Movie Clip and Trailer of the Day

Hey everyone, I'm posting this here in hope that you'll follow the new feature of FilmOutsider. Everyday, on my Twitter feed, I'll be posting a Movie Clip of the Day and a Trailer of the Day. These will range in time period, in content and mood but everyday these will be happening! Keep a close look at twitter.com/kevinsimpson for each day's update!

Trailer: Public Enemies

So, here we have it: the first real glimpse at Michael Mann's newest. Immediate reactions? Not sure if I like the more modern feel of the music but I'm told that the music in the film is much more period-accurate, i.e. songs from the 20's and 30's. Visually, it looks like Michael Mann: arresting and innovative. However, the digital look is different for a period piece. It could just be my initial reaction but that look seems to put forth a certain type of modernity, even futuristic quality at points. It was perfect for the bright lights of Collateral and Miami Vice. How will it affect a period piece? It worked well for Che though so I have faith in Mann's technical expertise. Acting look spectacular as does the plot. Word has it (even those who have seen previews and not enjoyed the film) that Depp is tremendous and from this, I don't doubt it. This is my most eagerly anticipated movie of the summer, perhaps, year.

Public Enemies Poster

Sweet.

The Other Side of the Wind at Cannes

This is interesting and intriguing to say the least. We're talking about a legendary lost film, an unfinished supposed masterpiece from one of the true geniuses of cinema. If the prospect of an Orson Welles project with the description of "an aging Hollywood director attempting to revive his career by making a trippy movie filled with sex and violence" doesn't excite you, well, then, you're just not much of a cinephile.

Worth Revisting

In the wake of Kate's win on Sunday.

Trailer: Funny People

It can't be embedded but here is the first trailer for Judd Apatow's follow up to Knocked Up, Funny People.

Predicting the 2010 Oscars

The day after the big show, the blogosphere is up and raring to go for 2010. Here's a glimpse from Kris Tapley, at InContention, and Jeffery Wells, from Hollywood Elsewhere, as to their opening salvo of guesses for what might be the big winner a year from now.

First Glimpse of Public Enemies!

For those who stuck through the credits of the Oscars last night, you caught a glimpe of Public Enemies, Michael Mann's newest creation. As a Mann devotee, the footage looked tremendous, especially the shot of Christian Bale unloading a tommy gun at the camera. A classic Mann composition. July can't come quick enough. Look for a trailer in the coming couple of weeks.

Oscar's Wrap Up

As last night's Academy Awards ceremony came to a close, so did the cinematic year that was 2008, a span of 365 that many felt was underwhelming, while others reveled in the releases. As I've written before, 2008 was underwhelming for me, save for some stone cold and could-be classics. The depth wasn't there, the variety didn't quite match 2007. Still, I look forward to the Oscars like a junkie to a fix so Sunday's ceremony was a welcome treat and with that said, all in all, I enjoyed the broadcast, although not always agreeing with it although I'm not sure there is anything on par with the Crash fiasco of a few years back.

Highlights:
-James Franco, Seth Rogen and Janusz Kaminski (!) in Judd Apatow's wonderful montage of the year in comedy, which including a brilliant skewering of some of the big Oscar bait. Franco is an immensely talented guy who I feel like we've only seen shades of what he can really do. 2008 was a great year for him between his film redeeming performance in Pineapple Express to his excellent work in Milk and this seemed like a good way for it to end.



-Tina Fey, Steve Martin and the Screenplay Nominees. A brilliant moment from two of the world's funniest that was topped off by Dustin Lance Black's immensely deserved win for Best Original Screenplay. Black's script is brilliant and heartbreaking, a timely portrait of pivotal figure that is frequently forgotten by the general public. Black's speech was heartfelt, moving and all too true, the best of the evening.



