it's that time again, i reckon. considering that the Academy has all but lost its credibility by now, i hereby submit the following top ten list for your consideration (as a slightly more succinct alternative to that bogus whatsit ceremony they insist on holding each year).
without further ado, here are tylergirly's 10 favorite movies of 2008 (10 being the arbitrary number that i don't remember ever agreeing to. like, why must favorite movies come in denominations of ten, or even be grouped by calendar year, for that matter? okay, that's enough ado. let's jump right in, shall we?):
oh, and none but numbers 1-6 are in any particular order. sorry if that creates logistical problems for some of you. i'm starting now, i promise:
...ahem.
10. THE WRESTLER
i hesitate to put this title very high on my list, though i concede that it definitely belongs in the bunch. this is the sort of movie i typically don't enjoy. washed-up professional something-or-other works out his inner demons and reflects on past mistakes to finally find that maybe he's still lovable after all. but this incarnation is a bit different, owing almost entirely to mickey rourke's fearless performance. if i'm honest with myself, the whole thing wouldn't have been half as satisfying had rourke not mercifully snatched the role from nick cage. marisa tomei is always a privilege to watch, and i was thankful for her part in what turned out to be a significantly above-average bittersweet personal redemption tale.
9. GONZO: THE LIFE AND WORK OF DR. HUNTER S. THOMPSON
this documentary was a nice little surprise for me. i hadn't been aware of its impending arrival, so it was that much more thrilling to witness. if there's anyone i'd like to request a posthumous visit from at this point in my life, it's hunter thompson. ideally, he would conduct his half of the conversation from behind a protective screen while i sat safely on the other side. so that theater setup was totally perfect.
8. WALL-E
as i've stated before, my evaluation of most films is based on my decidedly nonintellectual visceral experience during the actual act of viewing. in the case of WALL-E, i must consider the fact that i wept during roughly 90% of the running time.
7. MILK
despite a few structural flaws, this was an endearing and beautiful collection of snapshots. each of the performances want for nothing, and a few of the images will be imprinted on my mind for some time to come.
6. THE DARK KNIGHT
maybe you've heard of it?
5. LET THE RIGHT ONE IN
just for this adorable gem of a vampire horror flick, i'm willing to push aside my crippling hatred of house cats (i think i hear one whining outside even as i write- i can has hatchet?).
4. MAN ON WIRE
it made me laugh (a lot) and cry (a lot) and wish i had (a lot) more conviction. this is a must-see and something i hope i never forget. it's levity and gravity, folly and wisdom, faith and disillusionment, all wound into a tightrope.
3. VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
i've blogged on this before, so i won't repeat myself. but i think i shall never grow weary of this insane little film.
2. SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK
this masterpiece is really a compilation of countless thrilling little nuggets (masterpieces?) which just so happen to add up in quite a satisfactory way. like, deeply affecting and tremendously insightful and challenging, but i'd watch it again and again just to see maria (jennifer jason leigh) trip over her own feet before quickly regaining her balance.
1. REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
i've thoroughly accepted that it's my favorite of 2008. i'd like to urge you all to see it NOW while it's still in theaters, if you can, but i can't really offer a strong case for my endorsement. most of the coherent things i'd like to write about this film have been tragically lost in a jumble of raw joy and agony which is now and forever lodged in the pit of my stomach, if that makes any sense. so for now, i'll just say, "leo + kate forevs LOL. best. movie. EVAR."
so there you have it. i do realize that there are a couple of movies i still really want to see that may possibly have cracked the top ten if given the chance (i suspect that SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is not among them, though.).
finally, i'd like to add IRON MAN, DOUBT, PINEAPPLE EXPRESS, ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO, CLOVERFIELD, and IN BRUGES to the honorable mention category and award dishonorable mention to GRAN TORINO, SCHMACHEL SCHMETTING SCHMARRIED, and SEVEN POUNDS for failure to meet my already low-ish expectations.
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