was a long rest. And if it had to come back, then did it have to be a reboot, of all things? This was a franchise that had run on the same continuity for decades – to suddenly upset that seemed to almost border on heresy. Screenwriters Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci and director J.J. Abrams were clearly aware of all of these issues, but thankfully took the challenge anyway, re-inventing Gene Rodenberry's classic tale with a modern feel. Their Star Trek is exactly the breath of fresh air the series needed, a dose of exhilarating excitement that still managed to honor the unique and inspiring vision of the future that Rodenberry first dreamed of so many years ago. And they even figured out a way to introduce a new continuity without sacrificing the original. J.J. Abrams' Star Trek both made new Trek fans and reminded existing fans of the amazing potential the franchise holds. A few years ago, this franchise seemed to dead in the water (or in space, as the case may be). Now, thanks to this fantastic film, we are once again eagerly awaiting the continuing missions of the U.S.S. Enterprise and, in J.J. Abrams, I can think of no better captain to boldly take us where no one has gone before. -Trevor Snyder

Winner- Avatar: Only James Cameron could do this. Only James Cameron could look us all dead in the eye and say what is impossible, is now possible. Since 1998, the record-holder for total box-office receipts stood tall, unmatched and unmoved like the title of the film that bore its reputation – but just like the ship that seemingly could crush through the waters and could never go under had to strike an iceberg, no one thought that it could be James Cameron – again. I know there is (at least around these parts) a whole "mini-backlash" fest over what I feel is one of the greatest cinematic spectacles I have ever witnessed – and I'm okay with that. They don't understand. They couldn't possibly understand. Movies are one of the few communal mediums left in our existence, where people come together for a common cause and be hurled into the depths of another universe. Avatar isn't just a movie – it is an EVENT. It has already amassed a mystique and unspoken quality that only few films in the history of mankind can boast. It takes one into a world that is unlike anything anyone has ever seen before. It transports the audience to a place that lurks in the deepest pit of our subconscious imagination and holds them there for two and a half hours, unrelenting. It isn't the best-written story of all-time, I know that – but it is everything that great film strives to be: a visualized wonder that brings people together for the sake of entertainment. I don't even get angry at the few that have turned their backs on the film. I don't even feel sorry for them. Some people are just too cynical, and that's too bad – because films don't exist or are made to beat down on the human soul, but to uplift. Avatar did that in spades and is one of the few moviegoing experiences I've had in my lifetime that earned every dollar I spent on it. -Len Archibald





Movies that qualify for "The Biggest Disappointment" category represent those titles that a great deal of people were eagerly anticipating. These are films we were hoping would be good, and maybe some of us assumed would be satisfying entertainment, but ended up crushing our hopes as mediocre or worse. Three out of the five nominees for 2009 stem from existing franchises that viewers have adored for quite awhile. Another was the first live-action version of a popular cartoon show that so many young kids loved. When a film disappoints the audience, it fails to deliver on the assurances which were conveyed in the trailers, posters, and other forms of advertisement. Many emotions race through our systems after experiencing a movie that has let us down in a big way. We feel angry, sad, and frustrated because we know what that feature could have been.

By glancing at this list it is clear that all of these titles definitely deserve to be displayed, for one reason or another. In the case of a few of the films, they are more than just disappointments, but downright failures in every stretch of the imagination. One might also notice that these movies were probably better on paper than in execution. Others were made just to milk what was left of a popular property. By the time these movies made their way to the big screen, something went wrong, whether it was the acting, the direction, or the writing. So many elements need to click into place for a film to be effective and fulfill the expectations of excited fans, and out of all the disappointing flicks of 2009, these are the five that were voted as the ones which upset the most moviegoers. -Chad Webb


