2008 Films

Home / Movies / 2008 Films

This is list of the 2008 films I’ve seen theatrically, listed in order of preference with my score out of 10 for each film in parenthesis.

The Fall (10)
Slumdog Millionaire (10)
Talented director Danny Boyle comes through in flying colors with this near perfect movie. Few films can pull off such an intriguing and engaging final product while combining such a brilliant concept and story structure while at the same time not falling into the traps of what actually is a remarkably simple story being told. Add to that the fact that it’s being made by a Brit, taking what could have been a Bollywood film and somehow giving it a western presentation, but not betraying the setting or characters in the slightest. The cast is great, and all the production elements just plain work. From the contemporary (but ethnically textured) music to the location filming, it all comes alive brilliantly. And after remarking that The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button was such a breath of fresh air with such careful and brilliant cinematography that perfectly flies in the face of the modern hand held trend, I’m going to turn around and praise the perfect hand held cinematography in this film. Boyle figures out where to be more obviously hand held, and for reasons that help the story, not just to do it because for whatever reason it seems to be the popular thing to do lately. All in all, a fantastic film.
Speed Racer (10)
Cloverfield (10)
The Dark Knight (10)
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (10)
David Fincher is a visual virtuoso. In this modern cinema world that is getting more and more obsessed with distracting hand-held camera styles, it’s so great to have Fincher around to counteract that trend with some of the greatest cinematic vision there is. This entire movie is brilliant realized. Beyond the technical perfection of the film, the story and acting are excellent as well. One of my favorite things about the movie is how comfortable and confident it is in itself. I really enjoy longer films when they are methodical and casually comfortable with the story they are telling, where the cast and the story gets plenty of room to breath. The story itself isn’t without some narrative risks, but it pulls them off beautifully. And the cast is absolutely marvelous. This is Brad Pitt’s third outting with Fincher (Seven and Fight Club being the first two), and yet again, the two work brilliantly together. I know one person who loosely compared the story to Forrest Gump, and I can’t say I disagree. It’s a very loose comparison, but there are some storytelling aspects they share. Gump is a much broader film, and probably not as runaway-box-office-hit accessible as Benjamin Button, but there are certainly some shared aspects. Benjamin Button is a much more abstract film, though, and far more interested in the details. Anyway, a fantastic film, and another great entry in the filmography of one of the greatest directors in the business.
WALL-E (10)
Iron Man (10)
Get Smart (9)
The X-Files: I Want To Believe (9)
Transsiberian (9)
Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist (9)
Given the cast and the fun trailer, I was pretty sure I’d at least like this one. Thankfully, I more than simply liked it. While it shares some things in common with stuff like Richard Linklater films, it adds other elements like High Fidelity, Can’t Hardly Wait and Empire Records to the mix, and yet still comes off as fun and original. With Michael Cera doing what he does best, the cast is also rounded out by a fantastic performance by Kat Dennings (who was also excellent in Charlie Bartlett).
Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day (9)
Adapted from a book I’ve never read, this fast moving story is full of delightful energy, performed by a fantastic cast. As if Frances McDormand and Amy Adams weren’t enough, adding the always fantastic Lee Pace to the mix elevates it one step further. And then there’s the wonderfully odd performance from Shirley Henderson (who us Doctor Who fans will recognize from her great performance in Love & Monsters).
Leatherheads (9)
A wonderful throwback to the films of the golden age, this charming movie is full of playful and endearing performances, sharp dialog, fun comedy and an entertaining story. Another solid directorial effort from George Clooney, featuring a great cast.
The Signal (9)
Funny Games (9)
A deeply sadistic horror/thriller that takes delight in being equally charming and nasty. The story is insanely simple, but the characters are brilliantly written, and even more brilliantly performed. The two bad guys, played with oozing charm by Michael Pitt & Brady Corbet, are hugely entertaining (as even they would state on screen). Then there’s the great Tim Roth who manages to get outperformed by the brilliant Naomi Watts (who also served as producer on the film). I tell ya, Naomi Watts has been climbing my favorite actress list of the last handful of years.
Bottle Shock (9)
This is a hugely charming character dramedy, which drops you squarely into both the Napa Valley wine industry and the 1970′s era it is set in (during the initial boom of the Calefornia wine industry). The low key nature of the film works completely, with a nice array of characters. Bill Pullman and Alan Rickman are great. The younger cast is populated with nice performances from Chris Pine (yes, the soon-to-be Captain Kirk), Rachel Taylor, Freddy Rodriguez and the great Eliza Dushku. Add to that a fun role for Dennis Farina and it’s hard to go wrong.
