2009 Women of the Year!

2009 wasn't just a male-dominated year; the women made big strides, too. Whether in foreign relations, film, pop music or other-wise, here are the ones who had everyone buzzing through-out the year.

10. Kate Winslet

 

Whatever your thoughts about her The Reader, or her performance for which she finally won her first Oscar,  the point is after 6 nominations, she finally won. We suspect the Academy felt it was a long time comin', and rightfully so.

9. Herta Müller

 

It hardly matters that you have never read a thing from Müller; she's become the 12th woman to have won the Literature Nobel Prize in over 100 years.

8. Mo'Nique

 

She's a good comedienne, and for I suppose there's a reason she attracts large viewership on BET, but the world never knew that Mo'Nique could act. Like really act! Thanks to Lee Daniels' Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" By Sapphire, everyone got to see it for themselves. Having already won about 15 industry awards, expect Mo-Mo to land her Oscar nomination come Tuesday and the award come March.

7. Zoe Saldana

 

Life must be great for the incredibly beautiful Saldana, who not only starred in one of the highest-grossing (and best) films of they year, Star Trek, but one of the highest-grossing films of all-time, Avatar. Yes, that was her as Neytiri, the Na'vi princess. Amazing? I thought so too.

6. Susan Boyle

 

Say what you will about Boyle's neck, Susan Boyle was pop music's break-out star of '09. With her performance of "I Dreamed A Dream" on Britain's Got Talent watched over 100 million times on youtube, Boyle released her debut album in November, and within two months, it was confirmed as the fastest selling UK debut album of all time the album and has already sold 8 million copies the world over.

5. Rihanna

The world could have easily crumbled for Rihanna, what with how tragically it started. But you know what? It didn't. Homegirl bounced back more aggressively than ever- more hit singles, her fastest-selling album of her career, some gorgeous high-fashion magazine covers and editorials, two Grammy nominations, and what seems like a new beau.

4. Michelle Obama

 

Grace, charm, poise, beauty- all characteristics of one of the most eloquent First Ladies in history. Her detractors have opined that she seems to focus more on style over substance, but they're all just fuddy-duddies anyway. Michelle, in my eyes, is the pre-eminent mother and wife of 2009- strong, supportive, regal and affimative.

 3. Beyoncé

 

She covered Vogue, sold another 6 million albums, grossed over US$140 million in tours and the box office, received ten Grammy nominations (more than any other artiste)- and that's just the beginning for Miss Sasha Fierce. Two snaps!

2. Kathryn Bigelow

Watching The Hurt Locker, you would never guess that it was directed by a woman. I really don't mean that in any sexist, chauvinistic way either- it's one of the best movies about the on-going war in Iraq, possibly the finest war film since Saving Private Ryan ten years ago; women usually stay away from films of this nature. Despite the public shying away from the film, the reviews were excellent, and she's already won numerous awards, Kudos to Bigelow then, who, if she wins the Best Director Oscar, which she should, would become the first woman ever to do so.

1. Lady GaGa

 

It's hard, borderline impossible, to become a pop culture icon in one year, but following in the foot-steps of Madonna before her, GaGa did it.  Her followers and fans are legion, she has the couture fashion world eating our of her palms, a string of #1 hits, Grammy awards to look forward to tomorrow, videos that will make your eyes pop and mouths drop, one of the best-selling albums of 2009, fashion the world has never seen before and we suspect this is just the tip of the ice-berg.

The Element of Boredom

Opening Alicia Keys' new album, The Element of Freedom , is a monologue entitled, what else "Element of Freedom (Intro)"-
"And the day came
When the risk it took
To remain tight and closed in the bud
Was more painful
Than the risk it took to bloom.
This is the element of freedom."
Poetry? Lyrical insight? My vote- neither. What it is evidence of is the route the proceeding album will take. But more on that later.
Alicia Keys, after studying classical music in the 80's, and bursting onto the popular music scene in 2001 at the tender age of 20, arrives at her fourth studio album. She has a truck load of awards and records, and in all fairness to her, she's one of the brightest, most talented stars the first decade of the 2000's has produced. With hit album Songs in A Minor, she earned comparisons to Lauryn Hill, Stevie Wonder and Prince, not for her insightful writing (most of the album was written when she was a teenager), but because of how the album almost perfectly melded elements of jazz, hip-hop and R&B. So far so good.
Next came The Diary of Alicia Keys that while almost aggravatingly top-heavy, was a much more adult affair. She did the MTV Unplugged thing (why that series is still relevant is still anyone's guess), flexed her acting muscles, then came back with As I Am, bolstered by the huge hit "No One". The elements and success of that particular song are particularly interesting- not only did it keep in check Keys' usual modus operandi (heart-on-sleeves lyrics, earnest vocals, memorable production and hook), but what it did more than anything was to show that Keys wasn't just an R&B singer who happened to be popular, but was really a pop singer who happened to have an affinity for R&B. So she collaborated with Linda Perry (Pink, Christina Aguilera) and John Mayer, but even that couldn't hide Keys' main problems- her oft-times pedestrian lyrics.