-Sean Penn's win for his impressive work in Milk. While I would have been content with either Penn or Rourke (and I think Rourke's speech would have been more moving and entertaining), Penn's performance is too good to miss. It's a subtle, moving portrayal that deserves all the accolades it has received. Rourke's work is equally as impressive but this was Penn's award and he rightfully came out on top. Also, I try to avoid politicizing here but his remarks about Prop 8 were dead on. Those who wish to discriminate against gays are no different than those who tried to destroy the civil rights movements of the 1960's. We look back at those people as uneducated bigots and I believe that, in due time, those with anti-gay agendas will appear no different.



-Penelope Cruz's win for Vicky Cristina Barcelona, a transcendent performance in a criminally underseen and underrated film. She's a talented, charismatic performer and her performance in VCB is her best to date.



-Heath Ledger's win for The Dark Knight, the only win of note for the biggest film of the year. This is the last time the Academy will be able to award an actor who seemed to be becoming of his generation's best and thankfully, it doesn't have to go to a sub-par performance. Even the most TDK haters have issues trying to critique Ledger's brilliant, searing and disturbing work.



Letdowns
-The overwhelming Slumdog victory. I believe that Boyle deserves it but the rest of it rings hollow to me as I've noted here before. It went 8 for 10 on the evening and very few of those were the right choices. I hate to sound like a fanboy hitting back at a film I wasn't crazy about but this was not the best film of 2008 by any stretch of the imagination and nothing anyone will say will convince me that it was any greater than any number of films, including most of the other Best Picture nominees, most particularly Van Sant's Milk.

-The length was a bit much. It seemed like it was moving along pretty well at the half way point but the second half of the show began to drag a little bit, not enough for me to want to turn it off but enough for me to understand non-cinephiles tuning out.

-A general lack of surprises. The only award that stunned me (and seemingly the film community) was Best Foreign Film, which many felt was a shoe-in for Bashir or The Class. It appears that very few people have seen Departures (hell, even A.O. Scott at the NY Times admitted to not having seen it) so I believe it's win was a stunning turn. The category was already one of controversy with the snub of the supposedly tremendous Gomorrah and I'm not sure this isn't more ammunition for the complainers.

Overall, as I said earlier, I enjoyed the evening but with the Oscar's, it doesn't take much to keep me interested. It's unfortunate that Slumdog's big night will obscure the other winners but many have pointed out this morning that it's win may signal a new path in Hollywood. As the recession bores down and studios have less money to make the big Oscar contenders, 2009 may be a year of small films making big splashes next February. Until then, thanks for reading! Enjoy 2009!

Looking to 2009

Apologies for a lack of reviews. I was holding off on re-starting them until 2009 releases hit the pipeline and have had no desire to see any of the dreck that is being released now (Gomorrah hasn't hit CT yet).

Still, with the Oscars only a few days away, here is The Playlist's look at 2009. Films I'm looking forward to?

Public Enemies (Mann)
Ashecliffe (Shutter Island) (Scorsese)
The Human Factor (Eastwood)
Fantastic Mr. Fox (Anderson)
Adventureland (Mottola)
The Road (Hillcoat)
The Tree of Life (Malick)
Inglourious Basterds (Tarantino)
Funny People (Apatow)
Where the Wild Things Are (Jonze)
The Hurt Locker (Bigelow)
Green Zone (Greengrass)
The Informant (Soderbergh)
Taking Woodstock (Lee)
Watchmen (Snyder)
Avatar (Cameron)
500 Days of Summer (Webb)
Star Trek (Abrams)

Thats just a sampling. Of those, Public Enemies is about as excited for a film that I get. A recent test screening brought some positive buzz which is hopeful but from an ardent admirer of Miami Vice, Mann's follow up should be worth the price of admission.

What are you looking forward to?

Zodiac Appreciation Pt. 1

As perfect a tone- and mood-setting opening as there is in recent memory.

Finally. Inglourious Basterds: Trailer

At a time when all war films feel the same, QT rides in to save the day.

And the Best Director Oscar Goes To...

