The Film Blogger's Top 10 Films of 2008
#10 - Cloverfield
Although certainly off of the radar of many cinemagoers by now, Cloverfield arrived in February with a wealth of hype, mystique and intrigue, and strangely enough, manage to vastly exceed my expectations in creating a visceral, gritty, and occasionally terrifying creature feature. One must not ignore some occasionally clunky elements (given that nobody would be able to keep a camera steady amidst the chaos), yet in a stagnant genre devoid of creativity, Cloverfield is a taut and intense picture that runs in at a tight, crisp 85 minutes, and is all the better for its brief running time.
**** 1/2 (out of five)
#9 - In Bruges
Martin McDonagh's finds himself progressing from Oscar-winning 2004 short Six Shooter to In Bruges - one of the best full-length features of 2008. Largely unseen in more populist cinema circles (likely because of the tenuous marketability of the film's premise), In Bruges finds two hit men (Colin Farrell & Brendan Gleeson) exiled in Bruges following a botched assassination, as a third assassin (Ralph Fiennes) seeks them out. Darkly funny, and quirky without seeming smug or self-important, In Bruges serves up bloody gunfights and plenty of laughs alongside an existential undercurrent, pondering the implications of life and death when intertwined with guilt and honour. Farrell and Fiennes in particular are excellent.
**** 1/2 (out of five)
#8 - Bigger, Stronger, Faster*
This searing documentary explores the ethics of steroid use in professional sports, intimately examining the physical and emotional effects of anabolic steroids on the director's family (given that his brothers are both steroid users). Bell's personal touch adds an extra resonance to this already compelling film, and he is to be commended for his even-handed treatment of the subject matter - neither condemning nor supporting steroid use, Bell instead lobbies for more support and more research on the contentious issue. Perhaps most disturbingly, Bell ultimately confronts the "American condition", considering the myth of heroes, and how mass media promote the idea of sportsmen becoming "bigger, stronger, and faster" than all others. Stunning.
**** 1/2 (out of five)
#7 - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
If there is any complaint to level against Benjamin Button, it would certainly be that its screenplay borrows occasional elements from Eric Roth's previous script for Forrest Gump. Despite this, Benjamin Button is a huge achievement for helmer David Fincher - despite his previous high-concept works (Alien 3, Fight Club, Panic Room, Zodiac), he has never handled a project quite this intricate and ambitious. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button chronicles the life of its eponymous protagonist (Brad Pitt) - a man who ages backwards, beginning life as an "old baby", and ultimately growing "up", and becoming younger. Fincher's film is an artistic triumph in every sense, from the film's stunning cinematography, to the ground-breaking visual and make-up effects used to cast Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt at various stages in their lives. Despite its whimsy, Benjamin Button is ultimately a love story born out of tragedy, presenting its depiction of forbidden love in an esoteric and visually arresting fashion. Brad Pitt delivers the best performance of his career, and Fincher crafts one of the better entries into his directing canon.
**** 1/2 (out of five)
#6 - Revolutionary Road
Sam Mendes' adaptation of Richard Yates' acclaimed novel captures many of the same themes as Mendes' most-revered work to date, American Beauty - concerned with the futility and the tiresome pursuit that is the "American dream", Revolutionary Road considers where true life fulfilment can be found, and the forces that act diametrically opposed to this (namely money and childbirth). Mendes' direction is as robust and good-looking as ever, yet it is the all-cylinders-fired performances from Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet which render Revolutionary Road such an incredible, albeit materially dark, delight to behold. Reuniting for the first time since James Cameron's Titanic in 1997, the duo (along with Kathy Bates, who also starred in Titanic) fire off of one another with more intensity than most of the year's films combined. Whilst the film's message about the corrupted perception of the idyllic American lifestyle is certainly nothing new, a visceral third-act gut-punch ensures that Revolutionary Road cements its considerations with emotional resonance.
**** 1/2 (out of five)
#5 - WALL-E
Pixar delivers another visually stunning picture to their repertoire, yet where WALL-E supersedes the majority of their back catalogue (save perhaps for Toy Story) is with its thematically conscious narrative, seamlessly and beautifully imbued within a wonderful "love" story between two machines - WALL-E and EVE. Devoid of dialogue for much of its first act, WALL-E defies audience expectations from the outset, yet carefully crafts an intensely likeable, monosyballic protagonist that doesn't exploit his cuteness, yet metes it out in agreeable portions. With its conservationist dialectic, WALL-E could very well have descended into a didactic rhetoric about green living, yet Pixar's tender hand for humanism ensures that they deliver their message in a wholly arresting and crowd-pleasing fashion.