Back to The Element of Freedom.
First song here is entitled "Love is Blind", a cliché for a song title if ever there was one. "Well people don't see what I see/Even when them right there/Standing next to me/And all of my friends think I'm crazy for loving you/But they don't know/There's nothing else I can do," Keys sings over drippy, as-slow-as-you-can-go Prince-esque shifting drums. There's this laughable Egyptian element to it, too, that only makes Keys' vocals sound irritating and horrible.
Up next is first single "Doesn't Mean Anything", largely forgotten on radio and the charts. At the beginning, the song is pleasant enough, but as it plods on, we lose interest. Oh. And try not to cringe when she sings "Rather be a poor woman living on the street/Cuz I don't want no pie if I have to cry."
Second single "Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart" finally comes along to shake things up. Again, Prince comes to mind with its dense 80's-lite drum thuds. The song starts on a thin whisper before Keys is all confident at the bridge- "Rather than hold on to a broken dream, i'll just hold on to love." Admittedly, it's another vacuous line, but at least it feels honest. (As a sidenote: it's a great song to dance to at the club.)
Alas, she goes right back to the pretty generalities with "Wait Til You See My Smile"- "Don't they love to see you down/Kick you while you are in the ground/Don't let any emotions show." They who? You who?? If this is Keys' attempt to use her music to try to encourage her listeners who may be going through hard times, this is a pathetic attempt. Girl, you aint no Mary J. Blige; pain is not your strong point.
"Through the shake of an earthquake/I will never fall/That's how strong my love is/Like a ship through the storm/We can risk it all/That's how strong my love is" goes the chorus of "That's How Strong My Love Is". And for elevators and department stores, this one should be a big hit.
"Unthinkable (I'm Ready)" is the second stand out on this disc. (If you're following, we're at track 7. Do the math.) Keys sounds vulnerable and desperate, even sexy in the right parts. Co-written by rapper Drake, who also performs background vocals behind her, Keys' breathily chants: "I know you were sent to me/This is exactly how it should be when it's meant to be/Time is only wasting so I wait for eventually." Onto the disc's second half...
...And it opens with Keys all gutted and coarse on "Love is My Disease"- "I thought love would be my cure/ But now it’s my disease/ I try to act mature/ But I’m a baby when you leave,’’ she sings, her voice snagging on the word “baby’’ as if hurting too much to say it aloud. It's probably the first song she's ever done with an overt reggae-tinge, and the album is made all the better for its inclusion.
"Like the Sea" compares love to the turbulent waves and currents of the sea, and if you've ever been in love, her similie isn't too far off. Too bad the song is a tad flat and runs out of ideas half way through.
Next song "Put It In a Love Song" is interesting not only because it is stylistically different than anything else on the album, but because it features Beyoncé, an entertainer and performer who, while still operating under the large umbrella that is R&B, couldn't be more stylistically opposed to Alicia Keys if she tried. But God bless Beyoncé's soul; she adds some much needed sass and juice to this snoozer of an album. When her verse rolls around, we kinda forget we're listening to an Alicia Keys song until it's Keys' turn again. Then it clicks- with all her talent and acclaim, Alicia Keys isn't very interesting. It wasn't evident ever since Keys appeared on the scene, we just weren't allowed to see it with how loud the industry mill was roaring.
Does Keys realize the album is lacking sass? With next song "This Bed", it seems so, but even with combining a refreshingly sunny guitar riff and smart lyrics (for once!) like "These king size sheets need more than just a queen", Alicia still sounds half-interesting. Both "Distance and Time" and "How It Feels to Fly" pair a simpering piano arrangement with a melisma-heavy vocal well beyond the capacities of Keys's voice. Then she tries her hand at remaking, if you will, Jay-Z's smash "Empire State of Mind", which she memorably contributed to. That's a hard task, and Keys' intent seem questionable, to say the least, but surprise surprise- she damn near succeeds. She excises the hip-hop, thankfully she doesn't try to rap, and injects a lil more soul. Still, it all comes a little too late.
As smart and savvy a songwriter as Keys should be able to do better than this, particularly now that she has a decade of experience under her belt. Now that she's entering the middle phase of her career, it's high time Keys gave us a classic album. At this point, it seems all Alicia will be able to give us is a decent Greatest Hits compilation. Perhaps it's unfair to judge Keys by the excessive hype whipped up surrounding almsot evrything she's done. But it's surely a compliment to suggest that someone as abundantly gifted as she is can do better than this boring, rarely decent, disappointingly generic record.

2009 Men of the Year!

Overnight sensations. Economic meltdown. Deaths. Bankruptcy. Ah, 2009! Didn't you just love it?! Historically and economically, it was one of the worst years into the new millennium. But these ten guys below found a way to make the year work for them. In fact, these ten men OWNED 2009. It was theirs and we just happened to share it with them. Here are the ten men, who, in 2009, made big strides, and should be making even bigger in this new year. 

