Top Ten Films of 2008
The world turns toward spring and my keyboard thaws. What more tremendous testament to my love of film than that the only two times I have been motivated enough to sit and write for the past year and a half have been to share with you my best and worst films of the year? The nice thing about the theaters here in Guadalajara is that they are new, clean, big, and cheap (53 pesos for a regular showing). Too bad actually making it over to the theater only happens once every month or two. What can I say? I’m lazy busy. Still, I have managed to see over sixty films from the year 2008 (according to this page on Wikipedia), and so finally feel ready to pronounce my favorites.
Looking back over the entries for the previous two years, I feel positive that I didn’t have as much fun at the movies overall this year as in those two. Many of the academy award nominees for the major categories (the televised ones) were pretty weak. However, I must also admit that I wasn’t bombarded with nearly the amount of absolute shit as in those years either. Whether that’s on Hollywood or because I’m not currently living with a bunch of other twenty-something nerdy guys with a penchant for awful action movies I haven’t yet decided. Whatever the case, I think I’ll one day look back on 2008 with much fondness, and smile at this crop of movies and what they were trying to do.
Once again, the biggest criteria I used in the creation of this list were: 1) how much did I enjoy the film the first time I saw it-be that intellectually, viscerally, or emotionally, 2) if someone I know (and respect) didn’t see any movies last year, which would I recommend, and 3) would I take the opportunity to see it again someday under the right circumstances? Of course, certain films at certain times can transcend any of these considerations by behaving as the catalyst for a life change or a philosophical or artistic shift, but I’m not sure that quite happened this year. Let’s count down.
10. Changeling - Engrossing as it is disturbing, by far Changeling was Clint Eastwood’s better film this year. I would have been very incredulous and critical of the events from a historical perspective if it hadn’t been based so closely on a true story. The presence of the LAPD in the story builds frustration and really helps to create empathy for Angelina Jolie’s character, Christine Collins. I was glad for Eastwood’s minimalist and direct storytelling here. I can easily see how many filmmakers might have gotten bogged down in the story’s turns, foreshadowing and spending too much time developing the big picture (like the protests that we see for only a few brief moments). Some critics complained that the movie lacked subtlety, but I would contend that there was nothing subtle at all about what the LAPD was doing, nor should there have been in Collins’ reaction. A few missteps (the kid playing Sanford Clark was pretty bad, as was the whole coincidence of the deportation) will probably keep this movie from iconic status, but I enjoyed its fine procedural feel.
9. Vicky Christina Barcelona - Maybe I’m a sucker for beautiful scenery. Or beautiful women. Or Javier Bardem. Whatever the case, even though Vicky Christina Barcelona didn’t stun me with its meditations on the natures of desire and fulfillment, I did leave the theater wanting to spend more time in Oviedo and Barcelona with this cast as my tour guides. Indeed, those are the two elements that land this film on this list; the ambience of the locales whispered to my own summer pinings, while the acting held me in complete belief. I respect the decision to use voiceover, and I realize that it intentionally kept me at a distance from the main characters, instead lending a certain Sunday afternoon storytime to the affair. However, I think the film would still have been better served without it. The characters are such a strong reason to watch this movie that it would have been much better served had let us in closer to them-let us discover their quirks and intentions through dialogue instead of narration. Then again, maybe we wouldn’t have liked them if we actually had to live with them. In any case, it felt slightly off, and kept me from truly adoring this one.
8. Rachel Getting Married - As I age, I find it less and less interesting to watch movies about nothing more than someone’s personal psychological struggles. Not that I’m against depressing movies-quite the contrary. However, I just don’t usually see anything new, enlightening, or entertaining in films like Revolutionary Road these days. The stakes don’t really effect anyone but the protagonists, and I can’t see any reason to watch the inevitable play itself out for two hours. However, Rachel Getting Married manages to suffuse realistic family ties with a sense of impending hope, despite everything. What this film really did special to bring me in, though, was to capture the slight sense of awkwardness that comes with any adult visit home-that fluttering notion that something’s just a wee bit off. No matter how welcome you feel, you can still hear time outside calling you away, not quite belonging like before. Something a film like Garden State tries so hard for, this one does fluently. I can’t say I wanted to stay with this family for another two hours, but before I knew it, I did want them to find some lasting peace.
