Josh's Obligatory Top 10 Of 2008

By Josh Tyler: 2008-12-28 13:55:04

I saw somewhere around 130 movies in 2008. That seems to be my annual average. Some critics see more, some critics see less. I see as many as I can while shoveling coal into the Cinema Blend server. I'm happy with that. For whatever it's worth I saw nearly everything I wanted to see this year and almost everything that might have had any shot at making it on to this top ten list.

Unfortunately 2008 has turned out to be an almost painfully weak year for film. Many movies were good, very few were great, and most of the Oscar bait released late in the year failed to deliver. Some like Wendy and Lucy or The Wrestler, contain incredible performances but are themselves, not particularly impressive films. Mickey Rourke may be awesome but I can't give his movie a spot on my list. I want the total package.

What you will find below in my obligatory list are the movies I saw and liked best. Many critics pad their lists by trying to push certain films they don't feel got enough attention, at the expense of more popular movies which they may have liked better. I'm not interested. This is not a list of the best movies of 2008 that you didn't see, it's simply and plainly a list of the best movies I saw in 2008. In order even! This is my list, and here it is:

1. The Dark Knight
Most of the talk around this movie has centered on Heath Ledger's eye-opening turn as the Joker, and he deserves every bit of the praise he's been given. But this is so much more than a one-note performance film. As brilliant as Ledger is, he's working from an incredible script under the direction of a truly visionary filmmaker. The Dark Knight is defies convention and refuses to be pigeonholed into the comic book movie mold from which so many other caped crusader movies have been poured. In fact it's not a comic book movie at all, it just happens to use comic book characters in something bigger, bolder, and beyond the genre. The Dark Knight is simply a great film, one which uses masked characters to say something complex about the very nature of man. The film is even better in IMAX, the first to truly take advantage of the format as more than a gimmick. The Dark Knight is a stunning, unbelievable achievement and though it's drenched in darkness it is unquestionably the year's best and brightest cinematic experience. Viewed in IMAX as it was intended, it may be one of the best movies of any kind ever made.
Best Moment: The Joker. Pick any scene.

2. Kung Fu Panda
The Dark Knight may be the year's best, but Kung Fu Panda is 2008's most beautiful film. Set in a vibrant, animal populated version of ancient China it tells the story of a fat and awkward panda, who wishes he could become a Kung Fu master instead of the noodle seller his father is grooming him as. His dreams come true, but not in the way you might expect. Dustin Hoffman's voice has never sounded better than when coming out of a fuzzy, diminutive, animated martial arts badass and the movie's all-knowing turtle sensei Master Oogway is the best teacher since Obi Wan. DreamWorks Animation took a gigantic step forward this summer, and must now be taken seriously. Kung Fu Panda is pure poetry. Oh and there's a lot of action and comedy stuff too. It's an achingly sublime, dazzlingly delicate piece of epic animated artwork full of wisdom, wit, and heart.
Best Moment: Master Oogway departs on the wind in a swirl of peach blossoms.

3. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
I've developed a very strange relationship with Forgetting Sarah Marshall. When I first saw it back in March at the SXSW film festival I liked it, quite a lot. But it was only after the movie came out on DVD that I fell in love with it. Or maybe it's more than love, it may actually be obsession. I've watched it over and over and over again. It's become my go-to movie for whenever I'm feeling a little bummed or heck, just can't think of anything better to do. Written by and starring Judd Apatow alum Jason Segel and directed by Nicholas Stoller it takes the been told before story of breaking up and moving on, and tells it in entirely new, awkward yet true, ways. The movie begins with male nudity and ends with Muppets, while we're treated to something very special in between those two extremes. Few movies hold up as well when watched over and over and over again, but Forgetting Sarah Marshall not only holds up, it keeps on getting better.
Best Moment: Dracula, the all Muppet rock opera!

4. Milk
Like so many 2008 movies Milk is defined by a single, incredible performance. Unlike a most of those heavily touted single performance defined film's though, Milk is in the top half of my list, and it's here because there's depth in what director Gus van Sant does around his engrossing lead. Penn plays Harvey Milk, and we follow his journey to become the first openly gay man elected to major office. The film starts with Harvey in the closet and looking to do something worthwhile and it begins to build. As Harvey grows and figures things out, so does the movie. Though the demands of history mean Milk must inevitably end with Harvey's death, Penn's Milk projects warmth, hope, and inspiration. If the real man was anything like this, it's no wonder he was able to win over the hearts and minds of even straight-laced, homophobic voters.
Best Moment: My name is Harvey Milk and I'm here to recruit you!

