Awash in the critically acclaimed, I'm posting my pics for Best of 2008
-- Movies Edition. I've yet to see the aforementioned Oscar-bait
trio"Doubt," "Frost/Nixon," or "Revolutionary Road," but, based on what
I know about my taste, I'd wager only an absolute TKO performance by
Ms. Winslet in 'Road' would alter my selections . Likewise, I also
missed "A Christmas Tale," "The Class," and "Ghost Town." With these
misses in my own viewership, I'm picking '08's "Great Eight," leaving a
few places for additions, and picking my selections for best
performances.
So hear goes...
-- Number One --
Unlike the BCS, women's gymnastics, or even American Idol, I award a tie
when two equally competent performances vie for a top sport. Rationale
explained, I found that two films captured both my imagination &
the moment:
**MILK**
Eerily prescient in light of both the grassrootsy 2008 election of
Barack Obama as POTUS 44 and the crushing defeat of Prop 8 in
California. Brilliantly directed and acted, **MILK** transcends being
easily labeled as a purely biographical or political film. It shows us
what it means to belong to a community and how important our leaders
can be in inspiring us to do great things collectively.
&
**SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE**
Some in the critical establishment deride its take on destiny
fulfilled. However, after watching the collapse of the U. S. housing
and global financial markets, after the horror of watching Mumbai --
where **SLUMDOG** is mostly set -- terrorized, hope could not be a
better salve for our collective conscious. In **SLUMDOG**, Danny Boyle
weaves a taut back-and-forth tale putting the past in dialogue with the
present and aptly showing the relationship therein. The child actors
carry the day in this one that left me extraordinarily happy and
emotionally exhausted. (This is the film I tell absolutely everyone to
see.)
-- Number Two -- **LET THE RIGHT ONE IN**
The freaky Swedish vampire movie just got better and better the more I
thought about it. (And if you happen to live in DC and see this film at
the Landmark E-Street cinema, you will get to experience the
atmospheric -- you could say "Sweden-like" coldness of -- an
over-air-conditioned theater... in winter!!)
-- Number Three -- **VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA**
A sun-drenched romance about Americans going all Euro in the practive
and experience of Love. The film features excellent acting from a
talented ensemble and steady direction from Woody Allen. (His love
affair with ScarJo now seems justified.)
--Number Four-- **WALL-E**
I'd rank Pixar's latest masterpiece higher if they hadn't lost me a bit
with the humans and the, at times, preachy-message bits about
protecting the environment. That said, the romance between Wall-E and
Eve is among the best cinematic romances of all time.
-- Number Five -- **HAPPY GO LUCKY**
I harshed on this one a bit in my review... but over time, I've come to
appreciate Mike Leigh's efforts in bringing to bear a study of the one
emotion we fail to explore in cinema: Happiness.
--Number Six-- **PRICELESS** (aka **HORS DE PRIX**)
Every once in a while, us-curmudgeonly types have to insert a personal
pick when you tell you what we liked. Another sun-drenched romance, I
loved the little movie about a romance between gold-digger Audrey
Tautau and ... some guy I've never heard of (Gad Elmaleh). It's the
back-and-forth, screwball comedy of yore made extra fabulous again on
the French Riveria. I dread the day that this gets a Hollywood makeover
with... I dunno. Reece Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn.) (Although, a producer with a Hollywood makeover in mind would be smart to start with Julia Stiles.)
--Number Seven-- **CADILLAC RECORDS**
The last movie I saw in 2008, I feel that I truly saved (one of) the
best for last. It's a little shaky through the first half... but then
Beyonce rockets in an as Etta James with a performance that recalls
Diana Ross in **LADY SINGS THE BLUES**. An unbelievably and
surprisingly powerful film with a hook that brings to life the richness
and pathos of American blues music. A must see.
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THE PERFORMANCES
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++ Best Performace by an Actor ++ Sean Penn in **MILK**
++ Best Performance by an Actress ++ Anne Hathaway in "RACHEL GETTING MARRIED**
++ Best "Supporting" Actor ++ Heath Ledger in **THE DARK KNIGHT** (I'd
go so far as to call this the most riveting performance by an actor of
either sex. Supporting or Lead.)
