So most people's top picks of 2008 have consisted mostly of Oscar season favorites. That's all fair to the extent that they are good films, and are nominated for a reason, but there are still lots of other good films that came out earlier in the year that people tend to forget about, myself included.
1. Slumdog Millionaire - Revolutionary Road - Everything about it is solid, and the acting is TOP NOTCH. Some of the best acting I've ever see. Kate Winslet and Leonard DeCaprio gave performances of a life time. The emotion was so raw and so true to life that at times it was hard to take, which is why I don't put this first as must see movies of 2008, more of you will be more likely to go see Slumdog than Revolutionary Road because of the heavy and truly depressing reality of this film. I loved it, but I don't know if I want to see it again.
2. Slumdog Millionaire - I originally put this first because it has a great pace, action, emotion, and it's told very well, and if you should see one movie over any others it should be this film. Although Revolutionary Road is a better movie, it may be hard for some people to watch, so I had this first as a must see, but Revolutionary Road takes the cake as far as being the best. Slumdog did have minor problems, I couldn't find any in Revolutionary Road. But anyway Slumdog goes a lot of places. Danny Boyles style came through in this drama, which i was skeptical about, but it's his style that ultimately made this film. Other Danny Boyle: Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, Sunshine.
3. The Fall - It was easy for me to skip over this one durring my first round picks because, first off, this film had a very select release, ALSO, this film was technically made in 2006. it wasn't untill 2008 that it got picked up by a distributor. I wasn't even sure if i could put it on my list because it was made in 2006, but it was up for awards in 2008, therefore i consider it a 2008 movie. ANYWAY, this movie was spectacularly vivid. Probably the best cinematography I've seen all year. This fantastical, yet superbly dramatic film, incorporated the grit and realism of the real world, with the vivid-ness of the make believe. This movie has wonderful metaphors and is a great leap forward in the art of story telling. Visually pleasing, and masterful story telling, definitely a must see for everyone.
4. Funny Games - This movie was a great feat for actors Tim Roth and Naomi Watts. At times almost unbearable to watch, but it's the realism of the horror that keeps you from looking away. Some of the most real, most shocking, most intense acting i have ever seen. If you've been in any of my acting classes you will know what i'm talking about when i say that this movie is one long ACTION OBJECTIVE scene. Truly intense, you really feel for these characters throughout the movie. The villains are also portrayed in a horrifically realistic way, and the whole movie/situation is presented almost in a fashion of theatre of the absurd. Some of the irony in this movie is so funny, but you know you shouldn't laugh because of how horrible it is, but you laugh anyway. truly brilliant writing, acting, and directing. Kudos.
5. The Wrestler - Much different from the rest of Darren Aaronofsky's work (See Pi, Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain) it is just as powerful as the rest of his work. Aaronofsky does a great job at tapping into human emotion at it's worst. This one taps into the lives of people who have out grown their true passion, and that true passion has taken over their lives and they can't seem to let go even though they have no choice. Mickey Rourke gives a killer performance that leaves you with a lump in your throat. He is truly a teddy bear. He deserved his Golden Globe, and I wish him the best of luck at the Oscars.
6. The Dark Knight -This movie blew me away. I saw it five times in theatres, once on an Ultra Screen, and twice on the IMAX. Seriously breath taking movie. From the acting to the action, this movie was superb. And it made film history by being the first feature length film to utilize the IMAX film medium, the highest quality picture you can get PERIOD. Although there may be some flaws in this movie, tiny plot holes and tiny editing errors, the fact that this movie could hold your attention for 3 hours is amazing, I did not feel like i was in the theatre for that long. And setting aside the fact that Heath Ledger died, this was still the most haunting performance ever given for any villain...EVER. The truth and the horror portrayed by him was unbelievable. One final note, this movie has the best mythology out of any superhero movie ever. The metaphors that are placed before you are perfect. The Dark Knight dropped a few places from my first round of picking. Although very superb, and i would love to keep it up there, i just couldn't. I took a page from Adam's book and asked myself, "did this movie change my life?" and i sad...well...it affected my views about comic book movies, realistic action movies, and technical aspects as a film maker, and it is a testament to the film industry and it has superb story telling, it wasn't anything knew enough for me. Chris Nolan took his superb understanding of the absurdity of raw realism and applied it to a batman movie. that's pretty much it. yes, this movie makes me feel great every time i watch it, but he just mastered skills that were already set into play, the previous movies developed skills which is why The Dark Knight dropped in rank.
7. Wall-E - One of the best Pixar movies, hands down. Who would have thought to tell a CRAZY adventure that involved a love story and commented on the future of human the human race with robots that pretty much don't talk. Granted there are many characters in this movie that do talk, it's Wall-E who carries and tells the story, and the only thing he says in the entire movie is "Directive?" and "Eve". But as they say, actions speak louder than words, and Wall-E certainly stole the show. Sweetest character ever.
8. Vicky, Christina, Barcelona - Woody Allen strikes again, in another movie about relationships and sex (why is this nerdy guy obsessed with sex? and know so much about it's consequences?) This movie is written extremely well, directed extremely well, acted extremely well, and it's extremely sexy. If you see this movie for one reason and one reason only, see it because of Scarlet Johanssen, Penelope Cruz, and Javier Bardem. Hottest threesome ever.
9. Iron Man - I guess I'll go with Iron Man next, considering i haven't seen many of the other Oscar favorites, but it was told very well, and a wonderful come back for Robert Downey Jr. (I almost called him Freddy Prince Jr...how awkward...) This movie is essentially an action flick, but it does a wonderful job at touching on real life problems with individuals and our country. It was also a good refresh for the Marvel series of movies.
10. Tropic Thunder - I'm starting to get tired of all these descriptions...but lets just say this: all star cast, explosions, Robert Downey Jr. AS A BLACK MAN, and Tom Cruise as a fat balding asshole produce. I'm telling you, it's gold. It's satire on the movie industry is amazing, gotta love it.
Movies I Still Need to See:
Milk
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
Burn After Reading
The Reader
Gran Torino
Australia
In Bruges
Mongol
Red Belt
Rock N Rolla
Synecdoche, New York (I REALLY regret having not seen this yet, my favorite screen writer)
Valkyrie
Waltz With Bashir
Worst Movies of 2008, in no particular order:
Changeling
Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull
Repo! The Genetic Opera (seriously don't get me talking about this one)
The Happening
For a movie that was about 2 people talking, I think that Ron Howard did an excellent job directing this. The style reminded me a lot of Kenneth Branagh Sleuth (another awesome movie that I highly recommend -- It's funny that they're both plays). Frost/Nixon was exciting -- in the same way a suspense thriller is, but it was historical and I think that adds another element into the equation.