5. Religulous
I'd be lying if I said I didn't go into Religious hoping to see Bill Maher stick it to, well, somebody. Against all odds, that never really happens. Maher's documentary resists taking the easy propaganda angle and simply sits back to let things happen as the well known anti-god comedian wanders into trucker churches and creepy mosques where the women have their own corner. When Maher sees bullshit he calls bullshit, but he doesn't invent it for the sake of pushing his anti-religion agenda. Instead he wanders the globe interacting with believers, some weird, some normal, some smart, some United States Congressmen. When the movie's funny it's hilarious and when it's frightening, it's only because the truth is just that god-awful. That's not to say there isn't a message, there is. Maher's message is clear and his film is a rallying call to the silent non-believers who so rarely make their voices heard. Because his movie is almost intentionally designed to cater to that one group, you probably won't see it on many other end of year lists. But there's no denying that Maher's documentary is one of the most flat out entertaining and simultaneously poignant achievements of the year.
Best Moment: Bill sits slack-jawed while a Congressman admits there's no IQ test for public office.

6. Doubt
Doubt is all at once frustrating and stunning. The movie soars on brilliant and engrossing dialogue from screenwriter John Patrick Shanley and incredible performances from Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Unfortunately Shanley also directs the film and his work behind the camera is at best, uninspired. It's only that which keeps Doubt from being higher on my list. Sure the subject of child molestation has been done to death but Doubt's approach is entirely unique, following the exploits of a cagey, curmudgeonly nun (Streep) as she fights behind the scenes to prove her heinous suspicions to herself. Hoffman's character is so likable that our sympathies shift back and forth throughout the film, and Shanley's script approaches the subject almost as if it's a Columbo mystery with Peter Falk replaced by Meryl Streep in a habit. It's not perfect, but it's utterly engrossing.
Best Moment: Father Flynn is questioned by Sister Beauvier and Sister James.

7. Gran Torino
If the thought of a grizzled and bitter Clint Eastwood staring down gangbangers in his front yard, waving a weapon menacingly, and growling “get off my lawn!” doesn't thrill you to the core, then you're probably a fan of Million Dollar Baby Clint and not Dirty Harry era Eastwood. Well mark me down for Dirty Harry. It's been said by others before, but it's true so it's worth saying again. Imagine all of Clint's most badass characters. Now imagine them as old men, retired and living alone in a neighborhood gradually being overtaken by immigrants and thieves. Gran Torino is the perfect goodbye to Eastwood's incredible acting career and it may be the best performance he's given in it. The film itself isn't perfect, but Clint is. He's riding off into the sunset scowling, snarling, and spitting blood.
Best Moment: Get off my lawn!

8. Priceless (Hors de prix)
Originally released in France in 2006 Priceless only made it here to America this year and in extremely limited release at that. Subtitles probably kept it from a wider audience, but it's a magnificent throwback to the golden age of Hollywood, the good old days when Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn strode onto a black and white screen and delivered pure charm. Except this particular golden age homage is French, in color, and it stars Audrey Tautau and Gad Elmaleh. Audrey plays Irene, a stunning woman prone to wearing gravity defying dresses while mingling with high-society. One problem: she's poor. She makes her way by latching on to various rich men, putting out and getting them to put out. Enter Jean, a penniless busboy who fools her into thinking he's rich and then falls hopelessly in love. Besotted, he decides the only way to win her heart is to beat her at her own game. It's a movie filled with subtle comedy and genius romantic banter. It's a movie built on chemistry, and the film's two leads have more together than any other acting pair this year.
Best Moment: Irene and Jean get drunk in an empty bar.