++ Best "Supporting" Actress ++ Penelope Cruz in **VICKY CRISTINA BARCELCONA**, Beyonce Knowles in **CADILLAC RECORDS** (tie)
++ Best Director ++ Danny Boyle, **SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE**
++ Biggest Miss ++ Weirdly, I'm picking the **DARK KNIGHT** which I
liked a lot. It felt a bit ... convoluted ... in the middle. I like my
Batman with clean, modernist storylines.
++ Honorable Mentions ++ Robert Downey Jr ... in Everything. His
comeback arced over a few good movies and made him the Hollywood story
of the year.
++ Who's Missing ++ Where was Russell Crowe this year?
The one you couldn't pay me to see -- **AUSTRALIA** Jackman (who's
never in good movies) + Kidman (who couldn't "act her way out of a
shoebox") = Utter Psychic MEH. (This is weird for me b/c I typically love Baz Luhrmann's work.)
The one who should stay away for a bit
-- Cate Blachett. She's a fine
actress ... but the tedium of reading gushing criticism of her
performance showed its mortality with the gawd-awfulness of **BENJAMIN
BUTTON**. I think I'd feel differently about Cate if she did another
comedy or did a movie that wasn't saved for the Fall when all of the
iiiimpppprortant! movies are released.
Who I want to see more of -- Anna Farris. I get the sense that she
could be good if she could a great and not get stuck with every inane
comedy imaginable.
Ripe for comeback -- Lindsay Lohan. I know, I know... BUT our dethroned
tabloid princess -- the Queen, Madonna, has come back to capture that crown --
is great on screen. Despite the meltdown of her personal life. I'd like
to see her in a rich, nuanced romantic comedy (maybe written by Tina Fey) with a slightly older (but
not creepily older) leading man before using the pathos we've
collectively witnessed for a breakout performance in... 2010 or 2011.
Riper for comeback -- Winona Ryder. The queen of my
generation... and, yes, she is. Sorry. **HEATHERS** **REALITY BITES**
**BEETLEJUICE**. 'nuff said. Tarantino is doing **INGLORIOUS BASTERDS**
which allegedly has a character who is a Jewish Holocaust refugee who
winds up working in a cinema in occupied France. With his knack for
resurrecting careers, surely he could think of Winona for this one.
Ripest for a comeback (but should still away) -- Gwenyth Paltrow. I like
her and all but she does not seem to be in-it-to-win-it. Although, I'm
left with the impression that she is still somewhat popular / well-liked.
When her head is back in the game, she should be All She Can Be: An
Above-The-Title American Movie Star with Mad Box Office Draw. (It's
there with the right scripts.) (And Lord Knows Julia Roberts is looking
botox-y & sad in the previews for **DUPLICITY**.) (Maybe the Madonna succubbus quotient -- where she sucks away the talent of those who stay around her too long and don't get away fast enough-- transcends husbands and now applies to BFFs.) (& speaking of Madonna...)
Role that Madonna Could Have Actually Pulled Off -- "Donna" in **MAMMA
MIA**. I in no way said *should* but *could have. Instead of spending
2008 making our "candy" hard, breaking up A-Rod's marriage, or sexing
up with Jesus, Madonna would have fit easily in to the poptastic world
of **MAMMA MIA** either as "Donna" or in the Christine Baranski role.
(Assuming Madge would actually admit that she is in fact old enough to
be the mother of a 20 year-old.) (The soundtrack, by extension, would
be a GAY-tastic masterpiece.)
Most FAGTASTIC movie moment -- **TROPIC THUNDER**. The fake trailer with 5-Time-Oscar-Winner-Kurt-Lazarus and MTV-Best-Kiss-Award-Winner Tobey Maguire. (Downey and Maguire play gay well together.... as we all saw in **WONDER BOYS**.)
&, finally, My pick for the one that live on ... (The one that
people will actually watch again in the future and have a shot at being
an actual classic): **WALL-E**
