Because of my hectic year which slowed considerably almost the day I returned from the Toronto Intl. Film Festival, I have missed out on seeing Revolutionary Road, Frost/Nixon, The Wrestler and Defiance, which is why names like Mickey Rourke, DiCaprio & Winslet, Langella and Sheen are nowhere to be found. I hope you enjoy the personal highlights of my year at the cinema.
Top 10 Films (In Alphabetical Order)
Changeling- A wonderful film that was unfairly treated by critics and audiences alike
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button- An epic in every sense of the word, beautiful &
thought provoking. Stunning work from a genius.
The Dark Knight- Elivating the super hero genre into more mature depths, The Dark
Knight was visually stunning, shocking, and iconoclastic. Best ever film
adapted from a comic book.
Doubt- Suprised me from the word go. Featuring the best ensemble of the year, Doubt made me
question my own beliefs and has haunted me since i left the theatre.
Milk- Another suprise for me, Milk undoubtedly shines as an example of the joy of film making.
The Reader- Another film that made me question my morals and beliefs. Hauntingly poignant.
Slumdog Millionaire- The most fun i had at a movie all year. I'm a sucker for underdog tales.
Tropic Thunder- Made me laugh out loud like no other 2008 comedy. It earns a spot on this
list for making blackface a viable entertainment source alone.
Vicky Cristina Barcelona- I love Woody Allen. And after years of shitty films, VCB is a welcome
back for this American treasure of a neurotic little man.
Wall-e- The most nostalgic film going experience of 2008 for me. I felt like a little kid again
watching Wall-e. I laughed, I cried, I screamed, I loved this movie.
Best Picture of 2008: Doubt
I walked into Doubt, expecting a trite, been there done that kind of a movie. I left in a euphoric daze. Doubt crackled, snapped and popped in ways i doubted it could (pun intended). The ensemble cast was phenominal. Streep was great, Hoffman was as per usual phenominal, Viola Davis suprised the heck out of me, and Amy Adams gave the best supporting actress preformance of the year. The direction was at times a little tacky, ( Whats the deal with Dutch angles lately ? First John Adams, now this ?) but John Patrick Shanley did a great job bringing his parrable to life, adapting it to the screen effortlessly. The photography was great, the editing was decent. I just absolutely loved Doubt.
Best Director: David Fincher
David Fincher deserved a statue last year for Zodiac, This year he outdid himself by creating the most pleasently odd epic ever made. His direction of the Curious Case of Benjamin Button was just transcendant. He clinched the award for me with that beautiful ending pull back sequence showing all the characters one lat time. Fincher, welcome to the big leagues.
Best Actor: Sean Penn
Penn preformance as Harvey Milk was just lovely. He played completely against type, by which i mean he played a character who was just absolutely happy and at peace with himself. Penn's smile in Milk was infectious and his attitude made for the best tribute he could have done for Harvey Milk's life. If Penn wins Best actor at the oscars, I will be a happy man.
Best Actress: Anne Hathaway
Another beautiful star playing completely against type. Hathaway did the exact oposite of Penn while giving the smae result. I've always had a crush on Annie, but her preformance in Rachel Getting Married was one of the most unnatractive I've ever seen. She was a raging, ex-addict attention hogging self centered bitch. And for that I hated her. However, at the same time, Hathaway played Kym with such conviction giving herself completely to the role, and thus made her utterly sympathetic and relatable.
Best Supporting Actor: Tie* Jason Butler Harner, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, & Heath Ledger
The one category this entire year that for me was a total clusterf**k, Best supporting actor featured most of the year's best preformances.
Jason Butler Harner broke out in a big way in Changeling, even if nobody else noticed it. He went for broke and scored big in the cliched killer role. He was insane, funny, sad, profund, sympathetic, exciting and vulnerable all within about 20 minutes of screen time. His execution scene is one that I will not soon forget.
Phillip Seymour Hoffman. What is there to say that hasnt been already said. The mere fact that he made a preist accused of molestation not only likeable but also someone you wanted to see beat Streep's nun on a mission was incredible. His sermon scenes offer some of his best work and his bench exchange with Amy Adams was pure bliss. Hoffman is amazing.
Heath Ledger reinvented The Joker as not a killer clown, but as a mercanary of chaos. A man hell bent on destruction, just for the sake of destruction. A man who is in a never ending chase for a thrill. His "Like a dog chasing cars" monologue, was the best line reading of the year.
Best Supporting Actress: Amy Adams
While most people have been singling out Viola Davis for her explosive scene in Doubt, I believe Adams not only bested Davis but the great Meryl streep as well. Her work is piercingly honest and enjoyable. I couldnt help but smile at her naturally pleasent dispostion at the beginnjing of the film, and I feel as if she grabbed me and took me along for her rollercoaster of an emotional journey onscreen. For thouse doubters out there( Once again, pun intended), I have to admit that I absolutely despised her work in Junebug, Enchanted and Charlie Wilson's war. Until just last week, Amy Adams was one of my least favorite actresses. Today, she is in my opinion one of the best.