9. The Wackness
The Wackness is an homage to a specific time and place, a love letter to anyone who did a stint in High School during the mid-nineties and spent endless summers going nowhere, while your friends were off to more exciting things. It stars Josh Peck, who surprised everyone by acting his ass off as Shapiro, a drug dealing nobody growing up in New York City. It's the story of a kid who is the most popular of the unpopular or the least popular of the popular, depending on how you look at it. In short Shapiro is lonely and so he befriends his somewhat unstable, pot-smoking shrink. With his help, Shapiro finds one of those fleeting, magical, teenage summer loves. The soundtrack is first rate and the film is original, insightful, and playful. You might even say it's funky fresh. The Wackness was overlooked in theaters earlier this year, make sure you grab it on DVD and give this dope flick a chance.
Best Moment: The sidewalk lights up beneath Luke's feet as he celebrates his date with Stephanie by dancing.

10. Bolt
It's been a big year for dog movies, but this was the only truly great one. Disney Animation at last returns to form with the story of a deluded dog on a cross country journey with an unwilling alley cat and a fanboy hamster. That hamster, named Rhino, is easily one of the most entertaining characters seen on screen this year. But Bolt is more than a gimmicky movie about a talking dog who thinks he's a superhero. By the time the credits roll it's become a delicate, heart-wrenching movie about the connection between man and hound. This is a big, ambitious, epic story constructed to say something thoughtful, simple, and emotional. This is the Disney we all remember as kids, the Disney that told smart, entertaining, character driven stories with a nugget of truth at the center. In a year where their Pixar brothers are yet again getting all the credit, in my mind it's Disney that made the better film. Your puppy loves you. Give him a hug.
Best Moment: Bolt saves Penny.

Great Movies That Didn't Make The Cut: Rachel Getting Married, The Forbidden Kingdom, The Wrestler, Wanted, Tropic Thunder, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, WALL-E, Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay, In Bruges, Ghost Town, The Visitor, Vicky Christina Barcelona, Valkyrie, Frost/Nixon, Smart People, Iron Man, Dear Zachary, Choke, W., City of Ember

Just In Case You Were Wondering: The Happening was the worst movie of 2008, but worth making since without it we wouldn't have Mark Wahlberg Talks To Animals.

For more of Cinema Blend's BEST OF 2008 click HERE.

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Troy aka Rated X
December 30, 2008 at 05:08

If no one minds I am going to do my top 10 list. Obviously I haven't seen nearly as many movies as most so it will be limited. Anyway here it goes.

1. The Dark Knight Obviously as with most peoples opinions mine is the same. Just a great movie and great performances all around. Heath Ledgers Joker is by far the best performance in the last few years.

2. Wall-E I didn't think I would like this movie as much as I did. It was really a great story. Kind of shocked myself even putting this at number 2. Pixar movies have really grown on me lately as being family fun and not just something for kids.

3. How to Lose Friends and Alienate People This movie went under a lot of people's radar. Simon Pegg was hilarious as usual. Kirsten Dunst showed a bit of comedy chops although she was more the straight lace character for Simon Pegg. Although Megan Fox was the "hottie" of the film she can't act and did nothing for me in this role. Hopefully it was on purpose and was her character and not actually her acting. The movie was great and I'd hoped it would have done better than what it did.

4. Role Models Sean William Scott and Paul Rudd made this movie great. Scott going back to his Stifler character and Rudd's sarcastic humor. All in all a great movie. It had the feel of a Judd Apatow movie but seeing some of course every movie that stars most of his "main" actors has that feel to it. Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Bobb'e J. Thompson rounded out the comedic portion that made the movie that much better. I had a fun time going to this one. Raunchiness aside it was a funny movie and heartfelt at the end.

5. Lakeview Terrace What more can you ask for from a thriller of a movie? Samuel L. Jackson as a bad guy who is supposed to be a good guy. Great as always in any of his movies. Cole Hauser surprised me because I haven't seen a movie that he has been in that I liked that much since Pitch Black. The only bad thing is even with the back stories of the characters there was very little depth to them. It was the best of thrillers out this year though.

6. Eagle Eye Some may disagree with me but this was another great thriller. Shia Labeouf showed his acting ability yet again with this action filled movie. Michelle Monoghan and Billy Bob Thornton were good in this and rounded out a decent cast but Shia stole the show.

7. Iron Man I wasn't sure if I should add this to my list or not. Robert Downey Jr. played Tony Stark very well and it was good for the start of a trilogy or however many they are going to make. Not much on the acting side and as far as a comic book movie and trying to get the characters established they did a pretty bad job. I can't complain about it to much though because I had been waiting for the movie to get made and they finally done it.

