2007 was such a great year for film, offering so many creative, surprising and intelligent pictures, that it was no shock that 2008 was a disappointing one.
It was especially disappointing for American cinema. On my 2007 list, only two (“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” and “Atonement”) were foreign productions; this year, half of the list is made up of films from countries other than the U.S.
But to say 2008 was a bad year would not be fair, and despite the fact that very few films really jumped out and grabbed me, the ones that did were really terrific.
Looking at the following films, most of which I have revisited for second and third times, I am astounded by the broad range of genres they cover—character studies, historical biopics, old-fashioned underdog stories; a quirky comedy, an enthralling documentary, an ambiguous morality play, a Romanian tragedy, a Scandinavian horror film and the best Hollywood blockbuster in years.
These are not the only great films of 2008, but they are the ones that moved, captivated and entertained me the most.
10. Happy-Go-Lucky
Reflect for a moment: How many movies have you seen in which the protagonist is simply, truly happy? Mike Leigh’s pictures are often dirges, dreary portraits of middle-class British life. But this one, despite harboring some dark undertones, is a mostly buoyant comedy about a woman who tries to turn dark clouds into rainbows. She is played by Sally Hawkins in the breakout performance of the year, and she is a joy to watch, turning a potentially annoying character into a lovable one.
9. The Visitor
Thomas McCarthy’s “The Visitor” is a small-scale picture with tremendous emotional resonance. It is an unexpectedly moving picture, with veteran character actor Richard Jenkins making a real impression as a bull-headed college professor who befriends two illegal immigrants and embraces African drumming. The story could have been heavy-handed in lesser hands, but the film is acted and written with such conviction that it pulls you in, despite the fact that it is deceptively simple.
8. The Dark Knight
Did anybody miss seeing “The Dark Knight” during its theatrical run? Did anybody dislike it? It was that rare film that seemed to unite everybody—it was morally complex and dark, a thoughtful meditation on good versus evil, but, most importantly, it was damned entertaining, with some of the most sensational action sequences I’ve seen. Here we see superhero movies developing into a mature art form, and this film represents the height of the genre so far. I doubt it will ever be topped.
7. Doubt
Here’s a movie in which every scene could come with a “for your consideration” disclaimer at the bottom of the screen. “Doubt” is based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning play, but it rarely seems stagy, and yet it still captures the spellbinding power of watching a live performance. Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams are all reliable actors, and they are simply stellar. But it is Viola Davis, whose performance lasts for barely ten minutes, who really strikes a chord—she finds a quiet humanity that stands out amidst the fire-and-brimstone intensity of the rest of the film. If ever there was a film to see, ponder and discuss heatedly, “Doubt” is it.
6. Man on Wire
If “Man on Wire” had been told in the format of a fiction film, nobody would believe it. Such a sensational story could only happen in real life, and this look at wirewalker Philippe Petit’s feat of walking between the towers of the World Trade Center is breathtaking. Petit is an energetic narrator, director James Marsh re-creates images as dreamy and striking as Errol Morris, and the “plot” unfolds so unpredictably that you could liken it to a heist picture and not be far off. This is the best feature documentary of 2008.
5. Slumdog Millionaire
Danny Boyle is a diverse, edgy filmmaker, but none of his movies have struck the same chord as “Slumdog Millionaire.” This is the Little Film That Could, the story of a poor kid from India who captures the country’s attention during his stint on the Hindi version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?,” this is an old-fashioned rags-to-riches plot approached in a way we’ve never seen before. Dev Patel and Frieda Pinto, relative newcomers to acting, are revelatory in their roles, and the plot moves along with unrelenting energy.
4. Milk
Gus Van Sant, another veteran director, has hit his highest mark with this exhilarating movie, a true-life portrait of Harvey Milk, a San Francisco man who became the first openly gay political official, and who later became a martyr for the gay community after his murder. Sean Penn plays Milk, and although we know he is the best actor of his generation, we are not expecting how uncannily he embodies this man, how brilliantly he brings his quirks and courage and flaws to life. Josh Brolin, James Franco, Emile Hirsch and Diego Luna round out one of the best ensemble casts in recent years. “Milk” is a moving evocation of a great man’s legacy.
