TOP 10 of 2008
10. Body of Lies
9. The Dark Knight
5. Milk
4. Frost/Nixon
There you have it. Its been a terrific year for movies even though to find them you did have to go to some small art house theaters. There were so many other great films that I wanted to include but it all comes down to 10 great movies. If you're wondering why I didn't just do what Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper did, which is naming a Top 20 or Top 25, its because naming a Top 10 isn't what Ebert called it. Its not a cutting down process. It shows how much someone respects a movie and is willing to name that one above others. It shows how much love someone has for that film, and that's why I make a Top 10 instead of taking an easier way.
If you're wondering why Miracle at St. Anna wasn't my pick for the best movie of the year and Slumdog Millionaire was, followed by Doubt and The Wreslter, Frost/Nixon, Milk, and In Burges, its because even though I called Miracle at St. Anna one of the greatest movies ever made (and that was genuine, I wasn't pulling a Ben Lyons) I've had a chance to re-watch all 6 exceptional films and had to admit that I loved Slumdog Millioanire, Doubt, The Wreslter, Forst/Nixon, Milk, and In Burges just a little more. Think of it as more of a tie because it was very hard for me to decide but ultimately, Slumdog Millionaire was just the best movie of 2008.
The list ultimately came down to the top 7. Most of the time people say it's between the best and the 2nd best of the year. For me, it was between Frost/Nixon, Doubt, Slumdog Millioanire, Miracle at St. Anna, In Bruges, Milk, and The Wreslter. The entry above talks about me choosing between Frost/Nixon , Doubt, Slumdog Millionaire, The Wreslter , Milk, In Bruges, and Miracle at St. Anna, but to get to those 7 I had to re- watch all of those 10 films. Frost/Nixon was very close to being to #1, but instead I decided to make it #3. Doubt has the best ensemble cast of the year, which is why I love it just a little more than Frost/Nixon. The Wreslter is just an all around wonderful film, not just for Rourke. Milk features the best performance of the year, but The Wrestler was a little shorter and a little deeper. Of course, Slumdog Millionaire was #1, but the other 6 were so close to that spot.
The Dark Knight was #9. I acknowledge that when I first saw it in July, I was madly in love with it, but I'm sure everyone knows that sometimes opinions can change over time, especially when ignorant fans call it the greatest film of all time. Body of Lies happened to not be the best movie of 2008, though I still think it is one of the best of the year. Sometimes when you see a movie and love it, your praise for it may weaken over a couple of months. I expected Synecdoche, New York to be in my top 5, but with all the other great movies that have come out since then, I reconsidered it. But sometimes, opinions strengthen over time. That was the case with Doubt. I changed my mind about Doubt in a matter of hours. Changeling wasn't on the list because after thinking about the movie and seeing it again, I saw that it wasn't as good as I first thought.
Other great movies that didn't make the cut:
Changeling
Burn After Reading
Waltz With Bashir
And as we all know, for every great one comes six terrible ones
THE WORST MOVIES OF 2008
10. Yes Man
9. Prom Night
8. Rambo
7. Meet Dave
6. Twilight
5. Fool's Gold
4. 88 Minutes
3. 10, 000 B.C.
2. The Love Guru
1. College Road Trip
Terrible films that did not make this list:
Never Back Down
Deception
Deal
Star Wars: Clone Wars
Four Christmases
Finding Amanda
Mad Money
Funny Games
Vantage Point
Meet the Spartans