89%  Winner:   The Hurt Locker  131 min,  R,  [Drama, Thriller, War]  [Kathryn Bigelow]  [31 Jul 2009]
Ratings & Reviews:  IMDb Reviews: 76%,   Rotten Tomatoes: 97%,   Metacritic: 94%,   External Reviews
Awards:  Won 6 Oscars. Another 117 wins & 126 nominations.
Actors:  Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Guy Pearce, Jeremy Renner
Writer:  Mark Boal
External Links:  Rotten Tomatoes  IMDb  Website     Language:  English, Arabic    Country:  USA
Plot:  An intense portrayal of elite soldiers who have one of the most dangerous jobs in the world: disarming bombs in the heat of combat. When a new sergeant, James, takes over a highly trained bomb disposal team amidst violent conflict, he surprises his two subordinates, Sanborn and Eldridge, by recklessly plunging them into a deadly game of urban combat, behaving as if he's indifferent to death. As the men struggle to control their wild new leader, the city explodes into chaos, and James' true character reveals itself in a way that will change each man forever.
Rotten Tomatoes:   Based on the personal wartime experiences of journalist Mark Boal (who adapted his experiences with a bomb squad into a fact-based, yet fictional story), director Kathryn Bigelow's Iraq War-set action thriller The Hurt Locker presents the conflict in the Middle East from the perspective of those who witnessed the fighting firsthand -- the soldiers. As an elite Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal team tactfully navigates the streets of present-day Iraq, they face the constant threat of death from incoming bombs and sharp-shooting snipers. In Baghdad, roadside bombs are a common danger. The Army is working to make the city a safer place for Americans and Iraqis, so when it comes to dismantling IEDs (improvised explosive devices) the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) crew is always on their game. But protecting the public isn't easy when there's no room for error, and every second spent dismantling a bomb is another second spent flirting with death. Now, as three fearless bomb technicians take on the most dangerous job in Baghdad, it's only a matter of time before one of them gets sent to "the hurt locker." Jeremy Renner, Guy Pearce, and Ralph Fiennes star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

84%  Nominee:   An Education  100 min,  PG-13,  [Drama]  [Lone Scherfig]  [05 Feb 2010]
Ratings & Reviews:  IMDb Reviews: 73%,   Rotten Tomatoes: 95%,   Metacritic: 85%,   External Reviews
Awards:  Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 35 wins & 91 nominations.
Actors:  Alfred Molina, Cara Seymour, Carey Mulligan, Olivia Williams, Peter Sarsgaard
Writer:  Lynn Barber (memoir), Nick Hornby (screenplay)
External Links:  Rotten Tomatoes  IMDb  Website     Language:  English, French    Country:  UK, USA
Plot:  In the early 1960's, sixteen year old Jenny Mellor lives with her parents in the London suburb of Twickenham. On her father's wishes, everything that Jenny does is in the sole pursuit of being accepted into Oxford, as he wants her to have a better life than he. Jenny is bright, pretty, hard working but also naturally gifted. The only problems her father may perceive in her life is her issue with learning Latin, and her dating a boy named Graham, who is nice but socially awkward. Jenny's life changes after she meets David Goldman, a man over twice her age. David goes out of his way to show Jenny and her family that his interest in her is not improper and that he wants solely to expose her to cultural activities which she enjoys. Jenny quickly gets accustomed to the life to which David and his constant companions, Danny and Helen, have shown her, and Jenny and David's relationship does move into becoming a romantic one. However, Jenny slowly learns more about David, and by association Danny and Helen, and specifically how they make their money. Jenny has to decide if what she learns about them and leading such a life is worth forgoing her plans of higher eduction at Oxford.
Rotten Tomatoes:   It's 1961 and attractive, bright 16-year-old schoolgirl, Jenny is poised on the brink of womanhood. Stifled by the tedium of adolescent routine, Jenny can't wait for adult life to begin. One rainy day, her suburban life is upended by the arrival of an unsuitable suitor, 30- ish David. Urbane and witty, David introduces Jenny to a glittering new world of classical concerts and late-night suppers. Just as the family's long-held dream of getting their brilliant daughter into Oxford seems within reach, Jenny is tempted by another kind of life. Will David be the making of Jenny or her undoing?

