The 2009 Mouton d'Or Awards

Awards season has been particularly long this year with the Vancouver Olympics pushing the end date into March but the time has finally arrrived. It is now time to reveal the 2009 Mouton d'Or Awards!

2009 was a great year in film and with so many personal changes in my own life scattered throughout the year, it is wonderful to have so many standout films to associate with them. That said, it was not a year where any one film ultimately stood out past the others and this is reflected in the Mouton d'Or winners here today. The love has been spread pretty equally, with all the major nominees each picking up at least one award.

As this is the second time I actually write this piece because my computer shut down before I was able to save any of this yesterday, I suggest getting straight to it before I lose it all once again. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the 2009 Mouton d'Or Awards!



NOMINEES:
AVATAR
DISTRICT 9
STAR TREK
UP
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

This first award was not an easy decision. It came down to two films at the end and while I could not have been more impressed with STAR TREK, there was something even more other worldly about Neill Blomkamp's DISTRICT 9 that had me completely transported to that version of Earth. DISTRICT 9 gets better every time I see it and it was by far, the most exhilerating time I had in theatres all year.



NOMINEES:
(500) DAYS OF SUMMER
THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE
THE HURT LOCKER
J'AI TUE MA MERE (I KILLED MY MOTHER)
SIN NOMBRE

Each of these five films was a unique experience for me when I saw them and each one reminded me how much I like smaller movies that accomplish bigger things than they probably thought they could. Kathryn Bigelow's THE HURT LOCKER is the perfect example of how you can go into something with little resources but a well thought out plan and come out with something mind blowing. THE HURT LOCKER is the technical success of the year!



NOMINEES:
THE FINAL DESTINATION
THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT
THE LOVELY BONES
OBSERVE AND REPORT
THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON

Fine, you're right. Richard Kelley's THE BOX was not originally nominated in this category. Let me assure you though that this only speaks further to how horrible it truly is. Had I caught this film in theatres last year as I was originally scheduled to, it most certainly would have been included amongst these nominees. Timing should not stop me from declaring what a dreadful mess this movie is though. From the very beginning, it is one ludicrous decision after another and it never recovers. An interesting hypothetical does not a good movie make.



NOMINEES:
(500) DAYS OF SUMMER
AVATAR
DISTRICT 9
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
UP
UP IN THE AIR

DISTRICT 9 did not make the graphic as it received the least number of votes in this category. The remaining nominees all split their votes almost equally. Quentin Tarantino's INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS however, easily doubled the next highest vote-getter. This is the second year for this category and I've got to say you guys made the right choice once again. It may not have been shortlisted for my top films of the year but there is no denying how incredible this film is. Good choice, readers! I love you guys!



NOMINEES:
Marion Cotillard in NINE
Vera Farmiga in UP IN THE AIR
Anna Kendrick in UP IN THE AIR
Mo'Nique in PRECIOUS
Julianne Moore in A SINGLE MAN

Mo'Nique is a monster in PRECIOUS as a mother who is continuing the cycle of abuse that she has suffered her whole life with her daughter. Her turn is so ferocious that every other nominee here, though great, could not come close to the intensity Mo'Nique captured here. She has earned herself great credit and shown a side of her talents that I'm not sure anyone saw coming. Mo'Nique has created an iconic screen villain.



NOMINEES:
Matt Damon in INVICTUS
Alfred Molina in AN EDUCATION
Christopher Plummer in THE LAST STATION
Stanley Tucci in THE LOVELY BONES
Christoph Waltz in INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

This category has been locked up all year and that is in part due to a lack of competition. Christoph Waltz exploded off the screen in Quentin Tarantino's INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS and everyone has been talking about him since. Nobody even knew who he was before this. Well, Tarantino must have. There was no more hilarious moment in film this year then when Waltz bursts into hysterical laughter at the sound of Brad Pitt's ridiculous Italian accent.



NOMINEES:
AVATAR
DISTRICT 9
THE HURT LOCKER
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

I had the opportunity to catch Spike Jonze's WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE a second time this week and I was once again blown away by the visual style. Not only do you have the starkly realistic look applied to such a fantastical story but you also have these gorgeous, mammoth monsters. It was imaginative and yes, wild, but it was the fact that it all looked believable that made it unforgettable.