10. Drake

Hit singles, guest appearances alongside Jay-Z and Eminem and a critically-acclaimed mix tape have caused Drake to be the most hyped thing in hip-hop since Kanye West. Sorry, Kid Cudi.

9. LeBron James

Named 2009's MVP in the NBA, James sits at #19 on Forbes' list of the top-earning celebs of last year. Not since the days of Michael Jordan has a player made this much impact on and off the court.

8. Maxwell

So after playing an important role in the development of neo-soul, Maxwell disappeared into quasi-absolute obscurity for 8 years. But in 2009, Maxwell released BLACKsummers'night, an unexpected hit record, filled with grit, power and what else- soul. With 6 Grammy nominations, Maxwell seems to have finally come into his own.

7. Usain Bolt

Making records is always fun. Breaking them is even better. Just ask Bolt, the first man since maybe Bob Marley who made the whole world wish they were born Jamaican. He's been called the Michael Jackson of Track and Field, and while that comparison seems a bit silly, it's actually quite apt.

6. Christoph Waltz

He's already won about 22 industry awards for his performance in Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds (more on him later) and you know what? He probably should win even more; it was the performance of a lifetime that absolutely no one saw coming.

5. Jay-Z

 

So according to Forbes again, Hov is 1/2 of the top earning couples in entertainment, married or otherwise. That's quite a colossal feat considering some of the couples out there. But if that were all that went well for Jigga in '09, it'd be enough. Add to that three more hit singles, two Grammy nominations, AND the fact that he's now into his 11th #1 album,  a record for a solo act in the history of the Billboard charts.

4. Quentin Tarantino

There is no other director operating today with more chutzpah than Quentin Tarantino. Word is, he angered quite a few on the jury of the Cannes Film Festival, with many of the audience members actually walking out during the viewing of Inglourious Basterds. But then the public saw it, and they spoke- the film is Tarantino's highest-grossing film at the US box office and world-wide. And that's saying a whole lot considering he's made Pulp Fiction. With all types of Oscar buzz about the place, and one week away from the revelation of the nominees, i'd like to say "Screw you, Cannes!"

3. President Obama

As beloved as he is, there's no other politician as divisive as Obama. After ushering in new hope in the US, and the world, he's been hit hard with real affairs and of course mass criticism from the political right wing, his impact abroad has culminated with him being the fourth US president to have won the Nobel Peace Prize.

2. James Cameron

In today's box office climate, to have a film gross US$100 million is a fantastic achievement. But we're talking Cameron, here. (When Leo said "I'm the King of the world!" in Titanic, he wasn't talking about himself.) Avatar, you may have heard of it, has now grossed over US$1 billion world-wide (that "b" wasn't a typo); has ushered a new form of digital movie-making and is largely touted to win the Oscar for Best Film next March.

1. Michael Jackson

 

Yes, I know Jackson died in 2009. No, i'm not crazy. Don't believe me? Let's back track.

1. Back in March, when Jackson announced a string of 50 concerts in London, over 300,000 tickets sold out within mere minutes of availability, some selling for hundreds of pounds on internet auction sites.

2. When news of Jackson's death surfaced back in June, social media basically melt down due to heavy internet traffic all searching for news of the tragedy. For hours, Facebook and Twitter users were basically shut out, while for at least two months afterward, the most talked about thing on the two sites were of course, Jackson.

3. When Sony Pictures gained rights to the footage of the concert rehearsals and released it as a film, Kenny Ortega's This Is it, over the Halloween weekend, the fans came out in droves- in five days, the film became the highest-grossest concert film of all time.

4. And if all of that weren't enough, in addition to all the Michael Jackson-themed parties held between June and December from Paris to Jamaica, and the tributes from MTV and BET, Jackson was the highest-selling artiste of 2009 with over 8 million records sold in the US, doubling the sales of Taylor Swift, the Beatles and Susan Boyle.

Best Songs of 2009: #10-1

10. The Big Pink "Dominos"
Take Beck's "E-Pro". Add a ounce of MGMT's "Time to Pretend". Shake vigorously and presto change-o!

Fave line: "As soon I love her it's been too long/And I really love breaking your heart"





9. The Dirty Projectors "Stillness is the Move"
I don't know what else to say about this song that hasn't already been said, but here's what I think. It's a pop song. It's an R&B song. It's a hip-hop song. It's about life. It's about the after-life. It's about longing. It's about a lack of want. It's about me. It's about you.

Fave line: "On top of every mountain, there was a longing for an even higher mountain"



8. Phoenix "1901"
Smooth and spirited and dementedly catchy, the French band drowns everything in layers and layers of sexy synths. The best pop-rock hybrid of the year. Kudos to the Grammys for recognizing their talent.

Fave line: "It's 20 seconds til the last call/Going hey hey hey hey hey"



7. Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys "Empire State of Mind"
The very best ode to New York ever written, and that's saying a lot. Even people who've never been to New York (myself included) love this song. It transcends generations, nationalities and geographies. No wonder it's such a big hit.

