2008 Movie Redux

Finally..what you've all been waiting for, my critically acclaimed and eagerly anticipated movie review list..referred to in classrooms, boardrooms, and coffee shops around the nation, if not the world. Apologies for the ten day delay in publishing...personal, ahem, distractions..are to blame. Nevertheless, here we are so I hope you will enjoy. Many of you have been on this distribution list for years, I welcome those of you that are new, and as always feel free to pass along to anyone who may be interested. To unsubscribe, just delete this e-mail and worry about it next year.

Overall I thought 2008 was pretty decent. It seems like the release schedule was more back-loaded for the academy than ever before. I suppose this is a trend we will see continuing, which can make movie-going in March and April, etc. a bleak proposition. That's when you can dig in and catch up on your Netflix.

I welcome responses, even steadfast disagreements! As you all know I am very opinionated, but by the same token I realize that this is all very subjective (sorta..heh heh).

Finally, from time to time, some of you ask "why do you do this Seth, why do you send this out every year?" Why not? I enjoy putting it together, I see a ton of movies, and I like sharing my thoughts on them with the people I know. I look forward to compiling it each year.

And sure, I'd love a job in the industry (the film-making biz, not the A.O. Scott biz), so if you know of any, please pass them my way...

Note, as of this mailing, I have not seen W., The Class, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Changeling, WALL-E, or Waltz with Bashir as yet.

TOP TEN MOVIES 2008 (in order):
1) Ché - Hands down the best movie of the year. I didn't really know too much about the history of the Cuban or Bolivian revolutions, and Ché's brave, brutal, and uncompromising role therein. Soderbergh has made an epic for the ages. The four plus hours flew by for me and I was never bored. The black/white of the UN scenes contrasted with the colorful jungles and mountains - fantastic. Benicio Del Toro, unbelievable. Benicio should win the Oscar, but I have a feeling the PC academy will give it to Sean Penn.
2) Slumdog Millionaire - Danny Boyle is one of the best filmmakers of our generation, period. Everything about this movie was perfect, from the acting to the writing to the directing to the soundtrack to the unbelievable cinematography of India. This is the kind of movie you buy the day it's released on DVD. An instant classic and new all-time favorite. A+.
3) Happy-Go-Lucky - Sally Hawkins delivers one of the best performances in recent memory. I tried to tell everyone I know to go see this flick, but very few listened. It was awesome, funny, sweet, heartbreaking, uplifting, glorious. Eddie Marsan as the driving instructor is some of the best character acting I've EVER witnessed. The scenes with the two of them are so tense, so brilliantly paced, so perfectly directed. Mike Leigh is underrated. "EN-RA-HA!"
4) Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Woody Allen has still got some genius left in him, and this movie proved it. Absolutely hysterical and thoroughly enjoyable, I had to see it twice in the theater. Javier Bardem is rapidly climbing the charts as my favorite actor. Penelope Cruz should get an Oscar for her spectacular job (she stole every scene she shared with Scarlett "Can't Really Act But I'm Hot" Johansson). Loved this movie.
5) Tell No One - A fast and furious French thriller with lots of twists and turns. Francois Cluzet is a fine fine actor.
6) Man on Wire - Inspirational. It was great to see all the old footage of the WTC. What a feat, what a life philosophy, what a charismatic man. He could be my dinner guest anytime.
7) The Visitor - The Station Agent is one of my all-time favorites, so I eagerly anticipated this follow-up by Thomas McCarthy. It's a beautiful film with pitch perfect performances and political messaging that's hard to ignore. Any movie with several scenes of tonga drumming in Central Park has to be good, right?
8) The Wrestler - Mickey Rourke lives up to the hype and I now forgive Aranofsky for his misstep with The Fountain. A tightly knit, melancholy, simple film with big heart and tearjerker appeal. Excellent.
9) Gran Torino - I really expected this movie to be stupid based on the trailer. Good lord was I mistaken. Client Eastwood is positively transcendent as his character, and this movie pulls no punches. Reminds me of The Karate Kid in many ways, which is, of course, a good thing. Awesome.
10) In Bruges - Probably Colin Farrell's finest performance yet. The setting and cinematography were exquisite, the story intense, the acting great, writing superb. If you didn't see this in the theater, you really missed out. Move to position one in your queue.

