Top 10 Movies 2008

Introduction

Welcome to my 5^th annual Top 10 Movie List.  This year was a very good year for movies.  A few years ago, I remember having to work quite hard to find 10 movies to recommend.  This year, the challenge was deciding what to leave off the list.  I hope you find something you like!

The Hidden Gem From the Past

The Station Agent (2003)  R

Although I am five years late on this one, it is one of the best movies I have seen recently. I was touched by the genuineness of this film.  It was written and directed by Thomas McCarthy, who also wrote and directed The Visitor.  Peter Dinklage, Patricia Clarkson, and Bobby Cannavale are excellent.   What could have been a movie trying to hard to be offbeat and quirky, strikes a note of perfection.    

Honorable Mentions

I enjoyed these movies immensely, but there wasn’t room for them on the final list.

Top 10  2008

#10 The Express  PG

This was a great movie to take my 7 year old son to.  It taught great lessons of hard work, dedication, and perseverance.  But more importantly, it taught about racial injustice through the inspiring true story of Ernie Davis, a gifted running back who played for Syracuse University and was the first Black football college player to win the Heisman Trophy.  If you haven’t seen it (which you likely haven’t because no one did), get it in your Netflix queue.

#9 Wall-E  PG   

The fact that Wall-E is #9 on the list tells you what a great year this was for movies.  WALL-E tells a beautiful story of a little robot who gets a personality. Eve, the sleek, quick shooting robot, adds a great dimension to the movie.  The film is full of great moments all the way through.  The scene of Wall-E floating and dancing through space with a fire extinguisher is one the best of the year.

#8 Vicky Cristina Barcelona  PG-13

Woody Allen continues his great work in Europe with this funny story.  Everyone will talk about Penelope Cruz, but I really enjoyed the acting of Rebecca Hall quite a bit as well. Very funny and dramatic when it needs to be. Woody Allen is recapturing some of his early magic with his past two movies. 

#7 Doubt  PG-13

Set in the Bronx in 1964, the movie revolves around the guilt or innocence of a priest suspected of sexually abusing an alter boy.  John Patrick Shanley adapted and directed his Tony award and Pulitzer Prize winning play.  Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman deliver great performances. The very fact that Krista and I came to the exact opposite conclusions about the priest’s  innocence when we left the theater shows that the director conveyed the exact message he hoped.

#6 Kung Fu Panda

My love for this movie is probably unjustified, but it is so full of awesomeness it could have been in the top three! It has a wise script sprinkled with eastern philosophy, beautifully animated scenes, fantastic kung fu, and an inspiring story line.  Jack Black is hysterical as the Panda and Dustin Hoffman’s character as Master Shi Fu is perfect.  This movie contains my favorite line from any movie this year when the wise turtle tells Master Shi Fu, “There are no accidents.” It has been my mantra and guiding inspiration all year long!  

#5 Slumdog Millionaire  R

You can’t help but love this little movie that almost went straight to DVD and instead ending up sweeping the Oscars!  Danny Boyle directed this movie (he also directed “Millions” which was high on my list in 2005), so I had a feeling I would like this as well. The actors do a great job (particularly the youngest set) and the direction and story are original and moving.  The Bollywood style dance number at the end galvanized the spirit of the whole movie.

#4 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button  PG-13

This is truly a curious movie. After 3 hours of watching this man age backwards, I was left with a feeling of having seen one of the most mythical, original, and strangely enjoyable movies of the year.  It is hard to put into words what this movie left me with, but I strongly recommend it.  Check the literal at the door and go along with the myth of the movie - it will make more sense to you. 

#3 Vitus  PG-13

This is a Swiss movie that tells the story of a piano prodigy and the impact this has on him and his family. I absolutely loved everything about this movie.  The performances do not include a lot of the heavy handed conventions used in American moviemaking that ruins good movies. This is a rare accomplishment and one of the best foreign films I have seen!  Please check it out – you won’t be disappointed!

#2 The Visitor  PG-13

Richard Jenkins gives a brilliant performance as a burned out professor finding new meaning in life. The movie is perfectly paced so that we fully understand the characters, what made them who they are and how their current life circumstances change them.  The immigration theme may turn off some, but I loved this movie primarily because of the powerful performance by Jenkins.  I hope you will watch it.

#1 Frozen River  R  

This was a fantastic movie! Melissa Leo plays a mom living in upstate New York whose husband left and gambled away their savings. Her kids have limited opportunities and she can’t get full time work. She unexpectedly finds herself smuggling illegal immigrants into the United States through Mohawk Reservation territory. It is original, compelling, heartbreaking, and perfectly done. The best movie of the year!