The movies of 2008 were the best that I can remember. Much like the NBA's 2003 Draft, this year had a slew of Oscar movies that were some of the best in recent history. And, the rest of the year brought some of the great popcorn flicks of this decade. This is somewhat of a follow-up to an earlier post. The 2000s were tough to nail down because there weren't many standouts. But, 2008 brought us some of the best. So, officially, the 2000s have arrived. Now, 2009 has to finish us off and send us into a great teens. Huh? Teens? Yeah. That's right. Good, Very Good or Great movies of 2008 (in reverse box-office order):
GONZO: THE LIFE WORK OF HUNTER S. THOMPSON (Great) - If you like HST's work or story, you'll love this documentary. It's an inside to this guy's mad life. And, it explores the mind of one of the best writers ever.
THE READER (Good) - Kate Winslet is proving that she's her generation's best actress.
SHINE A LIGHT (Great) - I saw this at Hollywood ArcLight's Dome. And, if you've ever visited this theater, you know that it's an experience in itself. Pile on Martin Scorsese's look at a Rolling Stones charity concert in New York and it's unforgettable.
FROST/NIXON (Very Good) - Thrilling, captivating, exciting... interview. Yes. Powerhouse performances by Frank Langella and Michael Sheen make this Ron Howard flick a must-see. And, any movie with Sam Rockwell is worth watching.
MAN ON WIRE (Great) - One of the top docs of the year, this picture explores the man who walked the tight rope between the World Trade Center Towers.
THE WRESTLER (Great) - This is one of my favorite movies of the year. Mickey Rourke gives one of the year's best performances. It's just heartbreaking in every way. Darren Aronofsky is four for four.
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD (Great) - THERE WILL BE BLOOD was 2007's perfect film. This is 2008's. It won't win any awards for Best Picture, but it's the most perfect. Every shot, line of dialogue, performance, etc is pitch perfect - thank you, Sam Mendes. If Sean Penn didn't give an acting lesson in MILK, Leo would win the Oscar. Turns out that we'll have to settle for Kate Winslet deservedly winning Best Actress.
RACHEL GETTING MARRIED (Good) - Jonathon Demme directs this Anne Hathaway starrer. She was up for a Golden Globe and will be up for an Oscar.
BE KIND REWIND (Good) - This was a much missed movie by mainstream audiences, but it's references to 80s greats and stellar comedic performances by leads Jack Black and Mos Def make the movie. Danny Glover and Mia Farrow also deliver.
RELIGULOUS (Great) - The best documentary of the year, this Bill Maher collaboration with genius mind Larry Charles resulted in a hilarious review of modern religion. Kudos to Maher for tackling the most taboo of subjects.
GHOST TOWN (Good) - Spielberg's go-to writer David Koepp directed this Ricky Gervais vehicle. Here's a rule of cinema: Any movie starring Greg Kinnear will probably be at least watchable, if not good because of his performance alone.
PRIDE AND GLORY (Good) - When you pit Colin Farrell against Edward Norton, you're going to get a good movie. These are two of the finest actors around.
MILK (Great) - Sean Penn gives the year's best performance in this Harvey Milk bio-pic helmed by the great Gus Van Sant. Every actor is at the top of his game in this wonderful masterpiece. It's a shame that the picture isn't being rewarded more. This is an important movie. And, I think it's the best movie of the year.
DOUBT (Great) - I just stepped out of this film less that twelve hours ago. It's a powerhouse that leaves you breathless. Let me give you a little insider's secret... Amy Adams gives as good of a performance as Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman. She's a little warrior.
VICKY CHRISTINA BARCELONA (Very Good) - Woody Allen is like fine wine - he's getting better with age. Really. I like most of his earlier work that I've seen. But, he's turned it up in the last five years.
TRAITOR (Good) - Another insider's secret: Don Cheadle is the greatest American actor. Go to IMDB, look at his movie list, and just start renting his filmography. He always gives a stand-out performance and he usually saves the movie.
W. (Good) - Oliver Stone as a humorist. Josh Brolin is making his comeback. Or made his comeback this year. This is just a fun look at our goofiest president. I just wish they had the shoe-throwing incident in there. Man, that was funny.
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (Great) - This might be the most refreshing movie of 2008 because of Danny Boyle's fun direction and all the unknown actors are superb. Best Picture? Maybe. It has the most momentum. And, it's so unique.
THE BANK JOB (Good) - Jason Statham has a formula now. He's the go-to guy for these $15 million productions that make their money back and then some. He might be Hollywood's safest bet in that regard.
