Fall/Winter 2009

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Straight to the content, I present you my much-considered Ten Most Eagerly Anticipated Films of 2009 (ranked by scheduled date of theatrical release) - with the expected 11th cherry/wild-card on top:

1. A Serious Man (2 October)- A beautiful offering from Joel and Ethan Coen takes the first place here, as the list does not begin until October this year. A clever-looking tale form smart writers-directors and a brilliant cinematographer (i. e., Roger Deakins), I have confidence in this one much more fibrous than the confidence I have in any other.
2. An Education (9 October) - A film early on supported by notices from the previewings in the festivals, this piece (with the exception of perhaps the fourth film on the list) is the most personally appealing to me for all its British-tinged, higher-educative, jazzy, and youthful sensibilities coupled with motions toward the extraordinary ordinary, the passion for invention, and the incomparable Emma Thompson.
3. The Road (16 October) - Though I have never read Cormac McCarthy, the heady appeal of The Road is undeniable for me, especially with Mr. Mortensen taking the fore. Through post-apocalypse, where the buzzy tingle of Coca-Cola has become the extraordinary instead of the norm, and moral smog, I fully intend on following.
4. Where the Wild Things Are (16 October) - Maurice Sendak's classic work translated into a film by the dynamic Spike Jonze leaves me little else to compare - or say now. Plus, Catherine Keener and Lauren Ambrose!
5. Antichrist (23 October) - A serious thematical departure from that of its chronological predecessor on this list, Antichrist represents the most avant-garde--style work on this list and therefore the most experimentally potent, be it volatile or vomiticious, and exciting. Endorsement by Cannes is no guarantee, but it sure does not hurt!
6. The Fantastic Mr. Fox (13 November) - A stop-motion--animated, Roald-Dahl adaptation, driven by Wes Anderson and voiced by the likes of Mr. George Clooney and Ms. Meryl Streep - enough said.
7. Los Abrazos Rotos (Broken Embraces; 20 November) - The only foreign language film on my list this year, Los Abrazos Rotos is the latest filmic creation by writer-director Pedro Almodóvar. Concentrating around the conflict that arises when a beautiful woman is sought after by two different men, the work looks to take that simple concept and flower it in ways that only the exacting and gentle Sr. Almodóvar can.
8. Brothers (4 December) - A serious young drama with a skillful young cast, this film of all the films on this list is probably the film that has least been promoted thus far into the year and so, though it may be potentially swayed to address the audience of such televised fluff as One Tree Hill, this lack of address so far speaks volumes to me about the intentions and also the estimated equality of the film on behalf of those who have both created and already viewed it. I'm excited to see how it all turns out.
9. Avatar (18 December) - The follow-up project much delayed from the director's previous work Titanic (1997), Avatar does look potentially exquisitely powerful and well worth the dilation. Though as maudlin and massive as its predecessor was, no one can question the power of the scenes in that late '90s' film. Here we may yet see improvement or simple more power of the same kind; either way, it is sure to be a seriously impressive work on this year in film (as judged in future history).
10. A Single Man (TBA; select image above) - I am fully in raptures over the trailer for, the early buzz about, and the creative talent behind this upcoming film about a British university-level professor grappling with the death of his partner in 1960s, England. Apart from the beauty and the delicacy of the cinematography and the storyline, the acting - by Ms. Julianne Moore especially - looks just phenomenal. There is a reason why actors win Coppe Volpi at the Venice Film Festival.
11. Precious (6 November) - I was an early advocate for this film by the sole merit of its trailer, whose structure and promise has diminished not a stone for me in appeal or strength yet. The only story on this list based directly on a true events, it looks to feature, aside from the nominal performances of its leading and supporting actresses Gabourey Sidibe and Mo'Nique respectively, a stellar transformation from Ms. Mariah Carey. Though of course this film has the most potential of all these films to disappoint, by being overly dramatic or poorly written outside of the organization of its trailer's content, it also therefore has the most potential to be a pleasant surprise and therefore, like Rachel Getting Married (2008) before it, it represents the wild cherry on top of this list naming the most exciting-looking films of this year in film 2009 here, at A Year in Film.