1. In Bruges: 2008 started out with a bang. I knew when I saw "In Bruges" it would be hard for another film to top it, turned out none did. It's almost been over a year now since I saw the film but there are so many scenes that still stick out in my mind clearer than any others. The film remains unpredictable in action, and laughs, but what keeps it all together is its suprising sense of humanity among a world of violence and killing. No other film this year left me as satisfied as this film.
2. My Winnipeg This was the year I was introduced to the wonderful and weird world of Guy Maddin, and I am now hooked. In this semi-documentary, semi-fantasy, semi-surreal comic trip ride through Maddin's home town of Winnipeg Manitoba Canada, we are introduced different kinds of city folklore both real (perhaps) and made up. What the film does is show Maddin's state of mind with city and a family he can't escape. A wonderful and original trip.
3. Frozen River Melissa Leo and Misty Upham give two of the best performances of the year as two women who are at the end of their rope and turn to smuggling immigrant across the US/Canadian border for reasons of their own. The film has a limited budget but it never becomes a distraction. The story is so gripping as it becomes equal parts human drama and suspense film.
4. Wall-E The best Hollywood production of the year and perhaps Pixar's crowning achievement about a plucky robot who cleans up the Earth after humans dessert it from throwing away too much waste. The film hearkens back to the old animation days where picture came before dialogue, and Wall-E's own sentimentality shows that the spirit of Charlie Chaplin is alive and well in mainstream Hollywood. 
5. The Edge of Heaven A multi-character story where everyone is connected is the kind of concept that has worked well the past few years. "The Edge of Heaven" takes it to much different places and turns it into an emotional heart-wrenching story of love, forgiveness, and kindness. The film is immaculately shot, and it never tells us more than it wants to. In the end we are left making up our own minds about what happens.
6. Shotgun Stories A haunting story of two rival families who share the same father and the blood feud between them. No other film this year deals with how violence can become uncontrollable. The film is anchored by a quiet and unassuming performance by Michael Shannon as the head of one of the families.
7. Happy-Go-Lucky I love people like Sally Hawkins' Poppy because I know so many people like her. She is the undying optimist who makes this world a better place just by her presence. I don't understand people who thought Poppy was annoying or the whole aspect of her personality being annoying. It's something to admire and something brave about it in this day and age. Hawkins along with Eddie Marsan as Poppy's polar opposite deserved Oscar nominations.
8. Rachel Getting Married Director Jonathan Demme's look into one families fateful wedding weekend when the prodigal drug addict daughter comes home. It's an unflinching look at the families life during the weekend and Demme directs it as if it were a documentary to make it seem so real. The film is anchored by a great cast headlined by Anne Hathaway in one of the great performances of the year as is Rosemarie DeWitt as the title character. 
9. Burn After Reading The Coen Brothers' black comedy of political espionage that isn't really political espionage at all was a wonderfully absurd and original piece of humour. While most comedies play it safe these days, the Coen Brothers are able to take us into the world of the strange and unusual to find their humour only for the biggest punchline to come at the end when you find out how nothing of it all mattered. I had a the biggest laugh this year from this film, but the Coens were probably laughing harder.
10.Milk An inspiring and absorbing tale of real life San Francisco City Supervisor Harvey Milk who was the first Gay man elected into a political office. The film was inspiring to say the least, as it paints Milk as a man who didn't do much with his life till later in his career and rose to a cause that effected millions of people and changed the course of history.
10.Milk An inspiring and absorbing tale of real life San Francisco City Supervisor Harvey Milk who was the first Gay man elected into a political office. The film was inspiring to say the least, as it paints Milk as a man who didn't do much with his life till later in his career and rose to a cause that effected millions of people and changed the course of history.
2 comments:
Very good list! Happy to see IN BRUGES at number 1-- great movie. Reading your recap of '07 below I'm reminded about how more interesting last year's movies were. But there were a few good ones this year-- we had 3 in common in our top tens. Onward to '09!
To be fare I never did get around to see "Synecdoche NY" which was my biggest regret. It just never got around to my neck of the woods. i was lucky to get "In Bruges" and "Frozen River". This year did have a few hidden gems, I don't think they got the kind of mainstream attention as last year's best films.
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