Dan’s Top 5 Movies of 2008
5. Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Every Woody Allen movie hits way too close to home, even magical European fairy tales about wealthy, beautiful artists; surely more than a few audience members gulped with personal recognition when Scarlett Johansson’s character was described as “someone who doesn’t know what she wants, only what she doesn’t want,” or when Javier Bardem uttered the axiom “only unfulfilled love can be romantic.” Personally, I related to the threesome with ScarJo and Penelope Cruz, because trust me, that is exactly what it’s like.
4. Burn After Reading. I can’t remember the last time I came out of a movie saying “you know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen another film quite like that,” without promptly adding “what a load of pretentious artsy sh*tf*ck.” (SIC) I spent the entire first sixty minutes of Burn After Reading trying to figure out why the hell I was watching it and what any one thing had to to with any other thing, and then somehow, I left the theater feeling wholly and completely satisfied. I realize this description makes no sense if you haven’t seen the movie, so I’ll just end with, “More like, Love After Seeing!” Is it too late to get that quote on a poster?
3. In Bruges. Playwright-turned-screenwriter Martin McDonaugh is a master of the dark comedy, and I don’t mean “dark comedy” as “buzzphrase for unfunny mean-spirited crap like Very Bad Things,” but more along the lines of “laugh-out-loud irreverence and also people get shot.” This movie not only proved that it’s possible to laugh with Colin Farrell, but also guaranteed that my next vacation will be to the city of Bruges — no city has been portrayed more breathtakingly in any film I can recall (aside from Manhattan in the movie Highlander, of course). A semi-cheesy twist in the final minutes knocked this film from “A” to “A-” territory, but it’s still a perfect Netflixer.
2. Man On Wire. I’m an automatic sucker for just about any documentary, but this story of French tightrope walker Philippe Petit’s illegal 1974 high-wire performance between the Twin Towers was a life-affirming celebration of everything awesome, including a convincing definition of “art” as unselfconscious, inexplicable beauty. Plus every quote from the absurd, lovably-European Petit is hilarious; if you’re a fan of Fabio from Top Chef, this is now your favorite movie. Hell, it probably will be anyway.
1b. The Dark Knight. Not much to say about this movie that hasn’t been said already, but I did almost kill someone when I saw it in the theaters. And if this is too obvious of a #1 selection for you, then flip-flop it with Man On Wire and suddenly behold my unique and insightful movie list!
Dan, Sara and I weight in on the best movies of 2008… ahead!
1a. WALL-E. From packing the theater on opening night with hordes of my mid-20s, hipstery friends who out-Fandangoed every child in the New York area, to high-fiving my excitable manager at work every time we passed in the halls simply because of the joy this film brought us, there just wasn’t a better movie in 2008 than Pixar’s latest reminder that they’re better than the rest of us. Although to be fair, I didn’t see every movie in 2008.
Honorable Mentions: Pineapple Express, Encounters At The End Of The World, Iron Man, Slumdog Millionaire.
Biggest Disappointments: The Wackness, Baby Mama, Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Where Knowledge Was Their Treasure.
Sara’s Top 5 Movies of 2008
5. Australia. Hugh Jackman is incredibly hot in this movie. Overall, it’s a sweeping, epic romance, with all the beauty, style, and signature quirk of a Baz Luhrmann joint. Since I have this sneaking suspicion that only three people saw it, if you want more information, check out my detailed Hugh Jackman Face review.
4. The Other Boleyn Girl. CONFESSION: I am a secret nerd about medieval sh*t. I wouldn’t say I’d go so far to attend a Renaissance Fair, but I do love Busch Gardens, so I don’t think I’m that far off. So for that reason, I knew I was going to love this movie. Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson play the Boleyn sisters in this romantic imagining of the story of Henry VIII. I would say this movie is a total guilty pleasure, but I felt zero guilt while watching it – only pleasure. So there.
3. Tropic Thunder. What I loved so much about this movie was that every time you thought they were going to get serious on you, it only got funnier. Example (spoiler alert!!): when they are under attack at one point, everyone is freaking out and screaming in pain, and just at that moment when you start to feel sad and scared for them, they cut to a shot of Jack Black in slow motion, grabbing his ass and you can see him mouthing the words “MY ASSSS!” It’s so great. This movie reminded me why I try (key word: try) to be funny every day.
2. The Dark Knight. I’ll leave the sweeping, rave reviews to others on this one, because I pretty much agree with all of it. For me, the movie was extra extra special because my friend Matt Shallenberger was in it.
1. Wall-E. Not only did I see this movie twice on its opening weekend, but I think I watched it several more times in the following weeks – in my head. This movie was magical. Just pure magic. What made it even more magic? The fact that I saw it first with Michelle Collins. She will tell you that, during the film, her eyes were filling with anime tears, but I think I saw one jump free and run with abandon down her porcelain-skinned cheek. It was that special.