**** 1/2 (out of five)
#4 - Frost/Nixon
Frost/Nixon, Ron Howard’s first return to the camera since the extremely divisive The Da Vinci Code, is a truly fascinating film – a genuinely exhilarating battle-of-wits between British reporter David Frost (Michael Sheen) and President Richard Nixon (Frank Langella) as they conduct a series of post-Watergate interviews. Framed very much like a boxing match, Frost/Nixon contains all of the pedigree ingredients of a high-octane title fight - two heavyweight competitors, a hard-nosed ring crew for each side, and a slew of intense intermissions between each "round" of recording. Langella shines in his portrayal of "tricky Dick", exuding all of the slipperiness and wry wit that one would believe to be true of the man, whilst Sheen, as his opposite, is the suave sophist, yet also the marked underdog. Howard delivers perhaps a career-best with Frost/Nixon - his direction creates a great sense of suspense despite the film's very clear roots in reality. Fantastic.
Full Review
**** 1/2 (out of five)
#3 - Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog Millionaire, without doubt, is the most unique film of 2008 - depicting the struggles of a youngster from the slums of Mumbai (formerly Bombay) as he competes in the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (and is suspected of cheating), Slumdog represents a melding of cultures, bringing Danny Boyle's frenetic sensibilities as a British filmmaker into harmony with the exotic, contemplative expanses of developing India. In better terms than any other film this year, Slumdog Millionaire is the apotheosis of helmer Boyle's previous works, with an earth-shattering collision of style and substance that is unlike few other works committed to film. One may argue that Slumdog submits to convolution by its climax, yet in a film very much concerned with spirituality and destiny, such supposed concerns reform as open-minded philosophising, and moreover, are delivered in a breathtakingly ethereal manner.
**** 1/2 (out of five)
#2 - The Wrestler
To fans of Darren Aronofsky (Pi, Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain), The Wrestler is as much a departure stylistically as is possible for the acclaimed director. Filmed in grimy handheld 35mm, Aronofsky captures the grit of the professional wrestling industry with untamed, brutal honesty, yet melds this with a decidedly human touch, channelled through Mickey Rourke's mesmerising, self-reflexive performance. Rourke, largely flying below radar for over a decade (other than a high-profile role as Marv in 2005's Sin City), returns in a performance sure to earn him an Oscar nomination (and quite possible the Oscar itself). Few roles in the history of cinema are this true to the actor playing them - Rourke's performance as a washed-up wrestler hoping to make it to the top once again is seemingly an advanced means of method acting, for Rourke, with his scarred face, and at 56 years old, embodies all of Randy "The Ram" Robinson's weaknesses, and all of his cock-sure, uplifting spirit. Moving and utterly compelling whether wrestling interests you or not, this unique, insular look at the "sport" is immaculately performed (with superb support from Marissa Tomei and Rachel Evan Wood) and intimately directed by Aronofsky.
**** 1/2 (out of five)
#1 - The Dark Knight
Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight is an astounding achievement, melding the fantastical world of paperback with the gritty reality of modern crime-noir classics such as Heat and The Departed. Moreover, the film is packed to the brim with Academy-worthy material, from the performances, to the soundtrack, to the direction and even the coveted “Best Picture” award itself. Nolan confidently directs a lengthy film that manages to remain concise and thoroughly gripping from start-to-finish thanks to an expert understanding of peak-and-trough narrative form. This film will undoubtedly be remembered as a dirge for the late Heath Ledger, a talent tragically taken from us decades too early, yet it is poignant in a sense that his rendition of the Joker shall be remembered for decades, and is certainly the most powerful performance of his all-too brief career. The Dark Knight does justice to a medium too-frequently derided for its simplicity, and sets a towering benchmark that will be difficult to topple. More Greek tragedy than pop-culture pastiche, Christopher Nolan demonstrates that blockbusters, and moreover, action films, can maintain integrity and intelligence.
Full review
***** (out of five)