While there was plenty to celebrate at the end of the year in Washington, D.C., the results of the 2008 movie campaign didn't exactly showcase change we can believe in. That's because after 2007, a year that witnessed the release of countless stellar achievements, the cinematic crop this time around wasn't as fruitful.
Of the 170 titles I screened over the course of the past 12 months, a large number of films hardly seemed worth the effort -- either for them to produce or for us to watch -- and while there seemed to be a bounty of recommendable, 3-star outings, many of them failed to possess any sort of lasting power, instead dissipating from memory soon after the viewing experience.
Of course, the cream always rises to the top -- and the dung always plops to the bottom -- so coming up with enough films to either champion or condemn was never an issue. Here, then, is my 10 Best list for 2008, followed by 10 noteworthy runner-ups, other assorted superlatives, and -- shudder -- my 10 Worst list.
THE 10 BEST
1. MILK (Gus Van Sant). The best picture of 2008. Historical biopics are a dime a dozen, but this remarkable work from director Gus Van Sant and screenwriter Dustin Lance Black reinvigorates the genre with its bold examination of Harvey Milk, the San Francisco activist who became the first openly gay person elected to public office in the United States -- and whose achievements live on even though he was fatally shot by a disturbed co-worker (Josh Brolin). Van Sant's film, full of passion and purpose, expertly mixes new material with choice archival footage, while Sean Penn delivers a career-best performance as Harvey. Although it's very much a look back at the 1970s, Milk is also a movie for these intolerant times, and it will serve as a useful time-capsule document provided we can ever move past our petty fears and irrational hatred.
2. THE WRESTLER (Darren Aronofsky). The other best picture of 2008. I've gone back and forth between Milk and The Wrestler for weeks, and have been flip-flopping between them for the No. 1 slot on an almost daily basis. What it ultimately means, though, is that viewers can't go wrong with either title. Director Darren Aronofsky (whose Requiem for a Dream topped my 10 Best list back in 2000) and scripter Robert Siegel have constructed a terrific character study about Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke, delivering the performance of the year), an aging wrestler who left his glory days behind in the 1980s. Now barely able to eke out a living, he tries to establish connections with both a sympathetic strip club dancer (Marisa Tomei) and a daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) who has long despised him. Before it reaches the best closing shot of the year, The Wrestler has managed to rock our world with its raw and often outrageous examination of a life that exists only on the margins of American society. (The Wrestler is scheduled to open locally Jan. 23.)
3. THE DARK KNIGHT (Christopher Nolan). There's very little to add to what's already been said about this phenomenal film, one of the two best superhero flicks ever made (the 1978 Superman being the other). Yes, it taps into real-world anxieties in a way that no other superhero film has done before. Yes, Heath Ledger is simply amazing as The Joker, the dark counterpoint to the dark knight, Batman (Christian Bale). And yes, this most assuredly deserves a Best Picture Oscar nomination. I mean, if hobbits can fare so well with the Academy, why not?
4. IN SEARCH OF A MIDNIGHT KISS (Alex Holdridge). Julie Delpy's 2 Days in Paris landed in the No. 4 slot on my 10 Best list last year, so it's only fitting that this similar indie effort enjoys equal billing. Like its French counterpart, this is a smart, perceptive and slightly cynical film which upends the traditional romantic comedy by marinating it in the realities of the modern world. As the two lonely souls hoping to find some modicum of contentment on the streets of Los Angeles, Scoot McNairy and Sara Simmonds are ideal, while Robert Murphy's crisp black-and-white cinematography adds the proper mood.
5. ELEGY (Isabel Coixet). An English college professor (Ben Kingsley) known for bedding attractive students finds himself for the first time becoming emotionally involved with his latest conquest: a Cuban-American woman (Penelope Cruz) who teaches him about the complexities of love and devotion. Eloquent and understated, this masterful adaptation of Philip Roth's The Dying Animal benefits from a note-perfect ensemble cast and a script (by Nicholas Meyer) that allows every character -- no matter how flawed -- a chance to have their say.
6. WALL-E (Andrew Stanton). Another year, another Pixar film making my Top 10. This time, it's the summer blockbuster about an intrepid little robot who collects junk on an abandoned Earth, learns about love by watching the only movie in his possession (a VHS copy of Hello, Dolly!), and aches to be accepted by the sleek robot (EVE) who newly arrives on the planet. WALL-E is a great children's film, yes, but with its pro-environmental message, it's a godsend for progressive adults as well.
7. REVOLUTIONARY ROAD (Sam Mendes). Sam Mendes, the Oscar-winning director of American Beauty, has made another American beauty, this one a powerful examination of a young couple trying desperately to deal with the conformity of 1950s suburbia. She desires change, he contemplates compromise, and both try to keep their dreams afloat. Speaking of afloat, this reunites Titanic stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, and they're both exceptional as spouses trying to prevent their marriage from sinking into the chilly depths of American ennui. (Revolutionary Road is scheduled to open locally Jan. 9.)
