Top Ten Films of the Year

It has taken me a while to come up with my top ten films of 2008, but the time has come to let go. There are some films I didn't get to see ("Rachel Getting Married," "Waltz with Bashir"), but I decided to make a list nonetheless because there were so many great many films I did get to see and well, because time is really of the essence.

I am excited about the quality of films from last year -- while there was no "There Will Be Blood," there were plenty of accomplishments worthy of inclusion. The full list after the jump. From the bottom up:

TOP TEN
10. IN BRUGES


The film follows two hit-men from Dublin who, after a botched job, are sent to Bruges in Belgium by Harry (Fiennes). Ray (Farrell), who presumably has only ventured as far as London in his life, sees Bruges as a veritable hell, while Ken (Gleeson) decides to make the best of it and to become a model tourist, taking in all the historical sites with genuine joy. At first the men are not sure why foul-mouthed Harry sent them to Bruges, but when the real reason emerges, Ken is faced with some life-changing decisions that affect every single character in the film.

The performances are top notch. Farrell has never been better. He has some of the funniest lines in the film, but also a tragic back-story that haunts his every move. He is as funny as he is heartbreaking. Gleeson is even better as Ken – there is not one false moment in his performance.

And the there’s Mr. Fiennes, who gives the funniest performance of the film. Every word, every inflection, every movement emanating from this man is pure comedic gold. And even then he manages to be scary. We first hear Harry on the phone or through voice over narration. A particular message left with the hotel’s receptionist owner is one of the highlights of the performance in its crassness and grandiosity. Fiennes is phenomenal – too bad his performance will most likely be ignored come Oscar time, but what else is new when it comes to him? It boggles the mind.

09. WALL-E

Another magical offering from Pixar, Wall-E is a visual marvel and one of the most romantic films of the year. Yes, it is an animated film, and yes, it features robots, but the love story between Wall-E and Eva is one for the ages. Likewise, the underlying environmental message is succinctly showcased by Andrew Stanton.

08. REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

A successful adaptation of the Richard Yates' cult novel, Sam Mendes' "Revolutionary Road" is a devastating look at a disintegrating marriage. I am still shocked that the film was not better received, but it makes sense: it is unrelentingly depressing and dwells on the dark side of humanity. And yet, the honesty in the storytelling redeems these flawed characters. The film features career-best performances by Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio and it will stay with you long after you leave the Wheelers from Revolutionary Road behind.

07. MILK

Harvey Milk is a hero and Gus Van Sant's touching and lively take on his life is a beautiful tribute. Sean Penn transforms into Harvey Milk in an unforgettable performance. Penn, one of the most recognizable actors in film, virtually disappears into the cheery, ambitious, conflicted Milk with contagious gusto. The supporting cast, led by James Franco, Josh Brolin, and Emile Hirsch among others, give equally strong performances. It is a beautiful yet tragic story that manages to inspire. The fight for equality is not over yet, but "Milk" will hopefully help fulfill Harvey's vision in the near-future.

06. CHE

The unsung cinematic accomplishment of the year. Steven Soderbergh's "Che" (The Argentine/Guerilla) is a monumental achievement. The film is a contemplative exercise -- it is not your conventional biopic, but rather the exploration of a man's principles. We see those principles put to practice and Soderbergh simply shows us the results. We share in Che's triumphs in Cuba and the inevitable downward spiral in Bolivia. All along, Del Toro, who won the Best Actor prize at Cannes last year, gives his most complex performance to date. He brings to life one of the most iconic people of the twentieth century, tears him away from t-shirts everywhere and gives us a man whose inner turmoil is palpable, and often times, scary. While "The Argentine" is flawless, "Guerilla" falters a bit in terms of pacing and writing, but Del Toro's Che remains a hypnotically elusive figure -- a man who, "Che" teaches us, was his own island.

05. DOUBT


John Patrick Shanley’s adaptation of his Pulitzer Prize-winning play is a marvel to behold. The film is deceptively simple, as all great stories are, but there are layers upon layers lurking underneath. Like “A Streetcar Named Desire” and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” – two other Pulitzer Prize winners successfully adapted into film – “Doubt” features a quartet of masterful performances that transport viewers into an alternate reality, a reality that exposes the human capacity for evil as if reflected on a funhouse mirror. The very best of humanity and the very worst are displayed in equal measure, and no one is spared in the process. This is a spectacular adaptation and one of the best films of the year.

Aesthetically, there is no denying that this is a stage adaptation – but Shanley has a good eye (even if that eye is a bit too enamored of lopsided camera angles) and a steady hand with his actors. The film looks beautiful and I enjoyed many of the theatrical excesses – especially the wind motif, a poetic image that grows darker as we slowly begin to realize what it symbolizes. But this is an acting showcase first and foremost, and for that accomplishment alone, it is one of the best films of the year.

04. MAN ON WIRE


"Man on Wire" is the best documentary film I saw last year and one that reminded me of the beauty of the City I live in. It's an outstanding accomplishment -- full of life, excitement, and suspense. Philippe Petit is a unique and special individual, and his child-like outlook on life will prove contagious -- Petit is an original, you could not make him up. The story-telling is impressive, and all of the elements -- the twin towers, a group of people sneaking in to it, a desire to conquer them not for evil, but rather for art, goodness, and beauty -- come together seamlessly and effortlessly to give us a portrait of what it is to be human and the limitlessness inherent in each one of us. Through stock footage we see a report from one of the cops on the scene when Petit walked the wire between the twin towers. The man, almost in a trance explains "he was a dancer, you can't really say he was a wirewalker." That is poetry, and so is this film.

03. LET THE RIGHT ONE IN


Tomas Alfredson’s “Let The Right One In” is the type of strangely moving film that stays with you long after seeing it. Manohla Dargis called it a “spectrally beautiful Swedish vampire movie,” which succinctly captures the essence of the film. Without the benefit of reading the book the film is based on, I am only informed by the film itself, which with bleak tones and steady direction creates a world that is as original as it is familiar. The young performers give remarkably good performances, and Tomas Alfredson displays real talent.

There must be something in the water in Sweden, a country that has given us some of the greatest actors to grace the silver screen. Alfredson is very adept at working with children. The director does not condescend or put on display impossibly cute children, but rather gets down to their level (literally, the children dominate the film’s canvas as opposed to being dominated by it). Hedebrant as Oskar is very touching. Oskar goes through every possible emotion in the book, and Hedebrant steps up to the plate at each point. Leandersson is equally (if not more) effective – her gigantic eyes and thoughtful cadences are haunting. The supporting cast, including some locals and Oskar’s classmates, bring some color to a dreary palette.

This is a story about two lonely children who find comfort in one another and, perhaps, the first semblance of love, and whose world is made a bit warmer by the other. It is one of the best films of the year.

02. THE WRESTLER

Darren Aronofsky’s “The Wrestler” is one of the best pictures of 2008. It features an outstanding performance by Mickey Rourke, a fine supporting cast and brilliant direction. The story is not a new one. In fact, it is one of the most familiar ones in cinema, but Robert D. Siegel’s honest script never sells the characters (or the viewers) short. This is a major accomplishment in American cinema.

Of course, this is Mickey Rourke’s vehicle and he is magnificent in it. He gives, quite simply, the best performance of the year. Rourke’s Randy is incorrigible, vulnerable, violent, frightened, courageous, gallant, vulgar, and weak. In short, a walking contradiction and, like the song, partly truth and partly fiction. But in the end, the question of how much of what we see on the screen is Rourke or Randy (or both) is beside the point and a disservice to the character Rourke, Aronofsky and Siegel have so carefully crafted. If you get a chance to see it (or re-visit it), look at the way Rourke moves his body, the repeated flips of the unruly mane of hair, the ways he physically relates to the other wrestlers as opposed to how he moves around the children around the trailer park, Cassidy, or Stephanie. Look at him the first time he works the deli counter at the grocery store, going from frustration to enjoyment as he engages with the patrons. See the fear in his eyes as he surmises a room full of former wrestlers. Listen to his voice when he addresses the crowd at that last fight.

