Five Favorites of 2008: Movies
Favorite part of December? Year-end lists. So much gets released in a given year, it’s hard to keep track – even for some anal-retentive bloggers (ahem) who obsessively scan their own Netflix history.
Of the hundreds of films released this year, I managed to catch 21 either in theaters or on DVD, give or take. Which is not that bad, really, considering I know people who are actually happy to catch one lone film a year in theaters.
Less impressive: I’ve managed to miss the vast majority of films that end up on the big top-ten lists, like, say, Roger Ebert or the Onion’s AV Club (and you should go read those, they’re both fantastic). Not because I don’t want to. It’s just hard to justify paying $10.50 to see, say, Frank Langella as Nixon, when it’ll be just as satisfactory on DVD.
So instead of boldly proclaiming which were The Best Movies of the year, I’ll mention my five favorites – not necessarily the greatest movies of 2008, but certainly five that make me smile just thinking of them – in no particular order (links go to my longer reviews).
1) Iron Man: Taking a bold stance and focusing on crafting interesting characters driven by good performances, “Iron Man” gave audiences Robert Downey, Jr. as a hard-living, self-absorbed billionaire weaponeer and made them love him. And it gave picky comics fans like me a superhero film that’s both modern and absolutely in tune with its roots, rather than going for retro style (like the “Spider-Man” series), painful earnestness (see: “Superman Returns”), or a complete lack of focus (“X-Men: The Last Stand”).
2) The Dark Knight: If “Iron Man” represented comics as rock-n-roll, “Dark Knight” is an opera – satisfactorily epic, thematically rich, and tragic as all hell. If the biggest criticisms are “Christian Bale’s Batman voice sounds like it hurts his throat” or “that ten-minute China sequence could’ve been cut,” then my response is: Look at what Heath Ledger got to do as The Joker. If you’ve seen it, can you ever hear the phrase, “Let me show you a magic trick” the same way again?
3) In Bruges: Finally undoing the damage Quentin Tarantino inadvertently did in the mid-90′s (and purposely strived for this decade), “In Bruges” represents the proper way to do a quick-witted, cleverly-dialogued movie about criminals when they’re not doing criminal stuff. Frequently hilarious with well-earned undercurrents of sadness and remorse, playwright Martin McDonagh uses staccato language and pretzel-twist plotting like no other first-time filmmaker. And you will actually believe that Colin Farrell is worth all the hype that was piled on him a few years back.
4) Doomsday: Your mileage may vary, but I found post-apocalyptic Scotland to be a hell of a good time. A knowing cassarole of “Mad Max,” “Escape from New York,” and “28 Days Later,” held together by Rhona Mitra’s unflappably Warren Ellis-esque protagonist. The last 20 minutes become the most bizarre Astin Martin commercial you will ever see. This is not a bad thing.
5) Wall-E: Not at all shocking that a Pixar movie would show up here, but the way the film manages to successfully sell the story of an adorable robot who just wants to hold his crush’s hand while also charting the course of a gluttonous human race that essentially pissed all over its home and genetics is particularly impressive. But I’m biased – I saw it with my 5-year-
old niece, who spoke in Wall-E tones (“Jefff-eeee” she called me) on the way home. That made me smile.
Almost, But Not Quite:
“Quantum of Solace” (continuing the tough, relentless rejuvination of James Bond, but the sooner the shakey-cam style of directing action-movies becomes passe, the better.)
“Leatherheads” (a bit minor, but thanks to Clooney’s love of the material, it’s from beginning to end a delightful sports movie, equal parts “Slapshot” and “Bull Durham,” which is nothing to sneeze at.)
“Forgetting Sarah Marshall” (Somehow this slipped between the cracks of Apatowe-style comedies, but well worth it – particularly for realizing lead/writer Jason Segal’s dream of an actually pretty awesome Dracula puppet musical.)
“Hellboy 2″ (Too scattered plotwise, but visually, Del Toro outdid himself – the same inventiveness featured in “Pan’s Labyrinth” finds a home in a pulp adventure movie.)
How about you, cats and kitties? What movies topped your list this year?
December 18, 2008 at 10:04 am
With regards to Martin McDonagh: he is able to use staccato dialogue and pretzel-twist plotting like no other first-time filmmaker because he’s already an accomplished playwright–whose hallmarks were staccato dialogue, pretzel-twist plotting, and Irish black humor.
So, it’s not much of a surprise to those of us with CULTURE.
December 18, 2008 at 10:48 am
Bla ble bla blo blork. Ever watch David Mamet’s early movies (“House of Games,” “Homicide”)? A strong playwright is not necessarily a great film director. It took him a couple tries before he figured out how to effectively translate his sensibilities into decent movies.
I was just impressed McDonagh got it in one.
