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.