[2008 Film Reviews]
Okay, so, I'm not too pleased with the Academy snubbing Christopher Nolan for Best Director and The Dark Knight for Best Picture. The is actually the first year, in many years, that I remember being interested in the Oscar nominations, or remembering seeing a majority of the films. There were years when I had seen them all. I'm working my way through the list of nominees this year. The following is my personal rank of the ones I've seen. I will update it as I see each film. So, this is how they stand today. Excuse me for the Reader's Digest film reviews. If you're enraged or disagree, I will definitely "take it to the comments" with you.
BEST FILMS OF 2008
1. The Dark Knight
Am I bias? Yes. Am I obsessed with this film? Yes. Now, you know my slant, you know my angle. You know when I say that I have never left a film feeling so inspired, and so overwhelmed, you know I frakking mean it. I knew I had just watched something special, something epic, something that I would tell my future fangirl and fanboys. Must've been like seeing The Empire Strikes Back for the first time in theatres. Okay, now that that's out of my system. The Dark Knight is not the Best Picture of the year just because it fulfilled my fangrl dreams.
Nolan crafted a modern Greek Tragedy. Harvey Dent was a great man, the “White Knight” to Batman’s “Dark” - and The Joker, a self-described agent of chaos, swooped into Gotham like an angry messenger from the Gods and destroyed him." Nolan, with the help of his brother Jonathon, created modern mythology. They created something that will profoundly affect our media and our culture for the next several years. Everything about the film was epic, epic stunts, epic acting, epic mediations, epic themes. There was so much going on, and so much to absorb that it was overwhelming; certainly, many have complained it was too long, too pretentious, and too dark. I disagree. Every moment, every character, every bit of dialogue had a purpose and a goal. Christopher Nolan wove all of his epic thoughts into a gorgeous tapestry. I love this film.
2. Doubt
RIVETING. Meryl Sterp gave a frightening, commanding performance; Phillip Seymour Hoffman will be robbed of his award (because he will not beat Ledger, not this year); and Viola Davis STEALS THE MOVIE. The writing is OUTSTANDING. It's a quiet film, obviously adapted from a play; still, the perfectly paced directing and intense moral questions drive it, makes it feel larger and more than its simple origins. And what an ending.
3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
I debated about this one. I ALMOST placed it as number two, because it's the only one that can complete on the same scale as The Dark Knight. Nope, I'm not going to get fooled. I despised this film as much as I enjoyed it. It is a pretentious, artsy, hollow Forrest Gump Version 2.0. Alas, that did not stop me from sobbing through the entire last hour. Tears cascaded down my cheeks. Cate Blanchett was an absolute dream, and Taraji P. Henson was divine. Still -- it is a pretentious, artsy, hollow Forrest Gump version 2.0. I hated Forrest Gump. And it was three-frakking-hours-long, three frakking-Two Towers-frakking LONG.
4. Gran Torino
"Get off my lawn." Nuff Said. Yes, yes, yes. Walt was bigot and a racist and a conservative and everything that we want to rebel and reject and no longer value in our society. Yada, Yada, Yada. I say fowl. I say that Walt was an admirable character, who overcame his bigoty and demons, and made the tough decisions. Clint Eastwood has balls. Hollywood didn't want this movie made, and he made it anyway. I viewed at as a bookend to Dirty Harry. Eastwood's directing only improves with age. He's a fine merlot. Gran Torino is not as good as Million Dollar Baby but a fine, fine endeavor. Plus, who doesn't love movies that offends you, shocks you, makes you laugh, and makes you cry?
5. Tropic Thunder
It's a comedy - with Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Jr. in blackface. Uh, so? It's the best movie about Hollywood since 'The Player'. I almost coughed up a lung I laughed so hard. The gag with the director? EPIC. Soundtrack? Brilliant and Cliche. Crazy Tom Cruise as Harvey Weinstein? PRICELESS.
6. Milk
It was mediocre, at best. If I didn't give a damn about gay rights, I would have hated it. Did I get chills and cry? Yes. Do I want to go overturn Prop 8? Hell yes. Doesn't make it the Best Picture of the year. It feels more like a made-for-History Channel documentary with well-acted reenactments. The script was awful and convoluted. The editing was a mess. I did not enjoy the real footage and found it distracting. I would have much rather watched a documentary on Harvey Milk. As for Sean Penn, he was good, but he's always good. He wasn't any better than normal.
