I could’ve given you my picks for the best movies of 2008 earlier, but I wanted to wait until last year’s Academy Award winner for Best Picture, “Slumdog Millionaire”, was out on DVD to coincide with this much-anticipated (by no one) occasion.Ok, even I don’t believe that one for a second.
The truth is that I’m a slacker of the highest nature, and I just never got around to doing this earlier. So now, four months late and with almost a third of 2009 movies in the books, I give you a fond, spectacularly-late look back at the year that was.
I “only” saw 28 movies last year (this economy, you know) so I apologize for the great movies (I REALLY regret “The Wrestler”) I didn’t get around to seeing. Before we get to the top 10, let’s give out some preliminary awards.
WORST MOVIE OF THE YEAR
The Happening: Yes, trash like “Meet the Spartans” and “The Hottie and the Nottie” were probably worse movies, but I have to give “The Happening” this (dis)honor simply because no one as talented as M. Night Shyamalan should EVER make a movie this bad. (On the bright side, this also doubles as the fourth funniest movie of the year.)
BEST MOVIE I’LL NEVER WATCH AGAIN
Funny Games U.S.: This story about two preppy home invaders who terrorize a couple has great performances by Naomi Watts and Michael Pitt. Just a very well done but thoroughly unpleasant (on purpose) film and commentary on violence in movies that I don’t believe I’ll ever watch again.
WORST MISSED OPPORTUNITY
Hancock: A down on his luck superhero is a GREAT idea for a movie, so why’d we get such a bipolar, generic, joyless action flick?
BEST MISSED OPPORTUNITY
The Strangers: The fact that the killers in this movie have absolutely no motive beyond “you were home” is fantastically chilling. However, it turns out that stretching out the 15-minute opening sequence from “Scream” to feature length isn’t the best idea.
MOST DISAPPOINTING
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: It’s not so much that it’s a BAD movie. It’s more that it just leaves you asking, “Why?” (Runner up: Quantum of Solace)
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Tropic Thunder: Director/star Ben Stiller throws a lot of comedic fodder against the wall in his satire of self-important Hollywood actors and filmmakers. Fortunately, most of it sticks. Features a great, hilarious performance by Robert Downey Jr. Also, kudos to Stiller for making a lot of people kinda like Tom Cruise again.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Everyone agrees that it’s an impressive movie, but, unlike a lot of people, I actually LIKED it too. Just not quite enough to put it in the top 10.
Rachel Getting Married: Anne Hathaway got most of the attention, but Rosemarie DeWitt and Bill Irwin also did excellent work in this touching, funny, but occasionally indulgent ensemble drama from Jonathan Demme.
THE TOP 10
10. Vicky Cristina Barcelona: I’m a Woody Allen fan and the deliberate pace of his dramedies are basically a throwback. This one starts off a bit slow, but heats WAY up when Penelope Cruz (in the best performance by a female last year) appears and walks away with the movie.
9. Doubt: Four great performances from four great actors (Meryl Streep, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Viola Davis) help overcome overdone and unimaginative direction from John Patrick Shanley in this adaptation of Shanley’s own terrific play.
8. Iron Man: Simply put, one of the most fun movies of the year thanks largely to Robert Downey Jr. giving one of the most appealing and charismatic performances of 2008. The rest of the movie hustles to keep up to Downey’s standard and almost gets there. Proof that big action movies don’t have to be idiotic.
7. Revolutionary Road: Great lead performances by Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet (as well as a great Oscar-nominated supporting turn by Michael Shannon) in this depressing but exhilarating movie about a crumbling marriage. You’ll probably relate more than you want to.
6. Forgetting Sarah Marshall: I thought it was the funniest movie of the year. A lot of the credit goes to star/writer Jason Segal for writing a painful, funny and romantic comedy with (relatively) well-rounded characters across the board.
5. Slumdog Millionaire: I liked it, and I totally get why people love it, (director Danny Boyle does a GREAT job and gets great performances from his mostly inexperienced cast) but I still think it was too predictable and too cute by half. Ok, not by half, by quarter.
4. The Dark Knight: The biggest movie of the year proved that people WILL flock to a dark, moody, intelligent big fat summer movie as long as it was done well. Heath Ledger’s now-legendary performance is obviously a highlight. I actually think it overshadows the rest of the movie in good ways (no one notices the lapses in logic or the fact that the Rachel character was a failure) and bad ways (the Two-Face subplot REALLY got short shrift).
3. Wall-E: Pixar did it again with this adorable, hilarious, smart gem of a movie. It was near the top of my Best Movie list for most of the year. It’s now number 3 because the second half of the movie takes a slight dip in quality from the perfect first half and because I thought these next two movies were a little better.
2. Frost/Nixon: Fantastic cinematic adaptation by Oscar nominee Ron Howard of what is, probably, a very stage-y stage show. There’s a 15% possibility that I REALLY liked this movie because I interview people for a living. However, there’s an 85% chance that I loved it because of the energetic direction and the great acting by Michael Sheen and Frank Langella (inspiring my go-to impersonation when I channel Langella channeling Nixon when he barks “I’m saying that when the president does it, then it’s NOT illegal.”)
1. Milk: Like “Frost/Nixon”, this movie is about a particular moment in American history, yet is perfectly relevant to today’s audiences. Director Gus Van Sant doesn’t necessarily tell the story of the life of Harvey Milk. Instead, he uses Milk’s story to show how, with a mix of determination, passion, charisma and hard work, people can change things for the better in this country. Fortunately, the movie is also told with fantastic style and features an incredible cast led by Oscar winner Sean Penn.
3 comments:
Milk: Meh, great message, not that great of a film.
Frost/Nixon: Great acting, ultimately pointless.
WALL-E: Excellent film, no dips in quality to be found, only CHANGES in scenery and storytelling methods. Both halves of WALL-E are equally valid, but the second half isn't "dark and edgy" enough for some people, so they claim it isn't as good. I defy anyone to tell me the Define Dancing scene isn't the best in the film, and guess which half that is in?
Midgard-
First of all, thanks for reading and responding.
If you want to say Wall-E is the best movie of the year you'll get little argument from me. I was one of the people who ABSOLUTELY believed it should've been up for Best Picture. It's incredible and you're absolutely right that the "Define Dancing" scene is just beautiful.
That being said, I still stand by my statement that the first half of the movie is ever so slightly stronger than the second. I'd say the first half is almost unlike anything we've seen in the movies in DECADES (since it's practically a silent movie).
Meanwhile the second half, while it contains terrific action, wit and satire, is just not as wholly original the first half. It's not that it wasn't "dark and edgy" enough, it's more the whole "we're all becoming dumb, fat slobs" angle is something we've seen a lot of recently (from "The Simpsons" and "Futurama" to stuff like "Idiocracy", etc.). It's done VERY well here, but it's still just not as original or thrilling (for me) as the first half.
In my case, the thrill comes, not from any "darkness" or "edginess", but from seeing something on screen we haven't really gotten to see since the heyday of Stanley Kubrick or Terrence Malick. (30 years.) In this age of countless sequels and remakes no one asked for, it's kind of a privilege to see something completely different on screen.
I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on "Frost/Nixon" (far from pointless in my opinion) and "Milk" (I was actually a little surprised by how well made and entertaining it was since I'd assumed it was just a "message" movie). Still, I can certainly understand the gripes people like yourself have with those two movies. (Though I don't understand the need to dis other movies to pump up a favorite.)
Anyway, this the reason why I posted my list (even spectacularly late): because I love talking about great movies.
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