Gran Torino (9)
Valkyrie (9)
After all the mixed reviews of this film and MGM/UA’s delays, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’m a sucker for World War II films (or history about it in general), so I figured I’d at least like that aspect of it. I was somewhat familiar with the incident historically before seeing the film, so it’s not like I didn’t know how things were going to play out. I was pleasantly surprised to very much enjoy the movie. Director Bryan Singer does an excellent job crafting a first rate dramatic thriller. Again, it’s impressive to make a thriller where the end is already known. Few have done it very well (Apollo 13, for example). And despite what the reviews may say, one way or the other, I thought Tom Cruise did a perfectly fine job. The entire cast is quite impressive, actually. And as a fan of composer John Ottman, it was interesting to see that not only did he do the music score, but also the editing (which he normally does for Singer) as well as acting as an executive producer. I think Singer & Ottman are pretty much joined at the hip at this point.
The Reader (9)
Quantum Of Solace (9)
Rachel Getting Married (9)
Anne Hathaway, who has climbed her way up to the top batch of my favorite actress list (particularly of the younger acting generation), comes through with a downright Oscar worthy performance. With such a diverse list of acting gigs to her credit within a year (Like Get Smart, Passengers and the upcoming Bride Wars), Hathaway doesn’t seem to be getting all too typecast. And while those other films may feature some nice performances, they can’t compare to the raw, spot-on job she turns in for her role in this film. Co-starring as her sister is Rosemarie DeWitt, who also does a fantastic job. DeWitt was a co-star of the great, short-lived and completely overlooked Fox series Standoff. Nice to see some more excellent work from her. The rest of the cast does a very nice job, too. Like I said, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Hathaway pick up an acting nomination for her role if the planets are in the right alignment (and if Sony Classics does a good enough campaign for it).
Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull (9)
Happy-Go-Lucky (9)
Defiance (9)
Role Models (9)
The under appreciated Paul Rudd co-wrote this oddly charming dramedy, and his performance along side Seann William Scott helps make the simple but compelling story work quite well. The two leads play off each other with remarkable ease on screen. One can assume that filming was a lot of fun. Christopher “McLovin” Mintz-Plasse and Bobb’e J. Thompson do a nice job as their “Little Brothers” of sorts. And hey, it’s impossible to go wrong with Elizabeth Banks and Jane Lynch.
Body Of Lies (9)
This movie’s only real problem is the double-edged sword of it being kinda what you would expect going in to a movie like this with such a production and acting pedegree. It’s an excellent movie, but it exactly the most surprisingly movie you are going to see. It certainly paints a messy and possibly accurate view of how foreign espionage really operates. With a top rate cast, headlined by Crowe & Dicaprio, and a director like Ridley Scott, it’s hard for it to go wrong.
Traitor (9)
Much like Body Of Lies, this movie portrays just how messy the war on terror truly is. Most intersting is the lead character portrayed so wonderfully by Don Cheadle, who is very hard to pin down in terms of loyalties. He’s bounced around like a ping pong ball, ultimately left to determine his own moral compass in a fight where boundaries are so muddled. It’s one of those movies that poses more questions than it is likely to answer, and it does so in a fairly clever way.
Tropic Thunder (9)
Rambo (9)
Wanted (9)
Charlie Barlett (9)
The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants 2 (9)
Henry Poole Is Here (9)
Frost/Nixon (9)
Seven Pounds (8)
If you think the trailer for this movie was kinda strange and confusing, you’d be right. I’m sure that’s a bit intentional, as the film is pretty hard to advertise without giving it away. While it turned out kinda like I figured it would after about 20 minutes, it still took an intriguing and mysterious path to get to that ending. All in all, a very good character drama. Will Smith is great, but the real star of this one is Rosario Dawson, who gives a stellar performance.
The Bank Job (9)
Ghost Town (9)
The Happening (9)
Doomsday (9)
Journey To The Center Of The Earth 3D (9)
Last Chance Harvey (8)
Deception (8)
Zack & Miri Make A Porno (8)
How To Lose Friends & Alienate People (8)
Yes Man (8)
Never mind the fun trailers for the movie, all I need is for Zooey Deschanel to be in a movie for me to want to see it. Many people seem to thing this is a retread of Liar Liar. It does have some similar qualities, but ultimately is quite different. For one thing, there’s no supernatural power at work here, as it’s a self-imposed behavior in this story. For another thing, his character is quite different. As expected, Carrey fits into the lead character of this story with ease, and makes it work very well. He has a fantastic chemistry with Deschanel, and the 18 year age difference isn’t particularly noticeable (actually, fun bit of trivia, both Carrey & Deschanel have the same birthday – January 17 – his in 1962 and hers in 1980). Overall, this is a very fun comedy with some nice character writing. Talented director Peyton Reed gives it that extra bit of magic (as does a fine supporting cast).
