Best Films of 2008

by James Evans

Man on Wire
I’m not afraid of heights, but there is no way in hell you could get me to do something like this. Philip Petite walked a tightrope across the World Trade Center towers back in 1974. Illegally. This documentary tells the incredible story of how he did it. I simply cannot understand how anyone would not want to see this movie.

Another great documentary is Surfwise. Look it up.

Slumdog Millionaire
Danny Boyle’s Bollywood love story was a nice surprise for me. The preview made it out to be something different than it is. One of the few movies this year that I saw more than once.

The Dark Knight
This should have been nominated for Best Picture and not because of Heath Ledger dying. He is brilliant in the movie but everyone else is good, too. I love Maggie Gyllenhaal, so I was happy for her replacing Katie Holmes. I was glad that one of the times I saw it was in IMAX. It really was worth it for the scenes that they filmed in the IMAX format.

I also want to mention Iron Man, of course. That one was more fun, so it’s a different movie, but they were both great.

And I loved The Incredible Hulk. After the first movie from five years ago, I was worried about them doing it right. Especially since Edward Norton was attached. He is really hit and miss for me, but he was perfect in the role. I hope they make another with this cast.

The Wackness
If you don’t know what this movie is then just rent it. Don’t look anything up. Josh Peck and Ben Kingsley are great in this smaller film that was unfortunately overlooked. By everyone.

In Bruges
I didn’t know anything about this movie going into it, and that is how I prefer things. It’s funny and yet there is sadness behind things. Colin Farrell is great here unlike in Casandra’s Dream, which was terrible. And Ralph Fiennes shows once again he is one of the best actors today. Despite The Reader. Watch Guy Ritchie’s Rock N Rolla for a good double feature.

Let The Right One In
I actually liked Twilight, but the best vampire movie was this Swedish film. It is also one of the most unique and interesting films I have seen in a long time. I loved everything about the movie but the last five minutes will last with me forever.

Another great foreign film and another unique movie was Timecrimes. What would happen if someone turned on a time machine? Well, you get to find out if you watch this very dark comedy.

Tropic Thunder
This was just a hilarious movie. Robert Downey, Jr. deserves his nomination this year for his role. I am not someone who thought that Tom Cruise was so brilliant here though. Yes, he was good but there was way too much talk about him.

Two other comedies I loved this year were Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Pineapple Express. Russell Brand made Sarah Marshall and James Franco was absolutely the stand-out in Pineapple.

JCVD
Yes, those initials stand for Jean Claude Van Damme. He shows here that he can actually act. Although I felt his monologue went on a little too long, it was a terrific scene. The rest of the movie is good except for the very end.

And speaking of actors you wouldn’t think much of, Mickey Rourke deserves to win Best Actor for The Wrestler. Again, it’s not just a movie that shows he can act; it is a great movie with a lot of heart.

Boy A
Not quite based on a true story. This is about a boy who gets out of jail for a crime he committed while a juvenile. He is relocated and given a different name but when he saves the life of someone in a car accident, his past comes back to haunt him. It’s devastating to watch.

Under the Same Moon
I didn’t believe that this little boy could make the journey that he does, but I would like to think it’s possible so that is why I loved this movie. A small gem and a truly great story.

Most Underrated
The most underrated film of the year would have to be Speed Racer. Yes, it is too long especially for the audience they were going for, but I thought it was a lot of fun. It looked great in digital, too.

Most Overrated
The Reader. Best Picture? Watch it and tell me that it is not a bad German After School Special.

Not As Bad As You Heard
I can’t believe I am going to do this, but The Love Guru wasn’t terrible. It is not good by any means, and Ben Kingsley should be ashamed of himself. Despite that I did laugh a number of times. Still not saying you should see it though.

And Twilight. I really enjoyed this movie. For what it was. They did a good job of going after their audience. No, I still do not know why they are still going to high school after 100 years. Can’t they just say that they are home-schooled? Or what about college at least?

Biggest Disappointment
Hellboy II. I am a huge Hellboy fan from the comic books. I have a Hellboy tattoo and I loved the first movie. So what the hell happened with this second one? It was lazy, and I hated the whole pregnancy thing. I did like the addition of Johann Krauss to the mix though.