December 18, 2008 at 11:08 am
I actually don’t think Mamet ever fully translated his sensibilities. That’s why he keeps putting Rebecca Pigeon in things–in Mamet’s mind, she’s the best interpreter of what he puts on the page, because she sounds the most like what he thinks his script should sound like. But it sounds substantially better whenever anyone else says the lines.
In summation: Mamet is a lousy film director, and a mediocre screenwriter at best, and his movies wouldn’t be any good at all if he wasn’t friends with a bunch of really talented actors.
December 18, 2008 at 11:34 am
Lousy directors couldn’t make The Spanish Prisoner, State and Maine, or Spartan (though they can make Heist – woof, that one was tough).
But we can agree that Rebecca Pigeon may be one of the most awkward actresses ever put on screen. Though her name always makes me smile.
December 18, 2008 at 11:40 am
I don’t think State and Maine was that good, direction-wise.
I’ll admit to mostly basing my opinions on Heist, though, since that’s the one that sticks in my head.
December 18, 2008 at 12:56 pm
And yet Gene Hackman can really sell just about any line. He can also sell shopping at Lowe’s, because he’s just that good.
Though Heist does have one of my favorite Mamety lines: “My motherfucker’s so cool, when they go to sleep, sheep count HIM.”
December 18, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Aaaaaanyway, seen any good movies lately, Chris?
December 18, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Rebecca Pidgeon is Mamet’s wife…but what came first, the muse or the mate? Tim Burton’s done the same with Helena Bonham Carter, although, she’s better suited to his work than Pidgeon is to her hubby’s.
There were few stand-out films for me this year. James Franco in “Pineapple Express”?
December 18, 2008 at 1:22 pm
@VIP Yeah, but I’m starting to feel like Burton’s getting really self-indulgent, too. The whole problem that both of them suffer from is that they’re picking actresses that are suiting their sensibilities, rather than benefiting from the conflict between actors and directors.
Like Mamet used to do when he was with Linsday Crouse, before he realized Pidgeon would say her lines exactly like a robot programmed with Mamet’s voice.
December 18, 2008 at 1:47 pm
@Jeff Holland:
Oh! Yes!
Role Models.
Role Models was a hilarious movie, that Jeanine and I saw just by accident because there didn’t happen to be anything else at the theater that night.
It is exactly the right kind of sentiment for movies about overgrown men-children–learning how to grow up without being bitter, being an adult but still knowing how to enjoy childish things. Accepting responsibility, that kind of thing.
Also, it was hilarious.
December 18, 2008 at 5:53 pm
I’ll play! Keep in mind that the list of new movies that I saw this year is pretty much just a subset of what Holland saw because I am lazy, lack my own NetFlix account, and am easily persuaded.
Iron Man – “fucking awesome” sums it up about as well as any paragraph I could write.
Dark Knight – also excellent, although I’m already sick of hearing bullshit casting rumors that the Sun passes of as fact (Shia LaBeuf as Robin, even though the chance of Robin making the next flick is nil; Charlie Murphy’s brother as the Riddler, etc.)
Pineapple Express – funny like an Apatow movie and then Seth Rogan kicks as much ass as one would expect Seth Rogan to be able to kick, highlighted by his childlike grin when he accidentally catches the dude’s foot.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall – from all the hype that Segal’s full-frontal got, I kinda expected the first fifteen minutes to be nothing but frank-n-beans. I still think the dick in Walk Hard was more uncomfortable to watch. And who doesn’t love vampire puppet musicals?
I’m at a loss for a 5th, though. Maybe would have been Harry Potter, I’m a sucker for those, good movies or not. I thought the new Hulk, new Hellboy, Tropic Thunder, and new Indy were all good. I guess if I had to pick one, I probably enjoyed Indy the best, but maybe just because that’s the only one of this group that I saw in the theater.
Holland, you probably have a better memory for what I saw then I do, am I missing anything?
December 18, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Step Brothers was funnier than I thought it would be, too.
December 18, 2008 at 6:33 pm
Here’s mine (if I can come up with 5)
Iron Man
Tropic Thunder
Dark Knight
Wall-E (now my new favorite animated flick)
And…. Drum role…..
not sure if it was actually made this year – but I’ve got to give it up for..
I also really enjoyed In Bruges, Hancock (yeah so what you liked Speed Racer), Quantum of Solace and Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
I still haven’t seen Pineapple Express and I’m trying very hard to forget that I wasted 2 hours watching “The Day the Earth Stood Still”. Blech.
Teeth –
There’s nothing like watching a chic who got violated exact her revenge by biting off the guys member. With the teeth in her vagina.
VAGINA DENTATA!!!!! IT’S TRUE!!!!!!
December 18, 2008 at 10:12 pm
“Teeth” has been recommended to me a couple of times now, and…boy, I dunno if I can do it.
February 2, 2012 at 9:42 am
movies…
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