City Of Ember (8)
W. (8)
Untraceable (8)
Quarantine (8)
Marley & Me (8)
Hellboy 2: The Golden Army (8)
Semi-Pro (8)
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (8)
Pineapple Express (8)
Harold & Kumar: Escape From Guantanamo Bay (8)
Choke (8)
Flash Of Genius (8)
The Lucky Ones (8)
Revolutionary Road (8)
The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas (8)
If you’re willing to forgive a few plot devices and conveniences, this is a well made movie and an interesting story. It takes an intentionally sympathetic and naive perspective of Nazi concentration camps and slowly snaps things into reality. The most interesting aspect of the film is how it’s told from the perspective of a young boy, which gives you an interesting way of thinking about the Nazi agenda. Cast and production qualities are perfectly solid, with some nice performances in particular from the child cast members (not that the performances from the adults aren’t impressive, too). But for me, the highlight of the film is James Horner’s beautiful score. One of his best in a while.
Sixty Six (8)
Vicky Christina Barcelona (8)
What Just Happened? (8)
Eagle Eye (8)
The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor (8)
The Spiderwick Chronicles (8)
Fool’s Gold (8)
Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who (8)
The Ruins (8)
Smart People (8)
Son Of Rambow (8)
Kung Fu Panda (8)
The House Bunny (8)
Passengers(8)
Blindness (7)
Nobel Son (7)
21 (7)
The Day The Earth Stood Still (7)
Flawed? Yup. But this is still a pretty well made movie, and it does an adequate job remaking the 1951 classic. With the story updated, and the focus shifted from nuclear weapons to the health of the planet itself, this movie still works as a traditional sci-fi allegory. To be honest, the first half of the movie is pretty darn good. It’s the last half that falters and can’t figure out what it wants to be. Were this script more confident in itself and more focused on telling a central story, this could have been a real winner. Heck, it wouldn’t surprise me if a director’s cut or something were assembled that actually makes the second half work. Still, it’s a solid production with a great cast. Keanu Reeves actually fits the role quite well. And Jennifer Connolly (one of my favorite actresses) does a great job. Sadly, John Cleese only gets one scene, cause he’s great in that scene (of course). Jaden Smith (yeah, Will Smith’s kid) plays his role a bit too earnest, but it works well enough anyway. Oh, and Tyler Bates’ score sucked. I suppose it didn’t hurt the film any, but it sure didn’t help it any, either. It’s completely dead weight. If there’s one thing in which the 1951 original film is superior, in ever way, it’s in Bernard Herrmann’s legendary score. Bates completely dropped the ball.
Nothing Like The Holidays (7)
It’s easiest to sum this movie up as “a Latino version of The Family Stone.” Yes, it’s a somewhat unfair kind of comparison to make, but it’s definitely got a bit of a similar feel and setup. It’s got a very good cast, working well with a script that is entertaining enough and gets in some unique aspects to the story. This may not be a modern cinema classic, but I enjoyed it. Oh, and I think electronic musician Paul Oakenfold might have genuinely crossed over into being a film composer. Though he’s worked on other film scores before, it was more in a style befitting his electronic music background or in collaboration with somebody else. This movie is the first time I’ve noticed him stray from his specialty and do some scene specific kinda scoring work.
Lakeview Terrace (7)
Penelope (7)
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (7)
Four Christmases (7)
An American Carol (7)
The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian (7)
Then She Found Me (7)
What Happens In Vegas (7)
Run Fatboy Run (7)
The Eye (7)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (7)
Australia (7)
Jumper (7)
Drillbit Taylor (7)
Vantage Point (7)
Superhero Movie (7)
The Strangers (6)
10,000 BC (6)
Punisher: War Zone (6)
Saw V (6)
Mirrors (6)
The Wrestler (5)
The Incredible Hulk (5)
Be Kind Rewind (4)
Diary Of The Dead (4)
One Missed Call (4)
Death Race (3)
Babylon AD (3)
Max Payne (3)
Hancock (2)
The Spirit (2)
I rank this one below Hancock, because at least Jason Bateman managed to give that movie a few good moments. Though to be fair, I think Sarah Paulson and Dan Lauria do an admirable job making their scenes together actually work. I don’t mind spoiling the one and only line in the movie I liked. When The Spirit falls from a building, clumsily, his cape catches on a gargoyle kinda thing near the bottom. One of the guys in the crowd states, “You’ll believe a man can’t fly.” That, right there, is the extent of the good dialog. The rest of it is just plain awful. I hoped that the cast would be able to make something of a bad script, but that’s not the case. In fact, I think they try a bit too hard and make it worse. And while the movie may look cool, it’s basically Sin City’s from top to bottom. The only thing missing from this movie was Crow, Servo and Mike (or Joel).