For the last few years, I’ve posted paltry year-end lists, which has been due to the fact that I haven’t been able to attend as many screenings (and thereby, post as many reviews) as I’d like. Every year I make an excuse, give a reason, whatever. Well, this year, it’s the same old story. A measly twenty-four films to draw from. And as great as these top films may be, I can’t help but feel there a number of unseen films waiting to supplant some of these in the top tier. (I haven’t seen most of the big year-end “award” movies like “Revolutionary Road” or “The Wrestler”.) So I won’t give an excuse this year. Instead, looking over my list, I’ll just say, “Wow, ‘geek’ is right!” TWO comic books in the top spot?? Nice!
1. The Dark Knight
2008’s best comic book film is also the year’s best political and social commentary. So much has been said about this justifiably celebrated film, I feel like writing any more is completely unnecessary. It has been celebrated in almost every way - that is, until we got into the current awards season. Just wait - they won’t even nominate “The Dark Knight” for a Best Picture Oscar. (I’m not trying to be funny. They SHOULD nominate it!) And then Hollywood will spazz out when no one tunes in to the Oscar telecast. Christopher Nolan has made the best film of 2008. We know what the real deal is. And this is one time we’ve been dealt a Joker we want to hold onto.
2. Iron Man
Standing in (pardon the expression) stark, gleaming contrast to “The Dark Knight”, Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr. took Marvel’s armored Avenger to new heights of fun for its sub-genre. The result is one of the most entertaining films of the year, and one of the screen’s most memorable characters. Don’t mistake this for a vacuous popcorn flick – Downey’s Tony Stark has the kind of age-appropriate depth brimming beneath the witty surface that is compelling in every way now, and if handled correctly, will be even more so in the inevitable sequels.
3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Okay, when I said that I feel like some of these films might be supplanted by other, as of yet unseen 2008 films, I was really thinking of this one. While “Benjamin Button” is an undeniably powerful cinematic experience – the kind you can’t quite pin down – it also has a meandering quality that somehow bogs it down. Also there are just too darn many similarities to “Forrest Gump” than anyone would’ve ever thought we’d see in a David Fincher film. Don’t get me wrong, that’s not a knock on “Gump” – it’s a knock on the odd familiarity we’re getting here. Between this and “Zodiac”, Fincher seems to be putting his earlier filmmaking aggression behind him, and firmly settling into a more meditative phase. Yes, there are draggy passages, but the exhilarating moments are unforgettable. Whether you consider this film a death-obsessed Forrest Gump or not, the reverse-aging hook is always interesting, and this firmly solidifies the creative team of Pitt/Fincher. A haunting, mysterious film.
Other great movies I saw in 2008 include “Hellboy II: The Golden Army”, “Shine a Light”, “George A. Romero’s Diary of the Dead”, and of course the tragically maligned “Speed Racer”. So fire up the blu-ray if you missed those in the theater, and have a brilliant 2009.
- Jim Tudor
I just watched two movies in cinema this year: Dark Knight and Quantum. Distribution over here (Mexico) sucks big time.
Yep. That IS the damn deal, alright.
honestly, not a big fan of superhero movies. Hollywood has milked the genre for long enough. 5 out of 10 Hollywood films coming out now are superhero movies based on comic books.
I know, right? There were at least THREE superhero movies last year, if you count Hellboy 2. And the thing is, ALL three were REALLY different from one another! What is wrong with hollywood releasing less than a handful of one genre of movie and providing variety and quality among those movies?!? Assholes!!!
I don't feel silly for having two super-hero movies so high on my list. In fact, I kinda love it. These are great movies in a sub-genre that is really shaping up to be worthy of greater attention. As a lifelong comic book geek, I couldn't be happier. Believe it or not, back in the eighties and earlier, fans like myself would daydream about what a non-comedy Batman movie would be like, or even, a big action movie based on a Marvel character, like Spider-Man or X-Men. Those wished-for movies seemed so far-flung, so somehow impossible. Now we have a wealth of these things. They may not always turn out so well, but sometimes they really hit the mark, and I guess that's what I'm saluting here.