Hollywood’s rigid business ethic that the box office is always right does not always apply to its own treatment of business themes.

Business activities and its participants are usually cast as the baddies, though this may not be the view of what potential audiences think about how they earn their living.

Despite efforts over the years by some film-makers to present a more varied picture of life’s most dominant activity, this neglect remains much the same today.

In any year you look hard to find an acceptable number of business-themed films for a top 10 list, and 2009 is no exception.

Even so, and by extending the definition a little, I have found 10 films that will reward any viewer with an interest in business and movies.

The Coen brothers, Joel and Ethan, have long had a fascination with business – The Hudsucker Proxy and Fargo being the first to come to mind – and THE SINGLE MAN is one of their best.

Largely autobiographical, being set among a Jewish community in the American mid-west (Minnesota, to be exact), it is actually about the travails of a middling academic whose predicaments brings him into constant contact with the perils and frustrations of business.

New Zealand director Christine Jeffs attracted deserved praise for SUNSHINE CLEANING, a quirky comedy about two dysfunctional sisters trying to make a go of a business that involves cleaning up after violent death scenes.

Julia Roberts and Daniel Craig gave star status to DUPLICITY, a complicated corporate thriller that came close to being one of the best of this genre. The plotting let it down, leaving audiences none the wiser.

More satisfying, in the tradition of Michael Clayton, was THE INFORMANT! with the inspired casting of Matt Damon. Based on fact, its mix of ruthless business practice with almost comedic madness doesn’t quite gel. Who would have thought Hollywood would be attracted to a story of agricultural chemical price fixing nearly 20 years later?

The fashion industry provided the basis for three good movies, the best of which was COCO AVANT CHANEL, though it can hardly be compared with the others, which were both documentaries (The September Issue and Valentino: The Last Emperor). Audrey Tatou is simply brilliant in a role that sees the ingénue Gabrielle (later Coco), who partly grew up in an orphanage, use her rich lovers to become the most successful businesswoman of her time.

Two other documentaries cannot be left off the list, though they can hardly be said to be business-friendly: FOOD, INC was a largely genuine attempt to highlight some of the less desirable side of the food industry in the US, while Michael Moore’s CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY was typically idiosyncratic and opinionated.

The craft of journalism is an exception to Hollywood’s treatment of business – usually the target for investigative reporters – and STATE OF PLAY was a worthy addition to the honourable newspaper movie genre. Based on the eponymous BBC TV mini-series, the transfer to the Washington media and political milieu from London was impressive and stylishly done.

The telemarketing business came in for heavy satire in the Italian film TUTTI LA VITA DAVANTI (Her Whole Life Ahead), which headlined an end-of-year festival. Seldom has Italian garrulousness and Berlusconisque-style spectacle been as good in the show-stopping scenes.

Finally, the late 1950s big business setting of “organisation man,” and which has provided the basis of many memorable films, was revived in REVOLUTIONARY ROAD with Leonardo Di Caprio and Kate Winslet as a couple who want to break from conformity. It had plenty of drama and histrionics, and the business scenes were convincing. But again one wonders why it took so long to adapt a novel first published in 1961.

The next year looks to be off to a good start with George Clooney in Up in the Air playing a motivational speaker and restructuring executive obsessed with collecting frequent flyer points (due in late January).

THE BEST BUSINESS FILMS OF RECENT TIME

(A less than exhaustive list)

WALL STREET – a remake [correction: sequel] is already on the way
FUN WITH DICK AND JANE – Jim Carrey at his best in an Enron tale
GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS – the best of several with a sales theme (other excellent ones are TIN MEN and BOILER ROOM)
JERRY MAGUIRE – still Tom Cruise’s best role
BARBARIANS AT THE GATE – a post-Wall Street classic with an insider's story of M&A fever
THE INSIDER – Russell Crowe blows the whistle on the tobacco industry; much better than The Informant!
TRADING PLACES – Eddie Murphy brilliant as the hustler
MICHAEL CLAYTON – the legal profession has seldom been seen in as good and bad light

Could have been better:

TUCKER: THE MAN AND HIS DREAM – Detroit drama is not as bad as might be expected
THE AVIATOR – lavish Howard Hughes biopic fails to take off
BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES – Tom Wolfe’s great book was less so on the screen
ROGUE TRADER – the dramatic fall of Barings is poorly executed