Fave line: "And Jesus can't save you/life starts when the Church ends"



6. Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Zero"
"Maps" aside, this is, hands down, the best song the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have ever done. Yea, I said it. Possibly the most remarkable aspect of the song is how natural it sounds, especially when you consider that this is supposedly the band’s (as one press release put it) “all-new & more experimental sound.” As the song plummets deeper and deeper into a sonic disco, it becomes increasingly difficult to believe that this is the same band that once peeled a layer of skin off of us with the line “Boy you’re just a stupid bitch and girl you’re just a no good dick.”

Fave line: "Shake it like a ladder to the sun/Makes me feel like a madman on the run"

 

5. Antony and the Johnsons "Aeon"
I didn't like the album, but I love this song. Pitchfork describes it as "depicting eternity as a baby boy born to take care of his father, as time melts generations together". Um. Right. *scratches head* I like it for the utter longing Antony Hegarty evokes, whatever the hell he's warbling about.

Fave line: "Let's do something differently/let's take our power back"




4. Lady GaGa "Paparazzi"
Where the hell did this girl/guy/person come from?? 2009 was the year of the GaGa, and pop music is all the better for it. As great as all her singles were this year, in my opinion, her greatest is "Paparazzi". Bathed in warm chords that communicate a swirl of emotion, the song is a tribute of sorts to the symbiotic but ultimately fake and "plastic" relationship between stars and their trailing paparazzi, and the accompanying music video takes the song to another level entirely.

Fave line: "You're my rock star in between the sets/Eye-liner and cigarettes"


 

3. Jay-Z "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)"
So according to Jay, auto-tune is dead. Thank God for that.

Fave line: "I know we facing a recession, but the music y’all making going make it the Great Depression"




2. Animal Collective "My Girls"
As a promise to take care of one's loved ones, to provide for them self-lessly, it's the most universal thing heard all year. And to think it came from these weirdo's.

Fave line: "I don't mean to seem like I care about material things like a social status"




1. Major Lazer feat. Mr. Lexx and Santigold "Hold the Line"
Lemme just express my sentiments when I first heard this song- BLOODCLAWT!!!!! Now, with said, this may not have been the best dancehall song of the year. But the elements of this track work so much better than anything you may have heard from Vybz Kartel or Mavado- Santigold sounds like a reggae-robot lost somewhere between "Galang" and "A Milli", while the surf lick that boils over every few seconds could be the opening stutter from "Pulp Fiction". There's also a girlish giggle, some dial tones, some horses running and even an elephant. (Hey, if Missy can do the elephant thing, why not Diplo and Switch?) Yes, Lexx's rhymes about fucking the hottest girls dem are hardly revelatory, but if you can ignore that, you'll hear the singularly most creative thing all year. 

Best Songs of 2009: #20-11

20. The Twilight Sad "I Became a Prostitute"
Never was a big fan of this band, but I was blown away by this song. The guitars sound like they could melt your face off if played at full volume.

Fave line: "You are the bearer of a womb without love/you could of had it all"





19. Taylor Swift "You Belong With Me"
I get slightly annoyed when they call this lil girl country. That's like saying the Jonas Brothers is rock, or Adele is soul. She's pop. I'm slightly annoyed by HER too, but this song is just the right amount of sweet without the possibility of a tooth or belly ache after.

Fave line: "You say you're fine, I know you better than that/hey, what you doing with a girl like that?"



18. La Roux "Bulletproof"
The best written song i've heard all year. La Roux is a major new talent, who over time will deliver the whopper of an album everyone wants her to. For now, we're left with this.

Fave line: "Been there, done that, messed around/I'm having fun, don't put me down"



17. Health "Die Slow"
I'll be just as glad as the next guy when Trent Reznor finally emerges out of his own asshole, but for now i'll suffice with this piece of industrial/metal hybrid right here.

Fave line: "If you market yourself for blood, how do you come back?"



16. Girls "Hellhole Ratrace"
The indomitable spirit of mankind. There's nothing else like it. Witness: this song. Made by some guys who went throught literal hell in their lifetime, they make sad music, without it sounding depressing with this song being the perfect example of that.

Fave line: "And i don't want to cry my whole life through, I want to do some laughing too"




15. Animal Collective "Brother Sport"
"You've got to open up your throat and let the all of that time go" advises Panda Bear in the opening of this 6 minute tour de force. It's light on vocals, but the explosive instrumental reverb makes is all the more rewarding. It's a song you never want to end.

Fave line: "You got to weigh what he said, to help shape the way you play"




14. Basement Jaxx "Raindrops"
Tribal drums, Bollywood strings- there's so much happening on this song. It's a confident, sure-footed stomper. Just don't call it a comeback.

Fave line: "Your moisture drips upon my lips/Just like a waterfall straight through the heart of me"



13. Grizzly Bear "Two Weeks"
Don't, for a second, believe that it's anything other than chamber pop, but how beautiful and glorious it is. The vocal arrangements are flaw-less and the instrumentation equally so.

