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  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies

The 49 Films That Will Define 2009

Features
By Andy Lowe published 24 December 2008

Last year is so last year. Bring on the best movies of 2009...

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Revolutionaries, robots, mutants... Monsters, aliens, in-betweeny human-aliens... From January to December and, umm, a little bit beyond... All the movies you'll be talking about in the final year of the noughties...

Che: The Argentine/The Guerrilla (Director: Steven Soderbergh, ETA: Jan/Feb)
What is it? Two-part biopic of revolutionary-cum-poster boy Che Guevara, starring Benicio Del Toro
Why we’re excited: Because this isn’t Ocean’s Fourteen, and because the last time Soderbergh strayed into such weighty territory he gave us Traffic. And the buzz around Del Toro is big – he picked up best actor at last year’s Cannes for the role.

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Genova (Director: Michael Winterbottom, ETA: 27th March)
What is it? Disquieting drama about a father who moves his two daughters to Italy following the death of their mother.
Why we’re excited: There's something charged and classically continental in the mix of emotional distance, emerging sexuality and glimpses of the supernatural (see Don't Look Now ), and if anyone can pull off a classic modern-day Euro art film it’s Winterbottom.

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Untitled Bruno Project (Director: Unknown, ETA: 29th May)
What is it? Sascha Baron Cohen’s latest satirical shock-doc, this time in the guise of fey fashionista Bruno.
Why we’re excited: Because after the blunt disappointment of the Ali G movie, Borat was an unexpected sensation, and because the approach of Bruno has been heralded by a rippling wave of semi-scandalous news stories – Bruno at the Prop 8 rally, Bruno at the Milan fashion show – which makes us more eager than ever to see the excruciating social humiliation play out.

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2012 (Director: Roland Emmerich, ETA: 10th July)
What is it? End-of-the-world blockbuster set at the close of the Mayan calendar.
Why we’re excited: Because if there’s one thing that Roland Emmerich does well, it’s the apocalypse. From the trailer and description is sounds a lot like The Day After Tomorrow Mark II, but who cares? Big waves are awesome, and this time it’s got John Cusack in.

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Chasing Ghosts: Beyond The Arcade (Director: Lincoln Ruchti, ETA: 2009)
What is it? Breathless, bittersweet doc on '80s videogame heroes. Think Dogtown And Z-Boys for the arcade-gaming generation.
Why we’re excited: Because, despite a tendency to sneer in places, Ruchti absolutely nails the likable naivety and sense of infinite possibility that propelled the elite gamers of the day. It's King Of Kong , cubed. Flynn would love it.

So which of those are you most excited about? And tell us which movie we missed. What should have been number 50?

Andy Lowe
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