Top 10 of 2008

Full review: www.listal.com/viewentry/644107

Don’t let the title fool you. There’s nothing funny about Funny Games (well, there are some lines I consider sadistically amusing, but…). Here’s a film that is more likely to be on critics’ bottom 10 list than their top 10 list. It’s a “love it or hate it” film, but I suspect most will hate it. This is a diabolically sinister motion picture, and at the same time, it is a razor-sharp criticism of the movie-going audience’s obsession with violence, and it’s an accurate criticism, as there’s no doubt that people are attracted to mindless horror movies that feature nothing but blood and guts. Many will leave Funny Games dissatisfied because it refuses to show any on-screen violence, and that’s exactly the point. Yet in spite of not blatantly displaying any violence, it is an immensely disturbing motion picture, brilliantly executed by the wonderful French director Michael Haneke and flawlessly acted, in particular by Naomi Watts and Michael Pitt. I can’t recommend it to many people, but not including it on this list would’ve been like lying to myself, because there’s no doubt that it’s one of the most insightful and uncompromising films of the year.

Full review: www.listal.com/viewentry/642405

This is a truly powerful exploration of the illegal immigration issue, and at the same time, it is an astounding character study, all thanks to Richard Jenkins’ superb performance. Rarely is an actor so successful at just acting like a normal person: Jenkins gets every facial expression right, and though his Walter doesn’t even say much, we can always tell what is going on with our protagonist (particularly when he gets into so many awkward situations in which he’s forced to tell white lies), which is why that scene at the restaurant when he finally is able to be honest with himself is so great. As I said in my review, there’s not a single moment of falsity in the entire film; everything rings true.

Full review: www.listal.com/viewentry/643350

Sam Mendes’ fierce examination of suburban/married hell is blessed with one of the best scripts of the year and with a score that constantly matches the emotional tone of every scene in the film. Here’s a film in which the lead characters’ demons and nasty sides are exposed in a full-fledged manner, yet rather than feeling disgust, we feel for them so strongly, perhaps because we know exactly the kind of pain they’re going through, or perhaps because the actors convey it so perfectly. Kate Winslet misses a few notes in early scenes, but Leonardo DiCaprio is pitch-perfect, bringing an emotional power to his last few scenes in the film that is almost too much to take. The fact that it’s set half a century ago yet manages to be entirely relevant to the present time is a great credit to this timeless, intensely dark story.

Full review: www.listal.com/viewentry/642461

Seems strange that the last three entries on this list are serious dramas and that I'm placing a "dumb comedy" above them, doesn’t it? It might even seem wrong to place this above Revolutionary Road on the list: a dumb stoner comedy better than a serious relationship drama? First of all, though, you can’t really compare the two films because the ground they cover couldn’t be more different. I’m judging Revolutionary Road as a drama and Pineapple Express as a comedy, and both in the context of 2008, and this is just how it is. Pineapple Express was the best comedy of the year. The script is incredibly savvy, and the film is carried by James Franco’s laugh-riot of a turn as drug dealer Saul. The comedy is perfectly balanced with action sequences that are entertaining, yet never take themselves too seriously, which is the perfect decision for a film like this. With Superbad and now this, I can’t freaking wait for the next script collaboration between Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen. Those who thought Tropic Thunder was better can go smoke whatever crappy weed they’re on – I’ll stick with Pineapple Express. :) This film is the apogee of the stoner comedy.

It’s a shame that I never got a chance to write a formal, full-length review for this one. What a powerfully naturalistic drama this is. Melissa Leo is nothing short of amazing. This movie is extremely timely in that it deals with current hot-button issues such as the tightening of the economy and illegal immigration, and it does all of this in a non-urban setting with a limited number of characters. Frozen River is the best kind of combination of drama and thriller, with the latter part never feeling contrived or lacking authenticity. This is a truly hair-raising, gut-wrenching motion picture.

Full review: www.listal.com/viewentry/642398

A colossal triumph of animation. The folks at Pixar have managed to create a motion picture that works both as a super-cute, entertaining movie for kids and adults and as a piercing, cautionary tale. If that doesn’t sound like enough of a feat, they also created a supremely ravishing romance between… ROBOTS!!! How did they pull that off, with characters that would normally be drab and expressionless? The interactions between WALL-E and EVE are so heart-warming, it’s unfair. This is the best animated film since 2003’s Finding Nemo.

Full review: www.listal.com/viewentry/643328

I adore this film. I like it more and more every time I watch it. While it’s not Before Sunrise, it’s still blessed with an immense amount of quirkiness and conversational insight. This isn’t just a lovely exploration of a one-night tryst, but an incredibly wise and observant examination of how people relate to each other. Awkwardness is a huge part of life and of our interaction with those who surround it; films fail constantly at portraying that, which always pisses me off. Thank God for movies like In Search of a Midnight Kiss. This was Alex Holdridge’s directorial debut, and if this is the approach he’s going to follow, please let him make more.

Full review: www.listal.com/viewentry/642406

This was probably the toughest movie for me to watch in 2008. Its power is uncanny. Boy A is one of the most masterfully-made, morally complex films I’ve seen in a long time. It is a perfect depiction of the enormously tough path one needs to tread to achieve redemption for a horrible deed, if it’s even possible to achieve it. Andrew Garfield is tremendously great as the protagonist. The editing is handled flawlessly, as the film gradually reveals past events, until it coalesces a pivotal moment of the past with the tensest moment in the present. Every single scene in Boy A is perfectly executed and performed, and the film carries a massive emotional weight.

Full review: www.listal.com/viewentry/643339

An extraordinary miracle of both storytelling and cinematography, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button should technically be #1 on this list, because of the fact that it is, without a doubt, the best-made picture of 2008. Here’s a film with a plot that greatly balances good humor with emotional insight. You know when you’ve thought about something deep a lot, yet you haven’t shared the thought with anyone, and then suddenly, you hear someone bring it up, and you’re like “YES! I’ve thought about that, too.” That’s precisely what happened to me with this movie. The observations made here about life and the world resonated with me so much. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a beautiful ode to life, and it’s a visually majestic, richly enthralling work of art.

Full review: www.listal.com/viewentry/643330

Gus Van Sant’s triumph is the 2008 film that most captivated me. Sean Penn literally transformed himself into this political figure, and gives one of the most stunning performances of this decade. What has been achieved with Milk is a monumentally amazing marriage between a fully accurate depiction of the toilsome journey to be elected to political office and delightfully sweet-natured drama that encapsulates the persona of this icon. Thanks to Van Sant and Penn, Harvey Milk and his great influence will now hopefully be known and felt by a lot more people out there. In what was such a rough political year, Harvey Milk’s message of hope is precisely the catalyst that we want to see propel us into a better future, and that is why Milk is not only extremely timely, but it is also a film of massive social significance.