My Ten Best of 2008

Here is my ten best list, with a couple of honorable mentions.  The first seven were the only ones I awarded five stars, and the last three and the honorable mentions come from the 14 that I gave four stars, out of the 93 films reviewed in 2008.

1.  "4 months, 3 weeks, 2 days" is a dark and gripping drama, masterfully written, directed, and acted, covering one day in the life of a woman who helps a friend in the Romania of 1987.

2.  "Milk" is a superb biographical drama deftly mixed with documentary footage about the tragically short career of the nation's first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk. In one of his most accessible features Gus Van Sant captures the man, the moment, and the movement at a time in the '70's when Anita Bryant was leading a national crusade to deny homosexuals protection from discrimination.

3. "Slumdog Millionaire" An outstanding film in story, composition, music, direction, editing and performances, "Slumdog Millionaire" tells the Dickensian story of a street-wise orphan of the Mumbai slums whose life has strangely prepared him to answer questions on a popular TV quiz show. 

4.  "WALL-E" Accessible to both kids and adults, there are lessons to absorb, technique to marvel at, and a great sweep of story that takes you literally out of this world. It's the best.

5.  "Tell No One" ("Ne le dis a personne") a tight, breathless suspense and murder mystery film, combines the craft of Hitchcock with the adrenaline of "The Fugitive." 

6.  "The Dark Knight" It's easily the best Batman movie ever.

7.  "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" A technical tour de force and completely satisfying movie epic.

8.  "The Visitor" may surprise in its depiction of illegal immigrants, who are notably voiceless this election year, but it does not come across as a political tract, but rather as a glimpse into some lives that we would not have otherwise known.

9.  "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"   A delightful, sexy, wryly- and sharply-written character study from Woody Allen at his best.

10.  "Rachel Getting Married" sometimes searing, often warm and touching, ultimately sobering portrait of a recovering addict and her family.

Honorable Mention

"The Fall" The denizens of a 1920's Los Angeles hospital, every-day people, become colorful heroes in the imagined world an injured actor invents for a young patient, a voluptuous, exotic visual feast of a tale - a movie within a movie.

"Priceless" ("Hors de prix") an entertaining variation on an old theme as a hotel clerk is smitten with a gold digger and must pay the price.

"Iron Man" a super-satisfying, super-action-filled, super-entertaining movie that surpasses the genre.

Doubt ****

We are accustomed to making decisions on the basis of incomplete information; it's a part of life. And if we have doubts, we can acknowledge them and move on rather than be paralyzed by fear. In a court of law, we must be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt before depriving a fellow citizen of his liberty. But how much harder it must be to deal with doubt in a community of faith, where doubts can undermine the very meaning of one's life - dedication, vocation, salvation. Or do you embrace doubt and make that another bond of the believers?

Such are the questions that are raised in "Doubt," whose story deals with the suspicions, nay, "certainties" that a Catholic high-school principal (Meryl Streep) has in 1964 New York about a popular priest (Philip Syemour Hoffman) who may have an improper relationship with an altar boy. Expanded a bit for the screen from the award-winning Broadway play by the playwright himself, John Patrick Shanley also directs, with locations in the old neighborhood where he grew up. But still, "Doubt" raises more questions than it answers.

Given the revelations about pedophile priests in the last ten years, and the pattern of cover-up that perpetuated the abuse, Sister Aloysius' zeal for her charges seems prescient, and the difficulty, or impossibility she faces trying to go through (all-male) channels, is an indictment of the system. Yet what is her evidence? There are plausible explanations for everything, and no one is complaining except her. Why does she insist on pursuing her crusade against all evidence? Clearly, it seems, doubt is not in her vocabulary

These two titans, Streep and Hoffman, are joined by two worthy actors who round out the original four-character cast of the play: Amy Adams as Sister James, who does not doubt Father Flynn, and Viola Davis as the mother of the boy in question, who brings a totally unexpected perspective to the situation. This is an actor's movie, and all acquit themselves with high honors. It's a pleasure to watch, to admire, and to talk about afterwards.

Rated PG-13. 104 minutes. John Patrick Shanley - Director / Writer (screenplay) (play), Scott Rudin - Producer, Roger Deakins - Cinematographer, Howard Shore - Composer, David Gropman - Production Designer, Dylan Tichenor - Editor. Produced by Scott Rudin Productions. Distributed by Miramax Films

Principal actors: Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, and Viola Davis.

