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Rob Hunter
Associate Editor, San Francisco

(500) Days of Summer // Probably the best romantic comedy of the past few years even if most folks insist on calling it an ‘anti-romantic’ comedy. Joseph Gordon Levitt and Zooey Deschanel are the couple in and out of love, just not at the same time or with the same people. Director Marc Webb turns the standard rom-com formula on its head not only through the perfectly jumbled narrative but also with brief sidesteps into dance, illustration, split screen and more. Add in one of the years best soundtracks and you have a movie that will have you smiling, laughing, and remembering your own lost loves.

Away We Go // This little movie from director Sam Mendes looks like it may have been forgotten if the web’s plethora of best-of lists is to be believed, but it deserves to be seen by anyone who loves movies. It’s another oddball romantic comedy, but one where the couple in love are never reduced to fights or misunderstandings in order to service a plot. Instead, the expectant pair wander the country meeting friends and family in the hopes of understanding their concerns over starting a family. Along the way they grow up and make several discoveries about themselves and others. A small, sweet, fun little movie.

Inglourious Basterds // Favorite movie of the year? Yup, this is it. Most suspenseful scenes of the year? Yup, they’re here too… and they consist of little more than two people talking. Before this Quentin Tarantino was little more than an occasionally interesting filmmaker as far as I was concerned, but his WWII mash-up is a near perfect movie that impresses me more and more on each viewing. Tarantino leaves behind much of his usual shtick and instead crafts a fascinating and entertaining story that doubles as a message about the power of movies themselves. Fantastic (albeit recycled) score, incredible acting (Christoph Waltz, Melanie Laurent), beautifully shot, surprisingly funny, occasionally bloody… this is a love letter to movies and movie-makers.

Moon // This debut film from Duncan Jones was the best science fiction movie of the year. There were no lasers, explosions, or evil villains to be found either. Instead, Jones uses sci-fi to give us a smart look into what it means to be human. The heart and soul of the movie is brought to life by a stellar performance from Sam Rockwell (that deserves Oscar consideration goddamnit!) as a man nearing the end of a solitary two-year stretch on the far side of the moon. That’s all you need to know (aside from knowing that Clint Mansell contributes another incredible score too)…. just go watch this movie.

Up In the Air // Jason Reitman’s third movie received almost unanimous praise leading up to its release, and my normally contrarian nature was salivating at the chance to be the voice of dissent… but the movie is just too damn good. George Clooney gives his strongest performance yet as a man whose life plan involves never standing still. Two women come into his life that challenge that attitude in completely different ways, and he soon realizes that a life on the move is no life at all if no one else is moving with you. Funny, sad, incredibly honest, and easily Reitman’s best and most assured film.

Cole Abaius
Managing Editor (a.k.a King Awesome), Austin

The Hurt Locker // Despite mentioning this film every day, shoehorning it into news articles that only tangentially dealt with Kathryn Bigelow, Jeremy Renner and lockers – I still can’t say enough great things about this film. It’s shot tightly and with purpose. It’s a harsh story, told unflinchingly, that takes a belt sander to the rough edges of three characters to round them out. Plus, there’s explosions. That’s right. An action film with depth – time to change your world view.

Up // While walking out to the giant pile of DVDs we have here on the Reject Headquarters property, Neil Miller was listening to the score for this movie and burst into tears. I realize this is a story about Neil Miller, and not a story about me, but it serves my point well: this movie is brilliant.

Where the Wild Things Are // We’re moving into an era where children’s movies are being made for adults, and this movie is a grand example of how beautiful and child-like these new monsters can be. Spike Jonze delivered a story where a young mind controls everything, is free to run rampant over the landscape, doing something that’s never quite been done so well before.

Antichrist // After seeing this movie, I’m still baffled as to why any actor or actress would sign up to work with Lars von Trier. The man is a brutal, heartless director who puts his personnel through nine levels of hell in order to get the story he wants, and the story he wanted here treats its audience with even less care. But the film is incredibly rewarding if you give it the chance, and if you’re okay wincing every once in a while.

Goodbye Solo // In a year marked by grand technological advances, this movie is a return back to intimate character study and hits like an emotional hammer that you can’t hear coming. Unlike more average attempts to tell a personal story, the meaning is never hidden behind faux-important subtext or pretension. Director Ramin Bahrani puts everything right there on screen to impress effect, letting the audience become family to a fast-talking cabbie trying to change his station in life and an old man trying to leave his.

Read more of our Year in Review