TOP 10 MOVIES OF 2008

Ok, I realize this list is coming about a month and a half (or more) too late for anyone to really care. Even with the extra time I still didn't get to every movie on my to-see list. This may not be among my strongest top 10 lists, but those top four can hold up to any other year. Let's get to it.

1. The Dark Knight
The Academy may have dropped the ball, but The Dark Knight is still the movie of 2008. Sure, Heath Ledger's Joker is already one of the greatest movie villains of all time, and yes, Christopher Nolan managed to make perhaps the most politically resonant movie of the year using comic book characters. But the real reason The Dark Knight is my #1 is because when you rewatch it, and see how all the instantly iconic scenes build and build for two and a half hours, it's clear what the movie is: a classic.

2. Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog may just be the straight-up most enjoyable movie of the year. Blending Dickensian storytelling, Bollywood dancing, and just the tiniest dash of neorealism, it ends up transcending all labels. All those torture and eye-removal scenes just make the fairy tale ending all the more satisfying.

3. Wall-E
The other brilliant blockbuster of 2008, Wall-E somehow managed to be a biting critique of civilization while simultaneously showing hope for humanity...and did so with robots in love. With only a few well-placed "Waaaall Eee"s and "Eeeeeeevaaaas" for dialogue, Wall-E and Eve were the most touching couple of the year. Pixar has animated many things - fish, cars, toys - but it was the low-vocabulary robots that really came alive.

4. Milk
How often does a movie make you want to go out and take action at exactly the right moment in history to do so? The passing of Proposition 8 may have given a somewhat tragic air to Milk, showing how little has changed in the past 30 years. But there's just so much hope, and belief in the power of the political process, that you know Harvey Milk's story isn't over yet.

5. The Wrestler
For me, The Wrestler is at its most powerful in that final scene. We've gotten to know Randy so well and seen so much of his life in the past two hours, that we know exactly what that final Ram Slam means to him, heading into that heartbreaking Springsteen title song. A look at the fakery of pro wrestling and a career-best Marisa Tomei add to the movie's greatness, but it's Mickey Rourke's incredible performance that anchors it.

6. Revolutionary Road
Revolutionary Road may be the anti-Titanic, bitterly showing the dissolution of love instead of its beginning, but what better way to take advantage of the chemistry between Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet? Forget Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman in Doubt, this was the powerhouse acting battle to watch in 2008. With beautiful production values and a scene-stealing turn by Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road shows how to turn an unadaptable literary novel into a great film.

7. Synecdoche, New York
This movie is so deeply flawed that I can't wholly stand behind it. The second half doesn't even make any sense. But the parts that do work are just so brilliant that it's impossible to ignore. Whether a surrealist comedy, a serious meditation on life and death, or a brainteasing puzzle, Synecdoche, NY was easily the most original movie of the year. And confusion goes down a whole lot easier with such a talented ensemble cast.

8. Rachel Getting Married
It's not just the handheld camera that makes you feel like you really attended this wedding. As dysfunctional as it may be, the family feels more believable than in any Hollywood wedding movie I've seen. Black sheep Kym could easily shatter that authenticity, but Anne Hathaway plays her so genuinely that you believe every drug-addled story about her you hear. Playing against type never felt so good.

9. Frost/Nixon
The better of the two theatrical adaptations, Frost/Nixon wins by taking advantage of the screen. The "how he did it" before the interview is engaging enough, but it's the key moment when Nixon falters that makes the movie. Like all good history tales, it works past and present: Frank Langella will make you completely rethink Nixon while letting you imagine what it would be like if someone nailed Bush the same way.

10. Burn After Reading
The Coen Brothers love to play with old Hollywood genres, replacing Bogart with The Dude in The Big Lebowski. Well, here the concept was "what if we took a spy movie and made the McGuffin worthless?" Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and the rest of the top notch cast take that concept and run with it, making for one of the Coens' funniest movies. CIA Chief JK Simmons' line pretty much sums it up, "Report back to me when it...you know...makes sense." That wouldn't be nearly as fun.