Rachel Getting Married ****

Kym, who has been in and out of rehab for the last 10 years, takes leave of her current institution to attend her sister Rachel's wedding. Told in a semi-documentary, hand-held style, the personalities and histories take shape as we get to know these sisters (an absolutely collossal Anne Hathaway as Kym and a taut Rosemarie DeWitt as Rachel), their friends, and their relatives. The dialog is realistic, and sometimes funny in a natural, not a Hollywood, way.

Jonathan Demme, who has directed several outstanding documentaries, like "Neil Young: Heart of Gold," here gives us an intimate portrait of a family, following them from room to room in their suburban Connecticut house during the wedding weekend. The result is sometimes searing, often warm and touching, ultimately sobering. Hathaway will doubtless get her first Oscar nomination for her sensitive, intelligent, fearless portrait of Kym.

Rated R. 113 minutes. Jonathan Demme - Director, Jenny Lumet - Writer, Neda Armian - Producer, Marc E. Platt - Producer, Declan Quinn - Cinematographer, Donald Harrison Jr. - Composer, Zafer Tawil - Composer, Ford Wheeler - Production Designer, Tim Squyres - Editor.

Principal actors: Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Mather Zickel, Bill Irwin, Anna Deveare Smith, Anisa George,

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button *****

A technical tour de force and completely satisfying movie epic, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" tells the tale of a boy born old, who lives life in reverse, growing younger each year as everyone around him grows old. What's most curious, or perhaps not so curious after all, is how much alike life appears coming from either end. The same challenges are there, and one never knows what life will bring, although we are all, ultimately, alone. But there is always the caring for those you love who can't take care of themselves. And there is connecting, with sex, and love, sharing with someone special, and starting over when you need to.

Based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the movie has the unhurried pace, lavish period sets (from 1918 to Hurricane Katrina), authentic dress and utterly convincing special effects and makeup that only a megabudget can provide. But none of that intrudes or calls attention to itself; the focus is always on the characters and their lives. It's been said that no great movie could be made from a great book, since so much is required to translate a collection of words into a collection of pictures, and so much interior life must be sacrificed. But here we have the opposite, a short story that spans almost a century that is fleshed out with a huge cast and the arcs of lives that span generations.

As the two main characters, Benjamin Button and the love of his life Daisy, Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchette are superb, and the range of years they play is nothing short of astonishing. Tilda Swinton and Julia Ormond admirably hold their parts of the movie together. And director David Fincher brings the same sort of attention to composition, pace, and character that he dazzled us with in "Zodiac." The long run time is necessary to the story, and never feels self-indulgent. This is one to savor.

Rated PG-13. 159 minutes. David Fincher - Director, Eric Roth - Writer (screenplay) (screen story), Robin Swicord - Writer (screen story), Ceán Chaffin - Producer, Kathleen Kennedy - Producer, Frank Marshall - Producer, Claudio Miranda - Cinematographer, Alexandre Desplat - Composer, Donald Graham Burt - Production Designer, Kirk Baxter - Editor, Angus Wall - Editor. Produced by The Kennedy/Marshall Company. Distributed by Paramount Pictures.

Principal actors: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Taraji P. Henson, Julia Ormond, Jason Flemyng, Elias Koteas, and Tilda Swinton.

Marley & Me ***

A sweet and funny movie about finding your way into adulthood, married life, deferred dreams, and how dealing with a rambunctious dog fits into all that, "Marley & Me" is the true story of a Ft. Lauderdale newspaper columnist, John Grogan, who often wrote about "the worst dog in the world," and whose best-selling book of the same name has made millions laugh and cry. Director David Frankel ("The Devil Wears Prada") elicits warm performances from Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston, who have real chemistry on screen, and he does not flinch from showing the weepy ending. This, I'm sure accounts for the PG rating, so parents be warned.

"Marley & Me" gives us a for instance of what has become a pervasive American phenomenon: many pet owners consider their animal companions to be part of the family. A recent poll found that a majority of pet owners, including men, but especially women, say they can communicate with their felines and canines. As the middle child Conor writes in a note to go into Marley's grave: "Through life or death, I will always love you. Your brother, Conor Richard Grogan."