7. The Wrestler - By now you’ve heard of Mickey Rourke’s performance, or you have now anyway. I can’t say much more about it than that The Wrestler is worth every moment of your time if only for that. The man is totally transparent and totally real. I also really enjoyed seeing Darren Aronofsky develop as a director by working with a script that he didn’t write. While he does still choose a technique to lean on (the follow steadicam in this one), it isn’t distracting, and does serve a legitimate purpose for the story. As a (recovering) wrestling fan, I also got into the authenticity of the details in the lives of these men. Be warned though: this is a relentlessly depressing film. I loved it, however, because Rourke’s Randy ‘The Ram’ manages to stand upbeat against the hellish throws of a dead end world.
6. Burn After Reading - Underappreciated. While it will never be the dark comedy classic of something like The Big Lebowski or Fargo, it’s also not Intolerable Cruelty. I found myself laughing quite a bit at Burn After Reading. Perhaps some were turned off by the film’s point-approximately that of one I particularly liked from 2006, Syriana. Everything is pretty much fucked up and makes no sense and has little point. Getting there, though, in this case is a lot of fun. There are also really no likable characters in this movie, though I still found them gravitating because mostly they not only feel shameless, but justified in their despicability and wanton pettiness. Remember, Lebowski wasn’t very well-received initially either. Give this one two chances.
5. Slumdog Millionaire - This is the one that came closest to peeking in at love this year, and it did it through cheesy looks of longing and a grand sense of loss. It works because Latika is so hot, and Jamal is the nice everyman for whom we pretty literally root on India’s version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Forget the millionaire gimmick, though. The real issue to explore here is whether you can ever get back to innocence, or denial as your cynicism might dictate. The film appears to be saying yes, but it still left me sick like I’ll never forget. Brilliant. Since most of what I want to say about this movie deals with the ending, and because this is one that many people have already seen anyway, I won’t bother elaborating.
4. Young@Heart - Yes, it’s a documentary. I never said they were excluded from my top films. I just usually don’t like documentaries nearly as much as I like fiction. Young@Heart, though, a film that follows an approximately octogenarian choir group that likes to keep its hand in with renditions of modern songs, truly made me smile and nearly cry as few works can. The people were sweet and funny, and the documentarians tried to show their ambitions so they became more than just props, as the elderly and very young often are. Maybe it doesn’t have a lot to say about human nature that you didn’t already know, and maybe you’ll tire of the long rehearsals, but when I look back at the year, this little gem from the spring stands out as one of the nicest afternoons I spent with the movies.
3. In Bruges - The trailer made it look like another wanna-be clever British action film-something between Layer Cake and Shoot ‘em Up (it has Clive Owen, British enough). That’s because the trailer takes the clever little quips out of context and splices them with bits of jumping and shooting. Imagine my surprise then, when I went to see this with friends because there wasn’t much else out in the theaters last February, and discovered a script that hits nearly every note perfectly and delivers a hysterical dark buddy comedy that’s little segues into drama never feel forced. It’s quite a bit more pensive than the trailer would lead you to believe, but never boring. As the title would suggest, the location is such a large character in this film that it really works as a foil for the true stars, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. What you know and don’t know about their relationship and its evolution through the film really glue it all together. A small issue I have with the very ending holds this at number three, but if you enjoy dark comedies (I know plenty of people who don’t) do yourself a big favor and check out In Bruges.