8. Forgetting Sarah Marshall Just a great comedy. Jason Segel did a hell of a job on this. The cast was brilliant and the overall feel of the movie left me wanting to watch it more than once. Kristen Bell and Mila Kunis definitely helped in keeping my attention. Russell Brand had me dying laughing with everything he did. It may not have been the best comedy out there this year but it definitely didn't go down without a fight.

9. Swing Vote Great movie for the election year. Thank god it was just a movie though. If you haven't seen it yet it is definitely worth checking out on DVD. His character though reminds me of Roy 'Tin Cup' McAvoy from Tin Cup. Just the lazy drunken guy. Kelsey Grammar, Nathan Lane, Dennis Hopper, Stanley Tucci and George Lopez round out the stellar cast. I'm shocked it didn't get more hype than what it did. Really a good movie and worth watching.

10. The Incredible Hulk I know a lot of people hated this, especially thinking of the stinkfest that Ang Lee brought out a few years ago but really it wasn't that bad. Now I won't say it was the greatest or probably deserves a top 10 on anyone elses list but I really liked the movie. I really hope it's the start of a couple of movies that really get into the Hulk, and maybe even turn him into a bad guy. I think we need that kind of a movie.

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Ok I know it's not professional and probably really bad as far as writing it goes but I couldn't convey from my brain to my fingers what I wanted to say. So um sorry if it's hard to comprehend or just sounds stupid.

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Josh Tyler
December 30, 2008 at 10:54

I wouldn't call Role Models one of the best movies of the year, but it definitely deserved more attention than it got. Nice to see someone besides me saw it and enjoyed it.

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Troy aka Rated X
December 30, 2008 at 11:05

I thought it was funny. It made me remember the Stifler character and Rudd's character reminded me of his character from 40 year old virgin, and those two together worked. I think had I seen a few more movies it wouldn't have made my top 5, but it still would have made my top 10. It is nice someone else seen it too. I don't know anyone who seen that.

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Matt
December 30, 2008 at 10:59

Nice List, Rated X!

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Nicholas
December 30, 2008 at 01:01

I didn't back up my points because I assumed the intelligent readers of this site would know what I was talking about. I mean no offense by what I am going to say. I just think it is an interesting discussion.

First off, before I am crucified, I LIKED THE DARK KNIGHT. I'd probably give it three out of four stars, but it is over-hyped and flawed. For instance:

Why did they have to blame Batman at the end for the murders that they couldn't "cover up?" Why not just blame the damn Joker?

Harvey Dent's fall to madness; not convincing, Bruce giving up Batman so quickly; uhm? I don't think so, Batman leaving a rich party to save Rachel, what happens to the Joker after that? What happens to the rest of the dinner guests? It just cuts away and doesn't explain anything, or does it even acknowledge a problem.

The first 20 minutes of dialogue after the opening sequence was basically "Hi my name is (fill in the blank). I'm in this movie because (fill in the blank)" It wasn't natural at all, just forced. That is called crappy exposition.

I keep getting told that this Batman universe is set in the real world. Well you either are or aren't. I don't care, but pick on and let us in on it. In Batman Begins the world was believable because ninjas are real, and form secret training societies, so Batman makes sense too. In The Dark Knight, we have real world aesthetics but fantastic physics. It becomes confusing. When the Bat-mobile shoots missiles at cars, and people don't die, you are not in the real world folks.

Thugs are morons. Just like in Batman Begins, the common thugs are little more than cannon fodder for Bat fists and Joker pencils. Even the crime lords are unintelligent. In the real world every criminal is actually a living breathing person, with a life story to boot. If this really were as good as "The Godfather," as many have stated, this problem would be acknowledged.

And finally, though not plot-hole-y or bad exposition-y just...

Nil Desperandum. Why is it that these insanely creative and gifted people have come together to tell us this depressing story? Is it their "Empire Strikes Back?" Or are they just nihilists? What is the theme of this movie? You should lie about reality to give people false hope? That's what it seemed to be. Bummer man.

And thank you for your reply to my Wall-E question/statement it wasn't really as rhetorical as it looks. You have valid points backing your opinion.

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Matt
December 30, 2008 at 10:58

Nothing you said were actually holes in the plot though. They were choices. Did you not notice all the comments about the hero we need and the hero we deserve spliced throughout the movie? Nothing you said would make the Dark Knight better.

