It seems year 2008 is my favorite year regarding movie production, in the new millennium so far. It is the year of The Dark Knight (8.9) and Slumdog Millionaire (8.2). It is the year of Twilight, the iconic start of a successful saga in a genre I thought was “made up” for a special category of kids, the “Young Adult” genre. Anyway, that was the time when I have heard for the first time of them. I know, Sarah Michelle Gellar already made Buffy the Vampire Slayer famous on American Television since 1998, but that’s me, not always informed of things I’m not deeply interested in :). I can say I like Science Fiction and Fantasy, and maybe I always considered this sort of light lecture about the gorgeous vampire seducing the not very bright high school girl disoriented by two or more dates, related to these genres. This post is representative for the seventh art, the cinema. It was a prodigious year.
2011 is nothing compared with that one. I continue with a list of movies, apart from the already mentioned, and you’ll see for yourself what I’m saying. I know I wanted to write about Yann Martel and The Life of Pi, but my site was “down” for almost four days and new ideas stretched my mind since. The movies will be ordered by imdb‘s moviemeter, and not by any preference I would have. It is amazing how many of them were actually box-office hits :).
Dev Patel in Slumdog Millionaire
[source]
Near the title is the imdb voters’ mark, sometimes relevant.
1. Taken (7.9)
The action thriller with Liam Neeson.
2. Gran Torino (8.3)
When a car model brings Clint Eastwood some more fame. The righteous Eastwood at his best. It touched me.
3. In Bruges (8)
This is art at it’s highest! Ralph Fiennes acts like a pro!
4. Sex and the City
A film invented by the producers, and having almost nothing in common with Candace Bushnell’s book, except the name of the four main characters
5. Let the Right One In (8.0)
Great success for such a different vision on vampires, made imdb top 250 and stayed there.
6. Iron Man (7.9)
Action soap, saved by Robert Downey Jr.
7. The Hurt Locker (7.7)
Another Oscar, mostly conjectural, but showing Jeremy Renner, a great talent.
8. WALL-E (8.5)
One of my favorite animation movies of all times.
9. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (7.9)
The pumped-up nomination. A lot of money spent.
10. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (7.3)
Maybe I’ll see sometimes, it kept being continuously advertised, it drove me crazy!
11. Step Brothers (6.7)
Check the link! It’s more than I can say about my favorite comedian, Will Ferrell :).
12. The Reader (7.6)
After numerously attempts at the statuette, Kate Winslet undressed again and won it this time. Weak movie, and actually she can do better.
13. RocknRolla (7.3)
Haven’t seen it yet, but it’s made by Guy Richie.
14. Wanted (6.7)
The action fantasy science fiction thriller with McAvoy. Oh, and Tomb Raider. Pardon me please, and Lara Croft.
15. Never Back Down (6.3)
A sports action I actually enjoyed. By sports understand fights.
16. Body of Lies (7.1)
Leo captivating as usual. A spy movie, with satellites detection, CIA and Mark Strong.
17. Quantum of Solace (6.8)
Haven’t seen it yet, or if I did, I don’t remember a thing :), but it’s the second James Bond with Daniel Craig. The first Daniel Craig I remember, because it bears the name of Ian Fleming’s first novel ever. A coincidence. The film is better than the novel, the film is with Texas Holdem Poker, the novel is with Baccarat.
18. Zack and Miri Make a Porno (6.9)
They have their fans, this guys, Rogen and Banks. Oh, Rogen played in more than this one.
19. Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (6.6)
It’s for who can understand Kal Penn. It’s not a matter of fanclubbing. They say this series is what he can, and what he is. Wrong. Kal Penn is a very good actor.
20. Burn After Reading (7.1)
Another Brad Pitt and Clooney, hilarious. A rarity branded “Cohen”, both of them, Ethan and Joel.
21. Hancock (6.5)
Haven’t sen it. Another disaster movie, I suppose.
22. Tropic Thunder (7.1)
Ben Stiller, Ben Stiller, Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr, Jack Black and the guy from She’s Out of My League.
23. The Wrestler (8.1)
I wrote of this movie, here: Darkness and other predictions
24. Jumper (5.9)
Soft Sci-Fi with Hayden Christensen and others, Diane Lane as his mother, a film I also enjoyed.
25. Changeling (7.9)
Angelina by Clint Eastwood. She’s got a nomination.
26. Mamma Mia! (6.4)
A musical with actors who can sing. Meryl Streep, Brosnan, etc. Excellent!
27. Doubt (7.6)
Another Meryl Streep, an Oscar nomination this time. You see, she’s not undressing in this one.
28. The Duchess (6.9)
Haven’t seen it yet, it’s with Keira Knightly and Ralph Fiennes.
29. Revolutionary Road (7.5)
Now this is a film. Please click the link to read more profoundly thoughts of it :). Not mine :).