3. Let the Right One In
Here’s one that should never have worked: A Swedish film about the relationship between a young social outcast and a twelve-year-old vampire. But “Let the Right One In” is an invigorating picture, superbly cast, impeccably photographed and written and acted with more insight and heart than you might expect. Kåre Hedebrant and Lina Leandersson are the stars, and although they have never acted before, they capture a vulnerability and honesty that no amount of theatrical training can imbue in a performer. This movie excited me when I first saw it, and I wanted to shout its praises to everyone I knew. See this movie before Hollywood has a chance to remake it.
2. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
Winner of the Palme d’Or at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, this bleak Romanian drama was released in the U.S. way back in January. It was the first great film of 2008, and it was only outranked in the final days of December. It is a wrenching film, set in 1987 during the “Golden Age” of Romanian politics, as a college student helps her sheepish roommate arrange for an illegal abortion; over the course of one very long day, the responsibility falls squarely on her shoulders. Director Cristian Mungiu photographs the film in a way that makes us a part of the action, and it is so unflinching that it forces us to watch on when we want to turn our eyes away. “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days” is not an approachable picture—it will take everything out of you—but it is as potent as any film I saw this year.
1. The Wrestler
Darren Aronofsky’s “The Wrestler” is a testament to the power of simple storytelling. The title says it all, doesn’t it? What is the movie about? A wrestler. That wrestler is Randy “The Ram” Robinson, who has fallen from glory since he hit the height of his career in the mid-‘80s. Now he works in the warehouse of a supermarket, lives out of his van and is forced to retire early after a heart attack. The movie is also a testament to career comebacks, and in this case we see Mickey Rourke making himself relevant again. His performance here is nearly beyond words. He brings a tenderness and sincerity to the role that I can’t imagine anyone else duplicating—this is not the case of an actor preening before a camera, but of an actor unapologetically baring his soul before us. I can’t readily recall a movie in which an actor so clearly relates with the character he is playing: When Rourke tells his estranged daughter that he’s “a broken-down piece of meat,” is that the character or the actor speaking? I think it’s a little of both, which makes “The Wrestler” such an emotional, personal experience.
I also greatly admired “Burn After Reading,” the Coen brothers’ goofy follow-up to their superb “No Country for Old Men;” Clint Eastwood’s “Changeling,” the true story of child abduction and police corruption in 1940s California; the fantasy “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” a tale of love, loss and the inevitability of time, directed with great panache by David Fincher; “Frozen River,” a low-budget masterpiece with a knockout lead performance by Melissa Leo; the dark comedy “In Bruges,” which will no doubt find a cult following over the years; “Iron Man,” the second-best superhero picture of 2008, and the film that officially marks Robert Downey Jr.’s comeback; Jonathan Demme’s divisive “Rachel Getting Married,” which features a remarkable Anne Hathaway performance; David Gordon Green’s overlooked “Snow Angels,” a haunting melodrama about love, death and deception in a small town; “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” a charming romantic comedy and the best film Woody Allen has made in years; and the Pixar gem “WALL-E,” which stands head and shoulders above any other family film this year.
Some great foreign films include “The Band’s Visit,” a charming Israeli comedy about a police band stranded in a small town overnight; Ireland’s “Boy A,” about a young man coming to terms with a murder he committed as a child; the German Oscar winner “The Counterfeiters,” the fascinating story of concentration camp inmates who assisted the Nazis in a failed economic swindle; and the Turkish film “The Edge of Heaven,” a moving, meditative character study that follows a college professor who goes looking for the daughter of the prostitute his father mistakenly killed. And among the year’s best documentaries are “Encounters at the End of the World,” Werner Herzog’s beautifully photographed study of the major scientific undertakings in Antarctica; Martin Scorsese’s concert picture “Shine a Light,” which proves the Rolling Stones as relevant and electric as ever; Errol Morris’ “Standard Operating Procedure,” a harrowing look at the Abu Grahib prison scandal; and the crowd-pleaser “Young @ Heart,” about a choir of rock-and-roll senior citizens.