Danny Boyle. Congrats man, you're a hell of a talent who is the sole reason for Slumdog working at all. With his Directors Guild win last night, Boyle has more or less locked down the Oscar win, which is too bad for David Fincher, who's work on Benjamin Button is nearly as impressive.

Newsweek's Oscar Roundtable

A nice, yet kind of awkward (given Sally Hawkins got screwed out of a nomination) roundtable from a talented group of stars: Langella, Pitt, Hathaway, Downey Jr., Hawkins, Rourke. If you've got the time, watch all 8 parts for a solid 45 minutes of entertaining talk. Perhaps NSFW due to some coarse language. Click on the big play button to start the vids.

Watchmen: Trailer

Fincher Discussion

For all the Fincher-heads out there, here's an excellent discussion of the guy's work. Stick around for the comments, which are nearly as interesting as the actual, formal discussion, and provide a stellar defense of Fincher's latest "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button".

Slumdog Thoughts

Having seen Slumdog alittle over a month ago, I've had time to sit back and really think about it. Being a HUGE fan of Danny Boyle and his previous work (28 Days Later, for my money, is as good of a horror film as any other released in the past 25 years), I have to say that I continue to be disappointed with Slumdog. I can understand why people like, even love it, but I have to think that some of those people find the film overly original or fresh. I also have to think that those people have not seen City of God or City of Men (either the TV show or feature length film companion), both of which deal with extreme poverty in massive cities and the attempts to escape the harsh nature of live in poor areas.

Both of the Meirelles projects (he directed the former, produced the latter) seem to bristle with a constant vitality. This isn't to say that Slumdog doesn't feel alive at points as it most certainly does, perhaps as much as any other film this fall, but never does it match the sheer rush of either of the Brazillian films. City of God may be more violent in its drug trade narrative focus but it also features a greater range of emotion. The more gut-wrenching scenes in Slumdog (the torture and mutiliation scenes come to mind) don't match the sheer heart in the throat points of City of God (there is nothing remotely close to the power of this scene, apologies for the sound being off and in another language). Slumdog never wants to take the real horror of those situations to their logical endpoint. Rather, it wants to stay as an almost Dickensian fable about poor kids in the big city. However, the inclusion of these thin line walking scenes which are too in your face to label the film as an audience pleaser, too reserved to actually make a true impression. It seemed to me that Slumdog didn't know what it wanted to be.

For those who think of City of God as being only a violent exploration of favela life, there are more than enough moments of genuine joy and exuberance that break through the darkness. Yet, City of God's blend seems more cohesive and fleshed out. Where as the horrific moments of City of God seem earned and necessary to the film, those moments in Slumdog seem so much more forced, so much less a necessity.

It's unfortunate that, as I believe Boyle to be a true master, Slumdog seems to be the film he's most remembered and adored for. His previous works (28 Days Later, Trainspotting, Millions, hell, even Sunshine in it's flawed glory) struck a much deeper chord with me than Slumdog ever did. It's not to say that Slumdog isn't a good, noteworthy work that adds to Boyle illustrious filmmography but to have it sweep the major awards and dominate critic circles best-of-lists seems like overpraise of the highest order.

The Outsider's Oscar Nominations

When the Oscar nominations were announced last week, there was a fair amount of crying about different categories. In the spirit, here are my own personal nominations for the Oscars. In the coming weeks, I'll mark down who should win my nominations, who should win the real nominations and then the night of the Oscars, who will win the Oscars.

Best Picture
The Dark Knight
Wall-E
Milk
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Best Actor
Sean Penn – Milk
Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler
Benecio Del Toro – Che
Clint Eastwood – Gran Torino
Frank Langella – Frost/Nixon

Best Actress
Meryl Streep – Doubt
Kate Winslet – Revolutionary Road
Anne Hathaway – Rachel Getting Married
Cate Blanchett – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Angelina Jolie – Changeling

Best Supporting Actor
Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight
Phillip Seymour Hoffman – Doubt
Robert Downey Jr. – Tropic Thunder
Michael Shannon – Revolutionary Road
Emile Hirsch – Milk

