saw the thread for year end list in music, thought i d just start the discussion here on the best films people have seen in 2008.

although i have nt seen everything that i wanted to watch. i cant shake off hou hsiao hsien's 'flight of the red balloon' i think it is the best movie i have seen this year.

what are your favs so far and what movies do u think will end up on your year end lists?

dark knight and iron man are my fav ones

Well, the foreign film 'Mongol' was my year's favorite. It was released in 2007 (And nominated for 2007's best foreign film Oscar) but you could only realistically see it in the US in 2008.
Not only was the topic uncommon but it also depicted Genghis Khan in an uncommon way, more akin to Alexander than the traditional barbarian portrayal of him. It's sappy at times and inappropriately romantic, but it's a good film with good cinematography.

dark knight and iron man were both solid films.

dark knight especially was a strong outing but there is a weird play in the film about taking surveillance and terrorism seriously and when i did i thought it was a little flawed in how it presents those two themes. def well made though

i agree with the cinematography of mongol it was delicious.
i d recommend ashes of time by wong kar wai which was rereleased this year, which combines the epic with martial art sequences without the sappiness.
Its wong kar wai so he puts his own twist on it and it has some of the most breathtaking cinematography ive seen this year.

Here's my current Top 25. I saw a few of these at the Toronto Film Festival, so some aren't in theatres just yet, but will be by the end of '08.

01. The Wrestler
02. The Visitor
03. Young@Heart
04. Slumdog Millionaire
05. WALL-E
06. Frozen River
07. Waltz with Bashir
09. In Bruges
09. The Dark Knight
10. Burn After Reading
11. Wendy and Lucy
12. The Edge of Heaven
13. Rachel Getting Married
14. It's a Free World...
15. Happy-Go-Lucky
16. I've Loved You So Long
17. Snow Angels
18. The Band's Visit
19. Iron Man
20. Paranoid Park
21. Son of Rambow
22. Vicky Cristina Barcelona
23. The Bank Job
24. RocknRolla
25. Standard Operating Procedure

Stuff I've missed: Man on Wire, Tell No One, Up the Yangtze, Mongol, Ballast, Momma's Man, Kung Fu Panda, W., Taxi to the Dark Side, Changeling

Stuff I'm still looking forward to: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Revolutionary Road, Milk, Synecdoche New York, Doubt, Frost/Nixon, A Christmas Tale, Australia, Hunger, Che, The Reader, Gran Torino

This message has been edited. Last edited by: dignanandmax,

I'm glad to see "In Bruges" high on your list, dignanandmax. That's certainly been my favorite film so far this year, but I'm worried it won't make it across the perilous bridge between an early year release and Oscar recognition. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson deserve acting nominations, and I will be quite upset if it doesn't get a nod for the McDonagh's original screenplay. Don't forget about this little dandy when compiling your year-end lists!

Best:
The Edge of Heaven
The Dark Knight

Close:
Wall-E
Forbidden Lies
Flight of the Red Balloon
Happy-Go-Lucky
Man on Wire
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Taxi to the Dark Side

Still Great:
Reprise
The Visitor
Burn After Reading
Cloverfield
The Order of Myths
Tell No One
Up the Yangtze
The Last Mistress

I don't want to piss you or anybody else off, but The Flight of the Red Balloon (upon repeated viewings) is one of the most boring and pointless films I've ever seen. The Red Balloon is one of my fave films as a child and remains that to this day, no matter what anybody's age is.

You know repeated viewings to realize that mark? I love an art film as much as anyone, but The Flight of the Red Balloon is the worst film I've seen in 2008. If you want to call it art, it was horrible art. I'd put Cloverfield above it, if only because when I was watching cloverfield while I was not struck by any sort of brilliance, I was never concerned about falling asleep.

hey opinion is opinion, i ve been a huge hou fan and i did go in the theatre with much reservation (mostly because i loved the red balloon) for the flight of the red balloon - but i adored it.

i ve been thinking about burn after reading recently and the use of music in the film - hilarious, def top ten.

Hands down, Wall-E was the best film of the year in my mind. Being a huge fan of old silent era comedies from the likes of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, nothing comes close to how greatly Wall-E was able to mix sentiment and comedy. Brilliant.

I feel like I haven't seen enough of the movies I need to see to make an accurate list yet... Right now It'd look something like..