RUNNER-UPS (no particular order, definitely worthy of your Netflix queue):
Encounters at the End of the World - Werner Herzog is the man. I really got a kick out of seeing these interesting, adventurous, intelligent people from all over the world exploring their various sciences and hobbies down in Antarctica. Amazing cinematography and sometimes funny, in just the right way.
Revolutionary Road - So, my friends who read the book say that Mendes missed the mark. Fortunately for me then I guess, I never read the book, and I thought this movie was really powerful and a lot of the themes really resonated with me. Leo and Kate were both great. And Michael Shannon as the crazy neighbor slaughters it. Someone get this man a feature lead.
Milk - Sean Penn is brilliant of course, but I think Benicio beats him out. I never learned about any of this history in school, which is a testament in and of itself...
Frost/Nixon - I've heard to the contrary, but I thought Langella really nailed Nixon. If it wasn't for movies like this, my American history knowledge would be really lacking (which is kinda sad I guess...)
Iron Man - Good job Favreau, you actually did it right. I could have used a few more fight scenes with Iron Man himself, but I suppose we'll get a sequel...
The Bank Job - A very well directed, tight, thrilling heist movie. Well cast, well paced, good finish. Move to to the top of your queue.
Mongol - The origin of Gengis Khan's rise to power from early childhood. Spellbinding. I was riveted from start to finish. Awesome.
All in This Tea - a small documentary about an American tea importer traveling around China purchasing various teas from local farmers and dealing with the politics and practices. I was fascinated.
Reprise - An interesting little Norwegian flick about two young authors, one who gets all depressed and suicidal. There were lots of powerful moments.
Roman de Gare - A tight thriller which was thoroughly entertaining.
Tropic Thunder - I went into this movie expecting the worst. I thought it was hysterical and nearly fell out of my seat laughing several times. Robert Downey Jr. was an absolute riot. The kind of movie that when it's on HBO I'll watch over and over again, regardless of what point in the movie it's at.
A Christmas Tale - This was the typical sort of French existential stuff that I really dig. Not much of a point a to z plot, but lots of great characters and family dysfunction to eat up. Great writing, acting, directing.
The Flight of the Red Balloon - This was a strange little film, but the tone it set was oddly satisfying. Juliette Binoche is always a joy to watch too, so beautiful and such a tremendous actor.
The Edge of Heaven - A powerful drama that follows several characters whose lives are intertwined as they move back and forth between Turkey and Germany. The acting was superb. This movie had me thinking for days after.
The Dark Knight - Bale and Leger were awesome, no doubt, and the movie was highly entertaining, both at the midnight opening and subsequently on the IMAX screen (word up Lucabrazz.) However I thought it was about twenty to thirty minutes too long and could have really used some intelligent editing. The whole scene with the boats and the detonators towards the end was superfluous and dumb to boot. We get it - man is capable of both good and evil, blah blah blah, stop driving the point home with asinine extra crap.
The Wackness - Ben Kinglsey is really working these days, geesh. Definitely see this flick, it has a lot of good stuff.
Be Kind Rewind - I really love Gondry and the way he tells stories. This movie is by no means a classic or a lesson in film-making, but it was fun, it made me smile and laugh a lot, and I left the theater wearing a grin and feeling happy. Emotions most critics tend to overlook.
Body of Lies - Thoroughly entertaining. I don't understand why Leo doesn't get more props for his sizable acting chops. Some really great action sequences.
Religulous - I love Bill Maher and thought this flick was a hoot. Unfortunately, the wrong audience will see this. I challenge believers of faith to watch it, because it's important.
Gonzo - A very well made documentary about Hunter S. Thompson. A pleasure to watch.
Mister Foe - I think it was only at the Angelika for a week or two, not sure why it didn't get any traction. Jaime Bell does well in this coming of age story with some interesting twists. Great soundtrack too.


WORST MOVIES 2008:
Synecdoche, New York - This is a litmus test kind of movie for me. I thought it was a total borefest, makes no sense, a pretentious self-indulgence, and a masturbatory exercise in overkill. It is NOT a good film. I am sure they will break this down in film schools and point out the symbolism and the hidden meanings, blah blah blah. BOOOOOOOOOO-RING. The first way I judge a movie is by my immediate visceral reaction to it. And my immediate visceral reaction to this movie was nausea. I couldn't wait for it to end and to text people not to waste their money on this garbage.
My Blueberry Nights - Wow, stick to singing Norah Jones. I can't even believe how poorly made this movie was. Do not Netflix under any circumstances.
Righteous Kill - How can a movie with Robert DeNiro AND Al Pacino be this bad? Oh yeah, the writing and directing SUCKED! The plot was diabolical! Disastrous.
Savage Grace - I can't even give kudos to Julianne Moore for her acting, because I thought even that was overplayed and poor. Didn't enjoy anything about this movie, except putting it back in the sleeve and returning it to Netflix.
The Love Guru - Holy cow Mike Myers, holy cow. UGH!
Funny Games - I am a worse person for having seen this. Gets the 2008 "WTF?!?!?" award.
Rachel Getting Married - An exercise in liberal political correctness at it's worst. They should sell this P.O.S. on Amazon along with Crash, that ludicrous nonsense that won the Oscar for best picture in 2006.
Wendy and Lucy - "A gritty look at some of the harsh realities of American life..." Pffffft, how about a snooze-fest about a chick looking for her dog in supermarket parking lots and local dog pounds and sleeping in her car? Just not for me. I did, however, really like the director's previous movie "Old Joy".
Wanted - The plot and writing were so stupid, that no action or special effects or Angelina Jolie in hot leather outfits can overcome it.
Choke - I dug the book but the movie was a mess and not particularly entertaining. Kelly MacDonald is the most beautiful woman working in film, edging out Rachel Weisz by a smidgen.
Seven Pounds - Really Will Smith? REALLY???
Hancock - Ditto.
10,000 BC - Woolly Mammoths! Tribal warfare! Action! LOUSY with a capital L!!!
What Happens In Vegas - Thankfully I didn't plunk down twelve bucks for this abomination. I will never get back those two hours of my life however.
Eagle Eye - Garbage. Hollywood please stop making this crap.
The Happening - Can someone take M. Night's membership card away? He jumped the shark years ago, and he ain't coming back.