Best Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz – Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Frances McDormand – Burn After Reading
Viola Davis – Doubt
Taraji P. Henson – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Rosemarie DeWitt – Rachel Getting Married

Best Director
David Fincher – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Christopher Nolan – The Dark Knight
Gus Van Sant – Milk
Sam Mendes – Revolutionary Road
Steven Soderbergh – Che

Year in Review: Addendum

I have just been able to see Che and The Wrestler, both of which feature tremendous, transcendent lead performances that jump off the screen. Both easily are some of the year's best, probably clocking in the top 10. With that said, consider my new top ten something like this.

10. The Wrestler
9. Rachel Getting Married
8. Che
7. Paranoid Park
6. Revolutionary Road
5. Vicky Cristina Barcelona
4. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
3. Wall-E
2. The Dark Knight
1. Milk

This knocks Man on Wire and Doubt just out of my top 10 of the year.

Che's brilliance lies in its refusal to play by typical biopic conventions. It may rub some the wrong way that it doesn't have the big emotional payoff that one typically likes after 4 hours and 20 minutes (no lie) but the depth of ideas pervade the film. It's first half (which details Guevara's role in the Cuban Revolution) works better than the second but both are wonderful returns to form for Steven Soderbergh and are easily his best work since Traffic. Benecio Del Toro is absolutely amazing, giving a soulful, intelligent performance that has been terribly overlooked due to the film's length, which has prohibited it from being shown outside of major cities up to this point. As someone who finds Che a fascinating figure, the film gripped me from the outset, with Soderbergh's guerilla style filmmaking beautifully complementing the narrative and themes.

For The Wrestler, its easy to see why everyone is so crazy for Mickey Rouke's performance which is wonderful in every way. Humorous, heartbreaking and entirely human, Rouke brings a vitality to the screen that was only matched by Sean Penn's work in Milk and perhaps Del Toro in Che. A resonant drama that holds something for many, this is much more than just a wrestling film and in many ways, is the Raging Bull for wrestling. In other words, one need not be interested in the sport (or entertainment depending on how you view it) of wrestling, only in in-depth examinations of human struggle. Rourke deserves every bit of his Globe win and Oscar nomination. If the Oscar ends up going to either him or Penn, consider this writer content.

Finalists for Oscar's Best Foreign Language Film

After last year's disastrous snubbing of 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days by the Oscar Foreign Language committee, it seems like the group has done it again. Conspicuously absent from this year's finalists is Gomorrah, by director Matteo Garrone, one of the most critically acclaimed films of the year. The blogosphere is up in arms over this, as the Academy proves again that more often than not, their Foreign Language category isn't always the best barometer when truly determining the best Foreign film of the year. Here are the finalists, from which the five nominees will be selected:

Revanche (Gotz Spielmann, Austria)
The Necessities of Life (Benoit Pilon, Canada)
The Class (Laurent Cantet, France)
The Baader Meinhof Complex (Uli Edel, Germany)
Waltz with Bashir (Ari Folman, Israel)
Departures (Yojiro Takita, Japan)
Tear This Heart Out (Roberto Sneider, Mexico)
Everlasting Moments (Jan Troell, Sweden)
3 Monkeys (Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Turkey)

Courtesy of Variety.

Year in Review 2008

2008 has come and gone and with it, another cinematic year is in the books. The Golden Globes were last night but I’ll get to that in a bit. We’ll start with a brief look back at the year that was.

Ultimately, my judge of a cinematic year is not only how many great movies were released, but also, the variety of the films released. Take, for example, 2007, a year that was jam packed with solid 10’s (or at least near 10’s). No Country, Zodiac, There Will Be Blood may lead the charge but not far behind you have This is England, Knocked Up, Control, Assassination of Jesse James, etc. Had it been released in 2008, Eastern Promises would be a solid contender for number 1. In 2007, its in a tight race for a solid second half of the top 10.

