Moviefone's top 10 best movies of 2008
10. Tropic Thunder
This hilarious comedy will go down in history as the movie that made people forget Tom Cruise's couch-jumping antics. Well, at least momentarily. With a string of flawless Hollywood cameos and A-list stars like Robert Downey Jr. and Jack Black (not to mention triple threat Ben Stiller who co-wrote, directed and starred), it pulled in more than $187 million worldwide and could land Downey Jr. a rare Oscar nomination for a comedic performance.
9. Milk
What was already an affecting story -- that of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to U.S. public office, who was shot to death by a fellow supervisor -- takes on greater power, and near-heartbreaking poignancy, in the face of recent political initiatives against gay marriage. But what ultimately carries the movie is Milk himself, whose outsized charisma and passion get their due in Sean Penn's fiery, feisty performance.
8. Man on Wire
The best-reviewed film of all time, according to RottenTomatoes, James Marsh's documentary replays the amazing story of Frenchman Philippe Petit, who made it his life's mission to tightrope walk between World Trade Center towers, and succeeded in 1974. Without a mention of 9/11, this breathtaking account is an affirmation of both the remarkable splendor of the WTC and the power of human determination.
7. Wall-E
The gorgeous, wordless first half has the comic grandeur of a Chaplin film; the second half is a biting satire of commercialism that's far more effective than Michael Moore ever was. And yet at its root this is simply a romance, achingly tender and true, about a lonely little robot and his search for love. Breathtaking in its beauty, scope, intelligence and charm, 'WALL-E' isn't just a Pixar masterpiece -- it's a masterpiece, period.
6. Frost/Nixon
A Hollywood rendering of British journalist David Frost's (Michael Sheen) breakthrough interviews with impeached prez Richard Nixon (Frank Langella) has no right being so entertaining. But director Ron Howard knows how to work his wand, employing genre conventions (Frost gets his crack team) without actually getting too conventional, and stages the one-on-one showdowns like an intense 12-round boxing match. It helps, too, that Langella is brilliant.
5. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The award-winning streak has already begun for 'Benjamin Button,' but it's not due to the high wattage of star power alone. This sweeping epic follows a life lived with love, romance, dying and death. But yes, we can't deny it: from the small bespectacled octogenarian and the graying adult, to the sexy James Dean-esque 20-something, Brad Pitt is extremely watchable -- no matter which way he ages.
4. The Wrestler
Mickey Rourke, award nominee (and those awards aren't Razzies)? Call it the year of the comeback. There's not a single misstep in Darren Aronofsky's drama about an over-the-hill pro wrestler who just can't get it right. Randy "the Ram" Robinson shows flashes of warmth and empathy, but then just as quickly sabotages his own efforts to turn things around. Marisa Tomei, as a stripper and his sort-of girlfriend, and Evan Rachel Wood as the daughter who's been burned one too many times, round out the incredible performances.
3. The Dark Knight
Good and evil, peace and chaos, Batman and the Joker are two sides of the same coin -- with their fates just a wrist-flick away -- in director Christopher Nolan's grim, glorious sequel to 'Batman Begins.' While the action comes fast and plentifully, it's Christian Bale's tortured turn as the demon-knight and Heath Ledger's unsettling, unforgettable performance as his clown-faced nemesis that will haunt you long after the credits roll. This is the 'Godfather 2' of superhero flicks -- no joke.
2. Slumdog Millionare
On paper it sounds gimmicky. A poor and uneducated Mumbai teen accused of cheating on 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?' recounts how he was able to answer each question via a flashback to his hard-knock childhood. On screen it's nothing short of magnificent, a completely unique movie-going experience that's like 'Quiz Show' meets 'City of God' set in India. It's also one of the best-made crowd-pleasers in years.
1. Iron Man
It may have been overshadowed by that other superhero movie this year, but pound-for-metal-alloy-clad-pound, 'Iron Man' is 2008's most unequivocal cinematic triumph. While 'The Dark Knight' probed the bleaker realms of the superhero psyche, Robert Downey Jr.'s captivating turn as Tony Stark kicked off a stunning career comeback for the once-troubled actor and proved that heroes can be complex and edgy without taking themselves too seriously. Put simply, 'Iron Man' is golden.
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I would have to say my MOST favorite movie of 2008 is "Horton Hears A Who"! big cuddly elephant + jim carrey = L-O-V-E! it's so hilarious and i don't think i'll ever get tired of watching it. it's so entertaining and fun. jim carrey is seriously, a genius. i love his humour.
and i'm not surprised iron man came out tops, who couldn't resist robert downey jr?! watching him in "iron man"... ooohh... sexy. and he was also really funny in "tropic thunder". an actor who takes his roles very seriously. he was such a riot to watch. six-time crying monkey award winner kirk lazarus. hehe.
and i'll be looking forward to "milk" and "curious case of benjamin button". milk because sean penn's a fantastic actor. and the latter because the plot sounds really interesting- a man who ages reversely. brad pitt doesn't really rank high on my "favorite actors" list. i always associate brad pitt as brad pitt, which is the same with angelina jolie. i somehow couldn't separate their big movie star faces from the characters they play in movies.
anyway, with the awards season coming up early next year, it only means one thing- ogling at them stars strutting out designers' best on the red carpet. exciting stuff! more frocks to drool over. i can't wait!
3 more days until we finish for the year... wahoooooo!!!