2. Milk - Two years in a row Sean Penn defies my hopes and comes in right near the top of the list, this time, as actor. I haven’t seen a lot of his old classics, so I can easily call this the best performance I have ever seen from him. I split hairs between him and Mickey Rourke for best actor this year, so the Oscars didn’t really disappoint me on that count. It was released in Spain as Mi Nombre es Harvey Milk and Penn could easily have been repeating that over and over, because he, like Rourke in The Wrestler is truly transparent, and an immense amount of fun to watch. I also saw Gus Van Sant’s Paranoid Park this year, and while that film languished in pointless slow-motion musical walking scenes and ultimately amounted to nothing, his return to a more traditionally structured plot (a la Good Will Hunting) does him tremendous good. Politics of the film aside, Harvey Milk guides you through the key points of his political life in an always-entertaining, charismatic way; introducing you to other funny, sad, or intimidating folks. Interestingly, Josh Brolin’s Dan White didn’t quite work for me. Brolin didn’t do a bad job, but I feel that if we were going to go as far as entering his house to see him watching television in his underwear, we should have met some of the other people in his life, his wife and children, perhaps his neighbors. All we really get are his scenes with Harvey, which would have been fine had we been limited to Harvey’s perspective, but instead we are rather sloppily given a little more, and it just feels like a set-up. In the end, you really can’t (and shouldn’t) separate the politics from this film though. If you are like me, you will find it all so ultimately frustrating (hope I’m not ruining anything-this is all old news).
If however, you are grossed out by gays and think they should stay in the closet and away from families, I doubt you’ll be watching this film anyway.
If you are anyone else, you should do yourself a favor and check out Milk as well, because it is so well-made and well-acted, you are sure to enjoy yourself, and may learn a bit of history as well.
1. Waltz with Bashir - Something of a uniquely animated documentary, this Israeli film recounts the memories of some soldiers who fought in the 1982 Lebanon War. Some complain that the ending is manipulative and/or predictable. Well, it should be predictable, because this is firmly grounded in accepted public history, and in this accepted public history, some really awful shit happened. However, thanks to my wonderful Kentucky Public School education, I know almost nothing about world events between about 1877 and 1994 (except for a little spot from 1940-1960, but only where it directly concerns the United States); and as one who didn’t even know the events discussed in Waltz with Bashir, I still didn’t find it overtly manipulative. From the opening sequence with the running dogs, this movie is truly unique. The animation style roped me from the outset. By the time I figured out the film was going to be a journey into suppressed memories of a war, I was on board and blowing the horn. I was simply fascinated from start to finish. Every time the young soldiers emerged from the water in that half-remembered repeated sequence, I was trying to peek around the bend-to discover the heart of the film, the heart of darkness. That’s how this film ultimately works. By placing us in the shoes of the director-protagonist who seems to have lost all his wartime memories, we begin as he does, only slightly curious. But as that curiosity begins to nag, then to bleat like a lamb at the slaughter, we want to draw back the curtain and find the source of the noise as much as he does. As with most of the movies here in my top ten, I can’t wait to see this one again. Waltz with Bashir is the most unique and outstanding experience I think you can have at the movies in 2008.
Other Notables:
Be Kind Rewind - Michel Gondry directs Jack Black and Mos Def, but it’s not a music video! While it’s not really laugh out loud, Be Kind Rewind will make you smile, and because this isn’t some gritty crime drama, the stupidity the main characters exhibit won’t leave your hands full of your own hair clumps. Quirky and fun. Enjoy with friends, on ice.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Fascinating in a way, but ultimately there was no emotional hook. People compare it to Forrest Gump because both films feature a “different” sort of character that just gets carried along by circumstance with almost no initiative of his own. However, Gump at least was very enthusiastic and compelling as a storyteller-many of the most famous quotes from that film come from the bench in Savannah. Button didn’t even have that going for him.
Doubt - Filled with many more funny lines than you would expect in a film about a priest being accused of molesting boys. The acting should blow you away. I also liked that the annoying subtlety of the conversations fit the period.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall - I didn’t find this nearly as funny or spectacularly unpredictable as The Forty-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, or Superbad. I don’t think I really found Jason Segel’s weeping and sulking very believable or empathetic. Maybe I was just jealous though, because I think this movie did cause me to fall in love with Mila Kunis. Sorry, Kiera, it’s just those…eyes…
Frost/Nixon - Ron Howard does pretty well sometimes, and here he and his cast/crew seem to be having enough fun. Still, it just glided along without anything inspired from the director’s chair, like all his films, until it wound down and quit. Definitely shouldn’t have been nominated for best picture. Enjoyable enough to catch on HBO though.
