My favorite movies of 2008

So, I was thinking this morning about what movies I really enjoyed last year. As I've commented many times, I don't think it was a particularly deep year for films, although, some of the ones at the top, were REALLY good. But nothing like 2007, where there were about 7 movies that had a legit argument, not only to be nominated, but to win Best Picture (No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood, Juno, Atonement, Michael Clayton, Charlie Wilson's War, etc...).

So here we go, starting at 10.

10. Quantum of Solace

I just think it would be fundamentally wrong not to have this film listed here. I think the world knows how I feel about Daniel Craig, and just how much I really love what he has done with the character. I have made many, many comparisons to the reinvention of Bond and Batman, and I think they are both just incredible. This films biggest downfall, was that it wasn't Casino Royale. But given that Casino Royale is probably the greatest Bond film of all time...That's not so bad.

9. Smart People

This is a movie I never heard much about, but because I watch a lot of HDNet, I knew it existed, and threw it on my Queue. Really glad I did. It was smart, funny, charming, and SJP actually looked like a human being. I LOVE Dennis Quaid. Ellen Page is incredible, and Thomas Haden Church is a riot. Not a lot of people have seen it, and everyone really should. It won't take up too much of your time, it's short, and makes every second on screen count. Sort of like a "Little Miss Sunshine," kind of film.

8. Frost/Nixon

This is here pretty much out of respect for Ron Howard. The movie itself didn't blow me away, but the incredibly strong performances by Frank Langella and Michael Sheen did. It was a story that a young man like myself didn't know a lot about, and it was well acted, and wonderfully made. It tells a story that needs to be heard, without being overly critical or sympathetic to the man.

7. The Reader

This is a movie that actually did come pretty close to blowing me away. First of all, Kate Winslet is naked for a good portion of the first hour, so that can't be bad. But also, you want a story to tell, this was the best story of the year. It was heart wrenching, intelligent and frustrating. I always say, a great movie draws an emotional response out of you. It may not always be one you like...But it draws one out none-the-less. 

6. Iron Man

Did not think I would enjoy this movie. Didn't think I liked Robert Downey, Jr., turns out, I do. This was arguably the year of the comic book movie, and this one kicked off the summer in the right way. Great story, well acted, and Jon Favreau did a wonderful job of putting it all together. Not to mention, a movie that actually made me feel like Gwenyth Paltrow was good looking, very good looking. Well played Favreau...Well played.

5. Pineapple Express

HILARIOUS! Most importantly, introduced me to Danny McBride, who is now rocking my socks off with his HBO show Eastbound and Down. This guy is brilliant. And not to mention James Franco...how great was he? Good year for Seth Rogen as well. Zach and Miri was also a good movie that is not far outside of this list.

4.Gran Torino

I want to first say that the movies 2-4 could be in any order, depending on my mood. I'm pretty sure it is obvious what number 1 is going to be...but all 4 of these films totally blew me away. This movie in particular showed me something I wasn't expecting out of Clint Eastwood. Totally got snubbed by the Academy, and that's just sad. Incredibly well put together, and beautifully acted. Should have gotten a lot more respect than it did from those idiots.

3. In Bruges

If you haven't seen this yet...Good night alive, you MUST. Colin Ferrel hasn't really been making a bunch of great films lately...but wow. Just wow. This was the funniest, strangest, most wonderful movie I have seen in a very long time. I mean, midgets, hookers, drugs, and hitmen...Do you need any other reason to believe this film is a masterpiece? 

2. The Wrester

I am noticing a trend here. Films that didn't get the love they deserved from the Academy. I actually turned off the show when Sean Penn won instead of Mickey Rourke. I mean, did they not see this performance? I'm not saying it was Daniel Day Lewis good, but it wasn't far away. This movie touched me, and made me a little sick, and totally intrigued me. No nomination for this movie for Best Picture--idiotic.

1. TDK

No surprise there. Lack of nominations for the major categories--Idiotic, crazy, narrow minded, wrong, stupid, uppity, ridonk.