Michelle’s Top 5ish Movies of 2008
5. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days. If ever you needed a reason to go on birth control, 4 luni, 3 saptamâni si 2 zile, a Romanian film about a young girl seeking an abortion in the 1980′s will be that reason. Also, if you ever find that you’re always in a “cheery” mood, and are looking for a way to bring that cheer way, way down? Might I suggest 4 luni, 3 saptamâni si 2 zile, a Romanian film about a young girl seeking an abortion in the 1980′s. Additionally, if you love movies that throw happy endings to the wind and make you crawl out of the theater with your nails dragging your lifeless body into the bathroom to vomit forever out of fear, 4 luni, 3 saptamâni si 2 zile, a Romanian film about a young girl seeking an abortion in the 1980′s, will be right up your dark alley.
4. You Don’t Mess with the Zohan. When I was a young little Jew in Miami, no movie made more of an impact on me than An American Tail, an animated tale (spelled with an e, you d**K) about a little immigrant mouse named Feivel who happened to be Jewish. Never did I think in my wildest Jew dreams that there would be a cartoon feature at the Cineplex about my peoples. (Depicted as rodents? Sure. But it was a start.) It is for similar reasons that You Don’t Mess with the Zohan ranked as my top comedy of the year.
It should be noted that not a single one of my friends was willing to see Zohan with me, something that still cuts deep. It was only a couple of weeks before I left for a summer vacation in Israel that I forced a coworker to see it with me at 10 am in Times Square. It was in that theater, with about 6 elderly couples at our sides, that we literally ROLLED IN THE AISLES DYING LAUGHING. Is the movie Rere Ricards? Definitely. But the idea that a film about the intricacies of my Israeli people and their bean dips managed to take in over $200 million worldwide… It restores my faith in the human race. (You can read my raving review of the movie here.)
3. The Counterfeiters. This amazing movie actually won the Oscar last year for best foreign film, though it was released overseas this year. It’s the true story of a group of skilled Jewish prisoners in the Holocaust recruited by the Nazis to create the perfect counterfeit money, as part of a German mission to ruin the British economy. No jokes to crack about this movie, it’s simply an amazing story made all the more mind-blowing since it actually happened. While we now know that this plan to foil the British economy never took, you will be amazing when you find out where those fake bills actually ended up. If The Boy in The Striped Pajamas looked like one of those “too depressing” Holocaust movies, then The Counterfeiters is the film for you!
2. Vicky Cristina Barcelona. A couple of weeks ago, at a bar in the West Village, a friend and I found ourselves playing “Name That Tune” with a group of British Travellers. But a few minutes into it, I realized one of the participants in this drunken, out-of-tune theater game was Rebecca Hall, otherwise known as Vicky from the adorable Woody Allen farce of a similar name. While this anecdote alone would be enough to get this movie on my Top 5 list, it should also be noted that VCB is a gem. You basically get to go to Spain with Javier Bardem for $10. And Penelope Cruz continues to make the world accept that while she is beautiful, and while she may have fake dated Tom Cruise for a couple of months, she’s a spirited God-given talent.
1. Slumdog Millionaire. Before you even say anything, allow me to explain: I realize all the problems with this movie. It’s heavy-handed. Manipulative. Completely unbelievable and almost a touch too shmaltzy. The leads had very little chemistry. Blah blah blah GUESS WHAT? I LIKED IT ANYWAY, OK? Yeah, that’s right! I liked the use of a Game Show to move the plot along. Mmmhmm! You know what else? I felt BAD for Jamal! With my human, beating heart, I did! I loved this movie! So take your high-brow ass out of my FACE before I get angry!
Honorable Mentions:
- Wall-E
- The Dark Knight
- Beverly Hills Chihuahua (on my Netflix Cue 4 Lyf)
- JCVD (Based on the trailer alone.)
- Tropic Thunder
- No Country For Old Men (IT WAS THAT GOOD)
- Gran Torino (also simultaneously the worst movie of the year. I mean… those actors. The only time I really believed Soo was when (spoiler!!!) she had b comin’ out of her v.)
- Midnight Meat Train (I don’t even know what the hell this movie is about, but clearly it needs to be mentioned. If it’s anything like Mid-Afternoon Corn Wagon, it’s bound to be amazing.)
Biggest Disappointment: The Other Boleyn Girl (Sorry Sara!): It should be known that I read this book during the most exhilarating 14 hour bubble bath of my life. When I tell you that I “devoured” the text, I literally put balsamic vinny on it and swallowed it whole, it was that good. Which is why I was thrilled to see the movie! Eric Bana as King? Don’t mind if I do. The movie, however, was like listening to two straight hours of a cat throwing up a mouthful of hair puke. Put that on your poster.
Agree? Disagree? You know what time it is. Comment!