79%  Nominee:   A Serious Man  106 min,  R,  [Comedy, Drama]  [Ethan Coen, Joel Coen]  [06 Nov 2009]
Ratings & Reviews:  IMDb Reviews: 71%,   Rotten Tomatoes: 89%,   Metacritic: 79%,   External Reviews
Awards:  Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 17 wins & 72 nominations.
Actors:  Fred Melamed, Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Kind, Sari Lennick
Writer:  Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
External Links:  Wikipedia  Rotten Tomatoes  IMDb  Website     Language:  English, Yiddish, Hebrew    Country:  USA, UK, France
Plot:  Bloomington, Minnesota, 1967: Jewish physics lecturer Larry Gopnik is a serious and a very put-upon man. His daughter is stealing from him to save up for a nose job, his pot-head son, who gets stoned at his own bar-mitzvah, only wants him round to fix the TV aerial and his useless brother Arthur is an unwelcome house guest. But both Arthur and Larry get turfed out into a motel when Larry's wife Judy, who wants a divorce, moves her lover, Sy, into the house and even after Sy's death in a car crash they are still there. With lawyers' bills mounting for his divorce, Arthur's criminal court appearances and a land feud with a neighbour Larry is tempted to take the bribe offered by a student to give him an illegal exam pass mark. And the rabbis he visits for advice only dole out platitudes. Still God moves in mysterious - and not always pleasant - ways, as Larry and his family will find out.
Rotten Tomatoes:   "A Serious Man" is the story of an ordinary man's search for clarity in a universe where Jefferson Airplane is on the radio and "F-Troop" is on TV. It is 1967, and Larry Gopnik, a physics professor at a quiet Midwestern university, has just been informed by his wife Judith that she is leaving him. She has fallen in love with one of his more pompous colleagues, Sy Ableman, who seems to her a more substantial person than the feckless Larry. Larry's unemployable brother Arthur is sleeping on the couch, his son Danny is a discipline problem and a shirker at Hebrew school, and his daughter Sarah is filching money from his wallet in order to save up for a nose job. While his wife and Sy Ableman blithely make new domestic arrangements, and his brother becomes more and more of a burden, an anonymous hostile letter-writer is trying to sabotage Larry's chances for tenure at the university. Also, a graduate student seems to be trying to bribe him for a passing grade while at the same time threatening to sue him for defamation. Plus, the beautiful woman next door torments him by sunbathing nude. Struggling for equilibrium, Larry seeks advice from three different rabbis. Can anyone help him cope with his afflictions and become a righteous person -- a mensch -- a serious man?

81%  Nominee:   Avatar  162 min,  PG-13,  [Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi]  [James Cameron]  [18 Dec 2009]
Ratings & Reviews:  IMDb Reviews: 78%,   Rotten Tomatoes: 82%,   Metacritic: 83%,   External Reviews
Awards:  Won 3 Oscars. Another 85 wins & 128 nominations.
Actors:  Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Zoe Saldana
Writer:  James Cameron
External Links:  Wikipedia  Rotten Tomatoes  IMDb  Website     Language:  English, Spanish    Country:  UK, USA
Plot:  When his brother is killed in a robbery, paraplegic Marine Jake Sully decides to take his place in a mission on the distant world of Pandora. There he learns of greedy corporate figurehead Parker Selfridge's intentions of driving off the native humanoid "Na'vi" in order to mine for the precious material scattered throughout their rich woodland. In exchange for the spinal surgery that will fix his legs, Jake gathers intel for the cooperating military unit spearheaded by gung-ho Colonel Quaritch, while simultaneously attempting to infiltrate the Na'vi people with the use of an "avatar" identity. While Jake begins to bond with the native tribe and quickly falls in love with the beautiful alien Neytiri, the restless Colonel moves forward with his ruthless extermination tactics, forcing the soldier to take a stand - and fight back in an epic battle for the fate of Pandora.
Rotten Tomatoes:   "Avatar" is the story of an ex-Marine who finds himself thrust into hostilities on an alien planet filled with exotic life forms. As an Avatar, a human mind in an alien body, he finds himself torn between two worlds, in a desperate fight for his own survival and that of the indigenous people.