It was especially disappointing for American cinema. On my 2007 list, only two (“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” and “Atonement”) were foreign productions; this year, half of the list is made up of films from countries other than the U.S.
But to say 2008 was a bad year would not be fair, and despite the fact that very few films really jumped out and grabbed me, the ones that did were really terrific.
Looking at the following films, most of which I have revisited for second and third times, I am astounded by the broad range of genres they cover—character studies, historical biopics, old-fashioned underdog stories; a quirky comedy, an enthralling documentary, an ambiguous morality play, a Romanian tragedy, a Scandinavian horror film and the best Hollywood blockbuster in years.
These are not the only great films of 2008, but they are the ones that moved, captivated and entertained me the most.
10. Happy-Go-LuckyReflect for a moment: How many movies have you seen in which the protagonist is simply, truly happy? Mike Leigh’s pictures are often dirges, dreary portraits of middle-class British life. But this one, despite harboring some dark undertones, is a mostly buoyant comedy about a woman who tries to turn dark clouds into rainbows. She is played by Sally Hawkins in the breakout performance of the year, and she is a joy to watch, turning a potentially annoying character into a lovable one.
9. The VisitorThomas McCarthy’s “The Visitor” is a small-scale picture with tremendous emotional resonance. It is an unexpectedly moving picture, with veteran character actor Richard Jenkins making a real impression as a bull-headed college professor who befriends two illegal immigrants and embraces African drumming. The story could have been heavy-handed in lesser hands, but the film is acted and written with such conviction that it pulls you in, despite the fact that it is deceptively simple.
8. The Dark KnightDid anybody miss seeing “The Dark Knight” during its theatrical run? Did anybody dislike it? It was that rare film that seemed to unite everybody—it was morally complex and dark, a thoughtful meditation on good versus evil, but, most importantly, it was damned entertaining, with some of the most sensational action sequences I’ve seen. Here we see superhero movies developing into a mature art form, and this film represents the height of the genre so far. I doubt it will ever be topped.
7. DoubtHere’s a movie in which every scene could come with a “for your consideration” disclaimer at the bottom of the screen. “Doubt” is based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning play, but it rarely seems stagy, and yet it still captures the spellbinding power of watching a live performance. Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams are all reliable actors, and they are simply stellar. But it is Viola Davis, whose performance lasts for barely ten minutes, who really strikes a chord—she finds a quiet humanity that stands out amidst the fire-and-brimstone intensity of the rest of the film. If ever there was a film to see, ponder and discuss heatedly, “Doubt” is it.
6. Man on WireIf “Man on Wire” had been told in the format of a fiction film, nobody would believe it. Such a sensational story could only happen in real life, and this look at wirewalker Philippe Petit’s feat of walking between the towers of the World Trade Center is breathtaking. Petit is an energetic narrator, director James Marsh re-creates images as dreamy and striking as Errol Morris, and the “plot” unfolds so unpredictably that you could liken it to a heist picture and not be far off. This is the best feature documentary of 2008.
5. Slumdog MillionaireDanny Boyle is a diverse, edgy filmmaker, but none of his movies have struck the same chord as “Slumdog Millionaire.” This is the Little Film That Could, the story of a poor kid from India who captures the country’s attention during his stint on the Hindi version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?,” this is an old-fashioned rags-to-riches plot approached in a way we’ve never seen before. Dev Patel and Frieda Pinto, relative newcomers to acting, are revelatory in their roles, and the plot moves along with unrelenting energy.
4. MilkGus Van Sant, another veteran director, has hit his highest mark with this exhilarating movie, a true-life portrait of Harvey Milk, a San Francisco man who became the first openly gay political official, and who later became a martyr for the gay community after his murder. Sean Penn plays Milk, and although we know he is the best actor of his generation, we are not expecting how uncannily he embodies this man, how brilliantly he brings his quirks and courage and flaws to life. Josh Brolin, James Franco, Emile Hirsch and Diego Luna round out one of the best ensemble casts in recent years. “Milk” is a moving evocation of a great man’s legacy.