Eric Dane (McSteamy to some of you) as Grogan's colleage Sebastian, who I think is an addition to the book, and a good one, presents a dashing foil to the stay-at-home, take-it-as-it-comes writer. Alan Arkin contributes another kind of humor with his low-key portrait of the proverbial cold and irrascible editor. And as someone who lived there in south Florida at the same time, I can tell you that locations and interiors are spot-on. "Marley" is not high drama, nor is it low comedy, either. It is, however, just the thing to remind you again about what in life is really important.

Rated PG. 120 minutes. David Frankel - Director, Scott Frank - Writer (screenplay), Don Roos - Writer (screenplay), John Grogan - Writer (book), Gil Netter - Producer, Karen Rosenfelt - Producer, Florian Ballhaus - Cinematographer, Theodore Shapiro - Composer, Stuart Wurtzel - Production Designer, Mark Livolsi - Editor. Produced by Fox 2000 Pictures. Distributed by Twentieth Centtury Fox Film Corporation.

Principal actors: Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston, Alan Arkin, Eric Dane, and Kathleen Turner.

Slumdog Millionaire *****

An outstanding film in story, composition, music, direction, editing and performances, "Slumdog Millionaire" tells the Dickensian story of a street-wise orphan of the Mumbai slums whose life has strangely prepared him to answer questions on a popular TV quiz show. Director Danny Boyle ("Trainspotting," "28 Days Later") takes us inside the squalor and teeming life of India as few movies have, showing us a child's-eye view of an informally organized world, as well as what is possible, for both good and bad, in the adult world of the survivors. Ultimately optimistic, "Slumdog" lets us rejoice with the hero while not forgetting where he came from and those who are still there.

Rated R. 120 minutes. Danny Boyle - Director, Loveleen Tandan - Director, Simon Beaufoy - Writer (screenplay), Vikas Swarup - Writer (novel "Q & A"), Christian Colson - Producer, Anthony Dod Mantle - Cinematographer, A.R. Rahman - Composer, Mark Digby - Production Designer, Chris Dickens - Editor. Produced by Celador Films (London). Distributed in the U.S. by Fox Searchlight Pictures. In English and Hindi with English subtitles.

Principal actors: Dev Patel, Madhur Mittal, Freida Pinto, Anil Kapoor, and Irrfan Khan.

Frost/Nixon ****

Excellent translation of the play to the screen and depiction of the story behind the unprecedented interviews of disgraced former president Richard Nixon by talk-show host and playboy David Frost. Uniformly well-realized, convincing, rooted in its time, with wonderful supporting performances, it is the Oscar-caliber performances by Frank Langella and Michael Sheen that elevate the movie to the highest levels seen this year. See it.

Rated R (for language). 122 minutes. Ron Howard - Director / Producer, Peter Morgan - Writer (screenplay) (play), Tim Bevan - Producer, Eric Fellner - Producer, Brian Grazer - Producer, Salvatore Totino - Cinematographer, Hans Zimmer - Composer, Michael Corenblith - Production Designer, Daniel P. Hanley - Editor, Mike Hill - Editor. Produced by Imagine Entertainment. Distributed by Universal Pictures.

Principal actors: Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Rebecca Hall, Toby Jones, Matthew Macfadyen, Kevin Bacon, Oliver Platt, and Sam Rockwell.

The Day the Earth Stood Still *

I'm sure I won't be the only one to remark that Keanu Reeves as an expressionless alien is typecasting. Despite the IMAX screen, "The Day the Earth Stood Still" is a lifeless concoction of unimaginative special effects and a script that eviscerates the original. Jennifer Connelly tries, but she can't save this turkey, and those who pin their hopes on Kathy Bates will be sorely disappointed with how little she's given to work with. Even darling little Jaden Smith misses. Rent the 1951 original and marvel at what Michael Rennie and Patricia Neal did with the material, which at least made some sense and presented mankind with a choice.

Rated PG-13. 103 minutes. Scott Derrickson - Director, David Scarpa - Writer (screenplay), Edmund H. North - Writer (1951 screenplay), Paul Harris Boardman - Producer, Gregory Goodman - Producer, Erwin Stoff - Producer, David Tattersall - Cinematographer, Tyler Bates - Composer, David Brisbin - Production Designer, Wayne Wahrman - Editor. Produced and distributed by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.

Principal actors: Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, John Cleese, James Hong, Jaden Smith, and Kathy Bates.