NOTE: Not all of these movies were technically released in 2008. Some premiered at film festivals, but received wider releases this year. I've included those as 2008 releases.
10. Rambo-Ok, I'll concede to you that this movie probably doesn't belon
g on this list. In a year filled with touching and thought provoking films, Rambo is probably not an ideal candidate for this coveted spot. Technically, it's a very mediocre film and stylistically, it does nothing to set it apart from the multitude of other action vehicles. But I'll be damned if this isn't one kick ass action flick. I honestly don't think I've had this much fun in a theater since I was a small child. Despite its somber and depressing beginning, when this film broke out, it broke out big. From the thirty minute mark until the end, I sat there with a big stupid smile on my face in sinful glee at the mayhem I was seeing before me. It had been 20 years since the last Rambo film, but luckily, age hasn't held our hero down. You'll get to see him take down a group of soldiers with a bow and arrow, wipe out a whole platoon with a turret gun, and chop off a guy's head with a machete all in grisly fashion. If you've ever wanted to see Rambo rip somebody's throat out with his bare hand (and God knows I have), then this is the film for you. In fact, this action flick probably has one of the highest body counts I've ever seen and I would argue that it is much more gruesome than any horror flick to come out in recent memory, and yes, that includes the Saw pictures. I'm sick and tired of PG-13 action movies with toned down violence. This is the way they should be. Rambo is a must see for any red blooded American male.9. Slumdog Millionaire-I debated over what to put in this spot because there
were a bunch of movies I've seen this year that deserve a place on this list. In the end, I decided on Slumdog Millionaire if only because it's quite unique for a romance movie and the whole concept is simply brilliant. The film is about Jamal, a young boy who is only one question away from winning 20 million rupees on India's "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?" However, a person his age has never made it past a certain point, much less gotten to the final question. He is accused of cheating and in order to prove his innocence, he must explain how he knew each and every question. The story is told through flashbacks that chronicle an important and unforgettable event in his life that somehow lead him to the answer. Sometimes the answers are tied to happy memories, but more often they are linked to moments he wishes he could forget, but can't, like the murder of his mother. Like I said, it is quite brilliant and I really got involved in Jamal's life. However, the whole point of him being on the show in the first place is because of a girl and I do think the film dissolves into a typical romance movie by the end despite its unquestionably touching conclusion. Also, the warmness I was feeling from the ending quickly melted away due to a pointless dance number in the tradition of those cheesy Bollywood films over the credits. Instead of letting me leave the theater touched at what I saw, I left rolling my eyes and questioning why they would end this terrific movie on such a stupid note. However, don't let these minor downfalls stop you from seeing it. Slumdog Millionaire is one of the most unique films to be released this year and tells an incredibly clever and beautiful story.8. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas-Here's a film that I think is quite special. It h
as more than its share of problems, but the storytelling is so magnificent and the idea so noble that it deserves a spot on this list. We've all seen movies about the Holocaust and all of them have impacted us emotionally in some way, but The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is different. It focuses not on the widespread genocide, but rather on young Bruno and Shmuel, two young boys who create an unlikely friendship. Shmuel is a Jewish boy trapped inside of a concentration camp and Bruno is the son of a high ranking Nazi officer in charge of running the camp. However, Bruno is ignorant to what is happening and thinks the camp is merely a farm and the fences are there to keep the animals from escaping. What this film does exceptionally well is individualize the events of the Holocaust. I interviewed the director of this film (Mark Herman) and the author of the book it is based on (John Boyne) and what John said to me really made sense. He said, "When you speak in terms of the large numbers, it’s impossible to really understand. When you personalize it into individual stories, it just becomes more effective and it helps you understand the wider story." This is true because in a way, Bruno's ignorance mirrors the way we look at the film. Since it is so personal among the two boys, the devastation of the Holocaust is almost hidden. We are seeing what Bruno sees and since he never sees the ugly side of it, neither do we and it isn't until the very end that we are reminded of the waste of human lives that this event caused. The last frame of the picture is so haunting that it will stay with you forever, I guarantee it. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is not to be missed.7. Religulous-Religulous is a documentary headed by Bill Maher that doesn't necessarily try to create an
