THE BEST FILMS OF 2008

As if you care anymore. But maybe you do, or maybe you’re curious, and for continuity’s sake, and for my own reasons, I had to get this up. What held it up so long was this little list of about ten films which I wanted to either rewatch, or watch for the first time, which I believe had a chance at making the list. That mostly didn’t happen, for whatever reason. But I saw enough great movies in 2008, and it was really tough as it is to narrow down the list, so I didn’t really need to make it tougher after all. And so...the top twenty of 2008. 

20 The Wrestler (2008, dir. Darren Aronofsky, US) 

An outstanding performance from Mickey Rourke, a solid performance from Marisa Tomei, and a really average film. Mickey Rourke sold it for me, though, regardless of how I felt about the rest.

19 The Dark Knight (2008, dir. Christopher Nolan, US) 

A really solid take on Batman, much more so than Christopher Nolan’s previous take. Not without its flaws, it still has one of the all time great villain performances at its credit, and the big action sequences are outstanding (the small ones not so much). It’s a great achievement, though, to craft a film that’s so wildly popular AND critically lauded.

18 Wendy and Lucy (2008, dir Kelly Reichardt, US)

Michelle Williams anchors this quiet, somber, slow story that spekas as much about the state of America as it does to sentimentality. I mean that in the nicest of ways. The film is practically without a story, but Williams is so mesmerizing and Kelly Reichardt captures so much genuine about her that it stands up to the fact that it’s slow (though never boring).

17 Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008, dir. Guillermo del Toro, US/GER)

Del Toro trumps himself tremendously with this sequel to the good-but-lacking original Hellboy. Full of dazzling sets, pracitcal effects and makeup, and some really smooth CGI...oh, and it’s got a good story. And great characters, and a fantastic ending. I loved it.

16 Young @ Heart (2007, dir. Stephen Walker, UK)

Midway through the year, I posted on this blog that this was my favorite film of the year. What a difference six months can make, but don’t let that lead you to believe that I lost any respect for Young @ Heart. It is the most rewatchable documentary I’ve laid eyes on, it moves at a perfect speed, and it deals with age in a way that is both funny and moving, and not in a cloying sort of fashion like Cocoon or something. Many of these people are just characters, and they really come to life through the picture, culminating in their big performance at the end which leaves you smiling and a bit misty at the same time.

15 Towelhead (2008, dir. Alan Ball, US)

Discomfort is the name of the game with Alan Ball’s film directing debut, a coming of age film that deals with rape, racism, classism, and sexism, and does it all with a great sense of humor, and uneasiness. I love feeling uneasy watching a film, although I can assume that some wouldn’t enjoy it nearly as much as I do. To me, that feeling coming from a film makes me believe that I have a fear of the unknown, or a fear of what COULD happen at any moment. Towelhead is chock full of these bits. The only reason it isn’t higher is because I saw it so recently that it hasn’t trumped some of these other films.

14 Happy-Go-Lucky (2008, dir. Mike Leigh, UK)

I’ll refer to what I wrote on my buddy Patrick Walsh’s blog over at http://www.patrickwalsh.blog-city.com as I believe it’s an accurate take on what I felt after I had just seen it. "As for Happy Go Lucky, I adored it. I've decided I have a real attraction to the painfully unwatchable characters, and Poppy came off to me as if she were David Brent's sister. She does the same thing Ricky Gervais does so fucking well [on The BBC Office] in that she's so oblivious to the outside world, but interacts with it as if she does. She's easily loathsome, and the reason she's so happy and why we hate her is that life ISN'T happy. It sure can be, it sure has its moments of bliss, but there's the balance to it that Poppy doesn't seem to be initially aware of. I think her relationship with the driving instructor [Eddie Marsan], her polar opposite, is really interesting to take in, in afterthought especially." It’s a fascinating film, and it’s one I can’t wait to see again.