You are nitpicking for the sake of it.

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Nicholas
December 30, 2008 at 15:47

I'm not nitpicking for the sake of it. Thank you for interpreting my motivations though. You could reply to mt actual points instead of making "vague accusations."

Isn't this fun?

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Josh Tyler
December 30, 2008 at 16:08

He didn't make vague accusations. He made the rather valid point that the things you're talking about aren't plot holes but choices.

Choices which most people liked but for whatever reason, you did not.

Don't take it personally man. We can't all agree all of the time.

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Nicholas
December 29, 2008 at 13:39

Bolt over Wall-E, seriously?

What about about the plot holes and badly written exposition in Dark Knight? Don't forget to mention those.

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Josh Tyler
December 29, 2008 at 14:15

Bolt over WALL-E. Seriously. I liked WALL-E, but the movie gets more credit than it deserves. It's almost overly simplistic, a lot of the stuff on the human ship didn't do much for me, and it's too preachy in a really clumsy way. It's like science fiction for dummies.

As for TDK, I forgot to mention those because they do not exist.

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Cody Wayne
December 29, 2008 at 21:41

Well, that was a well thought out and nicely presented argument.

Oh, but lest we forget all the argument holes. You know, when you made a vague accusation about the faults of a movie and then didn't back it up. At all. Even for Wall-E being better than Bolt.

And I agree with Josh, Bolt was better. I even saw it twice, in 3D. It was just as well animated; it was consistently funny; it was touching; and it was enjoying to watch despite the basic story.

This is probably one of the best top 10 movie lists out there because, while it doesn't reflect mine exactly, it contains a variety of movies (unlike the other one on here; snore-fest galore). It was actually about what movies were entertaining and well made, and not about which movies put forth a good effort at making a statement/being artistic.

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Cody Wayne
December 29, 2008 at 00:13

I keep seeing that it's a weak year for films.
There were just as many good films out this year as the last several years, more or less.
Eight of the top 250 movies on imdb are from 2008. while you may not find that to be reliable opinions, the huge imdb userbase decided that 2008 made 3.2% of the best movies of all time. I enjoyed numerous movies this year, and disliked as many as I have in the past.

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Josh Tyler
December 29, 2008 at 00:43

Cody, for me it wasn't that there were a lot of good films this year. It's just that I didn't find a lot GREAT films this year.

What I'm saying is there were a lot of movies which I liked, but very very few which I really loved.

Example: Normally I end up giving out 4 or 5, 5 star reviews every year. This year I only gave out 2.

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Volante
December 30, 2008 at 11:27

One thing to keep in mind about IMDb's top 250, new movies are always inflated; the people who see them opening day want to see them and will regularly rate them high.

Come back in a year and see how many from 2008 are on there. (Also, expect 7-10 2009 releases on there as well.) Excluding The Dark Knight, Wall-E and In Bruges, all three having over 40k votes each, the remaining 6 (there's actually 9 2008 releases, including a foreign release) sum UP to under 40,000 votes and I'd wager many people who voted for one voted for others.

I wouldn't consider that representative of their huge userbase.

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Volante
December 30, 2008 at 11:47

Ok, responding to my own post, I just remembered the Wayback Machine ( www.archive.org ) existed, so I decided to see just how well 2007 films stacked up.

On 14 Nov, 2007, the last 07 snapshot, 9 2007 films were on the top 250 list. From highest ranked to lowest, they were as follows:
Ratatouille
The Bourne Ultimatium
American Gangster
No Country for Old Men
Grindhouse
3:10 to Yuma
Hot Fuzz
Superbad
Stardust

Fast forward to today (30 Dec), only three of those remain, with three new ones:
NCFOM
There Will be Blood
Into the Wild
Bourne 3
Ratatouille (took a hit)
Diving Bell & the Butterfly

Also, as an aside, Juno popped on the 6 Mar, 2008 list and is not present on the 30 Dec list.

So using the Top 250 list as a foundation isn't necessarily a sound move. New movies are often volatile and the list changes daily. I'm sure similar trends would be found for 2006 and 2005, and while I'll look them myself out of curiousity, I'll spare the character count.

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cubitfox
December 28, 2008 at 17:43

Definitely the most honest list i've seen this year.

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