Fave line: "Would you always, maybe sometimes, make it easy?"



12. Dizzee Rascal "Bonkers"
Dizzee Rascal started in grime, now he's ended up in house. How does that work, really? Maybe it's testament to his versatility as an artiste, but whatever. Bottom line- it's a banging song. Bonkers, indeed.

Fave line: "Some people think i'm bonkers, but I just think i'm free/Man, i'm just livin' my life, there's nothin' crazy bout me"



11. Green Day "21 Guns"
On every Green Day record there's one of them- a power ballad of sorts that joins the list as one of their best songs. Here's their latest. Get your lighters up.

Fave line: "Your faith walks on broken glass, and the hangover doesn't pass"

Best Single of 2009: #30-21

30. U2 "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight"
Silly song title, I know, but this song reminds me of something older in U2's discography. I can't quite put my hands on it, but it has that same grandiosity, that same urgency, that same immediacy as some of their best work.

Fave line: "The right to be ridiculous is something I hold dear"




29. Fever Ray "Seven"
If you haven't seen this video, stop reading this and go watch it. Creepy as hell! But that's Karin for ya. The song isn't that creepy, but it does creep along stealthily. Love the soft tension it builds along the way.

Fave line: "Accompany me by the kitchen sink/We talk about love, we talk about dishwasher tablets"



28. Lily Allen "The Fear"
Lily Allen may very well be the female Kanye West in how much attention she gets from the shit that she talks. And "The Fear" may very well be her "All Falls Down"- a wry lament on how celebrity culture has changed her generation for the worse.

Fave line: "Everything's cool as long as i'm getting thinner"


The Fear video

Lily Allen | MySpace Music Videos

27. Lady GaGa "Poker Face"
Is it about gambling? Is it about sex? Is it about cheating? Well, according to GaGa, it's about that and much more. Weird song-writing has been missing from pop ever since Gwen Stefani has decided to go do whatever she's doing. Thank you GaGa for bringing it back. THE definitive song of 2009.
 
Fave line: "Russian Roulette is not the same without a gun, and baby when it's love, if it's not rough, it isn't fun"



26. Chris Brown feat. Swizz Beatz and Lil Wayne "I Can Transform Ya"
Chris Brown has had a rough year, so you can't really blame him that he tries to forget all he's been through. Operative word- tries. Say what you will though, the song works thanks in part to Swizz's paint can beats and Weezy's extra-terrestrial rhyming. It's "Upgrade Ya 2.0"

Fave line: "I transform her to a Ducati, then I transform me to a Bugatti"



25. Peter Bjorn and John "Nothing to Worry About"
The kids get me every time. Love the hip-hop beat. It's goofy, but in a nerd-who-secretly-loves-ra

p-music sorta way. One of the few things I played in 09 when I was down and actually felt better afterward. Also, one of the few good things on their album.
 

Fave line: "Negative, why always so negative? if you have problems, why don't you go solve them?"

24. Jay-Z feat. Rihanna and Kanye West "Run This Town"
Produced by No I.D. and featuring a chaotic military march beats, Jay just cruises along on this one allowing Rihanna and Kanye to show off.

Fave line: "It's crazy how you can go from being Joe Blow, to everybody on yo' dick, no homo"



23. Franz Ferdinand "Ulysses"
Great great song about what else? Getting high. And of course being so shit-faced, you don't remember the exploits of last night; you did something so wild, you're changed forever.

Fave line: "C'mon don't amuse me/I don't need your sympathy"




22. Julian Casablancas "11th Dimension"
The Strokes have been disappointing us since "Room on Fire", so hopes weren't high for Casablancas' solo disc. Well, count me just as surprised by this single as everyone else.

Fave line: "Drop your guard, you don't have to be so smart all the time"



21. Rihanna feat. Jeezy "Hard"
Rihanna has a word or two for her haters, but even then, she really doesn't see you- "Where them bloggers at?" she rhetorically asks. And who can wrong her? She's one of the biggest pop stars on the planet right now. The-Dream's clanking, surging beat makes this one instantly memorable, and coupled with that steaming video, it smells like yet another hit for Ri-Ri.

Fave line: "My runway never looked so clear, bout the hottest bitch in heels right here"

A Classic Study of Men in Combat and the Toll it Takes

Released by: Summit Entertainment
DVD Release Date: January 12, 2010
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Screenplay: Marl Boal
Starring: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, Guy Pierce