83%  Nominee:   District 9  112 min,  R,  [Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller]  [Neill Blomkamp]  [14 Aug 2009]
Ratings & Reviews:  IMDb Reviews: 79%,   Rotten Tomatoes: 90%,   Metacritic: 81%,   External Reviews
Awards:  Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 30 wins & 110 nominations.
Actors:  David James, Jason Cope, Nathalie Boltt, Sharlto Copley, Sylvaine Strike
Writer:  Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell
External Links:  Wikipedia  Rotten Tomatoes  IMDb  Website     Language:  English, Nyanja, Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa, Southern Sotho    Country:  South Africa, USA, New Zealand, Canada
Plot:  In 1982, a massive star ship bearing a bedraggled alien population, nicknamed "The Prawns," appeared over Johannesburg, South Africa. Twenty-eight years later, the initial welcome by the human population has faded. The refugee camp where the aliens were located has deteriorated into a militarized ghetto called District 9, where they are confined and exploited in squalor. In 2010, the munitions corporation, Multi-National United, is contracted to forcibly evict the population with operative Wikus van der Merwe in charge. In this operation, Wikus is exposed to a strange alien chemical and must rely on the help of his only two new 'Prawn' friends.
Rotten Tomatoes:   Director Neill Blomkamp teams with producer Peter Jackson for this tale of extraterrestrial refugees stuck in contemporary South Africa. It's been 28 years since the aliens made first contact, but there was never any attack from the skies, nor any profound technological revelation capable of advancing our society. Instead, the aliens were treated as refugees. They were the last of their kind, and in order to accommodate them, the government of South Africa set up a makeshift home in District 9 as politicians and world leaders debated how to handle the situation. As the humans begin to grow wary of the unwelcome intruders, a private company called Multi-National United (MNU) is assigned the task of controlling the aliens. But MNU is less interested in the aliens' welfare than attempting to understand how their weaponry works. Should they manage to make that breakthrough, they will receive tremendous profits to fund their research. Unfortunately, the highly advanced weaponry requires alien DNA in order to be activated. When MNU field operative Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley) is exposed to biotechnology that causes his DNA to mutate, the tensions between the aliens and the humans intensifies. Wikus is the key to unlocking the alien's technology, and he quickly becomes the most wanted man on the planet. Ostracized and isolated, Wikus retreats to District 9 in a desperate bid to shake his dogged pursuers. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

80%  Nominee:   Inglourious Basterds  153 min,  R,  [Adventure, Drama, War]  [Quentin Tarantino, Eli Roth]  [21 Aug 2009]
Ratings & Reviews:  IMDb Reviews: 83%,   Rotten Tomatoes: 88%,   Metacritic: 69%,   External Reviews
Awards:  Won 1 Oscar. Another 129 wins & 165 nominations.
Actors:  Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Diane Kruger, Eli Roth, Mélanie Laurent
Writer:  Quentin Tarantino
External Links:  Wikipedia  Rotten Tomatoes  IMDb  Website     Language:  English, German, French, Italian    Country:  Germany, USA
Plot:  In German-occupied France, young Jewish refugee Shosanna Dreyfus witnesses the slaughter of her family by Colonel Hans Landa. Narrowly escaping with her life, she plots her revenge several years later when German war hero Fredrick Zoller takes a rapid interest in her and arranges an illustrious movie premiere at the theater she now runs. With the promise of every major Nazi officer in attendance, the event catches the attention of the "Basterds", a group of Jewish-American guerrilla soldiers led by the ruthless Lt. Aldo Raine. As the relentless executioners advance and the conspiring young girl's plans are set in motion, their paths will cross for a fateful evening that will shake the very annals of history.
Rotten Tomatoes:   "Inglourious Basterds" begins in German-occupied France, where Shosanna Dreyfus witnesses the execution of her family at the hand of Nazi Colonel Hans Landa. Shosanna narrowly escapes and flees to Paris, where she forges a new identity as the owner and operator of a cinema. Elsewhere in Europe, Lieutenant Aldo Raine organizes a group of Jewish soldiers to engage in targeted acts of retribution. Known to their enemy as "The Basterds," Raine's squad joins German actress and undercover agent Bridget Von Hammersmark on a mission to take down the leaders of The Third Reich. Fates converge under a cinema marquee, where Shosanna is poised to carry out a revenge plan of her own.