8. BIGGER, STRONGER, FASTER* *THE SIDE EFFECTS OF BEING AMERICAN (Christopher Bell). Like many of the best documentaries, this exploratory piece on steroids doesn't take us exactly where we expect to go. Initially, it's a personal work about director Chris Bell and his equally muscle-bound brothers. From there, it turns into a "Just say no" warning before switching gears and questioning whether the anti-steroid hysteria is even warranted. And finally, it examines the overwhelming hypocrisy surrounding not only the drug but professional sports in general.
9. FROST/NIXON (Ron Howard). The gift of gab is presented in an engaging manner in this intelligent screen version of Peter Morgan's stage hit, with the writer himself (under the helpful hand of director Ron Howard) adapting his fact-based account of the taping of the historic interviews between disgraced ex-President Richard Nixon (Frank Langella) and TV talk show host David Frost (Michael Sheen). This is lively, often humorous and endlessly fascinating.
10. TROPIC THUNDER (Ben Stiller). The opening 10 minutes -- the funniest in any picture this year -- are enough to merit this film's inclusion on this list, but happily, star-director-cowriter Ben Stiller and his team (most notably MVP Robert Downey Jr.) keep the laughs coming in this decidedly non-PC outing that touches upon clashing acting methods, venal movie moguls, and the correct way to portray a mentally challenged character (tip: never go "full retard" if you want a shot at the Oscar).
The Next 10 (Honorable Mentions, In Preferential Order): Roman de Gare; The Life Before Her Eyes; Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day; The Bank Job; The Counterfeiters; Let the Right One In; Young@Heart; War Eagle, Arkansas; Priceless; Gran Torino
Best Actor: Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler; Sean Penn, Milk; Ben Kingsley, Elegy; Leonardo DiCaprio, Revolutionary Road; Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Best Actress: Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married; Evan Rachel Wood, The Life Before Her Eyes; Melissa Leo, Frozen River; Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road; Kristin Scott Thomas, I've Loved You So Long
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight; Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder; Ralph Fiennes, The Duchess, In Bruges and The Reader; Bill Irwin, Rachel Getting Married; Aaron Eckhart, The Dark Knight and Towelhead
Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, Elegy and Vicky Cristina Barcelona; Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler; Amy Adams, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day and Doubt; Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Elsa Zylberstein, I've Loved You So Long
Overrated: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!; Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist; Wanted
Underrated: Body of Lies; Changeling; Get Smart; The Secret Life of Bees
Disappointments: Australia; Mamma Mia!; Miracle at St. Anna; Valkyrie; W.
THE 10 WORST
1. THE LOVE GURU Mike Myers' ghastly effort is so far ahead the rest of the "Worst" pack that it deserves the (tarnished) gold, silver and bronze all to itself. Myers' Guru Pitka discusses "monkey mustard," Ben Kingsley's Guru Tugginmypudha makes his pupils fight with urine-saturated mops, and Justin Timberlake plays an enormously endowed athlete nicknamed Le Coq. Oh, yes, and elephants copulate. Viewers who sit through this will feel like they've been violated by an elephant.
2. DECEPTION Lawyer Hugh Jackman introduces accountant Ewan McGregor to the joys of sex-club membership, with the latter not realizing that he's being set up for a fall. Because Hollywood movies tend to get squeamish around the subject of s-e-x, this ridiculous thriller ultimately packs less erotic heat than even Kung Fu Panda or W.
3. THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR Did anyone really desire another tattered Mummy flick? Apparently so, since this dreadful sequel cleared $100 million at the U.S. box office. And at the end of the day, Brendan Fraser managed to headline a summer yarn that was even more ludicrous than Journey to the Center of the Earth.
4. MAX PAYNE The rain in Spain may fall mainly on the plain, but the pain in Payne falls squarely on the heads of unsuspecting audience members concussed by the bricks of ineptitude that shower down in this ugly video-game adaptation.
5. DELGO In an off-year for animated features (only WALL-E and Kung Fu Panda were really worth a damn), the worst is this awful eyesore about a long-standing skirmish between reptilian clans in the fantasy world of Jhamora. Listening to Chris Kattan as the voice of comic relief Filo is like witnessing the resurrection of Jar Jar Binks.
6. THE SPIRIT The movie looks great, and that's about the only positive thing that can be said about this grotesque adaptation of Will Eisner's justly celebrated comic strip. In the year of The Dark Knight, a superhero flick this shallow and campy proves to be especially offensive.
7. RUN FAT BOY RUN David Schwimmer makes his directorial debut with this broad, crass and spectacularly unfunny piece about a sad sack (Simon Pegg) who tries to win back his ex-fiancée (Thandie Newton) by getting into shape. Any random episode of The Benny Hill Show looks as elegant and sophisticated as Top Hat when compared to this dud.
8. THE STRANGERS A young couple (Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman) are chased around their secluded vacation home by a family of masked lunatics. That's it. The scarcity of plot unfortunately translates into a scarcity of chills, a scarcity of empathy and a scarcity of interest.
9. STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS George Lucas' once-great filmic empire managed to survive Jar Jar Binks, a flying R2-D2 and even those insufferable Ewoks. It could not, however, survive this desperate toon take on the saga, complete with Jabba the Hutt's belching baby boy.
10. SEMI-PRO Will Ferrell stars as an idiotic man-child who throws tantrums yet still manages to think highly of himself. Yes, I know that describes 80 percent of the comedian's movies, but this is the one with basketballs.
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