wongie's top 10 movies of the year

yes like the rest of the world, i've decided to compile a top 10 movie list!
babel - with three seemingly separate stories told at the same time, this beautiful film works on the premise that all actions, no matter how small, have consequences that ripple through those around them. in this case, one shot is literally heard around the world.












the host - under the guise of a korean monster film, the final result is a movie that mixes so many genres that you're never quite sure what you're getting next. with moments of pure terror, broad comedy, family drama and even a political twist in the end, the host manages to combine all these extreme elements into one of the most entertaining movies of the year. amazing really.













pan's labyrinth - a young girl uses the fantasy world as an escape from the terror of the spanish civil war around her. but when the girl is asked to fulfill a fantastical prophecy, reality and fantasy blur into horrifying consequences. guillermo del toro goes against the hollywood grain and creates a perfect and beautiful dark fairy tale just the way they used to write them.










volver - the bonds of women, the strength of motherhood and a bit of singing thrown in. this is the kind of celebratory movie that only almodovar can make. heck, he even made me love penelope cruz again!












curse of the golden flower - if you ask a purist about how they feel about this film, you'll inevitably get a negative response. but for me, the high level explosion of camp, backstabbing royals and enough gold to make your eyes go blind, made 'curse of the golden flower' the kind of gleeful costume drama that wears it's 'drama' with a capital 'D'. was it meant to be this campy? do i care? i simply loved it!













the queen - helen mirren gives a pitch perfect portrayal as queen elizabeth during the week of princess diana's death. with a performance this mesmerizing, that's all the reason to watch this film really.












united 93 - the most tense movie of the year. even though i knew the ending, i was still rooting for the passengers to get to the cockpit in time. devastating













the history boys - based on alan bennet's tony award winning play, a hyper intelligent history class prepare to get into cambridge/oxford during the 80's. sassy, twisted and passionate, education never inspired so much admiration.












little miss sunshine - if you still haven't seen this crowd-pleasing dysfunctional family roadtrip, then lemme just tip that there's a dance sequence at the end that's worth the ticket alone.














borat - i like... it nice!

















and a three way tie for #11
notes on a scandal - oh to watch judi dench go fatal attraction on cate blanchett! joy!

half nelson - two words, ryan gosling. a-fucking-mazing as an inspirational junior high teacher with a dark personal life!

paris je t'aime - 19 international directors (walter salles, the coen brothers, gus van sant, alexander payne, wes craven) tackle 19 short films about paris' different neighbourhoods. when the shorts work, they are a testiment to cinema and it's multitudes of talent.


plus two movies that i never got to see, but i have a feeling i'll really like them