Honorable Mention: Forgetting Sarah Marshall--Totally hilarious, and Jason Segel is awesome. Not to mention how hot both Mila Kunis and Kristen Bell are. Ghost Town--The only time I remember actually crying I was laughing so hard at a scene all year. Didn't know it was going to be so good, but it really was. Charlie Bartlett--This is technically a 2007 movie, but I didn't see it until recently. So I wanted to give it some props, knowing that if it had been a 2008 movie, it would have been in the top 5 or 6. Funny, funny stuff.

I am sure you notice a lack of the films nominated for Best Picture...Yeah, that's because they weren't actually all that good. I will refer you back to my post about what the nominations should have been.

Don't hate him because he's beautiful

What is with people? Everyone just seems to hate the new Bond movie. Why? Because it isn't as good as "Casino Royale"? Well, there hasn't been a single Bond movie as good as "Casino Royale," so maybe all you clowns should back the hell up!

Is it flawed? Absofreakinglutely. Many of the things complained about by people are legit. The story is not traditionally Bond complicated, and the editing of the action sequences is a little jumpy.

Here is my take though. This is a different Bond. Much like we have a different Batman now, what is being done here is different than what used to be done in these films. Old school Bond was episodic. One had NOTHING to do with the other. Same for Batman. But that is not the case anymore. "Quantum" picked up right where "Casino" left off. And given that we still don't know what this "organization" really is, and given that Bond still has not caught Mr. White, I suspect this story line runs right through the next film as well. Perhaps into all four that Daniel Craig has signed on for. (On a side note, while I hope that Nolan and Bale make one more Bat film, and then the franchise is completely put to rest, I hope that Craig signs on for more Bond films. I believe that Nolan could completely end any notion of another Batman film, because he has perfected it, but we all know that Bond films are unlikely to ever stop. So I would like to see Daniel Craig in as many as possible.)

Back on topic, all of these movies run together, so the "lack" of a story is just an unfair complaint. And frankly, it's just not even that true. The movie has a story. It's just not as complicated as past Bond films. And why is that necessarily a bad thing? This film serves a purpose in the greater plot of Daniel Craig's James Bond. 

As for the second big complaint, the editing, yeah, that one is pretty real. You are jumping all over the place, and if you are in the first 10 rows, and you don't have a perfect view of the screen...Poor you! But, you know, it's not that big of a deal. It's not really distracting from the movie. And the action sequences are really cool, just slightly poorly edited. 

But all and all, this is the new James Bond. I have seen probably 20 of the Bond films in my life, and this is by far, my second favorite of them all. It's not "Casino Royale," but we shouldn't expect it to be. This is a quality movie, with the finest James Bond to date, that continues the reinvention of the character into what Ian Flemming intended him to be. A dark, mysterious, bad ass, but also, very human. This is Bond, and I can't wait for November 2010.

Bigger Bad Ass: Daniel Craig or Christian Bale?

This question is posed to the readership today for a simple reason. The new trailer for "Quantum of Solace" came out this week, and good night alive, it looks INREDIBLE.

I am not going to sit here and hate on Pierce Brosnan as Bond because I really enjoyed his first couple shots at it, but it did appear that he, and everyone else, gave up on the last couple. Daniel Craig really rejuvinated Bond in "Casino Royale," and it looks like he continues to do so in Solace.

The comparisons between Batman and Bond are actually pretty striking. Both had really kind of hit a dull note, and then added new leading men, and totally new crews, most importantly, directors and writers, and the results have been outstanding for both. "Batman Begins" was great, and TDK needs no comment. "Casino Royale" was a flash back to old school Bond, while adding a sort of realism that the Brosnan films sort of got away from. On the same note, Nolan wanted to do just that with his Gotham City. He moved it from some comicy place to downtown Chicago, got rid of outlandish villians, and made the franchise real.

These two are part of the films I have most looked forward to all year. TDK certainly did not disappoint, so now the onus is on Craig to deliver the way Bale did. And if the trailer is any hint, it certainly looks like they did.

Just like July 18th couldn't, November 14th can not get here fast enough!