Best Picture: The Dark Knight
Runners-Up: Slumdog Millionaire, Wall-E, Milk

Best Actor: Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Runners-Up: Sean Penn, Milk; Leonardo DiCaprio, Revolutionary Road

Best Actress: Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Runner-Up: Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road

Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Runners-Up: Emile Hirsch, Milk; Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Supporting Actress: Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Runners-Up: Samantha Morton, Synecdoche, NY; Viola Davis, Doubt

Best Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Runners-Up: Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight; Gus Van Sant, Milk

Best Original Screenplay: Rachel Getting Married
Runners-Up: Milk, Wall-E

Best Adapted Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire
Runners-Up: The Dark Knight, Frost/Nixon

Best Animated Film: Wall-E

Best Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire
Runners-Up: The Dark Knight, Milk

Best Original Score: Slumdog Millionaire
Runners-Up: The Dark Knight, Wall-E

Best Original Song: "The Wrestler," The Wrestler
Runners-Up: "Down to Earth," Wall-E; "Jai Ho," Slumdog Millionaire

Revolutionary's Road is Tough But Worth Traveling

Grade: A-



Revolutionary Road, with its high-calibre cast, director, and source material, seemed like a shoo-in for the Oscars. But having seen it, I can't say I'm surprised by the Academy's distaste for it. The movie is, after all, extremely depressing and deeply unpleasant to watch. The fights between unhappy married couple Frank (Leonardo DiCaprio) and April Wheeler (Kate Winslet) are the most brutal since Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. This may be the rare exception where you like the movie better having read the book first, just so you're prepared for what's coming. Oh, wait, this is supposed to be a recommendation.

So for those of you who haven't read Richard Yates' classic, the story's pretty simple. The movie, like the book, begins with a failed local play April stars in. While everyone else is able to laugh it off, Frank and April cannot. You see, the Wheelers, like so many of us, believe they are special. They are meant for more than Frank's numbingly dull job and April's ordinary suburban existence. As they fight, viciously, on the side of the road, you may think, "Is this all I'm getting for the next two hours?" But hope soon comes in April's decision to move the family to Paris. We all know it's a pipe dream, and that a change in venue won't actually solve their misery. Yet the Wheelers cling to it as a final chance at salvation before everything comes crashing down.

Justin Haythe's adaptation is shockingly faithful to its source material, with most lines straight from the book. At times I could almost hear the book's narration during pauses. Given the book's extremely interior nature, it's amazing the strategy works out so well. A lot of credit goes to director Sam Mendes. A lot of critics feel the cinematography, costumes, and art direction are too beautiful, causing the movie to feel cold. But...um...that's exactly the point!. Those shots of identically hatted men waiting for the subway aren't supposed to make you feel warm and tingly. The meticulous world Mendes creates is pretty, sure, but its real purpose is to create the claustrophobia the Wheelers feel.

All that supposed coldness in the decour makes the performances of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet all the more stunning. Those who were expecting Titanic 2 may be disappointed, but that doesn't make the Titanic history irrelevant. DiCaprio and Winslet know each other well enough that not only is the chemistry there, but they know how far to push each other. Individually, they create characters almost exactly as I imagined them from the book. Combined, they're even better, as their mutual trust lets them go at each other with full force, making it all hit even harder.

Which is good, since even more so than in the book, the focus is all on them. Supporting characters like friends Milly (Kathryn Hahn) and Shep (David Harbour) Campbell and nosy neighbor/realtor Helen Givings (Kathy Bates) get just a few scenes. The stand-out though is surprise Oscar nominee Michael Shannon as John Givings, a mental patient and the only one to say the truth about the Wheelers. There's something Jokerish about him as he drolly cuts to the heart of their insecurities while sitting comfortably behind his armor of mental illness. When you laugh during his scenes it's not because they're funny, but they're the only release you're likely to get.

Frost/Nixon and Doubt were the two big theatrical adaptations of 2008, but in some ways Revolutionary Road feels more like a play. I don't mean like the way Doubt feels like a play, where the staginess makes it seem flat onscreen. I mean like you are actually seeing a play, and all of the actors' emotions feel immediate and powerful. So yeah, it's dramatic, depressing, and all of those other words you want to call it. But to call it a cold, pristine period piece? That must have been a different movie. Because with DiCaprio and Winslet acting at their best, there's nothing cold about it.

Oscar Preview

With the election now behind us, we can focus on a far less significant contest: the Oscars. While it's far too early to know what will hold up and what will crash and burn, here are the movies I think will hold up enough to be the best picture nominees this year.