13 The Visitor (2008, dir. Thomas McCarthy, US)

This was the year of Richard Jenkins for me. He owned his role in Step Brothers, he played a dim-witted role in Burn After Reading, and he did his finest career work in The Visitor, a real sleeper of a film which has gotten a great deal of word-of-mouth as of late. In another year, and with a better studio, he could really have gotten a shot at winning an Oscar for a full career of great, thankless character acting parts. He’s got a great comedic tone which he doesn’t get to flex as much here, rather he plays it very straight and very believable in the moral quandary of finding a family of emigrants living in his apartment. What would you exactly do? The film explores it, then slaps you over the head with the reality of the situation. It’s tough, and it ends very somber and sad. It’s a great film.

12 Let the Right One In (2008, dir.Thomas Alfredson, SWE)

Vampire movies are few and far between worth watching for me. It’s truly noteworthy that this one is unlike any other. It’s mostly a drama, a love story between two young kids (sorta) one of which happens to be one who feeds off of blood. It’s touching, and sweet, and odd, and suspenseful. It’s not the best thing I saw in 2008, but it sure is good, and it’ll sure be better than the American remake coming by 2010.

11 Frost/Nixon (2008, dir. Ron Howard, US/UK/FRA)

A real performance movie. Two fantastic ones shine here, one being Frank Langella’s brilliant take on Nixon (whom he doesn’t resemble, but subsequently owns), and the other being Michael Sheen as David Frost, who hasn’t garnered nearly the attention, but is equally as solid. The film which will go Oscar-less in a tough year, which is a real shame because it’s so good.

10 Iron Man (2008, dir. Jon Favreau, US)

Sorry, Dark Knight, this was my superhero film of the year. After two views, I’ve yet to find myself noticing any shortcomings to which I wish they would amend with the sequel. More action, I suppose, is the main complaint everyone comes up with, but with what action is here it delivers in spades. The acting is great, the direction strong, the humor is on point, and it’s oh so much fun. Not a bad word.

9 Milk (2008, dir. Gus Van Sant, US)

I’m not a big Sean Penn supporter. I’ve found myself occasionally gravitating towards him, and have enjoyed his turns in things like Carlito’s Way and State of Grace, but he’s usually the guy I bring up as the example of a psychotic method actor, who I could see actually having part of his brain removed for that role in I Am Sam. But the Penn that showed up for Milk, and the film itself, is really remarkable. He brings Harvey Milk to life on the screen in such a big way, you’d think he went gay just for the role (and he might have, we don’t know). It’s about the life and legacy of the first big supporter of the gay rights movement, and he was beloved by so many only to be stolen from life by a very disturbed man. I love how the film focuses on Milk, and his movement, and his importance, and his love, and his passion, all before any foreshadowing of his fate is even hinted at. Dustin Lance Black’s script, which many had tried and failed to write before him, is maybe a bit abridged, and maybe a little underdeveloped at times, but is a perfect blend of politics and humanity, and Penn brought it all to life with the help of Gus Van Sant. I’m always torn on Van Sant, but felt this was the perfect blend of avant garde Gus and commercially sensible Gus, so as not to turn anyone away completely. It’s great.

8 The Brothers Bloom (2008, dir. Rian Johnson, US)

Who knew that I’d get to see this at the St.Louis International Film Fest, and that seldom few would get the chance to catch it until May or June of 2009? As I don’t think it was technically eligible for the 2008 Oscars, I sincerely hope it wasn’t just overlooked as it wasn’t seen. Rian Johnson’s follow up to the fantastic 2006 neo-noir Brick follows two brothers who are grifters, one of which is reluctant and the other of which sets his brother up into one last job. It sounds trite, but I think it’s perfect. There’s a bit of a tonal shift in here that may upset some people, but it didn’t seem to affect the crowd I saw it with. It’s a real crowd pleaser of a film, very funny, and Babel’s Rinko Kikuchi steals every wordless scene she shows up in as their silent partner. Likewise with Rachel Weisz, who completely owns her loopy role as a rich mark who is so bored with her life that she collects hobbies (whatever that means...it makes sense when you see it). Although it sure owes a bunch to Wes Anderson’s look and feel, it never feels as fabricated and strange as Anderson’s concoctions do, but it works on that same surreal plane. It’s beautifully shot and edited, too. I adored this movie, and I urge you to see it when it’s dumped as counter programming to something much bigger in the heat of the summer. Maybe if it had gay teen vampires, Summit would support it a little better.

