Movies with character

Yes, I saw Avatar, and yes, it was in IMAX 3-D, but as a moviegoer who prefers solid writing and character development over special effects — or at least alongside effects — I wasn’t impressed by Avatar as a whole. Star Trek and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince were entertaining, but not absorbing like a good character film. I also prefer movies with minimal or no realistic violence, even when it's arguably necessary to the plot, so I probably won’t see The Hurt Locker, though I hear it’s excellent.

For moviegoers more like me, here are my picks for the top movies released in the United States during 2009. I have avoided too many story details because I don’t like to spoil a good plot. All are or will be available through Netflix, and I list the ones I saw most recently first, so you may have a chance to catch some of the top ones in theaters:

Le chant des mariées (The Wedding Song) — This tender but intense film looks into the lives of teenage friends, one Muslim, one Jewish, in Tunisia in 1942. For a film that deals with the themes of adulthood, marriage, religion, gender roles, poverty and war, it remarkably lacks any heavy-handedness. The film graphically depicts one girl’s preparation for marriage, but does not have gory war scenes.

The Last Station — In this historical drama about the great Russian author Leo Tolstoy, his family and his disciples, the acting drew me into the story right away and kept me there until the final moments.

Up in the Air — After Good Night, and Good Luck., George Clooney became one of the few actors whose movies I would see just because he was in it. Even so, Clooney’s acting in Up in the Air impressed me even more than I thought it would. The rest of the cast, and the plot, did not disappoint either.

Fantastic Mr. Fox — The stop-motion animation is augmented by clever writing and performances to create a great film for all ages. Clooney and Meryl Streep make an engaging team.

Unmistaken Child — This documentary would easily make a list of the most visually stunning films I’ve ever seen. Filmmakers follow Tenzin Zopa, a Buddhist monk searching for the reincarnation of his spiritual teacher, in such a way that I could recognize how his worldview differs from mine as well as seeing our shared humanity.

Ponyo — This movie may not be one of Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki’s best, but even so, Miyazaki is in a class above the rest. Miyazaki's imaginative stories reproduce the world as children see it as closely as any adult could.

Coraline — I enjoyed this film as much as my pre-teen friend I took to the theater to see it. Its alternate world is as wonderful as it is creepy.