1. Synecdoche, New York
2. Man on Wire
3. The Edge of Heaven
4. The Band's Visit
5. Wall-E
6. 4 Months, 3 weeks and 2 days
7. The Dark Knight

Meh so many films to see...

ditto on not seeing a lot but here is a quick top 5 for now

flight of the red balloon
synecdoche, ny
a christmas tale
wall - e
my winepeg

not sure if i wanna include 4 months 3 weeks 2 days as i might have done that on my last year's list...it was brilliant

I still have a lot of films to see, but as of right now, here's a tentative list:

1. Man on Wire
2. The Dark Knight
3. Gonzo: The Life And Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
4. Be Kind Rewind
5. In Bruges
6. Religulous
7. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
8. Pineapple Express
9. The Rocker
10. Iron Man
11. Stop-Loss
12. Redbelt
13. Flash of Genius
14. Transsiberian
15. Cloverfield

Some critically acclaimed movies I saw, but didn't get:

1. The Visitor - Not bad, but not as engaging as director Tom McCarthy's first feature, The Station Agent. I think it's getting a lot of kudos for the topical subject matter, but the story, like it's protagonist for most of the film, was utterly boring.

2. Tropic Thunder - Aside from a pretty funny performance from Robert Downey Jr., this movie was an unfunny turd trying to pass itself off as a parody of the very thing that it was. Hot Fuzz covered that territory last year with infinitely better results.

Best unintentional comedy of the year:

The Happening.

So far, I don't think it's been a terrific year for movies, but there's been some good documentaries, comedies, and two very good superhero movies.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: EricG75,

I really like the title of this thread, it includes the word "discussion" something that I haven't seen often. Anyway, my list:

1. Mama Mia!!! (2008). A near perfect musical for the baby-boomer generation that is pure refreshing, uninhibited entertainment, with great comedy and choreography, along with an award-winning singing, acting performance by Meryl Streep. Nine out of Ten Stars. [Reviewed 7/24/08].

2. Body of Lies (2008). Director Ridley Scott along with actors Leonardo Di Caprio and Russell Crowe have created an important statement in regards to cultural understanding and awareness in this captivated, compelling story about anti-terrorism and the need for human assets with compassion and heart. A mentally stimulating thriller with some techno-action, but it's starring role is the humanity sustained in this movie. [Reviewed 10/12/08]. 9/10.

3. The Women (2008). Hits right on delving into the light comedy-drama of contemporary women of today's generation. Bringing together a powerful ensemble cast of well-known female actresses, this movie explodes with an entertaining but fascinatingly real essence of contemporary women dealing with business and relational issues. [Reviewed 9/27/08]. Nine out of Ten Stars.

4. Get Smart (2008). A groundbreaking, rough around the edges, sophisticated, underplayed adventure comedy in this Steve Carell helmed movie that reprises the television series. 8/10. [Reviewed 6/21/08].

5. The Chronicles of Naria: Prince Caspian (2008). Pevensie siblings after 1,300 years to a darker world and must address their own egos in this well balanced human and non-human interplay between good and evil on a much more realistic juvenile fantasy realm. 8/10. [Reviewed 5/18/08].

6. WALL*E (2008). A creative innovation in animation using a solid script that requires substantially less dialogue and vastly more difficult physical, visual communication of ideas in this meaningful movie about loneliness, simple emotions and ideas about this only remaining robotic waste collector on earth who accidentally discovers (even unknowingly) the key to the fate of humanity. Eight out of Ten Stars.

7. Tropic Thunder (2008). An adult comedy (R-Rated comedy circuit acts made into a movie with special effects). This no-holds barred comedy offends and satirizes, emotionally packs a thought-provoking punch at times about actors who believe in they are in war movie when they encounter real drug lords in an Asian Country where the movie is being shot. A risky, cultish movie that misses a few times but makes up for its daringly fresh comedy acts. [Reviewed 8/21/08]. Eight out of Ten Stars.

8. Seven Pounds (2008). Wil Smith plays an IRS agent with a past in which he begins to plot the fate of several other people he has studied in this insightful, emotional movie about redemption. [Reviewed 12/21/08]. 8/10.

9. Swing Vote (2008). A comedy-drama about one man's vote (Kevin Costner) to decide the U.S. President that is a meaningful statement on American politics while at the same time offering a poignant depiction of a daughter who carries adult responsibilities and a flawed man who has yet to find himself and his place in his daughter's life. [Reviewed 8/3/08]. 8/10.