7 Dear Zachary: A Letter To a Son About His Father (2008, dir. Kurt Kuenne, US)

The best documentary I saw in 2008, and one of the best I’ve ever seen. Any words I come up with won’t do it justice. It’s infuriating, and touching, and electric. It’s completely unique, and it’s brilliant. Out on the 24th of February, so don’t sleep on it.

6 4 Months 3 Weeks 2 Days (2007, dir. Cristian Mungiu, ROM)

Films about abortion are few and far between, and it’s no easier to handle here than it is anywhere else. Romania is the backdrop for the story of two young women who set out to illegally obtain an abortion for one of them in the late 80s, where it is highly illegal. The morality of the issue aside, this is a tense, taut, and gripping story dealing with not the choice of right and wrong, but how the wrong is dealt with when in terms of society, and how they set up the situation. It’s really, really strong filmmaking, and it’s something I’m not sure I’ll get the itch to watch again in the near future because it’s just so tough. That’s truly a compliment.

5 Inside (2007, dir. Aledandre Bustillo and Julien Maury, FRA)

Home invasion is a helluva thing. It’s probably one of the great fears of the world, to be unsafe in the place you feel the most secure. And so I have a bit of a soft spot for the genre, which can always evoke a chill and some tension – anyone remember the amazing Tales From the Crypt episode when that psycho dressed as Santa terrorized that lady? So when the Euro-horror genre comes to play with home invasion, as it did with 2006's Haute Tension, then you know it’s going to mean business. Inside is the scariest and most intense viewing experience I’ve had since I saw The Descent, and I can’t even recall before that what had effected me so. A young pregnant woman is home alone and late at night is awoken by a strange woman wanting to come inside. She makes it in eventually, and all hell breaks loose. Literally. Packed full of two outstanding, mostly wordless performances, copious blood and gore, and some dazzling lighting and camera work, this is the most memorable horror film of 2008 (even though it was released everywhere else a year before), and one of my personal favorites.

4 Tell No One (2006, dir. Guillaume Canet, FRA)

If you like mysteries -- and I’m talking head spinning, all attention paid, and every moment and clue pays off – then I urge you to look no further than this boggling French tale, packed full of so many twists and turns that you’re liable to get lost, only to find yourself miraculously understanding what’s happening somehow the next minute. It all begins when a man’s wife is mysteriously murdered while on vacation, and years later is discovered to not be so dead after all. To say too much would be to ruin the excitement of viewing. It comes out on DVD in March, and in all honesty I can’t even remember what happens enough to try to summarize it, so I can’t wait to watch it again. It’s phenomenal, and I urge you to seek it out.

3 In Bruges (2008, dir. Martin McDonaugh, UK/US)

Even in the most bleak and dingy situations, it’s nice to know someone can make you laugh. And thus is the tone for most of the fantastic script for In Bruges, a dark as night comedy about two hitmen sent to Bruges, Belgium after a horrible mistake is made by one of them. And Bruges, a run down, dingy, dreary tourist spot with nothing to do but sit and wait to die, is the perfect backdrop for all of the goings on. Colin Ferrel, Brendan Gleeson, and Ralph Fiennes all give tremendous performances as two men who await their fate, and one very angry, very hostile superior. One of the best endings of all time, in my opinion, and some truly wonderful dialogue to get it there.