NOMINEES:
FANTASTIC MR. FOX
NINE
A SINGLE MAN
UP
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

I am a huge Michael Giacchino fan. He is one of today's most incredible composers and the score he created for UP is some of his finest work. He captures the feel of flying through the air but is sure to ground the incredible story in some very real moments. When you leave the movie, you will leave humming his tunes.



NOMINEES:
CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS
CORALINE
FANTASTIC MR. FOX
PONYO
UP

This award has always been called the Trevor Adams Animated Feature Award and this is the first year that I have removed his name from the title. The award was originally named after Trevor, a great friend of mine, because he single handedly showed me a side of animated film that I had not yet seen. The reason his name has been removed now is because I cannot see him getting on board with voting Wes Anderson's FANTASTIC MR. FOX over a Pixar feature. Still, Anderson created something truly marvelous to behold and I hope that it finds a wider audience as the years go by.



NOMINEES:
(500) DAYS OF SUMMER
THE HURT LOCKER
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
A SERIOUS MAN
UP

There is one movie I saw this year that constantly makes me beam with happiness. That movie is (500) DAYS OF SUMMER. It isn't perfect and the tone isn't always right but this modern exploration of relationships is the closest thing I've seen to the real thing since ANNIE HALL. It breaks my heart but gives me hope all at once. With everything I went through personally this year, it's wonderful to remember that love isn't perfect but beautiful while it lasts. And it will forever remind me of one guy.



NOMINEES:
DISTRICT 9
AN EDUCATION
FANTASTIC MR. FOX
A SINGLE MAN
UP IN THE AIR

One movie this year taught me some very important lessons about life, love and what it means to be a girl. That movie was AN EDUCATION and Nick Hornby's brilliant screenplay captures the nuances of where a girl's life could go with such subtlety and grace. His words are so carefully chosen and so eloquent that they resonate moments after they're uttered.



NOMINEES:
Helen Mirren in THE LAST STATION
Carey Mulligan in AN EDUCATION
Maya Rudolph in AWAY WE GO
Gabourey Sidibe in PRECIOUS
Meryl Streep in JULIE & JULIA

I cannot understand why all of the awards buzz has been handed out to Streep and Bullock when there are such powerful performances from newcomers, Mulligan and Sidibe. I have to favour Sidibe though because I actually met her this past year. She was the complete opposite of her character in Lee Daniels's PRECIOUS, which gave me mad respect for her. It also further exposed the same ignorance inside of me that the film did.



NOMINEES:
Jeff Bridges in CRAZY HEART
George Clooney in UP IN THE AIR
Colin Firth in A SINGLE MAN
Morgan Freeman in INVICTUS
Michael Stuhlbarg in A SERIOUS MAN

I have to say that I have never really been a big Colin Firth fan but to watch him in Tom Ford's A SINGLE MAN is almost to see him for the first time. The weight with which he carries the character of George is so dense that it is impossible not to give him your entire heart. As beautiful as the entire film is, it is Firth's performance that makes the whole thing memorable.



NOMINEES:
Kathyn Bigelow for THE HURT LOCKER
James Cameron for AVATAR
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen for A SERIOUS MAN
Lee Daniels for PRECIOUS
Jason Reitman for UP IN THE AIR

Jason Reitman just knows what he's doing. After just three films, he has proven that he can tackle almost anything. His sensitivity is moving but still he tells his story with such class and frankness that you cannot help respect him for all that he's done. He tapped in to a contemporary sensibility that is rarely achieved in film in such a quick and effective manner. He will surely grow a great deal more as his career progress.

And finally, without any further ado, I am pleased to present the 2009 Mouton d'or for Best Picture ...



NOMINEES:
(500) DAYS OF SUMMER
DISTRICT 9
AN EDUCATION
PRECIOUS
UP IN THE AIR

There you have it, folks. Another great year for film; another great year for Black Sheep. Thank you for all your continued support and thank you for celebrating the 2009 Mouton d'Or Awards. I was happy to have you.