And the nominees are: GI Joe: The Rise Of Cobra; Public Enemies; Terminator: Salvation; Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen; X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Runner Up- Public Enemies: There is a thought process that a disappointing movie should not be looked down upon because "it's just a movie." This seems to me to be a ridiculous statement because where is that true in other areas of life? When you go out to eat, paying your hard earned money, and the waiter brings you a dried out steak and cold potatoes do you just eat it happily and say "it's just food"? When you go to a concert, once again paying your hard earned money, and the band puts on a lackluster show, screwing up the lyrics to your favorite songs and not seeming to care do you say "oh well, it's just music"? That is my thought process on movies. When I go to a theater and pay anywhere from $7 to $12 for a ticket, depending on the quality of the theater, and see a movie that should be great and leave wondering why it wasn't, I am not going to say "it's just a movie." I pay my hard earned cash to be entertained or enlightened and if the entertainment I am paying for does not succeed at either or those I have every right to be unhappy and disappointed. It is not "just a movie." It is entertainment that I paid for and I expect to be entertained.

Michael Mann is one of my favorite filmmakers. I am one of the few people who enjoyed Miami Vice and I feel Heat is a masterpiece. I am a huge fan of Johnny Depp and, until this year, felt Christian Bale could do no wrong. With that said, Public Enemies had a lot to live up to. I went in expecting a movie that would entertain me and be a highlight of the summer movie season. While it was slightly entertaining at points, it failed to live up to any of my expectations. When I reviewed the movie I received criticism from a keyboard warrior that I should not count off for a movie that fails to live up to my expectations. Actually, as a professional film critic, I have every right to count off for a movie that disappoints me. Michael Mann has set a bar for his films that is hard to reach and it felt at times he never attempted to reach that level in this film. Yes, the gunfight in the woods was amazing but was only part of a movie that felt like it was just repeating the same beats over and over and over. Johnny Depp was solid in his performance, especially in the perfectly constructed finale at the theater. However Christian Bale, the least interesting character in Terminator: Salvation, failed to do anything in this movie to appear interesting at all. Some argue his character is not supposed to be interesting. If that is true, and he was based on a real man, it is still a failure because the antagonist (or protagonist based on your views) should always seem at least dangerous. Bale showed no emotion in his role and failed to make any part of the movie feel like we should fear for John Dillinger. There are things in the movie to like, mainly in the arena of the supporting characters, but as a Michael Mann movie starring two of the most recognizable stars on the planet, it is a huge disappointment. -Shawn S. Lealos

Winner- X-Men Origins: Wolverine: After the mega success, both with critics and at the box office, of the three X-Men movies it was sort of a no brainer that, at some point, if no one wanted to make another full on X-Men team movie that spin off movies based on the characters would get made. It was also a bit of a no brainer that one of the first spin off movies would be based on Hugh Jackman's Wolverine character. Let's face it, Wolverine was the most popular character in the X-Men franchise. Every nerd in the audience wanted to have indestructible adamantium claws, spiked hair, and the ability to wear wife beater T-shirts and not look like a total douchebag. Eventually, there had to be a standalone "Wolverine" movie.

And so Fox made good on that assumed promise and made a Wolverine movie. Jackman came back to play Wolverine, Liev Schrieber was hired to play Wolverine's arch nemesis Sabretooth, and hip and edgy director Gavin Hood was hired to direct. X-Men Origins: Wolverine was about as sure a sure thing could possibly be. The big scandal involving a rough cut of the movie released on the internet and subsequent bad word of mouth wasn't going to derail this sure fire money making train.

And then the movie actually came out. The movie was a disaster. Jackman was his usual awesome self in it, and Schrieber did a decent enough job as Sabretooth. Oodles of people were creaming their jeans over Ryan Reynolds' glorified cameo as Deadpool. And some of the action scenes were fun (the opening titles montage was the best thing in the movie bar none). But, the movie as a whole experience was a problem. A big problem. The movie just didn't work. It didn't feel alive. Very little of it made sense. The longer the movie went on, the worse it got. Stuff was just happening because it just did (like that thing with Professor X and a young Cyclops. What the hell was that about?). Adamantium bullets? What the hell?

When the movie was over there was no way you could feel anything but a profound sense of disappointment. Wolverine's Wolverine movie sucked. Not even Hugh Jackman's ultra cool badassness could save it.

We could get another Wolverine movie, you know. "Origins" made just enough money to justify making another one. I, we, should be ecstatic about that. Another Wolverine movie!?!