65%  Nominee:   The Blind Side  129 min,  PG-13,  [Biography, Drama, Sport]  [John Lee Hancock]  [20 Nov 2009]
Ratings & Reviews:  IMDb Reviews: 77%,   Rotten Tomatoes: 66%,   Metacritic: 53%,   External Reviews
Awards:  Won 1 Oscar. Another 7 wins & 30 nominations.
Actors:  Jae Head, Quinton Aaron, Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw
Writer:  John Lee Hancock, Michael Lewis (book)
External Links:  Wikipedia  Rotten Tomatoes  IMDb  Website     Language:  English    Country:  USA
Plot:  Based on the true story of Leigh Anne Tuohy and Sean Tuohy who take in a homeless teenage African-American, Michael Oher. Michael has no idea who his father is and his mother is a drug addict. Michael has had little formal education and few skills to help him learn. Leigh Anne soon takes charge however, as is her nature, ensuring that the young man has every opportunity to succeed. When he expresses an interest in football, she goes all out to help him, including giving the coach a few ideas on how best to use Michael's skills. They not only provide him with a loving home, but hire a tutor to help him improve his grades to the point where he would qualify for an NCAA Division I athletic scholarship. Michael Oher was the first-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in the 2009 NFL draft.
Rotten Tomatoes:   Taken in by a well-to-do family and offered a second chance at life, a homeless teen grows to become the star athlete projected to be the first pick at the NFL draft in this sports-themed comedy drama inspired by author Michael Lewis' best-seller The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game. Michael Oher was living on the streets when he was welcomed into the home of a conservative suburban family, but over time he matured into a talented athlete. As the NFL draft approaches, fans and sports radio personalities alike speculate that Oher will be the hottest pick of the year. Sandra Bullock stars in a film written and directed by John Lee Hancock (The Rookie, The Alamo). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

89%  Nominee:   Up  96 min,  PG,  [Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family]  [Pete Docter, Bob Peterson]  [29 May 2009]
Ratings & Reviews:  IMDb Reviews: 82%,   Rotten Tomatoes: 98%,   Metacritic: 88%,   External Reviews
Awards:  Won 2 Oscars. Another 74 wins & 81 nominations.
Actors:  Bob Peterson, Christopher Plummer, Edward Asner, John Ratzenberger, Jordan Nagai
Writer:  Pete Docter (story by), Bob Peterson (story by), Tom McCarthy (story by), Bob Peterson (screenplay by), Pete Docter (screenplay by)
External Links:  Wikipedia  Rotten Tomatoes  IMDb  Website     Language:  English    Country:  USA
Plot:  Carl Fredricksen as a boy wanted to explore South America and find the forbidden Paradise Falls. About 64 years later he gets to begin his journey along with a Boy Scout named Russel with help from 500 balloons. On their journey they discover many new friends including a talking dog and Carl and Russel figure out that someone evil plans. Carl soon realizes that this evildoer is his childhood idol. Will they be able to defeat him and will they find Paradise Falls?
Rotten Tomatoes:   A feisty septuagenarian teams with a fearless wilderness ranger to do battle with a vicious band of beasts and villains in this computer-animated adventure scripted by Pixar veteran Bob Peterson and co-directed by Peterson and Monsters, Inc. director Peter Docter. Carl Fredricksen is a 78-year-old balloon salesman. His entire life, Carl has longed to wander the wilds of South America. Then, one day, the irascible senior citizen shocks his neighbors by tying thousands of balloons to his home and finally taking flight. But Carl isn't alone on his once-in-a-lifetime journey, because stowed away on his front porch is an excitable eight-year-old wilderness explorer named Russell. Later, as the house touches down on the world's second largest continent, Carl and his unlikely traveling companion step outside to discover that not only is their new front lawn considerably larger, but that the predators therein are much more ferocious than anything they ever faced back home.

82%  Nominee:   Up in the Air  109 min,  R,  [Comedy, Drama, Romance]  [Jason Reitman]  [23 Dec 2009]
Ratings & Reviews:  IMDb Reviews: 74%,   Rotten Tomatoes: 91%,   Metacritic: 83%,   External Reviews
Awards:  Nominated for 6 Oscars. Another 76 wins & 158 nominations.
Actors:  Anna Kendrick, George Clooney, Jason Bateman, Vera Farmiga
Writer:  Walter Kirn (novel), Jason Reitman (screenplay), Sheldon Turner (screenplay)
External Links:  Wikipedia  Rotten Tomatoes  IMDb  Website     Language:  English    Country:  USA
Plot:  Ryan Bingham is a corporate downsizing expert whose cherished life on the road is threatened just as he is on the cusp of reaching ten million frequent flyer miles and just after he's met the frequent-traveler woman of his dreams.
Rotten Tomatoes:   Ryan Bingham, a corporate hatchet man who loves his life on the road, is forced to fight for his job when his company downsizes its travel budget. He is required to spend more time at home just as he is on the cusp of a goal he's worked toward for years: reaching five million frequent flyer miles and just after he's met the frequent-traveler woman of his dreams.