I don’t mean to say that 2008 was a bad year for movies, you certainly have your memorable pics, but in the wake of 2007, one of the best cinematic 365 day span of my lifetime, 2008 just doesn’t hold up. Still, there is a lot to be celebrated in 2008, as evidence by the video I posted a couple of posts back. Yet, when I watch that, I can’t help think that more of those work better at moments as opposed to whole works. Still, any cinephile who watches that and doesn’t feel their heart pumping needs to get their pulse checked and I think that really speaks to the power of cinema. In a 4 minute video, filled with 3 or 4 second clips, so many good memories are brought up, so many moments that will permanently be lodged into our brains. In many ways, we’ll forget some of these movies and the overall, final product. Yet, certain shots and sequences will forever be etched into our cultural fabric. This is the type of video that I would have watched as a kid, seen those scenes, identify the movie and want to see the entire film. Only now, I can identify every shot, every last second of the thing. Granted, I see more movies than most but I think it’s a powerful summary of what was. Fact is, I’m happy I saw everything in there, not because I want to be able to say I saw everything in there, but because I’m happy I was able to experience valuable (however minor) parts of the cultural output of 2008.

I think people forget that: that film is a major cultural output of our country, of our world in the present time. Those who decry film, its study or one’s love of film as inconsequential are short sighted and delusional. Those type of people would have been the same type who dismissed the popular fictions of the 19th century, the Mark Twain’s, the Edgar Allen Poe’s, the Jane Austen’s of the world, as inconsequential (read: idiots). In the current wave of cinema (which is woefully underrated), it’s easy to look at the cinematic garbage of the world and use it as an example of film’s unnecessary nature. However, if one sits down (really sits down) and closely watches the works of David Fincher, PT Anderson, Gus Van Sant, Clint Eastwood or Michael Mann, they’ll discover a grouping of artists making as intelligent of works as any other artist in the world today. These are the people who’ll influence what will come for the next 50 years. They’ll influence the music, the film, the art, the literature of our kid’s generation and of our kid’s kid’s generation in a way that Hitchcock, Ford and Godard has influenced the current generation. Cinema just represents the next step in art, the next logical progression from still paintings, from still images. One can look at Ford’s films such as The Searchers, Stagecoach or My Darling Clementine and not only see D.W. Griffith or but also the ideas of Frederick Jackson Turner or the themes of James Fenimore Cooper. Point is, to watch some big budget studio trash, be disappointed and then hold it against film as a whole is useless. You just have to have a sense of adventure, a sense of wanting to discover the culture of your generation to find the gems.

What’s 2008 have to offer for this? I’d say the epic and intelligent, yet accessible and entertaining moments of The Dark Knight, a perfect parable for a time when a major societal question is how should we combat evil? Perhaps Wall-E, with its strong warnings of environmental destruction and human health, all in an animated film about a robot, is more your cup of tea. Or is it Milk, the vibrant and inspirational look at one of the great social advocates of the near past with its themes of acceptance and human rights is for you. Maybe it’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Fincher’s second film in thematic trilogy about live, passion and the passage of time; or Revolutionary Road and its reminders to live your life to the fullest and to follow your passions or risk lifelong unhappiness; or Vicky Cristina Barcelona, a delicacy of a film about the spirit of the good life, of love, of food, of good drink. There’s something for everyone, just go and find it.

Still, 2008 can’t beat 2007. Fincher’s Button is great, even tremendous, and will probably be more liked by audiences due to its undeniable emotional effect but it doesn’t match up with Zodiac, Fincher’s 2007 release. Zodiac will never be remembered as fondly by regular audiences because of its methodical pacing and its steadfast refusal to give out simple emotional thrills but at its core, it’s a better film, a more complex film, a more complete film. Nothing matches up with the deranged nature of There Will Be Blood and there certainly isn’t a performance this year that tops Daniel Day Lewis’ Daniel Plainview, a performance that has to be watched 5 or 10 times to pull every bit of nuance from it.