LEATHERHEADS (Good) - I don't understand the harsh critiques of this fun movie. What's wrong with some of these fat-assed, bitter reviewers? This movie is a romp and the leads (Clooney, Zellweger, Krasinski) give loose, entertaining performances.
ZACH AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO (Great) - I think this is Kevin Smith's funniest movie. Seth Rogen is a great. And, everything that Craig Robinson says is hilarious.
NICK AND NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST (Good) - Michael Cera is a breath of fresh air. He doesn't have six-pack abs. He's not a traditional leading man, yet he's one of Hollywood's best.
DEFINITELY, MAYBE (Good) - You have to judge movies for what they are. This is a harmless romantic comedy that delivered. Ryan Reynolds gives you Ryan Reynolds every time. And, that's a good thing.
THE LOVE GURU (Good) - I don't get it. This is on everyone's Worst List of 2008. If you like Austin Powers, how can you not like THE LOVE GURU? It's Mike Myers, people. He's funny. This isn't a great movie, but it's funny. And, it doesn't and shouldn't offend anyone. It doesn't make fun of Indians. It makes fun of everyone. Suck it up! Man! Relax!
SEMI-PRO (Good) - This is similar to THE LOVE GURU. DO you like Will Ferrell? If the answer is 'yes', then you'll laugh hysterically at this really funny basketball movie. If not, go fuck yourself.
CHANGELING (Very Good) - Angelina Jolie is the biggest victim of the bullshit media hype. Her performances suffer because of the constant exposure in the tabloids. And, that's a shame because she's really good in this. Oh, and did I mention that Clint Eastwood directed this? He's one of the best auteurs in cinemas roughly hundred years.
GRAN TORINO (Very Good) - Did I mention that Clint Eastwood is one of the best directors, actors, scorers, everything ever? He is. This one is one of his best.
BODY OF LIES (Great) - Why didn't people go see this Leo movie? It's amazing. Action, romance, thrills, explosions, Leo. Ridley Scott directed. It was the most overlooked of this year. I don't get it. I'll guarantee this one.
RAMBO (Good) - John Rambo is back. Sylvester Stallone proves that he's still relevant in cinema. I think everyone can agree the best part of the movie is when Rambo shreds about a thousand people with a truck-mounted machine gun. And, I love peace. I hate war... in real life. But, in movies, I want to see blood and guts... and I want to see evil Burmese men cut in half.
SPEED RACER (Good) - Another one of the movies this year that got a bum rap because of people's expectations. This is a kid's movie. The problem is that eight year old's can't drive to the theater and see movies alone. If they could, this would be one of the year's top box office successes.
BABY MAMA (Very Good) - I'll be the trillionth person in the world applauding Tina Fey. She's great. She's brilliant. Okay. But, her best move yet was to cast Steve Martin as her green-world boss.
BURN AFTER READING (Great) - In the tone of THE BIG LEBOWSKI, this Coen Bros flick is a wild one. Brad Pitt actually followed my friend Frank for a month for research for the role. And, John Malkovich is back! Yes!
VALKYRIE (Great) - Bryan Singer brings his fascination with Nazis into Tom Cruise's arena. The result: a gripping thriller and history lesson rolled into one. Tom Cruise, people. He's still one of the best. Don't you forget it!
FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL (Very Good) - Jason Segel is the new face of comedy. He's a big, oafish man (much like me) who isn't afraid of showing his penis on-screen for laughs.
ROLE MODELS (Good) - Paul Rudd is one of those actors that's been around for a long time, and he's played a crucial part in some great movies. Finally, he gets a big budget comedy to lead. And, he delivers.
HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY (Good) - Guillermo Del Toro has a wonderfully unique way of seeing the world. And, I love how he shares it with us with interesting films.
27 DRESSES (Good) - Another rom-com that's formula, but it's fine. Sometimes we need a romantic comedy to break up the killing and war movies. James Marsden and Katherine Heigl are fantastic.
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (Very Good) - The story stands alone in terms of utter originality. Brad Pitt is starting to give more and more grown-up roles. What do I mean by that? I think he's a big kid who's played on-screen for the past twenty years. It's not a bad thing. That was his charm. But, when he did JESSE JAMES, he found a stillness and attitude that marked his graduation. He plays in BENJAMIN BUTTON, but he mixes that with subtle nuances. He's getting there. If he figures it out soon, he'll be the world's best actor.
