Best of 2008

All right I admit. I have put this off long enough, but as promised, here is the much anticipated “best of” 2008 list. If you know me then you probably know that my disdain for “best of”/top 10 lists is a little bit high. The Academy Award nominations recently came out proving once again that the new generation of Academy voters is intent on voting for independent or highly unconventional films. The inclusion of the Best Animated Feature category seems to have eternally banished animated films “in their place” giving them no chance amongst the big boys.

Enough ranting though, let me explain my choices. The films on my list are not ranked in any order. I feel that it is virtually impossible to rank films in order best to worst made. It become much too highly subjective, and it doesn’t do justice to the subjectivity of the art form. Having said that, here is the criteria I used.

These are the films that made the most lasting impression upon me. Looking back at the end of the year, these are the films that just stand out to me. If have I had to wrack my brain thinking about which ones to put on, then it was probably a sign that it didn’t deserve to be on in the first place. I’m sorry it’s not much more of science, but I guess it just goes hand in hand with my philosophy of watching, experiencing, and enjoying movies.

One more thing, a recent film critic recently said that his top 10 list was put together while keeping one question in mind. If all of the film archives of 2008 were lost, and there were only 10 films that could be saved, what films should be saved in order to preserve a snapshot of where we are in filmmaking as of 2008? I would like to think that my list is faithful in trying to answer this question.

In no particular order…..here they are:

Wall.E
At its heart WALL.E is a wonderfully crafted tale of hope, optimism, and the eternal spirit of love to overcome. In a political year swirling with talk of hope and change, WALL.E seems to capture the spirit of optimism better than no other film did in 2008. Andrew Stanton and the creative team at Pixar have proven once again that they stand alone in the field of excellence in animated films. The first 30 minutes of this film rivaled absolutely everything I saw on screen this year.

The Dark Knight
Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight leaps from the pages of the previous Batman installment’s origin story to a jarring tragedy of epic proportions. TDK will forever be known as the film that revamped the comic book industry, and showcased the absolutely mesmerizing talents of the late Heath Ledger. His performance of the Joker was nothing short of brilliant and the amorphous nature of the character as realized by Nolan, made the story all the more chilling.

Man on Wire
In a film that truly transcends its genre, this engrossing story of tightrope walker/daredevil Philip Petit plays more like a classic heist film than a documentary. The audience becomes totally engrossed in the attempts of Petit to tightrope walk across the world trade center, and even though we know is going to survive from the first few frames, we can’t help but gasp when he takes that first step onto the wire.

Chop Shop
Wonderfully acted and skillfully directed, Chop Shop is the tragic story of a tough street kid named Alejandro who lives and works in the sprawling junkyards on the outskirts of Queens. When his older sister returns from a foster home, the two most struggle to make a better life for themselves and face insurmountable odds to do so. The film’s quasi-documentary style blended with some of the best child performances captured on screen make for a gripping emotional journey that stays with you long after its over.

The Wrestler
For Randy “the Ram” Robinson, the time has come to bow out from the sport of wrestling, but what else is there? Randy spends his nights and weekends doing the only thing he knows how to do, beat his body to make ends meat. As the sport evolves into something a little more gruesome, the Ram makes his way through the independent circuit fighting not only for a chance to reconnect with his estranged daughter, but for his own soul as well. Heralded as the return of Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler delivers one of the most knock-out performances of the year in the Randy the Ram.

In Bruges
Held up in Bruges after a job that goes horribly wrong, two hitmen begin to ponder life and death together, with often times completely differing views. Colin Farel, in a surprisingly excellent performance plays the conflicted soul, the bane of whose existence resides in Bruges. The screenplay tactfully mixes humor with searing drama, with an emotional punch to boot as well.

Slumdog Millionaire
Director Danny Boyle’s story of an orphan teenager from the slums of Mumbai who finds himself on the Hindi version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, is a take on the serendipitous nature of events that take place in our lives everyday. This film might be remembered as the movie that made “Bollywood” mainstream. It’s the uplifting story and strong performances that make it remarkable to watch though.

Snow Angels
David Gordon Green’s tragic suburban drama interweaves the stories of two sets of families from two different levels of the social strata. Sam Rockwell’s outstanding performance alone makes it worth seeing.

Doubt
Adapted from the stage play, and boasting an all-star cast, Doubt is a simple story with huge implications for its main players. A naïve younger priest feels the weight of accusation when he comes full force with the immovable Sister Aloysius (Meryl Streep). Stellar performances combined with a wonderful script make this one a must see.

Paranoid Park
2008 will most likely be remembered for director Gus Van Sant’s more conventional biopic Milk, but the arthouse film, Paranoid Park has the marks of a wonderfully skilled director all over it. The film tells the story of a young teenager involved in the accidental death of a security guard near the local skate park. When the boy decides to tell no one about the incident, he must daily live with the consequences.


Honorable Mention:

The Fall
Hamlet 2
Iron Man
Gran Torino
Tropic Thunder

Top 5 Biggest Disappointments

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Happening
Standard Operating Procedure
W.
Miracle at St. Anna

"Don't go callin me wally"...

Iconic actor/director/producer Clint Eastwood’s newest film Gran Torino tells the story of what would happen if Dirty Harry retired from the auto industry and lived in the suburbs. Ok, not exactly, but it does further cement his reputation as a man now well into his late 70’s who is truly a legendary force both behind the camera and in front of it. Walt Kowalski (Eastwood) is the rock that although has been aged and hardened by the rivers of life, hasn’t budged an inch for years. He likes his cars, his beer and coincidentally, his neighbors, all the same way; American made and American born. A retired Korean War Vet, for nearly 50 years he has lived on the same block and worked for the same Ford company, alienating many of his family and closest contacts along the way. After the passing of his wife, Walt defiantly insists on changing virtually nothing in his pace or routine, despite the jest of his family members. Walt sharply holds onto his deep-seeded prejudices when a Hmong family moves in next door. Their lives collide when the youngest boy Tau attempts to steal Walt’s coveted 1972 Gran Torino car in response to neighborhood gang pressure. Through a series of cinematically programmed moments, Walt begins to lead the boy away from a life of gang-related violence.

There is a particular arc to this story that is never fully satisfied by its payoff. Much of Kowalski’s family is written into the script in order to set up Kowalski himself. They do little to drive the plot in any way on their own. His wife is all but absent from the story, mentioned only in passing. I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of woman she must have been to live with such a man for so long! The real treat here is to watch Eastwood perform with relentlessly channeled emotion. He still manages to easily convince us that he is indeed as tough as nails, and not just because it sounds like he is chewing them during every line of dialogue. He plays the character with such restrain and physical control, that we feel like the next word, the next push could finally set him off, without ever fully realizing such a climactic moment. The audience believes that it is Kowalski himself who is the only one who truly knows what he is capable of, and the tension it creates is genuinely palpable.

In the end Gran Torino has a little bit to say about the possibility for good to reside in all people, in any stage of life. It also has a bit to say on the responsibility that comes with understanding race relations in the ever-widening melting pot that is American culture. It is the presence and signature of a Hollywood veteran though that will tower over the film itself, long after the credits roll.

3/5