The Top 10 Films of 2008

No, that title is no typo. Since I still do not have ten films to make a "Top 10 Films of 2009" list just yet (let's face it, '09 has not been a good year for movies), here is my list for the Top 10 of 2008. I know I should have put up this list about twelve months ago, but hey, better late than never.


10. Happy-Go-Lucky

Sally Hawkins' performance is, for my money, the best of 2008 for an actress. To make a character like cheerful, optimistic, playful Poppy believable is a success, and requires far more than just a smile. Happy-Go-Lucky reminds me of a friend I have who exudes energetic positivity to the point where cynics think he is either naive or stupid. Such misjudgment is the core of the movie's conflict, and the misunderstanding Poppy has with her angry, pessimistic driving instructor is a heartbreaking yet brilliant one.


9. I've Loved You So Long

There's a scene in this movie where main character Juliette (played by the amazing Kristin Scott Thomas) is at a dinner party. By her silence and feigned smiles, she is clearly uncomfortable and would prefer to be anyplace else. The guests go around the table talking about themselves, and it eventually gets to Juliette's turn to say something. She hesitantly admits, "I was in prison for 15 years, for murder." They ask her who she murdered. She says, "my son." They all laugh hysterically, thinking it's a joke. Probably the most heartbreaking movie I've seen in 2008, but it is incredibly moving.


8. Revolutionary Road

As I watched this movie, I thought it sought to answer Langston Hughes' eternal question, "What happens to a dream deferred?" Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet co-star as wondrous newlyweds Frank and April Wheeler, who move onto Revolutionary Road with big dreams and adventures at their fingertips. As the years pass, Frank gets caught up in his job and April has more and more children. She watches in horror as she and Frank settle into a humdrum, stable, suburban life. I wish more people saw this movie. It just might inspire them to pursue more and think larger than they're accustomed to. I've always argued that there's more to life than just family and stability. This movie proves it. And for the record, Revolutionary Road is more striking and more resonant than Titanic will ever be.


7. My Winnipeg

2008's funniest movie is the brainchild of Guy Maddin, who I think is one of the boldest filmmakers around. I had no idea what to make of My Winnipeg when I first saw it, but I knew it was unlike anything else I'd seen that year. I imagine some people hated this film, since it has no structure or formula to it. It plays like a self-indulgent stream of consciousness, veering to wherever Maddin's mind wants it to go. But I never stop laughing or feeling sorry for him as he explains his troubled history with his hometown. For eighty minutes, Maddin makes Winnipeg seem like the most aggravatingly fascinating place in the world. I think that alone makes the movie an achievement.


6. Gomorrah

Finally, a mob movie that is neither outlandish nor contrived. Nothing is glorified here. Based on Roberto Saviano's book, the film gives the impression that it is just telling it like it is. The basic description of Gomorrah reads that it's a bleak glimpse at how omnipresent the modern-day Cammora is in Naples and Caserta. What an understatement. There are wannabe gangsters firing guns, family members double-crossing each other, children driving toxic waste trucks, seamstresses smuggling illegal immigrants, drugs being sold in broad daylight--all under a haunting veil of silence. The hush that looms over the movie is what makes it so fascinating. It allows us to absorb and observe the sad truth that all the violence and madness is normal; anything else would be taken out in a bulldozer.


5. Slumdog Millionaire

This feel-good movie of the year that proves that sometimes, a simple story told greatly isn't always a bad thing. There is nothing revolutionary about this film, but it has a ton of heart. I remember reading the script for Slumdog about a year before it was released. I thought it was a surefire winner, and I am thankful neither Spielberg nor Ron Howard got their middle-of-the-road hands on it. Director Danny Boyle gives the movie vibrancy and an inherent, rapid heartbeat that I never stopped feeling throughout the entire ride. Say what you want about its sweetness or basic plot, Slumdog is by large and far one of the best movies of '08.


4. Wall-E

Only an animated movie could get away with having its first 20 minutes comprised of purely visual storytelling without dialogue or voiceover. And it seems only the geniuses at Pixar could keep those 20 minutes completely engaging. Even my most cynical friends fell in love with Wall-E by the time he stares longingly at Hello, Dolly! I'm not a fan of movies that have a blatant "green" message (or any message), but Wall-E--who bears a striking resemblance to E.T.--disarms with his kindness and childlike curiosity. When he saves the Earth, we cheer. And when he "dances" with Eva, we smile. And maybe shed a tear (but not me).


3. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days

I saw this movie in January of 2008, and it has not escaped my mind since. On the surface, it is a very straightforward film, but it is really one of the most intense dramas I've ever seen. Regardless of your opinion on abortion, the movie will open your eyes to the dangerous sacrifices women in some European countries make because of it. Personally, I thought the film was also a study on friendship and the insane lengths people would go for a friend in urgent times. The ending in particular makes your heart race, and suddenly you realize the tragic reality (and absurdity) of the situation.


2. The Wrestler

Perhaps I am biased since I have been a pro wrestling fan my entire life, but this movie was incredible. Seeing Randy "The Ram" desperately struggle to reconnect with the world and maintain a normal life, I couldn't help but think of all the WWF/E wrestlers who sacrificed their health and their time with family in order to entertain. The film may not explore why one chooses to be a pro wrestler, but it does offer insight as to why they stick with it long past their prime. I'd like to think not all wrestlers have to suffer the way Randy "The Ram" does. Mickey Rourke's performance was the best of '08 for an actor, and it shocked me that Springsteen's title song did not get nominated for an Oscar--there were virtually no other worthy contenders in either category.


1. The Dark Knight

Who cares if this is a "comic book movie"? Who cares that it was a summer blockbuster that shattered box office records? Who cares that it features a dark tone and showcases a hopeless world? This is unquestionably the best movie of 2008. It is unforgiving to its characters, and unrelenting in its approach. The writing managed to put me in a position where I had no idea what was coming next--and as a Batman fan, I couldn't have been prouder for it. Yes, Heath Ledger steals the show, but to steal the show from such a top-notch cast makes it even more of an incredible feat--and an even bigger a tragedy now that he's gone. Ultimately, what we have here is beyond a "comic book movie." This is an epic. It is now the standard by which all subsequent "comic book movies" will be judged, and I worry that they will never top it. No other film in 2008 did.


Runners-up: Frozen River, Let the Right One In, Iron Man, Milk, Rachel Getting Married, Doubt, Departures, Gran Torino, Waltz With Bashir

Horribly Overrated: Frost/Nixon, Benjamin Button, The Reader

Did Stephanie and Allen Read My Blog?

Probably not. But I was so happy to see their video on Funny or Die...

Here's to one of the biggest cinematic failures of 2009: