Films of the Year 2008

Well, 2008 is now done and dusted, and so I shall be posting my 'Best Of' lists. I'm going to start with my favourite films that I saw at the cinema over the past 365 days, feel free to comment, complain or compliment my choices!


1. The Fall

The second feature from music video and commercials director Tarsem, after the visually stunning yet in-all-other-aspects flawed 'The Cell', is an absolutely amazing film that completely surprised me in its spectacle and heart. It is a story about storytelling in much the same way as 'The Princess Bride' yet the story being told is an escape for both characters; a little girl (best child performance I have ever seen) with a broken arm and a stunt-man suffering serious depression. In its fantasy sequences it is a work of art, pushing its visuals as far as it pushes the emotions, and in its reality sequences it is tender, dark and heart-breaking stuff. I truly hope this film finds an audience on DVD because it is one of the best films I have ever seen.

2. Die Welle

Critics seem to be giving 'Die Welle' a hard time in a similar way to 'The Fall', for all its effect this film has been criticised for the archetypes it presents, but, for me, I found that to be a huge part of its power. The impetus for this film is a real experiment conducted by a teacher in his class asking the question about whether another dictatorship could arise in modern Germany, and his class seem sure that it couldn't and he goes farther than he expected in proving them wrong. The use of highly identifiable, almost American teen movie, archetypes here is what made the film so affecting, in some ways this is a John Hughes movie gone very, very wrong! But, more seriously, it is a troubling and provactive drama brilliantly acted by a great ensemble.

3. The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly

Another true story, this one tells of Jean-Dominique Bauby who suffered a stroke and had to live with an almost totally paralyzed body at the age of 43. Thanks to a nurse he managed to dictate his story, his thoughts and feelings, by the blinking of one eyelid and what he produced, and what director Julian Schnabel (Basquiat, another over-looked masterwork) has adapted here is a truly human, beautiful and uplifting story.

4. In Bruges

I never would have thought a 'gangster' movie would have made my top 5, but this is not another bog-standard Guy Ritchie clone. Taking the dark comedy to wonderful, sweary, violent and offensive heights this is the surprisingly touching, and laugh-out-loud hilarious tale of two hitmen (Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, both excellent) sent to the quiet Belgian town of Bruges to lay low, they don't quite succeed.

5. There Will Be Blood

There's probably not much more I can say about this film than has been said already, such was the awards frenzy around it and, in particular, Daniel Day Lewis's monumental performance. But this film truly marked Paul Thomas Anderson (Magnolia, Boogie Nights) as a truly great and incredibly versatile director, Lord knows how he's going to follow this!?

6. Wanted

A Matrix-lite action movie starring James MacAvoy and Angelina Jolie from the director of Nightwatch? Here's another film I never expected to make my top 10, but 'Wanted' did what so few action movies of current times have done; be fun. A great throwback to 80s action cinema but with 21st century flourishes, this is unashamedly over-the-top, violent and often funny with a charismatic lead turn from MacAvoy and great support, especially from Morgan Freeman. It's not going to change the world, but it's one of the best beer and pizza films in ages.

7. Waltz With Bashir

Visually stunning, this animated documentary seemed to be just a curiosity, but it is one of the best examinations of the effect of war on a soldier and the existential crisis that can follow since the work of Kurt Vonnegut and Joseph Heller.

8. Teeth

Even moreso than 'Wanted' I would say this film is not going to be for everyone! This tale of the vagina dentata seems to switch genre with every scene and is held together by the wonderful performance of Jess Weixler. But this film is one of the finest and edgiest dark teen comedies since 'Heathers'.

9. Son Of Rambow

A great family movie which is both a love-letter to the 80s as it is a celebration of the kind of family-movies the British Children's Film Workshop used to produce on an almost weekly basis! With two wonderful child performances (with this, The Fall, Eden Lake, Somer's Town, I think 2008 may have been an amazing year for young actors) and so much warmth, wit and heart this film will hopefully live a long life as a film for all generations, or at least, all those who fondly remember Rambo!

10. The Orphanage

Another great child performance here from Simon Princep, as the son who goes missing and causes a truly spooky and chilling journey to take place in this throwback to good old haunted house horrors, but with an intelligence often missing from similar efforts. Beyond all of that though 'The Orphanage' makes this top ten by being really, really, really scary and not just relying on cheap shocks - well, there is one scene that will make you jump, laugh it off and then really jump!

11. Man On Wire

Another documentary that is a brilliant study of artistic passion and ambition, building towards a dazzling, vertigo-inducing and magical piece of performance art on a tiny wire stretched between the World Trade Centre towers. An excellently told story that paints a funny, stunning and occasionally sad portrait of obsession.

12. The Mist

Another film I think will grow and grow on home cinema formats. This is the first time that Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile) has adapted a Stephen King horror story and he does so in uncompromising fashion, making the key choice that in all 'scary' situations it's other people you have to fear the most rather than whatever supernatural creature may be trying to eat you! With an excellent cast and a dark heart this is a modern horror classic akin to John Carpenter's 'The Thing'.

13. Slumdog Millionaire

Danny Boyle genres hops again, after sci-fi (Sunshine) and zombies (28 Days Later), by going Bollywood with this touching, heart-warming, funny, sad and beautiful tale of a young man who finds himself going from India's slums to the last question on 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire'. He is interrogated by the police as to how he's 'cheated' his way into this position and he relates his life story to them, explaining how each question has had some relevance in his journey.

14. Persepolis

Adaptation of the graphic novel about an outspoken young girl growing up during the Islamic revolution, similar to Art Spiegelman's graphic novel 'Maus', this features Marjane Satrapi's family telling a range of tales about survival and support, and Marjane relating her own up-rooted sense of self in a strange time to be a young girl and a teenager. Beautifully animated and respectfully told, this is a truly unique film.

15. Wall-E

Not quite the incredible experience I was expecting, nevertheless, Pixar manage to make another dazzling animated feature that surprises by managing to be one of the year's finest romances (between two robots) and a very dark satire on the future of the human-race. Above all this is funny and heart-warming, though I personally still wished that the entire film was a silent movie and that they had used live-action actors for the humans all the way through.