Best Films of 2007

by James Evans

No Country for Old Men
Javier Bardem is one of the most terrifying characters in film history. This movie is about more than the previews let on and is not to be missed.

Michael Clayton
George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, and Tilda Swinton are all worthy of Oscar nominations and this is a very close second for me. There is not much to the story, but the characters are so real and interesting.

Dan in Real Life
Steve Carell and Juliett Binoche seemed like an odd pairing to me, but they look good together. This movie took me off guard and I saw it more than any other movie this year. The soundtrack by Sondre Lerche is excellent as well.

Superbad
Michael Cera and Jonah Hill are the stars of the funniest film of the year. There is also heart to this movie, and the end scene on the escalator may be the saddest scene of the year.

I’m Not There
This is the most interesting film of the year to say the least. Even if you don’t know much about Bob Dylan, you will still enjoy this biographical film that is one of the most unique films ever made.

Gone Baby Gone
Amy Ryan as the trailer trash mother of the kidnapped daughter is so good at being one of the worst mothers in history. Ben Affleck directed this movie and cast his brother Casey who is excellent as the private detective hired by the family to find the girl.

Juno
Ellen Page is one of the best young actresses today and Michael Cera had a great year with this and Superbad. I think the movie would have been higher on my list if I had never seen the preview.

Crazy Love
This documentary tells the story of one of the most bizarre love stories you will ever hear about. I wouldn’t believe it if someone just told me the story.

King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
I used to live for video games so watching this story of a guy who wants to beat the world record score on Donkey Kong was must-see viewing. It is about more than just getting that high score though and shows this weird underworld of competitive video gaming. Sure the games are all old school, but those are the ones I grew up on.

Bridge to Teribithia
I had never even heard of the book, so this movie took me by surprise. The preview was terrible and made this out to be something completely different than it is. The story is about friendship, regret, and death which sounds strange for a film targeted at kids, but it is done well.

I ALSO ENJOYED:

Alpha Dog – Justin Timberlake really has a career ahead of him if he does it right.

Blades of Glory – Will Arnett and Amy Poehler are just as good as Will Ferrell and Jon Heder.

Disturbia – A good update of Hitchcock’s Rear Window.

Eastern Promises – All the talk was about the naked fight scene, but the twist is what made the movie for me.

In the Valley of Elah – Tommy Lee Jones is great. The heavy handed ending is terrible.

Into the Wild – Hal Holbrook and Catherine Keener are amazing in this sad story of a lost soul who is searching for something better in life. Too bad he didn’t listen to these people a little more.

My Best Friend – The “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” ending is classic.

My Kid Could Paint That – Hard-to-watch doc about a little girl who may or may not be the next Pollock.

Ratatouille – The best animated film I saw this year even though I have no idea what the hell ratatouille is.

Sicko – Another doc from Michael Moore about the state of health care in this country.

Southland Tales – I think I just really wanted to like this. I do want to see the full version that Richard Kelly made. Again, Justin Timberlake is great and him lip synching to The Killers’ “All These Things That I’ve Done” is one of my favorite scenes of the year.

Stardust – I think Neil Gaiman is a brilliant writer, but I couldn’t get into the graphic novel upon which this was based which was a huge mistake. What a great love story.

There Will Be Blood – This would have been in my top 10 if not for the last jump in time. I would have liked to have seen more during this gap.

This Is England – This story of a young boy who falls in with a group of skinheads is hard to watch for the subject matter, but Thomas Turgoose who plays the kid is so good and is one of the best performances of the year.

Zodiac – I loved this movie, but there is something about it that didn’t push it into my top 10 for some reason. I just can’t figure it out.

Best Films of 2006

    

by James Evans

Best Films of 2005

Dear Frankie
This Scottish film is a real tear jerker in all the good ways. A young boy thinks that his father is away working on a ship when in fact his mother had fled from his abusive father. When the ship is expected in town, she has to find a father for a day and quick. What unfolds is a true love story. I liked the fact that the boy is deaf is just another part of the story and not used as a pity thing.

