20. Doubt
(drama)Great acting of course from Streep and Hoffman. Surprise performance from Amy Adams.
19. Frost/Nixon
(drama)Political chess match between the wannabee reporter and the sly Dick Nixon. I like the documentary approach to reflecting on the story through interviews about the interviews.
18. The Spiderwick Chronicles
(fantasy)The only studio that actually writes for the adult and children's audiences at the same time is Pixar. Strangely enough, this movie manages to do what Pixar is so rare at doing and as a live action nonetheless.
17. American Teen
(documentary)Nanette Burstein (The Kid Stays in the Picture
) brings us the documentary version of one of those 80s movies. Have today's teens become that bad at looking at each other? None of these kids seem to look at each other when talking. Hopefully not a harbinger of things to come.
16. Revolutionary Road
(drama)
Kate and Leo do have great chemistry. Sam Mendes in the domestic setting is an ace.
15. Valkyrie
(drama)
Solid movie. I certainly felt the weight of the gravity of trying to assassinate Hitler. Great tonal film.
14. Food, Inc.
(documentary)
Yeah, there's a few gross moments, but this is about the food industry complex and not about how violent/unsanitary is the butchering a cow/chicken.
13. Wall-E
(animation)
Pixar with a social message and a love story. Awww. They're just so darn good!
12. Hancock
(action comedy)
I love casting Will Smith as a superhero with an attitude. There's just something so damn cool about it.
11. Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?
(documentary)
It manages to blend humor with a serious subject matter for many of us, while traveling through a part of the world we "Americans" usually shy away from in western media.
10. Tropic Thunder
(comedy)
Pretty damn funny. Ben Stiller going full retard. Robert Downey Jr as a method actor turned black. The cast assembled is stellar.
9. Role Models
(comedy)
Overlooked general comedy that I haven't laughed as hard at since Borat
on initial viewing.
8. Burn After Reading
(comedy)
Coen Bros love alternating between light and dark. And do it so damn well.
7. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
(comedy/drama)
A movie that strikes a few chords close to my heart kind of like Big Fish
a few years ago. Very Forrest Gump
ish to no surprise given the same writer.
6. Changeling
(drama)
Eastwood does simple so well. And Angelina Jolie seems to have been overlooked in a movie that could have easily have been pure melodrama, but never was.
5. Vicky Cristina Barcelona
(comedy/drama)
Woody Allen is so much better in movies later in his life now when he's not in them. The film seems absurd in premise until you see the characters played out to absolute perfection.
4. The Dark Knight
(action/drama)
Best superhero movie I've ever seen. Truly could have been 3 movies by itself between the boats on water, the Joker and the fall of Harvey Dent.
3. The Wrestler
(drama)
Arronofsky redeems himself after his last movie. I was hooked from the moment that Mickey Rourke is driving back to his trailer listening to the radio and the movie cuts away at the chorus to "Don't Know What You've Got"
2. Waltz With Bashir
(animated documentary)
I've never seen a movie that painted the horror of war in such a realistic manner via animation. Did I mention the people are actually telling their own stories? I am most impressed at the way it managed to humanize the people involved while telling the story of an Israeli soldier sent out to Beirut.
1. Slumdog Millionaire
(drama)
What hasn't been said about this movie? A high-concept international movie that is well executed. It rightfully won a lot of awards and has a great soundtrack.
) brings us the documentary version of one of those 80s movies. Have today's teens become that bad at looking at each other? None of these kids seem to look at each other when talking. Hopefully not a harbinger of things to come.16. Revolutionary Road
(drama)Kate and Leo do have great chemistry. Sam Mendes in the domestic setting is an ace.
15. Valkyrie
(drama)Solid movie. I certainly felt the weight of the gravity of trying to assassinate Hitler. Great tonal film.
14. Food, Inc.
(documentary)Yeah, there's a few gross moments, but this is about the food industry complex and not about how violent/unsanitary is the butchering a cow/chicken.
13. Wall-E
(animation)Pixar with a social message and a love story. Awww. They're just so darn good!
12. Hancock
(action comedy)I love casting Will Smith as a superhero with an attitude. There's just something so damn cool about it.
11. Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?
(documentary)It manages to blend humor with a serious subject matter for many of us, while traveling through a part of the world we "Americans" usually shy away from in western media.
10. Tropic Thunder
(comedy)Pretty damn funny. Ben Stiller going full retard. Robert Downey Jr as a method actor turned black. The cast assembled is stellar.
9. Role Models
(comedy)Overlooked general comedy that I haven't laughed as hard at since Borat
on initial viewing.8. Burn After Reading
(comedy)Coen Bros love alternating between light and dark. And do it so damn well.
7. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
(comedy/drama)A movie that strikes a few chords close to my heart kind of like Big Fish
a few years ago. Very Forrest Gumpish to no surprise given the same writer.6. Changeling
(drama)Eastwood does simple so well. And Angelina Jolie seems to have been overlooked in a movie that could have easily have been pure melodrama, but never was.
5. Vicky Cristina Barcelona
(comedy/drama)Woody Allen is so much better in movies later in his life now when he's not in them. The film seems absurd in premise until you see the characters played out to absolute perfection.
4. The Dark Knight
(action/drama)Best superhero movie I've ever seen. Truly could have been 3 movies by itself between the boats on water, the Joker and the fall of Harvey Dent.
3. The Wrestler
(drama)Arronofsky redeems himself after his last movie. I was hooked from the moment that Mickey Rourke is driving back to his trailer listening to the radio and the movie cuts away at the chorus to "Don't Know What You've Got"
2. Waltz With Bashir
(animated documentary)I've never seen a movie that painted the horror of war in such a realistic manner via animation. Did I mention the people are actually telling their own stories? I am most impressed at the way it managed to humanize the people involved while telling the story of an Israeli soldier sent out to Beirut.
1. Slumdog Millionaire
(drama)What hasn't been said about this movie? A high-concept international movie that is well executed. It rightfully won a lot of awards and has a great soundtrack.
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