engaging argument or convert viewers to its cause. What it does instead is make you laugh your head off at some of the religious nutcases that have infected our society. (Don't get offended religious people. Even you should be able to laugh at some of the idiocy that is shown in this movie.) However, it does have a point to it and that point is to show people how religion is a farce and that they're blindly following a set of beliefs that have been made up (they're argument, not mine--simmer down). I wrote in my review that "the main problem of the movie is that [Maher] mostly talked to normal Joe Schmoes. Rather than seeking out learned theologians or scientists, he went and talked to anybody of faith who have blindly followed their religion without thinking it over." While this still holds true, that's actually the whole point of the movie. Although Maher does try to talk to prominent religious figures (like the Pope, for instance), his goal is to point out the hypocrisies of religion while making people laugh. Had he talked to more learned scholars in the field of theology, they would merely reinforce Maher's beliefs and it wouldn't have been as interesting. I certainly don't agree with everything in the movie (like the idea that ridding the world of religion will end war), but it does bring up some valid points, such as how ignorant religious people are to ideas of the afterlife other than what their religion teaches. Religion does cause a lot of suffering in the world (despite its purpose) and the film isn't shy about saying it. Therefore, it may not be for everybody, but if nothing else, Religulous will create discussion and that's a good thing. If we don't question our beliefs, then what's the point in believing?6. In Bruges-I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this little thriller. In Bruges
was everything I wanted it to be and more. It was brilliantly acted, stylishly directed, and the storytelling was top notch. It told an interweaving narrative where you never knew what was going to happen, who was going to live and who was going to die, or what crazy scenario the two main characters were going to get themselves in. Add on to this that the film is quite funny despite its sometimes serious tone and you have what I consider to be the sleeper hit of the year. Nobody I know saw this, but everybody should. I was enthralled by every facet of it. Like I said, the acting is great, although I've never particularly been a big fan of Colin Farrell and never understood why people liked him so much. Well, this was the first time I ever "got" why he's considered a good actor. Still, he's upstaged by Brendan Gleeson as his partner assigned by the boss to take him out and Ralph Fiennes in a particularly excellent role as that boss. While I've never been to Bruges, and I don't particularly want to go after watching the chaos unfold in this film, I was delighted to spend some quality time with these misfits and I can't wait to revisit them somewhere down the road. As far as thrillers go, In Bruges tops almost all of them released this year with its interesting story, fascinating characters, and pitch black humor.5. Taxi to the Dark Side-This is probably the best documentary I've ever seen. T
he argument is so well thought out and argued that regardless of your stance on torture going into it, you will see how awful it is and why we should be ashamed we resorted to such tactics. That's right. Taxi to the Dark Side is about torture, more specifically the torture that went on in Abu Ghraib. You've seen the photos and if you haven't, go to Google and type in "Abu Ghraib" in the image search. What you see there is only a taste of how far our government went in torturing those poor souls. Some of our tactics include sleep deprivation, beatings, and public humiliation (i.e. forcing the prisoners to masturbate for the enjoyment of our soldiers). It's so bad that upon a prisoner's death, there is a form that must be filled out and a cause of death must be verified. One of the causes of death is homicide. But here's the real kicker. According to the film, we have captured and imprisoned tens of thousands of "suspected terrorists" since 9/11 and less than one percent of them have any relevant information regarding any kind of terrorism. I love this country with all of my heart, but what we are doing is disgusting and should be stopped. In fact, I'm embarrassed and I can only hope our government's actions don't reflect the ethical values most of us carry. You can go in to this film supporting torture and backing up everything the Bush administration does, but if you have any type of soul, you will be outraged at their conduct. Taxi to the Dark Side is an absolute must see.4. Under the Same Moon (La Misma Luna)-The most heartfelt movie on this lis