Regardless, 2008 was better than some, worse than others but it does stand up on its own. Its films form a snapshot of our time, a capsule of sorts to remember our fears and hopes for the year. What will 2009 bring? Will a new presidency change the tone of Hollywood? Only time will tell but I’ll be happy to take the ride, whatever it may be.

Year in Review 2008: Best Films (73-51)

73. The Happening
72. Semi-Pro
71. Funny Games U.S.
70. 21
69. Get Smart
68. The Other Boelyn Girl
67. Doomsday
66. Sex and the City
65. Leatherheads
64. OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies
63. My Blueberry Nights
62. Speed Racer
61. Mongol
60. The Incredible Hulk
59. Pineapple Express
58. Mamma Mia!
57. You Don’t Mess With the Zohan
56. Miss Pettigrew Lives for the Day
55. Hancock
54. Miracle at St. Anna
53. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
52. The Bank Job
51. Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Year in Review 2008: Best Films (50-26)

50. Diary of the Dead
49. Cloverfield
48. The Hammer
47. Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist
46. Wanted
45. Flash of Genius
44. Zack and Miri Make a Porno
43. Cassandra’s Dream
42. Quantum of Solace
41. Redbelt
40. Be Kind Rewind
39. Body of Lies
38. Son of Rambow
37. In Bruges
36. Slumdog Millionaire
35. Stop-Loss
34. Joy Division
33. Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten
32. Bigger, Stronger, Faster*
31. Standard Operating Procedure
30. Surfwise
29. Chicago 10
28. Blindness
27. Valkyrie
26. City of Men

Year in Review 2008: Best Films (25-11)

25. Gonzo: The Life of Hunter S. Thompson
24. Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired
23. Frost/Nixon
22. U23D
21. The Visitor
20. W.
19. Hellboy II: The Golden Army
18. Iron Man
17. Burn After Reading
16. Synecdoche, New York
15. Ghost Town
14. Shine a Light
13. Changeling
12. Tropic Thunder
11. Gran Torino

Year in Review 2008: Best Films (10-1)

10. Doubt- John Patrick Shanley’s adaptation of his own stage play works so well thanks to its ability to ask the tough question while refusing the easy answers. It forces it audiences to think in all the best ways, with questions about faith, sexuality and gender. P.S. Hoffman, Meryl Streep and Amy Adams all contribute knock out performances, unflinching in their honesty.

9. Man on Wire- The year’s best documentary tells the unbelievable story of Philippe Petit’s attempt to walk the high wire between the two Twin Towers soon after their construction. It works so well due to the fact that its told like the best heist film you can imagine, filled with suspense and intrigue. Priceless documentary footage complement the new interviews to form one of the most entertaining films of the year.

8. Rachael Getting Married- Jonathan Demme’s view of a dysfunctional family’s wedding has a wonderfully improvisational feel to it and a stellar lead performance by Anne Hathaway. The rest of the cast is up to Hathaway’s challenge, as there are great performance sprinkled throughout. At first, I wasn’t sure how I felt about the musical interludes that pop up through the film but few films have stuck with me as much as this.

7. Paranoid Park- The year of Gus Van Sant started here with his small indie flick about a teen who witnesses a murder. Led by a stellar cast of virtual unknowns, it’s as beautifully shot as any true indie that you’ll see thanks to Christopher Doyle’s cinematography. A quiet meditative film that forms one half of the best one/two directorial punch of the year.

6. Revolutionary Road- A dark, searing and unflinching look at the soullessness of suburbia, Revolutionary Road marks Sam Mendes return to the neighborhoods of American Beauty, only 50 years earlier. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet lead a stellar cast that makes the best of the heavy, heavy, heavy material. Moving and disturbing, it hits close to home more than one may like but like all good art, it provokes considerable thought about the very being of your life.