2 Rachel Getting Married (2008, Johnathan Demme, US)

Demme’s best since Silence of the Lambs (and better than that). As films that divide people go, Rachel’s probably up there in the ranks for 2008. People looking for a linear experience were met with the opposite, and people searching for a touching performance movie were a bit let down by how serious, tough, uncomfortable, and unsentimental things got. Love it or hate it stuff, and Anne Hathaway’s character is a love it or hate it kinda person. The performance is annoying, sure, but the character never feels one bit unauthentic or "acted" to me. And I love how the film bobbed around and spent time on the little things – the clips of the rehearsal dinner, the extended bits of the reception, the strange ritual of the wedding itself, the AA meetings – and how Demme focuses on character reactions, interactions, and character as a whole, as opposed to sensationalizing the marriage experience and the awkwardness therein. It’s not that movie. It’s tough to watch as some of the relationships feel like reality, like this lost, broken, damaged family forced to unite. It’s unique, it’s bold, and it’s stuck out in my mind since I saw it a long while back. It ends on a perfect note, completely ambivilent and unresolved, that just warms me up. It’s brilliant, whether you think so or not.

1 Doubt (2008, dir. John Patrick Shanley, US)

Almost a complete tie between Rachel and Doubt, but there’s something about the complexity of what’s said, and also what’s left unsaid, that made Doubt stand out for me in a big way. It’s uniformly well acted by the entire cast, and it’s gripping throughout even with its meticulous, slow pace. And I felt myself tremendously entertained by the face off between all the players. Be it between Amy Adam’s meek spirit and Meryl Streep’s boisterous, pushy, loud lack thereof, or Philip Seymour Hoffman’s timid and assured tone with Meryl’s accusitory, mean one. It’s of special note that Viola Davis’ one scene in the film, which runs for about ten minutes, was the highlight of the whole thing for me. She does what most actors hope to do in an entire film in a fraction of the time; she’s memorable, she’s powerful, and she’s believable (even when what she’s saying is the opposite of believable). It’s probably a tough watch for people without thick skin to deal with the subject matter, which handles the catholic molestation ordeal without any hesitation or remorse. It’s up to you to decide which side of the coin you end up on. Some people probably won’t like that, but I don’t like film, generally, that walks you through the whole thing, tells you what to feel, tells you when to react, etc. Doubt doesn’t do this, rather it explains both sides of the argument to you fully and lets you decide on if the outcome is correct or not. It’s a brilliant script, and while it’s not a flashy movie in the least,, adapting it to the screen allows for more depth in character, more subtlety, and I feel would resonate with me more than if I saw it on stage. Perhaps I’m just not a stage minded guy, I’m a film geek. And for a true film fanatic, this gives you something to chew on. It forced me to go over the details in my head to try to decide on guilt and innocence, and what it means in terms of all of the characters within the story. Isn’t that what it’s all about, to provoke thought, discussion, and stimulate, AND entertain? For me, it is. It’s a crime this didn’t get a nod for best picture.

JUST MISSED:

OSS 117:Cairo, Nest of Spies

Hilarious French farce with a lead that plays like the offspring of Inspector Cluseau and Frank Drebben. Just didn’t make it.

Man on Wire

Incredible documentary that hasn’t resonated with me as much as I thought it would. Still fantastic and fascinating, though.

Cadillac Records

A biopic of Chess records and its artists which is surprisingly good, boasting a great showing by Beyonce, with some stellar chemistry provided by Adrien Brody. Just didn’t make it.

Vicky Christina Barcelona

A good Woody Allen movie for the first time in...well, a long time. I was charmed completely by Rebecca Hall, but felt horribly annoyed by Penelope Cruz, whom I normally like, and who’s catching all the praise here.

Wall-E

Totally beautiful, and totally moving for a bunch of robots, but it sure did fall a bit short with the human story.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

The Fall, Billy The Kid, Tropic Thunder, In Search of a Midnight Kiss, Midnight Meat Train, Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead, Step Brothers, Finding Amanda, The Babysitters, Married Life, Snow Angels, Surveillance, Go Go Tales, JCVD, Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day, Chocolate, The Signal, Encounters at the End of the World, Slumdog Millionaire, Boy A, Wanted, Taken, All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, Pineapple Express, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The Foot Fist Way

DIDN’T CATCH YET: Reprise, The Good The Bad The Weird, The Last Mistress, The Edge Of Heaven, Up The Yangzee, Timecrimes, A Christmas Tale, Mad Detective, Elite Squad

And that’s all. Comment, spread love, tell a friend, and see you soon. -M