YES MAN (Very Good) - Jim Carrey is the funniest film actor today. He's an idea man who gets it right with every comedy he makes. YES MAN is another brilliant performance in a long line of great comedies.
CLOVERFIELD (Very Good) - At first, I rebelled against this well-marketed hype machine. But, it was really good. Oh, I forgot to mention that I don't get motion sickness in movies. Why? Because I realize I'm watching a movie.
PINEAPPLE EXPRESS (Very Good) - One of the year's funniest, Seth Rogen and James Franco make a perfect match in this weed smoking movie. Franco is actually the best part of this pic, nailing the role of stoner that Sean Penn introduced twenty-five years before in FAST TIMES.
STEP BROTHERS (Very Good) - Maybe the year's funniest, this dumb ass movie (in a good way) was hilarious is so many different ways. Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly are crazy. I'll take credit for the poster. My wife and I did a similar portrait as a gag gift for Christmas in 2006.
EAGLE EYE (Good) - Another one that critics panned because of it's 'preposterous story.' I guess most critics couldn't believe that a super-computer could be the bad guy pulling strings of chaos. No way. In TERMINATOR it can work, but not in this fun Shia LaBeouf picture. Critics... shut up!
BOLT (Good) - Disney. Pixar. Need I say more? It's the most proven formula in movies.
TROPIC THUNDER (Good) - Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey, Jr. pack this action-comedy with laughs. "I'm the dude, playin' the dude disguised as another dude."
GET SMART (Good) - Fun. Funny. Stupid... in a good way. I love movies, so I'm going to like a movie that's all of those things. I enjoy a breezy movie, and that's exactly what this is.
WANTED (Very Good) - I hate shoot-'em-ups. I'm tired of the jumping through the air and shooting two guns routine. But, WANTED did it better than any other with the best cast you could possibly assemble.
THE INCREDIBLE HULK (Good) - Another one I don't really understand. How could you like this movie and not like the Eric Bana/Ang Lee version. They're almost exactly the same! They both have a big green monster doing crazy smashy things. Ed Norton is good. So was Eric Bana. Good. Great. Wonderful. No yelling on the bus!
MAMMA MIA! (Good) - Who is this newcomer Meryl Streep? She's good. She's going to have a long career in Hollywood. I'll guarantee it.
SEX AND THE CITY (Great) - Any fan of the show will tell you that this movie went way beyond not disappointing. It was perfect for the superfan. The girls were back. And, I can't wait for the sequel. These are really great characters.
HORTON HEARS A WHO (Good) - It wasn't bad enough to keep off this list. I didn't love it, but it was entertaining. Jim Carrey's and Steve Carrell's voice make the movie watchable.
QUANTUM OF SOLACE (Very Good) - This follow-up to CASINO ROYALE didn't disappoint. Daniel Craig was in top Bond form as the revenge seeking, rogue MI:6 agent. If you like Bond films, you should like this one.
WALL*E (Great) - Maybe the year's best picture. I think this film should be up for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. It's that good. It's arguably the best Pixar movie. It's definitely the sweetest movie of the year.
HANCOCK (Good) - Will Smith summer movie = good. He's great as the lazy, boozing superhero. I wish I was a lazy, boozing superhero.
INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL (Great) - I've said it before and I'll say it again. They could make the next Indiana Jones movie about Indiana Jones taking a two-hour walk, and I'll be first in line and I'll love it. So, I'm biased. Okay. Come on! Indiana Jones whip cracking, diving, punching, smirking. It's ultimate escapism.
IRON MAN (Great) - One of the best comic book movies ever. This is just a wild ride for two hours. The Tony Stark character is fun and affable, and Robert Downey, Jr. is a real treat as the center of this movie. The action is fantastic, but the relationship between Gwyneth Paltrow and Downey is what makes this movie better than the others. They have fun and trade witty banter for the duration.
THE DARK KNIGHT (Great) - The phenomenon of the year. One of the biggest movies of all-time. The most anticipated film in years. And, like LeBron James, it exceeds every great expectation. This film is actually brilliant as art, not just popcorn fare. It's truly a masterpiece of cinema. Heath Ledger is wonderful, but so are Christian Bale and Aaron Eckhart and Morgan Freeman. Everyone, really. It's just one of those special films that seems to have a life of it's own.
I love movies. I wish I could make them for a living. For now, I'll watch as many as possible and learn, learn and learn. And, 2008 taught me a lot. This is one of the best years of movies ever.
