Top 10 Movies of 2008

As has become my custom, I have ranked the films from the previous year. It is my goal each year to have a credible top 10 completed by the end of March. This gives me plenty of time to view the late season releases either in the theatre or on DVD. I've seen 118 films with US theatrical releases dating from the calender year of 2008. While I still have 10 films, most notably, Waltz with Bashir, Ballast, Wendy and Lucy, and Elegy to view, I feel confident that I have seen enough of what the year had to offer to present my final top 10.

Before I get into the countdown, I'd like to give special mention to the following films; Appaloosa, The Changeling, Revolutionary Road, The Reader, Frost Nixon, Role Models, Iron Man, The Visitor, Mongol, Surfwise, and Cloverfield. I really enjoyed these movies and each was given serious consideration for the top 10.


10. Burn After Reading: The Cohen Brothers' brand of humor is not for everyone. However, if you happen to appreciate their particular style, you'll love this film. It's serious movie stars playing ridiculous comedic characters involved in a nonsensical plot with ultimately little meaning. This may not sound appealing, but it absolutely works. Malkovich, Pitt, Clooney, and McDormand excel in what I thought was one of the most under appreciated films of the year. Each one of them deserved Golden Globe nominations. If you've seen The Big Lebowski, you'll no doubt recognize the writing style that has made the Cohen brothers so respected.

9. Gran Torino: If this is indeed Clint Eastwood's final appearance on the silver screen, what a satisfying final act it was. This was an absolute showcase for a weakened, weathered Eastwood to deliver a vintage performance. The supporting cast were mostly amateurs and their lack of experience was glaring at times, but Eastwood controlled every aspect of the film and ultimately created an emotionally rewarding experience.

While some have claimed this role was nothing more than a geriatric Dirty Harry, I found the type of depth in his performance that can only come with age and experience, both good and bad. Gran Torino was a mainstream crowd pleaser with a pseudo Hollywood happy ending. Without spoiling the climax, let's just say that the film ends the only way the final act in a Clint Eastwood saga could.

8. Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Of all the films I saw this year, none caused me more deliberation and contemplation than Ben Button. Part of me loved the film while another part of me was left so unsatisfied, that I almost felt duped by this dazzling Hollywood production.

Make no mistake about it, this movie is the epitome of a Hollywood film. Big stars, tangled in a larger than life story being played out in spectacular scenes. The film is truly a marvel from every technical aspect. The visuals, including the actors themselves, are stunning. The sets, camera work, and effects were the best of the year. At times, the movie was truly mesmerizing.

That being said, after the nearly three hour run time, there actually seemed to be something missing. Despite the brilliant story telling, beautiful visuals, and two of the best leads in the biz, the film somehow seemed hollow.

Obvious comparisons have been made between Ben Button and Forrest Gump. While it's true, there are several unmistakable similarities, Button fails to strike the same emotion cord that Gump did. While you can argue the merits of Gump as a film, no one can argue the emotional and inspirational impact it had during the year of 1994 and even today. Somehow, despite the earnest efforts of all involved to convince us that Ben Button is an epic love story, we as an audience never really make a connection with either protagonist and therefore fail to invest emotionally in their lives.

Despite the surprising lack of chemistry between Pitt and Blanchett and the subsequent lack of passion that it inspires in it's audience, Ben Button still stands as a must see. It has all of grandeur of the classic epic romance and is greatly enhanced by some truly magic technical accomplishments.

7. Doubt: Doubt is an adaptation of a stage play that keeps very close to its origins. There are very few characters and even fewer sets. The story relies entirely on the performance of it's four stars (Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Viola Davis) and the ever present title that permeates the entire story. There is no mystery where the story is headed. In fact, the trailer sets the scene almost entirely. The intrigue lies in the unanswered question. The question that thankfully remains unanswered.

I've stated many times that I found this to be an incredibly strong year for lead performances, both by actors and actresses. In no other film is that more apparent than Doubt. All four crucial characters justly earned Oscar nominations. This film is cast perfectly. It's difficult to picture anyone else as successful as Adams, Streep, or Hoffman in their respective roles. The casting of little known Viola Davis turned out to be one of the year's great surprises.
Like a stage play, doubt relies on the actors, themselves to carry the film. The dialogue is tight, tense, and often explosive. There is little time to let your guard down. Streep dominates the screen like few others ever have. Had it not been for Kate Winslet winning the sympathy vote, Meryl may have very well taken home another Oscar.

6. The Dark Knight: 2008's most significant contribution to film may be the re-invention of the comic book movie. Along with Iron Man, The Dark Knight dominated the box office and drastically stretched the boundaries of what a super hero movie can be. The Dark Knight proved to be an intense, beautifully filmed crime drama that actually featured superior acting.

While still providing the typical comic visual flair, the Dark Knight featured one of the most haunting on screen villains of all time. Heath Ledger's Joker, partly due to his death, takes its place along characters like Hannibal Lector as one of the truly giant villainous performances.