Frozen River - Enlightening, though completely depressing. A woman bends the rules a bit to try to afford a new trailer home. Great performances.
Gran Torino - Awesomely entertaining if you want to see a grizzled old Clint Eastwood spout racisms and threaten all his neighbors with a gun.
Happy-Go-Lucky - I like what the film did toward the end, and though I haven’t been there, I feel it really captured a slice-of-life in London. While I was entertained by her on film, I don’t think I could take very much of Sally Hawkin’s Poppy in real life. Small doses. Be warned.
Hellboy II: The Golden Army - I really like Guillermo del Toro. This movie was a fun romp, though not particularly strong beginning act 3. Recommend if you like action, comics, fantasy, Ron Pearlman, or any combination of the above. I can’t smile without you, can’t smile without you…
Hunger - Very good film about an Irish prison hunger strike. The story and the stakes were a little thin for me though, as I had virtually no historical knowledge of the situation, and you certainly won’t get that here.
Iron Man - a comic book film with a spectacular sense of humor. Plus Robert Downy Jr. is so charismatic I could probably watch him eat spaghetti for two hours. Big on character and comedy, a bit slim on action in the middle, though I didn’t mind at all. I did feel that the final action sequence could have used some better direction though.
Let the Right One In - Swedish movie about a kid and his vampire friend. Very interesting, and a consideration for my top ten.
Man on Wire - I really liked this endearing look at a man with some of the biggest balls you’ll ever see. Somehow it builds tension over probably the most daring illegal tightrope walk ever performed even though you know the walker, Philippe Petit, survives because he’s being interviewed from the very beginning. Really though, this film is more about the preparation and the execution than anything, and in that it does not disappoint.
Miracle at St. Anna - Not quite sure what to make of this film. It wants to be a magical realism piece set in an African-American unit in WWII, but I wasn’t particularly satisfied or impressed by the ending. Also, why is it that so few movies feature well-directed action? It looks like Spike Lee just threw money at the action scenes and then set up cameras like CCTV. If only Spielberg could remember how to make his movies interesting again…
My Winnipeg - What a unique movie! Any film nut should not miss this one, though it just missed my top ten. Part documentary, part reimagining, it languidly clods along through a black and white Winnipeg to the repeating narration of director Guy Madden as he tries to escape his home town while simultaneously exploring his own past there. Sorry, I really can’t describe it any better. Hints of Last Year at Marienbad in the narrative style.
Quantum of Solace - How unsatisfactory. Of course, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that this latest Bond is not as good as 2006’s Casino Royale. How could it have been? Well, they could have gotten a better director for the action scenes for starters. Too big, too chopped up, and too miraculous they all were. I’m still trying to work out what happened at the end of that boat chase. Still, there were some nice moments and any Bond fan shouldn’t miss it.
The Reader - I like how it doesn’t hammer you with the creepiness of the initial love affair. I also like the big decision that comes into play for the main character. Well played by all involved.
Role Models - One of the funniest of the comedies I saw this year, surprisingly. It holds well against the bigger releases like Tropic Thunder or Pineapple Express. I enjoyed it quite a bit more than I did David Wain’s cult hit Wet Hot American Summer.
Wall-E - I know it made a lot of critics’ top tens or even number ones, and I really enjoyed the hell out of Wall-E, but looking back, I found it pretty, but not enlightening, and the message a bit heavy from the onset. But the journey was really fun, and Wall-E sparkles like the baby Johnny Five he is.
Zach and Miri Make a Porno - Easily the best Kevin Smith movie since Dogma, though I realize that isn’t saying a lot. Not as packed with laughs for me as some of Apatow and Co.’s recent hits, but well worth the rental or an evening. Beware of using it as a date film though, unless your date is turned on by hilarious (and a bit of gross).
