Movies 2008 (finally)
2008 had some great cinema, but what it lacked was that one film that I connected with so completely that I can’t wait to put it at number 1 on my list so I can say to everyone – this was my favorite film this year, go see it (previous years toppers, like “Half Nelson” and “The Incredibles” still resonate). I liked a lot of movies this past year. I just didn’t really love any. As such, I’m not going to rank my list this year, I’m just going to give an alphabetical 10.
I’m also fairly ambivalent to the big epic movies that are getting critics hot and bothered. Slumdog Millionaire was okay, expertly crafted of course, but in the end a little too slight for me. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button I found phenomenal in points, and tedious in others.
But while we’re on the subject:
Honorable mention: Cate Blanchett, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The movie underwhelmed but Blanchett was revelatory, and for someone who is so consistently excellent it’s a boon to be yet again surprised at how wonderful she is. It’s a shame that she got hosed across the board for this performance which is surely better than some of her previously nominated work (think specifically of “Elizabeth II”).
Ballast – A quiet little movie about a family that comes together in the wake of the suicide of the man that connected them all. Even though it made me nauseous to watch because of that shaky, indie camera, it was still one of the most compelling, engaging cast of characters in any film this year.
Boy A – Rarely does a movie actually change the way I feel about an issue. Loosely mirroring a similar case in the UK, Boy A is the story of a young man, in his early twenties, fresh out of prison for a murder he committed when he was a youngster. How do you punish someone that young for a crime they probably don’t fully comprehend? How much rehabilitation and reentry into the real world should society at large shoulder the burden for? Is there a separation between a monster and a monstrous act? Boy A tackles all these questions, and doesn’t shy away from the complexity of the issue or the ramifications for everyone involved. Fascinating, with a great central performance from Andrew Garfield.
The Dark Knight – I feel like everything has been said about this. I wrote a review back in July if you want to know my thoughts.
Let the Right One In – A Swedish vampire flick. Really, do you need to know any more than that? Okay, well it features the most stunning cinematic scene I’ve seen all year. That would be the climactic scene in the pool, but I can’t say more than that.
Rachel Getting Married – It’s a lot less like a movie and a lot more like you’re spying on someone’s family drama mid-meltdown. Anne Hathaway shifted out of least favorite actresses category with this performance, but the MVP is the titular character played by the charming and acutely natural Rosemarie DeWitt. The film can be messy, both in plot, character development and execution, but is still a wedding worth crashing.
Speed Racer – Here comes my pretentious attitude but for the first time in a long time I feel like the critics didn’t really get it. I was never a fan of the show, I can’t stand the Matrix movies, but yet I loved the holy mess out of this movie. Again, I extol at length about the film’s virtues in a prior entry.
Synechdoche, NY – Sometimes even when I don’t quite get everything about a movie, it still works for me. “I’m Not There” was that movie last year. This year it’s Charlie Kaufman’s “Synechdoche, NY.” I knew when a realtor was trying to sell someone a burning house that this wasn’t going to follow any normal filmmaking standards. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Samantha Morton, Catherine Keener, Emily Watson, Dianne Wiest, Michelle Williams, Hope Davis, and a slew of others offer a dissertation on life, love, death, language, poop, hope and fear.
Wall-E – Pixar has rarely let me down (give or take a “Monsters, Inc”), but I haven’t been this blown away by one of their offerings since “The Incredibles.” The animation is meticulous. The bleak outlook on humanity is actually tempered in wondrous hope. And the courtship of Wall-E and Eve is more romantic and sweet than ten movies about crazy brides put together.
Waltz with Bashir – This amalgamation of documentary and animation (in a foreign language mind you) is one of those rare movies that is crucial in execution that I can’t imagine any other way in which the movie could’ve been presented. The final sequence is staggering, but the visceral meditations on war, memory and imagination that lead up to it are just as provocative. It’s a movie that is still with me long after I left the theater.
The Wrestler – I honestly never thought I would not only enjoy a Mickey Rourke performance but would be in awe of it as well. It’s a dreary story, heartbreaking in all the right places. Marisa Tomei once again shows that she’s one of the most engaging actresses around.
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