The Rest of 2008

So 2008 is over and I guess I’ll make a favorite movies list.

So here’s a list of my top 5 favorite movies of 2008:

1. Slumdog Millionaire
2. Let the Right One In
3. Milk
4. The Visitor
5. Encounters at the End of the World

All of these are movies that I think were genuinely “Great” from 2008, without any hesitation I would instantly recommend them to everyone.

Other Movies I Really Enjoyed from 2008:
Pineapple Express, Man on Wire, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Happy-Go-Lucky, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, The Wrestler, Frozen River

Movies From 2008 That I Think Were Really Overrated:
Wall-E, The Dark Knight, Iron Man

Most Underrated/Unnoticed Performances of 2008:
Richard Jenkins in The Visitor, Melisa Leo in Frozen River, Michael Shannon in Revolutionary Road, David Kross in The Reader

My Favorite Music Albums of 2008 (Completely Unrelated):

Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend, Los Campesinos! – Hold on Now Youngster; Jenny Lewis – Acid Tongue,  Weezer – Weezer (Red), Coldplay – Viva La Vida or Death and All his Friends, Stephen Malkmus – Real Emotional Trash

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2008 was a great year for independent film, I tried to see the ones with the most buzz or hype just to see what it was all about. It was kind of strange how many of these were told in a very matter-of-fact style, in some sort of realist eye to show little bits of life that we wouldn’t have usually considered before. Some documentaries and a foreign film as well. It’s interesting.  So here are the remainder of my late 2008 movie reviews. They’re shorter than usual because there’s a lot, most people haven’t heard of many of them, and it’s getting late..

Reviews:

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

(2008 – Swedish) Dir: Thomas Alfredson; Star: Kare Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson
A modern vampire tale unlike any ever told on screen, this one follows the children Oskar, who is picked on in school, and his new mysterious friend next door. The lore here is as modern as it gets; the mythical have adapted to this new urban world and an unnerving realism pervades even the most bizarre. It’s genuinely frightening, comforting, and creepy with every cue. A cinematic delight from top to bottom, masterfully shot, lit, staged and realized. The climax is one of the most chillingly visceral and… satisfying moments in recent memory. Let the Right One In is a filmmaker’s film and a movie for the imagination to behold; a must-see.

MAN ON WIRE

(2008) Dir: James Marsh
Inspired documentary about french high-wire walker Philippe Petit’s quest to walk on a high wire between the two World Trade Center Towers, and his smaller scale preparations leading up to it. A skillful blend of heist-like recreation, home-made video, and personal recollection. Petit in particular is enthusiastically entertaining in his recollection. Film’s only flaw is the lack of actual video footage of the climactic wire-walk, although the images are astounding. A breathtaking ode to both this unique form of art and the thrilling act of self expression.

ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD

(2008) Dir: Werner Herzog
Outstanding documentary about the scientific residents of Antarctica and the jobs they do, the lives they live, and the land they study. It’s both an astonishing look at the human desire for exploration and a sheer admiration for the natural world. Herzog’s monumental love for nature shines through here, and the product is nothing short of awe-inspiring.

FROZEN RIVER

(2008) Dir: Courtney Hunt; Star: Melissa Leo, Misty Upham
Melissa Leo was nominated for an Oscar for her powerful performance as a single mom who turns to smuggling illegal immigrants across the Canadian border just to support her struggling family and to feed her dream of owning a “double wide” mobile home. A taut mix of suspense, personal struggle, family ties, desperation, and economic woe that seems all too apt these days; a harsh frozen winter surrounds it all. Leo’s performance anchors this superior, little movie.

WENDY AND LUCY

(2008) Dir: Kelley Reichardt; Star: Michelle Williams
Surprisingly memorable extended vignette following the enigmatic yet undeniably identifiable Wendy whose car breaks down and dog goes missing. Her only friend, the dog is her first mission, then the fixing of her car, all to get to Alaska where asylum from whatever she’s running away from waits. Ultra-simplistic, realist story that doesn’t do much, yet it’s somehow inescapably watchable and emotionally involving. Her search reveals something in her own character that we can all find in ourselves, much like Penn’s Into the Wild (although far more understated). William’s performance is perfectly tuned to this note. A bare bones, first rate self reflective meditation.

CHOP SHOP

(2008) Dir: Ramin Bahrani; Star: Alejandro Polanco, Isamar Gonzales
Neorealist piece following an ultra-resourceful kid in the chop-shop-laden Iron Triangle in Queens, as he saves up by using his street smarts for a Taco van for him and his sister. Not much happens, but the film does uncover a little known part of the world, right in our own back yard, that is as vibrant and exciting as any. There’s an infective sense of optimism and spirit here that quietly besieges the viewer.

THE WRESTLER

(2008) Dir: Darren Aronofski; Star: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei
Perceptive story of former star wrestler who must balance wrestling and his need for companionship, especially that of his daughter. We soon realize that perhaps wrestling is all he has ever had. A privileged look into the world of wrestling and the physical punishment that the performers go through all for the sake of entertainment. Rourke really is outstanding here.

DEFIANCE

(2009) Dir: Edward Zwick; Star: Daniel Craig
Remarkable story about a group of Jews in eastern Europe who go into hiding in the forests during world war II where they form an armed resistance in a fight for survival. By-the-numbers in most respects, but certainly entertaining for its well executed struggle and fight. It would’ve resonated more, however, without that all-too predictable deus ex machina… Still an enjoyable effort.

GRAN TORINO

(2008) Dir: Clint Eastwood; Star: Clint Eastwood
Eastwood directs himself as his classic bad ass persona, playing an old widower who doesn’t much like the way his Asian neighbors are being treated by a local gang, despite his old school racism. It’s great to see Clint teaching some bad seeds a lesson, but the finale is too predictable and its message feels too forced and standard.

ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO

(2008) Dir: Kevin Smith; Star: Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks
Best friend roommates, who have always avoided a sexual relationship, turn to producing a porn movie to make a quick buck, while learning that perhaps there is a romantic future for the two. Starts off decently but there are too many emotional holes, flat lines, false steps, and failed gags along the way. Kevin Smith’s screenplay tries to be something like ‘Knocked-Up‘ but fails on both comedic and sentimental fronts, so even the always-funny Rogen can’t keep it afloat.