THE LOST ART OF DECENT FILMMAKING--THE BEST FILMS OF 2008
Feb 22 '09
The Bottom Line Was it the writer's strike? Whatever the reasons, 2008 was a positively awful year for Hollywood. Here are my favorites from this creatively dismal, mercifully over year.
Let me preface this screed by saying I thought 2008 was the flat out worst year in movie making since I began seriously attending theaters on a regular basis. This is not to suggest the films on display were outright travesties, but the serious lack of truly great, riveting movies left me rather distressed. What does it say that the best film I saw in theaters this year was 1984's "Amadeus?" Regardless, here are a few gems to inspire hope in this coming year.
1. THE DARK KNIGHT--That's not a typo. Christopher Nolan's THE DARK KNIGHT is far and away the best film of the year. Entertainment on an insanely grand scale, with the greatest acting ensemble of the year to boot, and deliciously complex questions about the nature of good and evil and the moral ambiguity inherent in preserving the former and combatting the latter. What Nolan and his army of technicians and actors have created is a film experience that sticks to the basics of blockbuster thrills, but is elevated by its bold, timely rooting in cultural relevance. Behold, the comic book film as art.
2. WALTZ WITH BASHIR--Behold, the animated film as art. Israeli film maker Ari Folman's account of his 1982 war experiences during the Israel/Lebanon conflict, in particular the blind eye Israeli forces turned to a tribal faction's gruesome slaughter of Lebanese citizens, is like a hallucinatory looking glass into the moral abyss. A film whose singular images of surreal wonder and chaos will haunt you for years.
3. MILK--Crap title aside, Gus Van Sant's account of gay, political activist Harvey Milk (A fearless, exuberant Sean Penn) is a courageous and inspirational portrait of all too real, all too vulnerable heroism. And, in shameful light of the passing of Prop 8, the film carries a topical gravitas that suggests such heroism is in obvious short supply.
4. DOUBT--John Patrick Shanley's explosive adaptation of his Pulitzer Prize winning play is like "A Few Good Men" set in a 1960s parochial school. Instead of code reds there are incendiary charges of child molestation. Instead of duplicitous marines there is a duplicitous priest (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) whose kind heart masks a terrible secret. Instead of a fancy lawyer following his conscience there is a stern nun (An excellent Meryl Streep) whose faith is her defense aginst the ills of the world. Riveting cross examinations follow. But instead of a happy ending, justice prevails with a hollow ring of failure all too appropriate to the complacent history of the film's dark subject matter.
5. REVOLUTIONARY ROAD--When last we saw them together, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet were memorably stuck on the bow of the Titanic. They reunite in tour de force performances on a sinking ship called the American Dream in Sam Mendes' faithful and relentlessly bleak adaptation of the cult Richard Yates novel. As a young, 1950s couple wasting away in the alleged idyll of suburban paradise, they discover through biblical confrontations that happiness, ambition, and freedom are the steep prices to be paid for social conformity.
6. THE READER--Has it really been six years since Stephen Daldry's last movie? Here's a confounding, sensationally acted coming of age drama about an adolescent's (David Kross in a remarkable debut) relationship with an older trolley employee (The great Kate Winslet) in postwar Germany. Fast forward a decade, and the adolescent--now a law student--discovers horrifying, wartime revelations about his lady love. What follows is a complicated tale filled with moral ambiguity, tempestuous romance, and a conflict of interest that presents interesting questions about conscientious objection and following your heart.
7. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE--Whether it's outer space or addiction in Scotland, director Danny Boyle seems comfortable in any genre. Just how comfortable can be seen in this year's breakout Oscar favorite--an exhilarating and positively Dickens-ian loveletter to Mumbai, with a dazzling and deeply inspiring romance about street urchins (Dev Patel and Freida Pinto) who overcome a lot--years apart, poverty, evil caretakers, the mob--to seal their devotion to each other.
8. HAPPY GO LUCKY--Mike Leigh's valentine to unbridled optimism is one of the most puzzling and unforgettable films of the year. Sally Hawkins is remarkable as a London singleton whose indefatigable good cheer must be seen to be believed, and Eddie Marsan bursts off the screen as a hilariously volatile driving instructor who vainly tries to put a dent in such compulsive happiness.
9. VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA--Who would have thought septuagenarian Woody Allen capable of producing some of the most romantic images of the year? Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, Scarlett Johansson and Rebecca Hall ignite the screen in this seductive and funny ode to balmy European summers, lust and art that marks yet another return to form for the ever surprising Allen.
10. (TIE) GRAN TORINO--Clint Eastwood, one of the busiest artists working in film, directs and stars in this stunner about a cantankerous, racist widower who develops a surprising attachment to his Asian neighbors. Featuring one of the Hollywood legend's greatest performances, this darkly funny and potent tale of redemption is a testament to Eastwood's heroic versatility and talent.
TROPIC THUNDER--Ben Stiller's priceless riff on prima donna-ish actors and the vain Hollywood machine is one of the most savagely hilarious send ups of this or any year. The faux "Satan's Alley" promo alone is worth recommending the film, but volcanic supporting performances by Steve Coogan, Tom Cruise and an astonishingly funny Robert Downey Jr. make for unforgettable, top of the line satire.
OTHER SUPERLATIVES
BEST ACTOR--Sean Penn in MILK
Also Worthy: Benicio Del Toro in CHE; Leonardo DiCaprio in REVOLUTIONARY ROAD; Clint Eastwood in GRAN TORINO; Frank Langella in FROST/NIXON; Mickey Rourke in THE WRESTLER
BEST ACTRESS--Kate Winslet in THE READER and REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
Also Worthy: Anne Hathaway in RACHEL GETTING MARRIED; Sally Hawkins in HAPPY GO LUCKY; Angelina Jolie in CHANGELING; Meryl Streep in DOUBT; Naomi Watts in FUNNY GAMES
SUPPORTING ACTOR--Heath Ledger in THE DARK KNIGHT
Also Worthy: Robert Downey Jr in TROPIC THUNDER; Ralph Feinnes in THE DUCHESS and THE READER; Phillip Seymour Hoffman in DOUBT; Eddie Marsan in HAPPY GO LUCKY; Gary Oldman in THE DARK KNIGHT; Michael Shannon in REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
SUPPORTING ACTRESS--Penelope Cruz in VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
Also Worthy: Amy Adams in DOUBT; Viola Davis in DOUBT; Rebecca Hall in VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA; Rosemarie DeWitt in RACHEL GETTING MARRIED
BEST DIRECTOR--Christopher Nolan for THE DARK KNIGHT
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY--Dustin Lance Black for MILK
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY--John Patrick Shanley for DOUBT
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