Rourke has reached down to his depths and constructed a character so alive that it is at times frightening, and in so doing has given us a masterful and captivating performance.

01. 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS, & 2 DAYS

This harrowing masterpiece is one of the greatest films I have ever seen. The film, written and directed by Cristian Mungiu, and winner of last year's Palm D'Or at Cannes, is set in 1980s Romania, against the backdrop of Nicolae Ceausescu’s totalitarian government and stifling policies (notably, his name is never once uttered in the film). Otilia (Marinca), a young student agrees to help her soft-spoken, less assertive roommate Gabita (Vasiliu) to obtain an abortion – a crime under Ceausescu’s regime.

The film runs a brisk but gut-wrenching 113 minutes, and features extremely well written characters. Vasiliu’s Gabita is in turns heart-breaking and maddening – even when she makes illogical decisions that detrimentally affect Otilia, the sheer fear and terror she projects makes one understand why Otilia would go to such lengths to help her.

Marinca’s interpretation, in particular, is spectacular. She is a whirlwind of emotions, but never oversells or judges her character’s motivations, she simply is. It is an unforgettable, astonishingly astute performance. Mungiu’s direction and writing are steady – there is not one superfluous shot or line of dialogue in this film. It is an intimate film whether a scene is set at a lively dinner table or a dinky hotel room.

I saw a lot of great films this past year, but none had the emotional or intellectual impact on me that this film did.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

VICKY, CRISTINA, BARCELONA

An enchanting, sophisticated comedy and my favorite Allen film in a long time. It is beautifully shot and perfectly casted. To see Bardem and Cruz interact in the screen is the stuff of movie magic. Always underrated, Rebecca Hall gives a charmingly, Allen-esque performance.

THE READER

"The Reader" is the unfairly maligned film of Oscar season. The film is (for the most part) a faithful adaptation of Bernard Schlink's novel. It is a story not so much about a former SS guard and the young man she meets years later, but the story of an entire nation dealing with the horrific consequences of inhumanity of unimaginable scale. The performances are beautifully-crafted, particularly by Winslet in her Oscar-nominated performance who imbues humanity to a character that is written more as a symbol than as a human being. The film stumbles a bit and has a few missteps, but its message -- in a simplified way, the importance of speaking when witnessing injustice -- is one that will never lose its power.

CHANGELING

Clint Eastwood’s “Changeling” is an often excruciating movie-going experience. The film, based on a true story, takes on the corrupt LAPD of the 1930s (and beyond) while detailing the struggles faced by Christine Collins (a wonderful Jolie) in the search for her kidnapped son. The "changeling" is the boy police produce to Collins (and most importantly, the media) as her son. In the face of insurmountable evidence, police insist that the mistake is Collins' and not theirs. The film, beautifully shot by Tom Stern, has the feel and structure of the 1930s and 1940s women pictures. Collins is subjected to many injustices in an era where a thinking and probing woman could be seen as mad, but she fights to the very end, never giving up hope.

XXY

Another unsung film of 2008, but one of the most intelligent films out there on gender identity and sexuality. The film hails from Argentina (though it's set in neighboring Uruguay) and is ostensibly about an intersex teenager, but it's about so much more. This is a story about family and friendship and about how the decisions we make in life affect everyone around us. Featuring terrifically nuanced performances by Ricardo Darín, Valeria Bertuccelli, and Inés Efron, this is a film well-worth seeking out.

THE VISITOR

The Visitor is the unlikely story of a introverted college professor who travels to New York City to participate in an academic conference and ends up meeting an immigrant couple who will change his life.

On the surface, the film is a strong statement against the post September 11 immigration policies in the United States, specifically New York. But there are even deeper strands running through the film – it is ultimately a film about love, about attaining redemption, and about the joy of music as the fabric of life that connects us all.