The war in Iraq, the war in Afghanistan and the "war on terror" (to use the increasingly forgotten Rumsfeldian formulation) never really got their moment in Hollywood: a big movie whose unembarrassed purpose is to endorse the military action. Most of the serious responses have been liberal-patriot fence-straddlers, multistranded stories urgently set in Washington, the Middle East, south Asia and elsewhere, tying themselves in knots in an attempt to acknowledge a dovey, covert point of view- pictures such as Stephen Gaghan's incendiary Syriana, Robert Redford's forgotten Lions for Lambs, Gavin Hood's little-seen Rendition, and Peter Berg's flop The Kingdom. The best and most insightful anti-war film about Iraq, Kathryn Bigelow's blazingly powerful action movie, The Hurt Locker, makes for a refreshing change.
Bigelow is, in dramatic terms, on the side of the soldiers. Not that the soldiers are all on the same page. The Hurt Locker focuses on three men whose contrasting temperaments knit this episodic exploration of peril and bravery into a coherent and satisfying story. Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty) is a bundle of nerves and confused impulses, eager to please, ashamed of his own fear and almost dismayingly vulnerable. Sgt. J. T. Sanborn (Anthony Mackie in a terrific performance) is a careful, uncomplaining professional who sticks to protocol and procedures in the hope that his prudence will get him home alive, away from an assignment he has come to loathe.
Written by Mark Boal, a journalist for Rolling Stone, The Village Voice and Playboy, which ran a story that Paul Haggis expanded into one of the sharpest Iraq-related dramas, In the Valley of Elah, it is set in 2004 and follows the members of an elite US bomb-disposal team as they move across the debris-littered streets of Baghdad looking for explosive devices to defuse. After one of them is blown up, Staff Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner) arrives on the scene.
It turns out he’s something of a wild card, a fearless operator who virtually runs to sites of maximum danger, disregarding the advice of colleagues. A smoker and a heavy metal fan with an irreverent sense of humor and a relaxed sense of military discipline, he approaches each new bomb or skirmish not with dread but with a kind of inspired, improvisational zeal. As he gropes for the wires that will ignite a massive car bomb or traces a spider-weblike cluster of shells buried under a street, he looks like a man having the time of his life. Sanborn, as if to prove that race and class are incendiary issues even for a squad unified by shared objectives, calls him a “red-neck piece of trailer trash” and punches him out. At one point, Sanborn and Eldridge even speculate about killing James, but over time they develop respect if not admiration for his unconventional methods. When they discover that he keeps parts of old bombs under his bed as macabre spoils of war, it’s clear that he’s someone for whom the quotation that prefaces the film- about war being the ultimate drug- is a truism.
As this three-man squad progresses from terrifying situation to more terrifying situation, we experience not only breathless action but also the development of what might be called a philosophical rivalry between the two sergeants about the best way to be a brave and effective soldier. It's not an abstract question, it's one that could determine who will live and who will die.
In some ways, Bigelow's film repudiates the conventions of narrative: it could be seen as simply a series of unbearably tense vignettes. In one bizarre but intestine-wrenching scene, James and his men come across some loose-cannon Brits, led by Ralph Fiennes, who almost earns them some fatal friendly fire. The encounter, inevitably, winds up in a wild west shoot-out that has a surreally drawn-out, hallucinatory quality. Ms. Bigelow, practicing a kind of hyperbolic realism, distills the psychological essence and moral complications of modern warfare into a series of brilliant, agonizing set pieces.
The Hurt Locker excels though at making us feel that we are stranded alone with the bomb squad in a landscape full of unknown and potentially infinite dangers. Cinematographer Barry Ackroyd, well atuned to realistic photography as evidenced by his awesome work in United 93, makes telling use of grainy, often handheld photography that recalls the jittery, verite pictures of this conflict that have emerged through channels such as YouTube. It also conveys the nervousness and paranoia the Americans may feel when every passing butcher, DVD-vendor or taxi-driver could be an insurgent-in-waiting. Also of the highest order is Paul N.J. Ottoson’s sound design which renders an unforgettable sonic portrait of Baghdad, a ghosted city full of eerie silences and insidious whispers punctuated by military sirens, the stentorian roar of US soldiers, and the noise of metal ripping through human flesh.
With muscular direction, Bigelow is strong on the psychology and dynamics of male bonding. The scene in which the men get drunk and start wrestling are captured in all their muscular, playful, erotic intensity. When James feeds juice to Sanborn, wilting after hours in the desert peering through binoculars at a distant combatant, he does so with a delicacy that seems to be borne of more than camaraderie or necessity, but from a love that only men who have risked their lives together on a frontline can ever truly appreciate.
One of the most unexpected things about the film is that, unlike many war films, it is not interested in having you choose sides. In fact, it reveals humanisitc things about its characters, especially James, like the sergeant's playfulness with a young Iraqi boy (Christopher Sayegh) who calls himself Beckham and says things like "I hook you up!" Renner handles all sides of his surprisingly complex character beautifully, in a performance so good it feels like a gift.
Finally, almost without our realizing it, the film asks difficult questions about heroism's costs and demands, about what war does to soldiers, and about damage that may be impossible to rectify or repair. Like every war before it, the U.S. invasion of Iraq has generated its share of movies, but The Hurt Locker is the first of them that can properly be called a masterpiece. Considered a front-runner for the Best Picture Oscar when the nominations are revealed in February, Bigelow could be honoured with the award for Directing becoming the first woman to ever receive the award. (Ironic considering that the war film genre is male-dominated.) Here's to hoping her and her film will be honoured.