10. Ghost Town (2008). British Actor Ricky Gervais captivates in a difficult comedian, jackass role and pulls it off in this funny and delightful romance comedy about a dentist who died briefly and can now see ghosts. [Reviewed 9/21/08]. 8/10.


Honorable Mention

The Bank Job (2008). This crime thriller is a straight forward yet compelling bank job that has a hard-edge element that keeps the audience wondering about the climax. There are also more mature relational themes as background elements that lend more heavy weight meaning. [Reviewed 3/21/08]. 8/10.

Burn After Reading (2008). A quirky black comedy about the craziness of relationships, self-obsessions, and mistaken who done its starring George Clooney, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, Brad Pitt, and Tilda Swinton. The delicate balance of drama and black comedy precariously teeters but remains nicely balanced at the end.

Definitely, Maybe (2008). This heart-warming and contemporary family drama reaches out and presents a strong performance and script on the life of one man and his various serious relationships (not necessarily being serious all the time) in his life as well as his efforts to become a Presidential speech writer. In many ways, Will Hayes (played by Ryan Reynolds) has a typical but fascinating life as he meets and plays with and struggles with the "complicating" life of relationships. This movie avoids the stereotypes and deals mostly from the heart.
8/10.

Forbidden Kingdom (2008). A predictable but entertaining fantasy martial arts movie with fine performances by Jackie Chan and Jet Li as a boy is the center of a prophecy to save a kingdom and return a magical staff. [Reviewed 4/18/08]. 8/10.

Hancock (2008). Wil Smith and Charlize Theron offer up a nice change in chemistry as alcoholic superhero Wil Smith must come to terms with his chemical problem in this different dramatic, fantasy comedy Directed by Peter Berg that brings to the screen a new human perspective to the superhero story. [Reviewed 7/8/08]. 8/10.

Horton Hears a Who (2008). A fun, simple, entertaining animated full-length movie based on Dr. Seuss's short story with Jim Carrey and Steve Carrell in meaningful animated characters that stand on their own. [Reviewed 4/7/08]. 8/10.

The Hulk (2008). A great superhero movie of the year with a nice blend of humanity and action, an Edward Norton who brings a real human being to the screen along with a high-tech computer generated Hulk that captures sufficient realism to make his scenes fit well into the movie. 8/10. [6/15/08].

Kung Fu Panda (2008). A richly entertaining animated feature starring Jack Black and Dustin Hoffman's finely nuanced roles in a movie the finely blends animation with an sensitive script with nice elements of humor and creative martial art fighting. [6/13/08]. 8/10.

Made of Honor (2008). An entertaining and good look at men and female relationships as Patrick Dempsey, playboy gets a wake up call as his best girlfriend informs him that she's getting married and he gets to be her maid of honor. Contains a great look at men's failures when it comes at women but at the same time provides a great look at the intimacy that is required of relationships. The only failings is the beginning macho, man gets girl sequences, the initial Dempsy becoming a true maid of honor, and his horseback riding instead of swimming feat. [Reviewed 5/4/08]. 8/10.

The Mummy: The Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008). An exciting, creative action-thriller that improves on the action scenes along with a incorporation of sometimes predictable but funny humor with a slightly darker dramatic edge, along with some flaws. Nevertheless, this is an entertaining thrill ride that pushes the envelope of excitement at the risk of making a few mistakes along the way. [Reviewed 8/3/08] 8/10.

Quantum of Solace. Daniel Craig is a human James Bond who is vulnerable but resilient in this technology eschewing version that emphasizes the rich emotional intrigue and human dilemma of espionage. A gripping movie, except for some lazy-actions sequences in the beginning that fail to capture the original potential that the stunt directors attempted but failed. [Reviewed 11/14/08]. 8/10.

Sex and The City (2008). An emotionally charged romantic drama about contemporary relationships among the more professional female crowd. Sometimes difficult to experience for its male-bashing, the movie eventually presents a insightful, balanced depiction of relationships, avoided the soap-opera, politically correct stereotypes this movie could have fallen into. [Reviewed 6/1/08]. Eight out of Ten Stars.

War, Inc. (2008). John Cusack, co-produced, co-wrote, and starred in this biting, dark comedy about the contemporary military-industrial conflict in a fictional country and resembles the Iraqi conflict. A boldly risky script with drama as well as a wry, intellectual humor that strives to stay the course. Except a terrible idiotic scene of Mr. Cusack running in a bunker, War, Inc. survives to victory in making its statement about war. [Reviewed 11/22/08]. 8/10.