7. Iron Man
It's fun, fast-paced, silly, entertaining, and totally indulgent. I loved it.
HAVE YET TO SEE:
Changeling
Frost/Nixon
Frozen River
Rachel Getting Married
The Reader
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire
Vicky Christina Barcelona
The Visitor
Wall-E
The Wrestler
BEST FILMS OF 2008
1. The Dark Knight
Am I bias? Yes. Am I obsessed with this film? Yes. Now, you know my slant, you know my angle. You know when I say that I have never left a film feeling so inspired, and so overwhelmed, you know I frakking mean it. I knew I had just watched something special, something epic, something that I would tell my future fangirl and fanboys. Must've been like seeing The Empire Strikes Back for the first time in theatres. Okay, now that that's out of my system. The Dark Knight is not the Best Picture of the year just because it fulfilled my fangrl dreams.
Nolan crafted a modern Greek Tragedy. Harvey Dent was a great man, the “White Knight” to Batman’s “Dark” - and The Joker, a self-described agent of chaos, swooped into Gotham like an angry messenger from the Gods and destroyed him." Nolan, with the help of his brother Jonathon, created modern mythology. They created something that will profoundly affect our media and our culture for the next several years. Everything about the film was epic, epic stunts, epic acting, epic mediations, epic themes. There was so much going on, and so much to absorb that it was overwhelming; certainly, many have complained it was too long, too pretentious, and too dark. I disagree. Every moment, every character, every bit of dialogue had a purpose and a goal. Christopher Nolan wove all of his epic thoughts into a gorgeous tapestry. I love this film.
2. Doubt
RIVETING. Meryl Sterp gave a frightening, commanding performance; Phillip Seymour Hoffman will be robbed of his award (because he will not beat Ledger, not this year); and Viola Davis STEALS THE MOVIE. The writing is OUTSTANDING. It's a quiet film, obviously adapted from a play; still, the perfectly paced directing and intense moral questions drive it, makes it feel larger and more than its simple origins. And what an ending.
3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
I debated about this one. I ALMOST placed it as number two, because it's the only one that can complete on the same scale as The Dark Knight. Nope, I'm not going to get fooled. I despised this film as much as I enjoyed it. It is a pretentious, artsy, hollow Forrest Gump Version 2.0. Alas, that did not stop me from sobbing through the entire last hour. Tears cascaded down my cheeks. Cate Blanchett was an absolute dream, and Taraji P. Henson was divine. Still -- it is a pretentious, artsy, hollow Forrest Gump version 2.0. I hated Forrest Gump. And it was three-frakking-hours-long, three frakking-Two Towers-frakking LONG.
4. Gran Torino
"Get off my lawn." Nuff Said. Yes, yes, yes. Walt was bigot and a racist and a conservative and everything that we want to rebel and reject and no longer value in our society. Yada, Yada, Yada. I say fowl. I say that Walt was an admirable character, who overcame his bigoty and demons, and made the tough decisions. Clint Eastwood has balls. Hollywood didn't want this movie made, and he made it anyway. I viewed at as a bookend to Dirty Harry. Eastwood's directing only improves with age. He's a fine merlot. Gran Torino is not as good as Million Dollar Baby but a fine, fine endeavor. Plus, who doesn't love movies that offends you, shocks you, makes you laugh, and makes you cry?
5. Tropic Thunder
It's a comedy - with Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Jr. in blackface. Uh, so? It's the best movie about Hollywood since 'The Player'. I almost coughed up a lung I laughed so hard. The gag with the director? EPIC. Soundtrack? Brilliant and Cliche. Crazy Tom Cruise as Harvey Weinstein? PRICELESS.
6. Milk
It was mediocre, at best. If I didn't give a damn about gay rights, I would have hated it. Did I get chills and cry? Yes. Do I want to go overturn Prop 8? Hell yes. Doesn't make it the Best Picture of the year. It feels more like a made-for-History Channel documentary with well-acted reenactments. The script was awful and convoluted. The editing was a mess. I did not enjoy the real footage and found it distracting. I would have much rather watched a documentary on Harvey Milk. As for Sean Penn, he was good, but he's always good. He wasn't any better than normal.
7. Iron Man
It's fun, fast-paced, silly, entertaining, and totally indulgent. I loved it.
HAVE YET TO SEE:
Changeling
Frost/Nixon
Frozen River
Rachel Getting Married
The Reader
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire
Vicky Christina Barcelona
The Visitor
Wall-E
The Wrestler