Yeah. Another Wolverine movie. It worked so well that first time, right? -Bryan Kristopowitz





Every year, around awards season, a segment of the pop culture zeitgeist (you know who you are) discusses the prevalence (or lack thereof) of important and meaningful roles for female actors in Hollywood. Look at all of the great female parts (ha!) this year! It's amazing! It's the year of the woman actor! Where are all of the good female parts (ha! ha!)? Think of what will happen to all of the young women out there who are not going to be empowered because of the lack of strong female performances.

Wait a second, isn't this the intro to the Best Male Performance in a movie? Why the hell is he talking about women? Why? Why?

I want to know why we never have this discussion about male actors. Even if the male performances are terrible for the year we never talk about it. The male performances are just the male performances for the year. We never talk about whether or not young males in the audience are going to feel empowered by strong male performances. Why is this?

There were some great male performances in movies this year. You all know that. You saw them. I saw them. We all saw them. And I feel empowered by them. Do you feel empowered by them? You should. After we all check out the winners here in this category, let's get a discussion going.

Anyone want to do this? Anyone? -Bryan Kristopowitz

And the nominees are: Sharlto Copely, District 9; Jackie Earle Haley, Watchmen; Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker; Sam Rockwell, Moon; Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Runner Up- Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker: You know the old saying "War Is Hell"? That adage has been beaten into our heads so often we take it at face value, as gospel, as it were. It's simply an accepted law of the universe.

But Jeremy Renner's performance in The Hurt Locker turns that old axiom on it's ear. For while his character still suffers the horrors of war like everyone else, he's not like everyone else. He's addicted to the rush, the danger of it all as a bomb disposal specialist. Just like everyone else, his life is in danger every time he steps into the field. But unlike everyone else, that's the way he likes it. He wouldn't have it any other way. So much so, that when things seem too dire that his back-up wants to play it by the book and take the safe way out, he forges ahead against their wishes and takes matters into his own hands at the cost of his own safety, as well as those that are tasked to have his back.

This is a richly nuanced performance. Layered in grounded believability and punctuated with mere facial gestures and body language that rings true and sound, with a quiet intensity that burns just beneath the surface all throughout. While I have been aware of Renner as a working actor for a while now (he's from my hometown, after all) I was in no way prepared for or expected this level of excellence. I congratulate him for his efforts, for this role and this performance now has firmly placed him on the pop culture map. Hell, if Jeff Bridges wasn't winning all the big prizes this awards season, this would be your Best Actor Oscar winner. -Ben Piper

Winner- Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds: I could very easily declare that Christoph Waltz is awesome, ask for my check, call it a day and most people would understand – because there really wouldn't be anything left that could be said, but I will say more. Ever since his initial scene at the dairy farmer's home, Colonel Hans Landa of the SS was destined to become one of cinema's finest antagonists. Waltz expertly mixes Sherlock Holmes' intellect with Hans Gruber's panache with a sprinkle of The Mad Hatter's playfulness and HAL 9000's cold, one-track minded desire to carry out a task given to him. Waltz, a noted stage and method actor, poured his heart and soul into his role. In a film full of memorable and quoteable characters, Quentin Tarantino may have written his best one – and has gone on record to admit that if he couldn't find someone as good as the Austria-born actor, Inglorious Basterds may have never seen the light of day. Christoph Waltz has pretty much swept every "Best Supporting Actor" award worldwide, and is the virtual lock for office pools for this year's Oscars as well. There was no one else alive who could have played "The Jew Hunter". No one. -Len Archibald