t bar none, Under the Same Moon is a Spanish flick about a nine year old boy, Carlos, who hasn't seen his mother, Rosario, in years. To provide for her son, Rosario must work in the United States and cannot come home to Mexico. Carlos lives his with grandmother and only talks to his mom once a week on the telephone. He wants to see her badly and after his grandmother passes away, he decides to cross the border and find her. Although immigration is a touchy subject and there are valid arguments on both sides of the coin, I think the problem is that too many people don't think of immigrants as people. They think of them as a political issue, nothing more. What Under the Same Moon does is humanize the issue and shows what kind of hardships immigrants must go through. It asks, if the only way you could provide for your child was to work illegally in the United States, would you do it? I suspect most people would answer yes, but because of how privileged we are to have citizenship, we never contemplate these things. Even more than this, the film is about the bond between a mother and child and how even the most impossible of difficulties can be overcome. Although I'm sure you can figure out how it will end, I won't spoil it for you, but I will say that it has the best conclusion I've seen all year. In particular, the very last shot is mesmerizingly beautiful. Under the Same Moon is the most uplifting film to be released all year and if you're in the mood for a good smile and/or joyful tear, check this one out.3. Wall-E-Without a doubt in my mind, Wall-E is the most visually stunning ani
mated movie I've ever seen. Masters of their craft, Pixar has once again provided us with an enriching, fun-for-all-ages animated movie that ranks among the best films of the year. Considering how touching and/or smart the other films on this list are (sans Rambo--that movie is just awesome), it's really a testament to how beautiful Wall-E is. Pixar is yet to make a bad movie (even my least favorite, Cars, is still a good time), but this is among the best they've ever done. It ranks right up there with Toy Story and Finding Nemo and, as far as I'm concerned, is Pixar's definitive masterpiece. Like every other year, there was an onslaught of romance movies in 2008, almost all of them bad (natch). If it wasn't Nights in Rodanthe ramping the melodrama up to an unbearable level, it was a terrible romantic comedy, like What Happens in Vegas, boring us to tears with its contrivances and predictability. Well, every single romance film released this year was put to shame by Wall-E. You read that correctly. Wall-E sports what is hands down the best romance I've seen all year, and they're robots! I never thought I'd get so involved in this story and care so much about that little guy, but I did. He was one of the most interesting characters this year and his film is outstanding.2. Milk-Like Taxi to the Dark Side and Under the Same Moon, Milk is about a
socially relevant issue in our culture, one that needs our consideration just as equally. The issue in question this time is gay rights and the film couldn't come at a more appropriate time. Proposition 8 was deemed constitutional in California in the last election, fueling all kinds of controversy and proving that we Americans, the people who are supposed to be accepting of everybody and who live in a nation that supposedly stands for equal rights among all people, would rather stand behind the cloud of hate and bigotry than openly accept our gay neighbors, co-workers, teachers, doctors, friends, family, and fellow countrymen. The film is a biopic about Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to public office. Set in the 70's, when homosexuals in San Francisco were fighting for their civil rights, Harvey Milk stepped up to the plate and led the fight against this injustice. As with any good biopic, Milk details Harvey Milk's life, his accomplishments, and his inevitable death, a tragedy that still emanates in the homosexual community. Unlike a film like Under the Same Moon, which is joyously uplifting, Milk is heartbreakingly uplifting. Despite the current struggles homosexuals are facing for equal rights to marry, the film shows how far we've come, but that there is still work to do. Milk creates an intelligent allegory on modern times that is spearheaded by Sean Penn's powerhouse performance as the titular character and it needs to be seen by everybody, especially those ignorant to the pain they're causing by denying equal rights to homosexuals. Milk is amazing and will be ingrained in your mind forever. (Read my review of the film here.)1. The Dark Knight-I considered putting this film at number two and bumping M
ilk to the number one spot because there's no arguing that Milk is more socially relevant and a much more important film to see than this. However, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. The Dark Knight is a masterpiece, plain and simple. Outside of the societal importance, The Dark Knight has everything that Milk has and more, including terrific direction by Christopher Nolan, a dark, brooding atmosphere that fits this film perfectly, and one of the greatest performances I've seen in any film ever. Of course, I'm talking about Heath Ledger as the Joker. While Jack Nicholson is a genius and one of the best actors we've ever had, his portrayal of the Joker in Tim Burton's 1989 film doesn't even begin to touch the bloodcurdling menace that Ledger puts on the character. Forget all of those horror movies that came out in 2008. You won't see a scarier movie this year than The Dark Knight. Ledger created what is one of the most terrifying characters to ever grace the screen and just looking at a still photo of him sends chills down my spine. He is the main reason to see this movie. Luckily, pretty much everything else in it works too. I could delve into what else makes this film so freaking amazing, but I'll just say this. On IMDB's Top 250 Movies list, The Dark Knight sits at number four, resting only under The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, and The Godfather: Part II. Impressive, no? The Dark Knight is inarguably the best superhero movie ever made and the absolute best movie of 2008.
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