Good But Failed to Make the Grade

27 Dresses 7/10.
Alvin and the Chipmunks 7/10.
Bee Movie 7/10.
The Dark Knight 7/10.
The Day the Earth Stood Still. 7/10.
Fool's Gold 7/10.
Journey to the Center of the Earth. 7/10.
Iron Man 7/10.
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day 7/10.
Nim's Island 7/10.
Stop Loss 7/10.
Vantage Point 7/10.
Wanted 7/10.
The X-Files: I Want to Believe 7/10.

Disappointments

21 6/10.
Cloverfield 3/10.
Eagle Eye 6/10.
Four Christmases 5/10.
The Happening 3/10.
Hellboy II 5/10.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull 6/10.

Missed/Haven't Seen Yet

Australia
The Changling
Che
City of Ember
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Defiance
Doubt
Flash of Genius
Frost/Nixon
In Bruges
Kitt Ketteridge
Milk (Sean Pean)
Rachel Getting Married (Anne Hathaway)
The Reader
Revolutionary Road
The Secret Life of Bees
Slumdog Millionaire
Under The Same Moon
Valkyrie
The Wrestler

So far & totally subject to change:

1. Ghost Town
2. The Visitor
3. Wall-E
4. Hellboy 11: The Golden Army
5. Iron Man
6. The Dark Knight
7. Cloverfield
8. Journey to the Center of the Earth
9. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
10. Quantum of Solace

The flick I'm most anxious to see from what I've read and been told about is the Swedish vampire film, "Let The Right One In". As this film will never, ever appear here in the land of the megaplex, the wait is on for March 10 when it comes out on dvd.

quote:

Originally posted by crazed:
The flick I'm most anxious to see from what I've read and been told about is the Swedish vampire film, "Let The Right One In". As this film will never, ever appear here in the land of the megaplex, the wait is on for March 10 when it comes out on dvd.

after watching the trailer it became the most anticipated movie for me. it played at a theatre near by for a very short time and i missed it...thanx for the dvd date

trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICp4g9p_rgo

This year was very difficult to see everything as early as the "real" professional critics, but I've seen most of them, and if I wait to see all of them, I wouldn't have a list for another month, and what fun is that giving at Best 10 List if February?

1. In Bruges
2. Tropic Thunder
3. Changeling
4. Arranged
5. Bolt
6. Shotgun Stories
7. Ironman
8. Slumdog Millionaire
9. Son of Rambow
10. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days

quote:

asc85 Know-It-All
Posted 03 January 2009 09:22 AM
This year was very difficult to see everything as early as the "real" professional critics, but I've seen most of them, and if I wait to see all of them, I wouldn't have a list for another month, and what fun is that giving at Best 10 List if February?

1. In Bruges
2. Tropic Thunder
3. Changeling
4. Arranged
5. Bolt
6. Shotgun Stories
7. Ironman
8. Slumdog Millionaire
9. Son of Rambow
10. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days

While I don't agree with all your choices and I haven't seem a number of them, I am impressed by your wide range of choices and your diversity. It appears that you have a sensitivity and openness to many different genres as well as independent and popular movies. What makes you so fascinating is that it's difficult from your choices to even speculate what makes for a good movie for you. Any revelations as to what "a good movie" is for asc85?

quote:

While I don't agree with all your choices and I haven't seem a number of them, I am impressed by your wide range of choices and your diversity. It appears that you have a sensitivity and openness to many different genres as well as independent and popular movies. What makes you so fascinating is that it's difficult from your choices to even speculate what makes for a good movie for you. Any revelations as to what "a good movie" is for asc85?

Tabuno,

Thank you for your generous comments. I don't know what to say about what makes a "good movie" for me. I'd like to say that to me, "a good movie is a good movie." I guess I tend to like films that:

1. Are unique...not something I typically see, OR
2. Well-written, in terms of snappy dialogue OR
3. Are very sensitive.

Although I'm sure there are a number of films that I didn't put on this list that would certainly fall into one of these three categories. Like Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart said when asked to describe pornography, "I know it when I see it."

BTW - My favorite films over the last five years have been:

2007 - A Mighty Heart
2006 - Clean
2005 - Nobody Knows (Japanese movie)
2004 - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2003 - Dirty Pretty Things