OVERRATED (reminder, does not necessarily mean I didn't like the movie, just that I thought it's critical/public reception exceeded it's actual worth):
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - I wanted to love this movie, I really did. I just couldn't. It was like listening to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony by an orchestra with all out of tune instruments. I kept thinking that it was trying to be Forrest Gump, but failing. The one thing I really did like about this movie was the guy who gets hit by lightening a bunch of times, that was pretty funny I must admit.
Paranoid Park - I don't hate all Gus Van Sant movies, just most of them. This was all about style and technique and not so much story and substance. I don't see much difference between a movie like Sin City, 300 or this. (Some of you are seething in your seats right now..have a drink, it's going to be OK!)
Chop Shop - A movie for film students and film-makers. I mean, it was decent I guess, but not deserving of all the hysteria.
Doubt - PSH and Meryl Streep killed their roles, as per usual. But I thought the movie was lacking. Can't quite place my finger on it, sort of "close, but no cigar"...
The Counterfeiters - My roommate Tim made a good point recently about WWII movies..basically that it's all been covered from every angle, make a movie about something else for goodness sake. This film was OK, but nothing you haven't already seen.
Valkyrie - Ditto. However, everyone who hasn't seen "Downfall" should move it to the top of their queue. Now THAT was an awesome flick about Hitler. What a nutcase!
Pineapple Express - Too much loud crashing action explosions, not enough funny. Don't really get the James Franco hype coming out of this.
Cadillac Records - Great music, not much else going on here. Listen to the soundtrack instead.


MOST DISAPPOINTING:
Burn After Reading - John Malkovich was really good in his role, but the movie was a bit flat. I expect more from the Coen bros, but since they created The Big Lebowski and No Country for Old Men, I'll give them a pass on this one. Sort of like Eli getting a pass this year because he won the SuperBowl last year...


GUILTY PLEASURE:
Role Models - Really really funny. That Stiffler is a funny dude. I always forget his real name.


MEH (a new category this year! Didn't really move me in one way or another, some were ok and worth Netflixing, but nothing to get too excited about):
Son of Rambow - I guess it was kinda cute, but ultimately...meh.
Elegy - I thought it was poorly directed and put together wrong. Meh.
Let the Right One In - OK, so it was unlike any other vampire movie ever made. So what? Meh.
Frozen River - Meh.
The Reader - Kate Winslet was quite good, but there wasn't really anything new here. Meh.
Defiance - Daniel Craig and Jaime Bell were miscast I thought, and the score was annoying as hell. Some good action scenes I guess. Meh.
Snow Angels - Depressing. Meh.
Momma's Man - Claustrophobic and slow. Meh.
Transsiberian - A sometimes entertaining thriller set in Russia with Woody Harrelson and Ben Kinglsey. It's ok. Meh.
Appaloosa - A pretty average modern western. Meh.
Get Smart - Um, not that funny. Meh.
A Secret - More WWII fodder. Meh.
Rambo - One long action sequence. Meh.
The Incredible Hulk - I understand why they wanted a do-over after the Ang Lee misfire, but they should've done a lot better than this nonsense. I did like some of the early scenes set in Brazil. Meh.
Bottle Shock - Even if you're into wine, you probably won't enjoy this movie too much. Meh.
Ghost Town - I like Ricky Gervais, but..meh.
Stepbrothers - I don't know, I think if I was twelve or thirteen this movie would have me in stitches. I guess I'm just getting old. Meh.
Miracle at St. Ana - Spike Lee's WWII drama, it had some decent scenes, but nothing earth shattering here. Good for a rainy Sunday. Meh.
Traitor - I don't really remember too much about this movie a few months later, which says it all. I like Don Cheadle, but the story wasn't very believable at all. Meh.


Thanks for listening to my two cents, and happy film-watching in 2009!