I’ve done my best as an amateur film reviewer to go out of my way to see as many films as I could that were released this year, which is tough considering when I’m not in Ann Arbor doing the student thing, I’m in Muskegon where many of the end of the year awards films just don’t get released on time.
That said, this list was made without having seen some of the top contenders that seem to be on everyone’s lists. Either they’re completely full of shit, or I’m missing out. Either way, I haven’t seen The Wrestler, Milk, Frost/Nixon, Revolutionary Road, The Reader, Doubt, and Gran Torino. Hmm.. I guess I’m alright with the fact that I didn’t spend 60 bucks and three-quarters of a day watching all of them, but writing them all out does make me feel less cultured than I think I am. They all look great, but I sadly probably won’t get to see them for awhile.
Anyway, of the films I’ve seen this year and can remember, here’s my Top 10.
1. Wall-E
I’ve waxed poetic about Wall-E before, and my thoughts haven’t changed. This film is iconic. Animation is taken to new heights here, and I don’t think we’ll see anything like this for awhile. At least, until the next Pixar film.
2. Slumdog Millionaire
Danny Boyle comes through again. His stylistically directed resume includes drug film Trainspotting, zombie flick 28 Days Later, and the dark sci-fi film Sunshine. Bouncing to yet another genre, Slumdog is set in India, where a young man who grew up on the dirty streets makes it to the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? and is one question away from the top prize when he is arrested on suspicion of cheating. As he is interrogated, we learn how he knows the answers – he just lived his life.
Watching, I didn’t know if it really happened. I just remember thinking that even if it wasn’t true, nothing could take away from the inspiration that this film provides. I guarantee that when the credits roll, you’ll have a smile on your face.
3. The Dark Knight
Again, I’ve talked about this film alot. The plot and acting raise the bar for comic book films, and provide yet another blueprint for crime epics that I’m sure will be copied many times in the years to come. Its unneccesary length aside, this film is what 2008 will be remembered for.
4. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Underrated and forgotten by most, this is the funniest film of 2008 by far. There were many top tier comedies to come out this year, including Pineapple Express, Tropic Thunder, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, Step Brothers, and Role Models, but this surpasses them all. Hilariously obscene, this film moves into line with Superbad as a film that also has a heart through the jokes. These are characters you really love. Not only that, but its quotability is amazing. “I just went from six to midnight,” is something I’ll be saying for a long time.
5. Iron Man
Robert Downey Jr. is back, and he’s my favorite actor working in Hollywood today. I’ve tried to see pretty much everything he’s been in the last few years, including pretty small time things like A Scanner Darkly and Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang along with blockbusters like Tropic Thunder and Iron Man. He makes this film what it is, which is a fun superhero movie with the best kind of character – men want to be him, women want to be with him. Downey takes his signature sarcasm and makes Tony Stark his own. Great effects and a great supporting cast in Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Terrance Howard. I’m looking forward to the sequel with director Jon Favreau on board as well as the future Avengers movie. Just give me more Downey!
6. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
This film is good, but definitely not as great as you might be led to believe. The cast is superb, as are the age effects. This film should win the Best Effects Oscar, and rightly so. However, the story comes off as something artsy and with a grandiose message, but I feel that Brad Pitt’s character isn’t living his life – he’s just experiencing things as they pass him by. I also don’t like that we don’t get to see the most crucial time in the character’s life – when the old man is trapped in a boy’s body. By the time we see him, he is a young boy with a mind gripped by dementia. We are left to imagine how he suffered as a 65 year old man in a 10 year old body. This shortcomings aside though, this sad film shouldn’t be missed.
7. Let the Right One In
In a year where Twilight was the vampire film on everyone’s lips, Let the Right One In was the vampire film people should’ve been seeing. In the independent Swedish film, a 12 year old boy who is bullied at school meets and befriends a new girl in his apartment building that is suffering with living as a vampire. It’s a dark film, but not horror in the literal sense. There’s tense scenes, but the film delves more into the true classical mythology of vampires set in the modern day. As much as I disapprove of 12 year old love, the love story is bittersweet. Seeing these characters change before your eyes is what makes this film what it is.
8. Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Kevin Smith’s newest film is another comedy in which heart is as important as vulgarity to the story. And trust me, there is enough vulgarity to go around in this film. As unrealistic as it is to have a guy and girl living together as just friends who decide that in order to make money, they must make pornographic film, and then after making the film realize that they truly love each other, this film is one of Kevin Smith’s best. Funny characters and witty writing make this entertaining albeit forgotten film worthy of a Top 10 spot.