30. Yes Man (6.9)
A nice comedy with a guy without the sense of humor inbreed.
31. 21 (6.7)
I’ve seen it in French, first, so I haven’t noticed so strongly how antipathetic is Jim Sturgess, actually.
32. Vicky Cristina Barcelona (7.3)
Not my favorite Woody Allen, but it’s ok, I have the same reasons with the fans of this movie, but on the reverse: Scarlett Johansson.
33. Eagle Eye (6.6)
Shia LaBeouf post Transformers. Action thriller, not so Sci-Fi as we may think.
34. The Bank Job (7.4)
They say it’s real. No. I don’t think so, but brilliantly acted by Guy Richie’s guy, Jason Statham.
35. The Other Boleyn Girl (6.7)
Portman and Eric Bana. A disaster. Really.
36. Milk (7.8)
Oscar for Penn. Haven’t had the patience to see it till it ends. Boring.
37. What Happens in Vegas (6.0)
Excellent comedy, no matter how. I’m not a fan of Kutcher, even if he’s funny sometimes.
38. Wild Child (5.8)
Emma Roberts, being actually good. A bunch of British as well there, also good :).
39. Babylon A.D. (5.3)
Vin Diesel with Michelle Yeoh and the French version of Johansson, Mélanie Thierry. I don’t mean it as a compliment.
40. The Love Guru (3.8)
Crazy humor with Mike Myers. Not for everybody, clearly.
41. Righteous Kill (6.0)
Ha, ha. Robert De Niro with Al Pacino, again. Bad choice. A “B” movie, definitively.
42. How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (6.6)
Excellent comedy and not only, with Shaun of the Dead, Kirsten Dunst, and Megan Fox.
43. Ponyo (7.7)
Far and away from the best Miyazaki’s animations, but still with a great mark, maybe because of the bunch of Disney kids’ dubbing voices.
44. Frost/Nixon (7.8)
One of the best portraits of a Capricorn, ever. Really impressive movie.
45. Ghost Town (6.9)
Remember the Globes? It’s a movie with Ricky Gervais and Greg Kinnear. Absolutely comical. Absolutely brilliant.
46. What Just Happened (5.8)
As I see, people don’t like Barry Levinson. It’s not his first highly under-rated movie. Too bad.
47. Semi-Pro (5.6)
Will Ferrell. No comments.
48. W. (6.5)
Oliver Stone doing what? Justifying George W. Bush? It seems so. He makes the guy a normal man. I wonder if America must ever be ruled by a normal man? Is it possible?
49. Traitor (7.0)
A movie about terrorists. Suicidal, cruel, illogical. Don Cheadle is good, the good guy? (spoiler alert)
50. Rachel Getting Married (6.8)
A nomination for Hathaway. Good acting. Bad choice to not undress as needed for an Oscar. Oh, she was way better than Winslet, if only for the count. Hard to decide between Meryl Streep and Hathaway that year. Or maybe not? Hmm.
51. Elegy (6.8)
Artie, poetic, death. Nice and smooth drama.
52. My Sasy Girl (6.0)
Emotional. Sensitive. Not a soap. Nice romance.
53. The Lucky Ones (7.1)
Rachel McAdams, Tim Robbins, and Michael Peña. Excellent, it deserved better.
54. Easy Virtue (6.6)
A comedy with Jessica Biel. She’s better than Johansson, way better.
55. Sunshine Cleaning (7.0)
Amy Adams and Emily “How Much You Weigh” Blunt. And Alan Arkin.
56. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (6.1)
An overrated mark for this soap, worst than the first part.
Rachel Getting Married - poster
The list is an excerpt of the first two hundred in popularity order from imdb. In 2011, I’m not sure I can extract twenty from the same first batch. Oh, and there are a lot more, I think I can put here another fifty from this two hundred. Something is happening, folks!
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Copyright © 2012 Rodolfo Grimaldi Blog – 56 Movies from 2008
I honestly considered this year a Great year of great movies.
For me, I really appreciate it when movies show sincerity and brilliance in story, and I believe a lot of great movies were made this year.
I don’t agree with some of the ratings though. Just personal opinion. 🙂
I don’t agree with some, too. They’re from people voting on imdb. Those ratings will come to a real value after one or two years, when people start cooling themselves and judge a movie a little bit more objectively, out of the influences of an aggressive promotion or first impressions :). A personal opinion is always appreciated on this blog!
There are other great movies who didn’t make it on the list. Maybe it’s just all about preference, and we just have to accept the fact that people love different things, and this blogger shows he loves other things besides what we would choose.
Other “Great” movies from 2008? Tell me more… I hardly believe :). The list is strictly from that particular year, not consisting of my own likes. Of my own likes, I can talk for years..
Wow 2008 must have been year of the movie. Some great movies were produced that year!
A lot of good movies 🙂
Have to agree Rodolfo, Slum Dog Millionaire was excellent.
Yeah, yeah!