Best Singles of 2009: #40-31

40. The Gossip "Heavy Cross"
Beth Ditto is a vamp, and her vocals are absolutely delicious. I long to hear more music like this on the radio.

Fave line: "We can play it safe, or play it cool/follow the leader, or make up all the rules"



39. T.I. feat. Justin Timberlake "Dead and Gone"
Make no bones about it, T.I. is a commercial rapper, but his flow here is PERFECT and he's never sounded more introspective, questioning those around him and even lamenting on his own mortality. Justin is only icing on the cake.

Fave line: "Ever had one of them days wish you would have stayed home? Run into a group of niggas gettin' they hate on?"


T.I. - Dead And Gone ft. Justin Timberlake

T.I. | MySpace Music Videos

38. Friendly Fires "Jump in the Pool"
When I first heard this song, I thought it was Bloc Party; the two bands possess the same synthy energy. Too bad Bloc Party hasn't done a song this great since 2005.

Fave line: "I looked at you i knew you wanted to jump in the pool"




37. The Dead Weather "Treat Me Like Your Mother"
Love the banter between Mosshart and White on this one. The guitars and drum, too, are pretty effing awesome.

Fave line: "Don't act like you can't act/stand up like a man"



36. Rihanna "Russian Roulette"
One of the most controversial songs of the year, a lot of people didn't really get it. What was Rihanna singing about? Is she suicidal? Um. No. I think the metaphors are waaaaay too easy, so I won't explain them here. (Y'all are smart, right?) Let's just say it's the most cryptic song she's ever done and one of the better written songs on this list, on the disc and of this year. And that gunshot at the end?? Damn.

Fave line: "So many won't get the chance to say goodbye, but it's too late to think of the value of my life"



35. Lady GaGa "Bad Romance"
I still blame Lady GaGa for causing the link for the live stream of McQueen's Spring/Summer Ready-to-Wear 2010 collection to collapse. Damn her for announcing to the whole of twitter (she has over one million followers) that she was debuting the song there! But oh my GAWD what a song it is!! Ra ROH!

Fave line: "Walk walk, fashion baby/work it, move that bitch crazy"



34. Kid Cudi feat. Kanye West and Common "Make Her Say"
Quite possibly the funniest song of the year. Yea you read right. Funny. And Common is on the track. Great Lady GaGa sample, too.

Fave line: "Getting brain the library, cuz I love knowledge"




33. Fever Ray "When I Grow Up"
Sounding like something lifted from her band's "Silent Shout", Karin Andersson sings, like a preening child, about her adulthood plans. Love the steel drums.

Fave line: "You've got cucumber on your eyes/too much time spent on nothing, waiting on your moment to arise"



32. Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Heads Will Roll"
Dance, dance, dance till you're dead! If that isn't sound advice, I don't know what is. Love how this track just builds and builds and i LOVE the video!

Fave line: "The glitter's all wet, you're all chrome"



31. Maxwell "Pretty Wings"
The gentlest, sweetest, most heart-breaking thing I heard all year. Maxwell's falsetto could sooth a thousand nations at war.

Fave line: "I should have showed you better nights, better times, better days/and I miss you more and more"

Best Singles of 2009: #50-41

50. La Roux "In For the Kill"
Borrowing heavily from Bjork, this is one propulsive song that should be on every radio and club playlist from now till next year

Fave line: "We can fight our desires, but when we start making fires we get ever so hot"



49. Dragonette "Fixin to Thrill"
The lead singer sounds like Ashlee Simpson, but that twat could never have made something like this. Played this one so many times, my four-year nephew probably knows it by heart by now.

Fave line: "Oh we could do it any way you want/We only like you cause you're cute and young"



48. Jamie Foxx feat. T-Pain "Blame It"
I think this track proves more than anything, that if Jamie Foxx really wanted to have a respectable singing career, he could. My fave club track of the year, hands down. It's even better to dance to drunk.

Fave line: "I was unaware how fine you was before my buzz set in"
 



47. Kid Cudi feat. MGMT and and Ratatat "Pursuit of Happiness"
I'm really not a Kid Cudi fan, his flow is a bit too lazy for me, but there's summin about this song... I think it's chorus...

Fave line: "Tell me what you know about night terrors- nothing"



46. Passion Pit "The Reeling"
Reading the lyrics, this is a pretty depressing song. You'd never know though, with how busy and sunny everything else is.

Fave line: "We dug these holes we crawled into now they're my home"



45. Bat for Lashes "Daniel"
A haunting song about who knows what, Natasha Khan's descriptions about cinders and rain, fires, and marble movie skies are as vivid as ever.

Fave line: "And you have set fire to my heart"



44. Friendly Fires "Skeleton Boy"
Apart from their Mercury-Prize nomination, i'm really surprised this band wasn't buzzed about more. Oh well. Love them. Love this song.