3. Let the Right One InHere’s one that should never have worked: A Swedish film about the relationship between a young social outcast and a twelve-year-old vampire. But “Let the Right One In” is an invigorating picture, superbly cast, impeccably photographed and written and acted with more insight and heart than you might expect. Kåre Hedebrant and Lina Leandersson are the stars, and although they have never acted before, they capture a vulnerability and honesty that no amount of theatrical training can imbue in a performer. This movie excited me when I first saw it, and I wanted to shout its praises to everyone I knew. See this movie before Hollywood has a chance to remake it.
2. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 DaysWinner of the Palme d’Or at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, this bleak Romanian drama was released in the U.S. way back in January. It was the first great film of 2008, and it was only outranked in the final days of December. It is a wrenching film, set in 1987 during the “Golden Age” of Romanian politics, as a college student helps her sheepish roommate arrange for an illegal abortion; over the course of one very long day, the responsibility falls squarely on her shoulders. Director Cristian Mungiu photographs the film in a way that makes us a part of the action, and it is so unflinching that it forces us to watch on when we want to turn our eyes away. “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days” is not an approachable picture—it will take everything out of you—but it is as potent as any film I saw this year.
1. The WrestlerDarren Aronofsky’s “The Wrestler” is a testament to the power of simple storytelling. The title says it all, doesn’t it? What is the movie about? A wrestler. That wrestler is Randy “The Ram” Robinson, who has fallen from glory since he hit the height of his career in the mid-‘80s. Now he works in the warehouse of a supermarket, lives out of his van and is forced to retire early after a heart attack. The movie is also a testament to career comebacks, and in this case we see Mickey Rourke making himself relevant again. His performance here is nearly beyond words. He brings a tenderness and sincerity to the role that I can’t imagine anyone else duplicating—this is not the case of an actor preening before a camera, but of an actor unapologetically baring his soul before us. I can’t readily recall a movie in which an actor so clearly relates with the character he is playing: When Rourke tells his estranged daughter that he’s “a broken-down piece of meat,” is that the character or the actor speaking? I think it’s a little of both, which makes “The Wrestler” such an emotional, personal experience.
I also greatly admired “Burn After Reading,” the Coen brothers’ goofy follow-up to their superb “No Country for Old Men;” Clint Eastwood’s “Changeling,” the true story of child abduction and police corruption in 1940s California; the fantasy “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” a tale of love, loss and the inevitability of time, directed with great panache by David Fincher; “Frozen River,” a low-budget masterpiece with a knockout lead performance by Melissa Leo; the dark comedy “In Bruges,” which will no doubt find a cult following over the years; “Iron Man,” the second-best superhero picture of 2008, and the film that officially marks Robert Downey Jr.’s comeback; Jonathan Demme’s divisive “Rachel Getting Married,” which features a remarkable Anne Hathaway performance; David Gordon Green’s overlooked “Snow Angels,” a haunting melodrama about love, death and deception in a small town; “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” a charming romantic comedy and the best film Woody Allen has made in years; and the Pixar gem “WALL-E,” which stands head and shoulders above any other family film this year.
Some great foreign films include “The Band’s Visit,” a charming Israeli comedy about a police band stranded in a small town overnight; Ireland’s “Boy A,” about a young man coming to terms with a murder he committed as a child; the German Oscar winner “The Counterfeiters,” the fascinating story of concentration camp inmates who assisted the Nazis in a failed economic swindle; and the Turkish film “The Edge of Heaven,” a moving, meditative character study that follows a college professor who goes looking for the daughter of the prostitute his father mistakenly killed. And among the year’s best documentaries are “Encounters at the End of the World,” Werner Herzog’s beautifully photographed study of the major scientific undertakings in Antarctica; Martin Scorsese’s concert picture “Shine a Light,” which proves the Rolling Stones as relevant and electric as ever; Errol Morris’ “Standard Operating Procedure,” a harrowing look at the Abu Grahib prison scandal; and the crowd-pleaser “Young @ Heart,” about a choir of rock-and-roll senior citizens.
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