Best movies of 2008
Superhero films came to the fore in 2008. In summer, it seemed each week brought another superpowered or comic book-based tale. Other of the year’s top films featured washed-up wrestlers, 1970s politicians and an optimistic trash compactor. The following are my list of the best 10 films of the year.
1. “The Dark Knight” – Director Christopher Nolan made a crime epic disguised as a comic-book caper. The Joker looms large over “The Dark Knight,” as portrayed by the late Heath Ledger. The Joker’s lunacy has the town on edge. While the Joker ostensibly is working for the city’s criminal powers, his real goal is chaos. This creepy vision of the Joker is original and unsettling, with greasy hair and a painted-on smile covering scars.
Ultimately, Nolan’s Batman film asks viewers to consider when and why rules should be broken.
2. “Slumdog Millionaire” – Director Danny Boyle shows us the life of a young “slumdog” in Bombay, who becomes a contestant on the Indian version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.” Alternately terrifying and uplifting, “Slumdog” is something of an Indian “It’s A Wonderful Life” as Jamal Malik attempts to explain his game-show success to police who suspect fraud.
3. “The Wrestler” – Mickey Rourke plays Randy “The Ram” Robinson, a former top pro wrestler who still lives for the adulation of the crowd while hanging on in the dregs of the business as he approaches middle age. He wants to re-establish a relationship with his daughter (Evan Rachel Wood), but isn’t sure where to start. He asks for help from a friend, exotic dancer Cassidy (Marisa Tomei – she’s also holding on to her profession past the usual sell-by date. Each of them must determine the best way to end this phase of their lives in this drama directed by Darren Aronofsky.
4. “Frost/Nixon” – Director Ron Howard makes the cat-and-mouse game between interviewer David Frost (Michael Sheen) and the resigned President Nixon (Frank Langella) into compelling drama.
5. “Iron Man” – Robert Downey Jr. plays billionaire playboy Tony Stark, forced to invent a high-tech suit of armor to save his life in “Iron Man.” Toward the end, “Iron Man” descends into formula, but before it does, the highs are incredibly high.
6. “WALL-E” – The animated Pixar film features a robotic trash compactor on an abandoned Earth. When a probe from the surviving humans arrives, WALL-E finds love. “WALL-E” is a classic love story disguised as a science fiction tale, but it works as both.
7. “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” – Brad Pitt stars as Benjamin Button in this epic film loosely adapted from an F. Scott Fitzgerald short story. Benjamin is born old, then ages backwards. The sweep of the film reminds of “Forrest Gump” – Eric Roth wrote the screenplay for both.
8. “Milk” – Sean Penn stars as gay activist Harvey Milk in this 1970s biopic. Milk was the first openly gay man elected to office in California. Exceptional supporting performances abound, especially by Emile Hirsch as Milk protégé Cleve Jones. Also of note are Josh Brolin as Milk’s adversary and eventual assassin Dan White, and James Franco as Milk’s long-time companion Scott Smith. The film was directed by Gus Van Sant.
9. “Happy-Go-Lucky” – Sally Hawkins carries this film as the constantly happy Poppy. As the film begins, you can’t imagine making it through this movie without being irritated by her, but by the close you don’t want the movie to end. It’s a fascinating character study by Mike Leigh, with a strong supporting performance from comedian Eddie Marsan, here as an angry driving instructor.
10. “Gran Torino” – The better of two Clint Eastwood-directed films this year, this stars Eastwood as Walt Kowalski, a cranky, somewhat racist widower. Walt discovers his young neighbor Thao (Bee Vang) attempting to steal his prized car. After his neighbors insist, he allows Thao to do some odd jobs to work off his transgression. While “Gran Torino” has some flaws and an unbelievable ending, it deserves its placement on this list through the force of Eastwood’s portrayal of Walt, a retired Dirty Harry-type seething his way through his twilight years and forced to confront preconceived notions.
– Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman
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Comments
Well, my list is the best 10 out of what I saw, and I didn’t see “Australia.” Brandy McDonnell reviewed it for The Oklahoman, but it didn’t make her top 10 list either. Different people have different opinions, I suppose! What else did you like in 2008?
i just saw revolutionary road and i thought that that was very good. but everything else i agree with except for iron man. and also, i did not like australia
At one point, Revolutionary Road was on my top 10, but fell out at some point when I was trying to make the final cuts. I agree, it’s a very good movie – though painful to watch!
I didn’t see “The Reader.” Brandy McDonnell saw it for The Oklahoman, if I remember correctly. “Doubt” very nearly made my list – so much so that I believe I told someone “Doubt” was on my top 10. So it was a strong contender and would be somewhere in the 11-15 position for me, and depending on the day I made the list, might have made the top 10.
It’s a shame you didn’t review MILK in the paper. I’ve read dozens of reviews of the film and the one that ran in the Oklahoman is the only one that ended with a warning that some viewers will find the content offensive (rather than ending the review with, say, a summation of the qualities of the film).
I believe that the film Australia should be in that catagory of no. 1 film of 2008. It is the best film I have seen in years. The film was very entertaining and moving. Althought a very long movie you did not even notice it. Please tell me why it is not on the list.
Thank you