5. Vicky Cristina Barecelona- Woody Allen’s best film since his heyday, Vicky Cristina Barcelona is achingly alive, glowing off the screen. Its vibrancy and sense of place allow you to get lost in a European vacation of your own without leaving the theatre. Tremendous acting all around, VCB is erotic and sexual without ever feeling dirty, its quick wit continually propping it up. Criminally under seen, this is a film that deserves a much larger audience. Absolutely lovely in every aspect.

4. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button- Much like his previous work Zodiac, David Fincher’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button will only get better with each successive viewing. Epic in scope yet intimately personal at all times, Fincher’s newest masterpiece is an innovative technical marvel that raises questions about the very nature of life itself. Strikingly shot and filled with amazing performances, this is the perfect example of a film that nails its setting and atmosphere so well that I was checking my watch, hoping to spend even more time in this universe.

3. Wall-E- Just when you think that Pixar can’t top themselves, they go ahead and wow you once again, this time with Wall-E, which may be the finest animated film of all time, certainly of the year. Combining Chaplin-esque pathos with a timely message and timeless characters, Wall-E succeeds on every front. Adult in themes yet presented in ways that even a child could understand, Wall-E confronts a complex subject head on, with jaw dropping visuals and a bittersweet tone that impossible not to fall for.

2. The Dark Knight- THE movie of 2008, Christopher Nolan’s sequel to his Batman Begins is a startling, dread filled, modern masterpiece. Its pop filmmaking of the highest order, a deft combination of blockbuster action and indie smarts. At its core are questions vital to our current society, all neatly wrapped in a black cape. Ledger’s performance is already legendary, with good reason. It immediately takes it place among the greatest screen villains of all time.

1. Milk- A moving, exciting biopic from the immensely talented Gus Van Sant relies on a spectacular lead performance by Sean Penn to carry the considerable weight of the material. Vibrant to the end, Van Sant continues to prove he’s one of the most gifted filmmakers working today. Yet, this may be his masterpiece, a sound examination of a man, a movement, a city, hell, an entire time period.

Year in Review 2008: Best Performances

(Haven't seen The Reader)

-Sean Penn, Milk
-Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
-Benecio Del Toro, Che
-Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
-Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
-Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
-Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
-Cate Blanchett, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
-P.S. Hoffman, Doubt
-Meryl Streep, Doubt
-Leonardo DiCaprio, Revolutionary Road
-Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road
-Clint Eastwood, Gran Torino
-Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
-Josh Brolin, W.
-Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married

Year in Review 2008: Best Moments

-Wall-E’s initial trip to the Axiom, clinging to the side of a spaceship.
-Climatic confrontation between P.S. Hoffman and Meryl Streep in Doubt.
-Kate’s dance in Revolutionary Road.
-Brad and Cate hanging on the boat, watching the spaceship launch in Benjamin Button.
-Wanted’s Train Shootout.
-Be Kind Rewind’s Swedes.
-W’s run in W.
-The lot of U2 3D for inspired visual tricks.
-Iron Man’s first flight in Iron Man.
-Documentary footage from the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago 10.
-JK Simmons and the final scene from Burn After Reading.
-Robert Downey Jr.’s retard speech in Tropic Thunder.
-Debra Winger and Anne Hathaway’s slap fight and Hathway’s subsequent drive in Rachael Getting Married.
-Man on Wire’s Twin Tower Tightrope.
-Gran Torino’s barbershop scene with Walt, Toad and Martin.
-Penn’s “I know you’re angry” speech in Milk.
-The Joker’s Pencil Trick in The Dark Knight.

'08 Review

Because, there isn't a better way to get back in the swing of things, to pique people's interest in another year of FilmOutsider, than to look back at '08. My best-of will be heading up on January 11, the day of the Globes. I'll have, unfortunately, not seen everything by then but I'm going to do my damndest to see as much as I can. The whatever-I've-seen to 1 countdown will be massive so get ready.

In the meantime, check out Neoavant's Matt Shapiro's recap of the year. 2008, in the wake of 2007, was a disappointing year for the movies but this'll still remind you of some of the magical moments cinema gave us in the year that was. Sit back, enjoy and I'll see you on the 11th.