At the risk of becoming joke fodder for this award's brother category, there really were a lot of great female roles in film this year. One might wonder how talking about women's roles is any different than men's roles, and the answer is simple. Men generally (note the key word generally) have more flexibility of the roles they can play. While some can occasionally break through the boundary of action roles, slapstick humor or others, good solid women's roles have traditionally been harder to come by. Obviously, that's not been the case over the last several years and this year was no different as we saw women hold their own in action roles, science fiction, psychological horror, drama and romantic dramedy among others. This is a year where new female stars have been made, and nowhere is that more obvious than in the list of nominees we had to choose from in the final voting: Zooey Deschanel, Anna Kendrick, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Melanie Laurent and Zoe Saldana. It's an incredibly diverse group of actresses that step to the top of the heap this year, and each of them are equally deserving. And it goes without saying that you're much more likely to see pictures of them on 411 than our male actors. But enough about female performances in general…let's get to the performances themselves. So to pull a nice little cliché saying out here….and the nominees are! -Jeremy Thomas

(Edit: Damn, he beat me to it…)

And the nominees are: Zooey Deshanel, (500) Days Of Summer; Anna Kendrick, Up In The Air; Charlotte Gainsbourg, Anti-Christ; Melanie Laurent, Inglourious Basterds; Zoe Saldana, Avatar

Runner Up- Zoe Saldana, Avatar: I think it's safe to say that Avatar is a groundbreaking film. And as everyone falls all over themselves to praise the revolutionary FX and 3D work, I think it's important that we allow Avatar another important milestone – let this be the moment when motion capture performances finally get the credit they deserve. Ever since Andy Serkis was unfortunately shunned from an Oscar nomination for his amazing work as Gollum in the Lord of the Rings series, it has seemed that these sorts of performances are just not treated with the same kind of dignity and respect that their live-action counterparts are. But enough is enough – there is simply no denying the power and grace of Zoe Saldana's turn as Neytiri. As Cameron himself has said (more or less), all the special effects in the world wouldn't matter if not for the actors bringing life to the story. And what life Saldana brings to her beautiful Na'vi warrior. As odd as it might sound, you can see why a human like Jake Sully would fall for an alien woman like this. It is not Cameron's innovative FX that makes this possible – it is the charisma of Saldana, who imbues Neytiri with an inner strength so powerful that it shines through the motion capture work. If you believe that Neytiri is real, and I think most audience members gladly do, then it is due to Saldana, whose real face is never seen for a second, but whose talent bursts from the screen. -Trevor Snyder

Winner- Melanie Laurent, Inglourious Basterds: In all the talk of the big-name Oscar frontrunners—Meryl Streep, Sandra Bullock, Mo'Nique, the Up in the Air duo and Emily Blunt—there's one name that's been sadly left out. Perhaps it's the fact that her work is in a male-dominated ensemble piece, in a genre that is traditionally skewed toward male performances. Perhaps it's the fact that she doesn't appear in anymore of the film than any of those guys she's sharing screen time in; perhaps it's just because she's not as well-known overall. For whatever the reason, she's been left behind in all of the awards voting and top ten performances list. With all that in mind, I am more than proud that Melanie Laurent stands at the top of 411Mania's list of the top female performers of 2009 in film.

Laurent was basically an unknown in the United States before Quentin Tarantino found her to play his avenging angel Shoshanna. The role is a dark task, one of someone who has been deeply scarred but is hell-bent on not living her life in fear. In fact she provides, in a film full of vengeful acts, the coup de grâce as she literally destroys everything she's ever known in order to wreak the retribution she so desperately needs. There is such a deep, smoldering passion in Laurent's performance; she isn't afraid to take the character in some very dark places and among such memorable performances as Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender and of course Christoph Waltz, Laurent stands head to head with all of them and never backs down. Her scenes opposite Waltz are electric in their tension and she's able to show a lot of chemistry with her would-be suitor in Daniel Bruhl. Several of the most emotionally charged scenes in the movie belong to her—the aforementioned scene with Waltz, the musical scene where she prepares herself for the final act and of course the final act itself, where she gives a performance within a performance and provides one of the most iconic images of 2009 with her face projected against smoke, laughing in triumph. In conclusion, she may not be standing at the podium to accept a lot of awards this year, but have no doubt that should the French actress choose to, she has a long career in Hollywood ahead of her. -Jeremy Thomas



Okay, is everybody having fun? I sure hope so, for this thing has to be divided into two parts, it's that epic. If you would like to be taken to part two instantly, just click the link here.
-BP