The great thing about The Dark Knight is that it provided real drama outside of explosions and saving the girl and / 0r the world. At it's core is a dark, gritty crime drama that is only enhanced by the gadgets and pageantry of the Batman character.

5. In Bruges: Oh, how I wish more people had seen this film. Rarely has a movie been able to balance tragedy and heartbreak with cutting clever humor as well as In Bruges. I was so happy to see both Colin Ferrell and Brendan Gleeson earn Golden Globe nomination for this little Irish film. Ralph Fiennes was quite deserving in a supporting role as well.

Hit men have somehow become favorites in the world of dark comedy. No other film in the genre to my recollection has produced a better balance of action, drama, and comedy. I hesitate to call this the funniest movie of the year because it's a bit misleading in regards to the plot. There is some genuine heartache and this film. However, no film in the last several years has made me laugh out loud quite like this one.

The teeter totter between comedy and drama required a great deal of depth and range from Ferrell and Gleeson. Both handled it wonderfully. If you can get by the heavy accents and incredibly obscene language (which is half the fun), you'll find an incredible film that's as entertaining as anything I saw all year.

4. Slumdog Millionaire: A foreign film laced with family tragedy and brutal child abuse doesn't normally garner mainstream appeal. Breaking cultural boundaries to win the hearts of it's audience was one of many challenges the makers of Slumdog faced. The movie was nearly sent straight to DVD or possibly dumped altogether by Warner Bros. before being rescued by Fox Searchlight.

Despite moments of brutality, this film is really uplifting. It's a film about perseverance and love. In what can only be described as a fairy tale, the young leads form a bond during early childhood in the slums of Mumbai only to be separated by the harsh world that they were raised in. Their eventual reunion is both tear jerking and joyous.

Though Slumdog wasn't the best film of the year, it was the one film that nobody disliked. Earning a best picture Oscar, it cemented itself as one of the great underdog stories of all time.


3. Man on Wire: I have never been so mesmerized by a documentary. The premise itself is incredible. The idea of tight rope walking between the world trade center towers is mind boggling. Even more impactful was the fact that through pictures and endless spools of home movies, we actually get to see the performance first hand.

When I hear stories of people doing miraculous stunts, I rarely think about the preparation leading up to the event. This film chronicles the countless hours of training as well several years worth of planning trips made to NYC from France. The suspense is built like any good thriller with the payoff being even better than imagined. Despite hearing commentary from Petitte himself, I was still on the edge of my seat expecting the worst.

I found the aftermath of the event to be the most poignant part of the film. The way the "mission" affected and changed the people involved was astounding. The engineers of this stunt were closely bonded and the emotion of the journey was overwhelming for some even to this day. It's also impossible to watch the film without considering the events of September 11th. Seeing the magnificent towers from their genesis added a layer of complexity to entire experience.

2. The Wrestler: What made this film so special was Mickey Rourke's performance and the way it mirrored his life. Nobody could have played this part better. I'm not sure Mickey could do any other part better either. In Randy the Ram, we saw not only your typical sympathetic screen hero, but we also saw a broken man trying to hold on to what he loves by delivering the performance of his life. Mickey didn't win the Oscar for best actor. It was an exceedingly good year for male lead performances. However, he still delivered one of the most potent, organic performances of all time. Mickey's performance was accented and even enhanced by Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood. Both of whom are startling in their heartbreak.

Nothing about this film felt Hollywood. It was only fitting that even in a comeback story, the Hollywood ending that we craved was not delivered. While the movie of course ended, no real conclusion was ever reached. Perhaps this was a choice of director, Darren Aaronofsky, not because of the possibility of sequel, but because he recognized the parallels between Randy and Mickey. Mickey's story is still very much open ended. I suspect the fate of both the character and the man are one and the same.

1. Rachel Getting Married: It's tough to describe what makes this film so special so we'll start with the obvious. The acting, by the entire cast is superb. Anne Hathaway delivers a performance that warranted serious Oscar consideration. I'm still not sure whether I would have given her or Meryl the nod for best Actress, but the fact that I'm even questioning who was better says enough about Anne. The supporting cast was magnificent as well. Rosemarie Dewitt stole my heart with her soft smile that masked the cyclone of emotions she was feeling. Debra Winger commanded every scene she was in with incredible strength and dignity.

Jonathan Demme's direction is so fluid it truly feels like you're viewing the most spectacular multi-cultural wedding party ever given. There is so much pain in the movie that only a party full of love and joy could balance the emotions. There are truly equal parts of both.

It was the second time seeing the film, that the power and emotion of the story really hit me. I focused on the anguish on the faces of each character. It feels so intimate. It's like hovering in your neighbor's house as they experience both tragedy and triumph. It's voyeuristic and gut wrenching all at the same time. It's a draining experience at times, but emotionally buoyant at others.