9. Cloverfield
Following one of the most mysterious ad campaigns of 2007, ‘1-18-08′ or Cloverfield redefines the monster disaster film. Taking cues from Godzilla in which a huge monster destroys New York, this film featured no A-list (or even C-list) actors. Instead, the film was shot completely on handheld cameras from the perspective of the characters. A surprisingly deep story coupled with dark realism and images evoking September 11th, this film was effective in striking a chord in whoever watched. This film came out nearly a year ago, but it deserves to be remembered as 2008’s most daring film.
10. Eagle Eye
I like Shia Labeouf. He’s a funny guy, and he’s got a screen presence. I don’t know how long he’ll be able to work as an actor because I don’t see his appeal once he stops looking like he’s about 20 years old. However, Eagle Eye is exactly why he’s the hottest name in blockbusters today. The film is the latest lesson in how government surveillance and computer controlled weapons systems will one day rule us all, and with interesting writing and set pieces is worthy of the tenth spot on my 2008 list.
Worst Film of 2008 – The Happening
My brother wanted to see this, and being a good big brother I obliged. I figured that yeah, M. Night Shyamalan had had some misses as of late, but The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and Signs were pretty cool. Plus, it was rated R. This has to be great. No. No no no no. I think this is the worst movie I’ve ever gone to a theater to see. Writing, acting, plot – all horrendous. I couldn’t possibly write everything about this film that I hated. It all sort of just runs together and my mind can only do what Peter Griffin does when Buzz Killington comes around. Ahhhhh.
Well, after writing that out I definitely feel a lot worse for having not seen all of the movies I missed. Don’t get me wrong – these movies all deserve to be seen and remembered – but I definitely don’t think Eagle Eye would hold up against any of the movies I listed. Maybe if someone hired me to write reviews, I could dedicate more time to it. Ah well..
Here’s to 2009. Happy New Year.
5 Comments
March 30, 2009 at 6:07 pm
How could you forgot “There Will Be Blood”???
March 30, 2009 at 6:08 pm
Make that ‘forget’. Guess you get your writing skills from Dad! haha
March 30, 2009 at 6:11 pm
haha Technically that was a 2007 film. But we did see The Reader after I wrote this. I’d probably stick that on here somewhere
October 30, 2009 at 1:56 am
i have to disagree with you on “the happening”. it’s meant to be cheesey. you’re supposed to leave the theatre feeling rubbed the wrong way. that’s what makes the film. like hitchcock. nobody loved hitchcock because they actually believed that a thousand birds were going to descend from the sky and attack city dwellers. and even the dreamy cary grant wouldn’t get away with running all over mt. rushmore and surviving. nor is it plausible that a creepy young man dressed in his mother’s clothing and spied on girls in the shower (well, maybe that one is kind of plausible).
shyamalan’s movies are meant to be over-the-top. they’re sci-fi meets fairytale on a planar scale of flat-acting for good measure. i liked the happening because of the sheer ingenuity: let’s take something that is currently occurring in nature (unpredicted bee disappearance) and relate it to something sinister stemming from nature itself. i mean, come on! how creative do you have to be to come up with trees that give off a hormone signal for their number one enemies to KILL THEMSELVES!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCeyW9m0SXA&feature=player_embedded
totally plausible, yet just slightly outside the realm of reality with a hokey-ass soundtrack and shamefully excessive acting…hitchcock, anyone?
October 30, 2009 at 11:59 am
You almost convinced me. Haha very close. I only saw this movie once, and that’s what I based my analysis on. I thought back, and wondered if this is modern Hitchcock, who may be the master of suspense.
Don’t get me wrong. Sixth Sense and Unbreakable were great. Those, and Hitchcock’s films (except The Birds.. I watch that as a dark comedy) kept me on the edge of my seat.
Regardless of acting, yeah, the premise has promise. I was ready to check my mind at the door and just have fun. I was excited for this movie. But the execution completely blew it. THE WIND! IT KILLS! This sums up my opinion pretty succinctly http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8PxA6IVdYo
And then there’s this: Velcro armed guy feeds lions http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsrvdbr3YJ0
Nature making people kill themselves is a great concept. It just could’ve been done a whole lot less cheesy.