Fave line: "Give me your hand, let's face this night and see it through"



43. Shakira "She Wolf"
Here's the most ridiculous song i've heard all year replete with howling, the use of "lycanthropy" and panting. Despite all that though, the song still works, resulting in one of Shakira's most effervescent songs ever.

Fave line: "Eternal creatures are not so prudent/the moon's my teacher and i'm her student"



42. Animal Collective "Summertime Clothes"
More than any other song this year, the importance of a physical connection is expressed wonderfully. The Collective really impressed me this year. Really.

Fave line: "My bones have to move and my skin's gotta breathe/You pick up the phone and i'm so relieved"



41. The Dead Weather "Hang You From the Heavens"
Creepy, pulsating, sexy are just some of the words I can think of to describe this. It also sounds a lot like what the White Stripes would if the lead singer were female.

Fave: "I never know how to treat you/you say I love you, but it aint true"

My Wish List

Stephen King's my fave writer, i'm ecstatic every time there's news of him releasing a book, good reviews or not.

All Madonna's greatest hits on one album?? You have got to be kidding me! Sign me up!

Love Shakira; can't wait to own this.

Currently Getting Into...

Had this one for about 2 years in my room, finally gotten around to reading it. With the big "Booker Prize Finalist" sticker on the front, you can imagine the buzz surrounding it; but really, i'm about 1/4 way through and not liking it one bit. Let's hope I don't throw it out before finishing it.

Another Man Booker-associated work (this one won the award in 1999), Disgrace is the third book i've read from Coetzee, the first from him I actually liked after I was finished. It's an awesome work on post-apartheid relations in South Africa. The motifs and themes fit the story quite well, with some very memorable, heavily loaded sentences. It's a little morose, a little cynical, but it's a masterpiece.

The books follows the plight of Suleiman, a nine-year-old boy living in Tripoli in Libya, after his father is forced to flee the family household by Qaddafi's state police due to his involvement in anti-State activities. Almost through with this one. It's nicely written, but loses much of its power by never giving us the bigger picture of the unrest that Libyan residents experienced at the time of its plot.

Currently Getting Into...

One of my faves from The Blueprint 3, Swizz turns Justice's D.A.N.C.E. sample into something a bit eerie.



Some say it sounds dated, others say she's trying to regain her former glory. I say it's brilliant; one of her finest dance moments in years! Love the choreography of the video and the feel of the song. Won't even mention the fashion and the lead dance guy.



Trying to match the tough-girl stance of the song, Rihanna and team come up with a gloriously over-the-top video glorifying explosions, nipple tape and heavy artillery. Hard, indeed.



Trippy and fun fun fun, Animal Collective release the last song on Merriweather Post Pavilion, my fave album of '09 (more on that later). It's a great song, and the video captures the energy of the song perfectly.



I dunno what it is about this song, but I can't get enough of it. Love the bombast, and the vocals remind me of something from the 80's.

Currently Getting Into...

Jay-Z got a lot of flack for this album, but really, he doesn't care. Swizz Beatz, Alica Keys, Rihanna, Kanye West, Young Jeezy and Pharrell all turn up to pay homage to Jay-Hova, helping to make his finest album since The Black Album.

Di lickle island gyal grow up and mi love har even more! Anyone who thinks Rihanna is devoid or incapable of actual depth needs listen to "Fire Bomb" or "Cold Case Love" and everyone else who just wants to dance, "Te Amo" and "Hard" are there for you too.

It's hard to believe this disc is almost 4 years old with how ahead of the pop curve it is. Popping up on every other list of the best albums of last decade, critics were slow to actually admit that JT had given us one of the best pop/dance albums in a very long time. Ignore the song names (they all have "Sex" or "Love" in their titles), ignore the singing and lyrics if you will. But do yourself a favour and concede to Timbaland's glorious bottom-less, 21st century production.

Lady GaGa has amassed a large following in the one year she's been on the pop scene all thanks in part to this baby right here. Chocked full of dancefloor stompers, weird one-liners like "I'm lyin' with my muffin" and mega-hits like "Bad Romance" and "Poker Face", GaGa proves that The Fame was no one-off thing; she's here to stay.

Currently Getting Into...

One of the greatest war movies ever made, a front-runner for this year's Best Picture Oscar. Even if the film doesn't win that, I certainly hope Bigelow wins Best Director; she'd de the first woman to ever do so.

I didn't like "Titanic", but the rest of the world apparently did (it still stands as one of the all-time highest-grossing films at the box office). The whole world loves "Avatar" too, it seems- unadjusted for inflation, the film has joined "Titanic" on that list too. But whatever your opinion of the two films, director James Cameron is a genius. In ten years time, we will still be talking about this film.

Call it a throwback film if you will,  but "An Education" is one of those films that will have you going down memory lane if you were alive during the time period (the 60's) and location (London) it is set. If like me, you aren't, you'll appreciate how detailed the sets are. Everyone here is in fine order, especially Carey Mulligan who I hope will walk away with the Best Actress Oscar come March.