[Update: As noted, I didn't see all the films that looked worth watching, so like the later quickie review of Lorna's Silence (released in the U.S. last year), a bit more will be said later on.]
I did not go to the movies that much in 2009, that is, in comparison to past years. It was not the only reason, but a major reason was that there were much fewer films that I wanted to see. A few I did see (or will; District 9 is scheduled on Netflix) on video, but even there, there wasn't too many more I really wanted to see. Some include Avatar and Precious, the former apparently wonderful to look at, but bad for the soul. The latter just sounds utterly depressing.
I commented on Trucker previously, an indie with a lead performance that is not unreasonably at least an honorable mention at Oscar time. Another film that deserves to be watched on video is Michael Keaton's addition to the hit men genre, The Merry Gentleman. The Haunting of Connecticut also might be worth a look, my pick for the horror genre over the overrated Drag Me To Hell (the "Snakes of the Plane Disappointment" entry in that category). Lemon Tree also was a good foreign film. Paris 36 was a pretty fun one.
The best movie I saw in the movies was probably the baseball movie Sugar, concerning the struggles of a Latin American rookie in the minors. It focused on the minority for a change, not some white supporter. Meryl Streep deserves another nomination for her half of Julie & Julia, the other half just one of three disappointing roles for Amy Adams is about a year's time.* Give that girl a real role! At least an honorable mention goes to former the Seventh Heaven star who carried Easy Virtue well.
Race to Witch Mountain was an okay film for older kids. Star Trek had some charms, but basic plot problems including how Kirk's character was handled left a bad taste in my mouth. Major "not weighty enough to use a tragic plot device" violator. Amelia was a bad film with a decent lead. Extract was bland. And, Did You Hear About The Morgans was a decent low expectations flick.
Again, I didn't see a few notable films (e.g., Sherlock Holmes, which probably will sell better on video) but though it had a few moments (one way or the other, Avatar was such), a down year.
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* Emily Blunt, her co-star in one film, did fairly well in Young Victoria, but the film itself was sort of lame.