My first pick: The Dark Knight. Many won't consider it because it's a comic book movie. But what they feel to realize is that it's the best comic book movie ever. It's also so much more than that, as an instant crime classic that looks at darker themes than even the real serious Oscar bait. Besides, Heath Ledger's Joker is the best villain since Hannibal Lecter. So comic books or not, I still think this is the one to beat for the win.

Next, another movie I've already seen, Slumdog Millionaire:



This is probably an even safer bet, as it's hard to imagine anyone not loving this movie, least of all Oscar voters. It's an epic, it's heartfelt, it's uplifting, and most of all it's really, really good. Acting, writing, directing, story, music, it all works together for one of the most enjoyable movies of the year. The only thing working against it is that about a third of the movie is in Hindi. It comes out November 12th, so make sure to go see it.

Another strong contender for a win (if good) is The Curious Case of Benjamin Button:



First off, the trailer looks pretty amazing. A beautiful looking film about a guy who ages backwards set against a long period of time? That sounds like Oscar territory. But add David Fincher as director, who hasn't made a bad movie since Alien 3 (Panic Room doesn't count), and Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett giving what look to be strong performances, and I'm sold too. I just hope it lives up to the hype.

The last of my solid predictions is Milk, another one you can see before December:



Director Gus Van Sant has recently just done dull experimental films (Elephant, Paranoid Park), but he showed with Good Will Hunting how well he does mainstream. Sean Penn sometimes overacts, but this part seems like a good fit for him. The supporting cast is very strong, with Josh Brolin, James Franco, and Emile Hirsch. And after the passing of Proposition 8 in California, a film about the first openly gay elected official in San Francisco's Castro region could not be more relevant. With all the early reviews raving, this one looks like it's in.

But while I feel good about the above movies' chances at this early point, there are a lot of movies that could fill the fifth slot. My current pick is Revolutionary Road:



Revolutionary Road is straight-up Oscar bait. Former winner Sam Mendes (American Beauty) is directing in familiar terrain. There's a Titanic reunion for Oscar favorites Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. It's based on a classic novel. And it is extremely reminiscent of Mad Men, which won the Emmy for best drama. But as obvious as its Oscar aspirations are, this is one I'm actually excited for. Not only am I a fan of the book and Sam Mendes, but the trailer looks pretty fantastic. Nobody's seen it yet, but if it's as good as the trailer it will definitely be a contender.

There's also two movies based on highly respected plays, Doubt and Frost/Nixon:





Both feature great actors likely giving great performances, and each will take up many acting slots. Of the two, I'm more excited for Doubt. Part of that is because I'm more familiar with the play. But I'm also really unimpressed with the Frost/Nixon trailer. Frank Langella in his Tony-winning role doesn't seem to resemble Nixon at all. The movie seems to paint the interview as an underdog triumph, the Mighty Ducks of journalism films. The Academy does love subpar Ron Howard movies though, so certainly don't count it out. As for Doubt, it's probably too small-scale for best picture, and early word has been mixed. Both might have to settle for the acting nods.

Last of the major contenders is Australia:



Australia seems likely to either be great or terrible. It's got an old Hollywood, epic style that Oscar voters love. Baz Luhrmann seems just the director to take this kind of period piece and make it feel modern. Yet I can't say I'm too excited. With the culture clash romance, a war, and something about Nicole Kidman helping Australian kids, I don't really know what the movie will end up being about. Until anyone sees it, this remains a mystery.

Beyond those eight, there are a number of other movies still in the running. Gran Torino is the second Clint Eastwood movie this year, Changeling's bad reviews probably keeping it out of contention. You can never count out Clint Eastwood, but the trailer made it look more like a stupid action movie where an old Eastwood goes around with a shotgun killing young people for making too much noise. It looked pretty silly to me, but you never know.

The Reader has the Holocaust, Kate Winslet, and Ralph Fiennes, definite Oscar checkboxes. The trailer also looks surprisingly good. But the behind-scenes drama between the producers may be enough to sink it.

The Wrestler has mostly gotten attention for Mickey Rourke's lead performance. But after Requiem for a Dream, Darren Aronofsky has shown he's got what it takes. And people who have seen it have loved it.

Going back further, there's also arguments to make in favor of Wall-E, Rachel Getting Married, The Visitor, Changeling, Che, Defiance, Nothing But the Truth, and Seven Pounds. Something else could also surprise (Valkyrie?). I'll know better once I've seen more. But if you're looking for what to watch in preparation over the next few months, the list above should help you be well prepared when it's time to make your Oscar pool.