Friday, March 13, 2009
Boz's favorite films of 2008...
I must admit I was a bad movie fan in 2008, I saw nary a Best Picture nominee, and really only skirted the periphery of a number of the other categories as well. Consequently, I got less out of the Oscar ceremony than I just about ever had. I sat there most of the night thinking, wow, that actor/script/sound etc was fantastic... in that movie I didn't see. Nonetheless I, my friends, am opinionated(who didn't know that) and as a consequence I will share with you my 5 favorite movies from 2008(that I saw of course).
5. Iron Man- Personally I don't think anyone had a better year than Robert Downey Jr. He was terrific in the role of the ego maniacal genius industrialist Tony Stark. This was the rare movie that managed to balance the interplay of fantastical comic adventure with enough grit to make the movie feel real. When I saw it I thought this might be the best comic adaptation I've ever seen, and that was true for about 5 months.
4. In Bruges- I had no idea what to expect when I went in to this movie. The trailers painted it as some sort of crime caper buddy comedy, which frankly was stunningly misleading. Don't get me wrong there are plenty of funny moments, most of which are beautifully timed I might add, but I wouldn't call this film a comedy. If anything it's really a character study about people who are trapped by bad decisions. It's marvelously acted, fantastically written, eerily violent, wholly profane and just brilliantly paced. Do yourself a favor and rent it.
3. The Bank Job- Based on a true story this tale of some N. London lads who end up being handed one of the largest heists in history, by Her Majesty's Secret Service no less, is an excellent film. It has a gritty realism about it, with plenty of action and more brains than your typical let's see how many plot twists we can toss into a thriller movie. It's Jason Statham's best work, easily.
2. Tropic Thunder- This send up of Hollywood life, manages to be poignant and hysterical without going too inside baseball on the audience. I'm still trying to decide which made me laugh harder, fat hairy Tom Cruise dancing to Flo Rida's Low, or Robert Downey Jr.'s exclamation of "I'M A LEAD FARMER, MOTHER FUCKER!" It feels like a toss up.
1. The Dark Knight- Every other film last year was fighting for second once I saw this one. As fantastic as the action sequences were and they were marvelous, it was the acting that drove this film. Unlike most comic offerings these were fully formed characters, with all the passion and pathos that we mere mortals experience. This isn't merely an action movie. It's a film that explores literary themes of the hero and villain, as well as order and anarchy. If you haven't seen it go now to your video store... I mean NOW.
5. Iron Man- Personally I don't think anyone had a better year than Robert Downey Jr. He was terrific in the role of the ego maniacal genius industrialist Tony Stark. This was the rare movie that managed to balance the interplay of fantastical comic adventure with enough grit to make the movie feel real. When I saw it I thought this might be the best comic adaptation I've ever seen, and that was true for about 5 months.
4. In Bruges- I had no idea what to expect when I went in to this movie. The trailers painted it as some sort of crime caper buddy comedy, which frankly was stunningly misleading. Don't get me wrong there are plenty of funny moments, most of which are beautifully timed I might add, but I wouldn't call this film a comedy. If anything it's really a character study about people who are trapped by bad decisions. It's marvelously acted, fantastically written, eerily violent, wholly profane and just brilliantly paced. Do yourself a favor and rent it.
3. The Bank Job- Based on a true story this tale of some N. London lads who end up being handed one of the largest heists in history, by Her Majesty's Secret Service no less, is an excellent film. It has a gritty realism about it, with plenty of action and more brains than your typical let's see how many plot twists we can toss into a thriller movie. It's Jason Statham's best work, easily.
2. Tropic Thunder- This send up of Hollywood life, manages to be poignant and hysterical without going too inside baseball on the audience. I'm still trying to decide which made me laugh harder, fat hairy Tom Cruise dancing to Flo Rida's Low, or Robert Downey Jr.'s exclamation of "I'M A LEAD FARMER, MOTHER FUCKER!" It feels like a toss up.
1. The Dark Knight- Every other film last year was fighting for second once I saw this one. As fantastic as the action sequences were and they were marvelous, it was the acting that drove this film. Unlike most comic offerings these were fully formed characters, with all the passion and pathos that we mere mortals experience. This isn't merely an action movie. It's a film that explores literary themes of the hero and villain, as well as order and anarchy. If you haven't seen it go now to your video store... I mean NOW.