The Five Worst:
Amazingly, I could only find five really bad ones that I saw this year. Yippee! Sort of.
Bangkok Dangerous - Nicolas Cage is making a habit of showing up on this list. What a crap film, though I probably should have known before going in with this one. Lazy and predictable, at least it looks cool and some of the assassinations are cool. But seriously, what’s up with the blind pharmacy girl romance? I think the director was trying a little too hard to be John Woo.
The Dark Knight - Gasp! You may hate me, but watch it again. This movie uses probably the sloppiest script I have ever seen in a comic book film. Sure the acting is nice, and the movie looks cool and sounds cool, but there is nothing to it. It’s a complete mess, and worse, its 100% predictable. There is not one surprise or twist here I didn’t see way in advance. What’s the point? It seems to be trying to say something about how easy it is to lose your way and turn to evil. It also introduces the problematic ends-justify-the-means philosophy, though Morgan Freeman vows to use his privacy-invading technology just this once…it’s all so…unoriginal. Perhaps that’s its worst sin. It’s just flat-out boring for most of its 152 minutes. If I can ever muster the will to check it out again, I’ll give it another shot, but I challenge anyone who disagrees with me to do the same. It’s really hard to find anything in here that is interesting or compelling, let alone original. I even knew exactly where they were going with Harvey Dent in the hospital, though I hadn’t known his identity before I sat down to watch this film, and thought at the time they were just setting it up for a sequel, where it belonged. As it was, I found it really, really hard to swallow his dramatic and irrational character change. I wish I had taken notes because last summer is a little hazy now, but suffice it to say this is also my most disappointing film of 2008.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdome of the Crystal Skull - Wow, was I disheartened. My worst fears were realized. After years of speculation and rejected scripts, I was hoping at least Spielberg and Ford hadn’t lost their minds (there’s no hope for Lucas). Yuck, yuck, yuck. I hated this movie from the retarded opening where Indiana Jones gets into a refrigerator to escape a nuclear blast, is sent flying by an ATOMIC BOMB for what looks like at least a mile at incredible speed, and stumbles out of the fridge when it lands and just walks away. What’s with his sudden superhero abilities? Granted, he was always a spectacularly lucky individual, but he used to look like he was at least in pain when he got hit. Nevermind all the horribly predictable parts and the horribly unforeseeable parts, the utterly stupid vine-swinging, sword-fighting jungle chase or the idiotic quicksand scene…ugh I could go on and on. The one sequence this movie got right makes it all the more frustrating because it stands out like a diamond in a turd: the motorcycle chase toward the beginning where Indiana and his son have to avoid some Russians in small-town America. It’s a nice chase with a perfect, funny ending. Too bad nothing else in this movie was good.
Rambo - I am all for ridiculous and stupid action, but the main action scene in this very short movie features Rambo behind a stationary (large) gun mowing people down like rice stalks. That’s it. No running around, no buildup of action or chase sequence or setting of traps, just a lot of limbs flying around. I give Stallone props for not shying from the gore, but I have to say I was hoping for a lot better action.
W. - Again, should have known it would be bad. The acting is actually pretty good, but the point of the movie was to explain why we went to Iraq by showing that W. wanted revenge for his father because he thought it would earn his respect. It takes a rather complicated situation and boils it down to the most predictable explanation you might think of. He’s well-liked in fraternities because he can drink a lot and remember everyone’s name. He pressures Tony Blaire into war by saying that America’s going to go with or without him. He runs for Governor because his dad lost the presidency. Maybe some of these things are true, and I certainly have no love for probably one of our worst presidents, but I just don’t think you can boil a man’s life down to a series of simple explanations for each one of his traits and decisions. That is an artistic sin. Besides, because it offers no unique insights, and everyone is already rather familiar with the main events in W’s life, there’s no reason for this film.
There you have it. Happy filmgoing in 2009*! See you next year.
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