Batman Begins
I am a fan of the Tim Burton Batman films, but this is how it should have been done all along.

Me and You and Everyone We Know
The more I think about this movie the more I appreciate it. The most interesting film of the year and the best poop joke ever.

A History Of Violence
Nothing in this movie really surprised me, you know how it will all play out. I just loved the way it unfolded. Viggo Mortensen proves his post LOTR status after the almost disastrous Hidalgo ruined his career.

Good Night and Good Luck
George Clooney is one of the few stars these days that could get away with a black and white movie that is all talking. Good for him!

Murderball
There were a number of great documentaries this year, but this was the best.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
I can’t really explain this movie, but it worked for me. The script is clichéd, but that is the point. That doesn’t make any sense unless you see the movie. The writing style is unique and I hope to see more movies move this way.

Fever Pitch
How can you not love this movie? It would have worked even if the Red Sox hadn’t won the World Series. Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore were terrific together in this romantic comedy.

Documentaries

There were too many good documentaries this year not to mention them.

Murderball was in my top ten.
 
Grizzly Man almost made it. The wackiest guy (rest his soul) on film in 2005.
 
Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill also almost made it. The second wackiest guy on film in 2005.

Gunner Palace. Who says war can’t be fun?
 
Mad Hot Ballroom. Some of these kids were so funny and genuine I would love to see some of them go into real film work.
 
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room. If you don’t know about the Enron debacle this is a must see.
 
March of the Penguins. The highest profile doc of the year. Try to get the original French version with the comedic overtures they had instead of the wonderful Morgan Freeman narration.
 
No Time for Cold Feet. This will mean nothing to you unless you know about the Winter Carnival and the Medallion Hunt that takes place in St. Paul, Minnesota every year.

Some Other Films I Liked

Brokeback Mountain. I mention this because everyone else will. I liked it well enough, but it had the same clichés of any romance so what’s the big deal? Oh, that’s right. It’s two guys and they are cowboys.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Would have liked it more if they knew how to end it.

Howl’s Moving Castle. I still hope computer animation will not overtake traditional animation.

Stay. I liked the dreamlike way this movie unfolded. Just not original enough for me to love it.

The Weatherman. How can you not laugh at this poor schmuck’s life?

Beyond the Sea. Yeah, Kevin Spacey was way too old for the role, but he loved his subject matter so much that he won me over.

Zathura. A great kids movie and much better than Jumanji.

The Sea Inside. Well, if I hadn’t loved Million Dollar Baby so much…

North Country. This film deserved a better run than it got, and I’m not saying that just because I’m from Minnesota.

Diary of a Mad Black Woman. It’s How Stella Got Her Groove Back with a crazy grandmother.

Millions. I thought this would be the movie of the year. Great, but not perfect.

Jesus is Magic. I love Sarah Silverman! Even though the movie is 85 minutes, it’s too long. Some very funny stuff though.

The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Steve Carrell had a breakout year with this movie and TV’s “The Office.” 

 

    

 

 

  

Not As Bad As You Heard

The Longest Yard. I really liked this remake and don’t get why everyone was so hard on it.

Bewitched. I thought that Nicole Kidman was great as Samantha and Will Ferrell was very funny.

Be Cool. Nope, this sequel didn’t need to be made, but it was worth it for The Rock, who showed that he can actually be good. And funny!

The Dukes of Hazzard. Why the hell did people bitch about this movie? It did exactly what it was supposed to do, so stop complaining!

The Island. No, it was not good, but it wasn’t the worst thing I have seen all year. I think the big problem was the fact that the movie was called The Island and the preview shows the scene of him screaming “There is no island!” That’s the genius of marketing!

    

Overrated

King Kong. How the hell did they get Kong on the ship?

Broken Flowers. Just because you try to be quirky doesn’t mean it will be worth watching.

The Constant Gardener. I liked it, but I don’t get the hype that was surrounding this upon its release.

Shopgirl. Another movie I thought I would love and I just kinda liked it.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. What an insult that this is performing better than the third film, which was superior in all ways.

Chronicles of Narnia. Ho hum. Someone saw Harry Potter and had an idea for a franchise.