Newcott On the Top: The Best Movies of 2008

There were a lot of great movies this year, and unfortunately I couldn’t get to all of them. Yes, I’m kicking myself now for missing out on The Love Guru and Mama Mia, but assuming that those two films are the best of 2008, these are the rest I would pick for the top of the year.
Feel free to let me know how wrong I am.


Most Over-the-Top Action Sequence

Nominees:
Wanted
The Dark Knight
The Bank Job

Winner:
Wanted



The man jumps through the window of a warehouse with two guns blazing. Running at full speed, he charges at a villain with his gun facing forward. With one shot, he blows a hole in the man’s face. With the barrel of the gun, he impales the man’s head. Using the corpse as a shield, he continues running. At the same time he shoots other villains THROUGH the head of the corpse he is carrying.
Congratulations Wanted. That was so awesome I’m partially retarded now. Thanks.

Best Movie to Make Me Soil My Pants

Nominees:
The Orphanage
Funny Games
Let the Right One In

Winner:

Let the Right One In



It wins because it’s not quite horror. After all, my pants are not fully soiled, but they may be slightly defiled. It’s not even quite a drama, but I did end up with a tear or two in mines eye. Let the Right One In flutters high above any genre out of it’s dedication to it’s subjects. The fact that some of these subjects are bloodthirsty vampires only makes it far more interesting. All in all, the film serves as a powerful depiction of relationships, and of the risks inherit with devotion. When things get bloody, the film manages to quite literally sear itself into the back of the viewers mind. It’s unforgettable.

Best Movie To Make Me Say “Hmmm, That’s Deep”

Nominees:
In Bruges
Doubt
Synecdoche New York

Winner:

In Bruges



At times it may seem like In Bruges is not a drama at all. After all, it does feature the filming of a midget as a central plot point. For that reason alone I'd say it's the best picture of the year. Somehow, In Bruges culminates in one of the most surprisingly definitive conclusions, and it certainly resonates with it’s message. Much like it’s characters, In Bruges sticks to it’s principles and delivers one of the most satisfying films of 2008.

Best Comedy That Didn’t Make Me Feel Bad About Watching Something So Dirty

Nominees:
Pineapple Express
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Tropic Thunder

Winner:

Pineapple Express



It’s something to say when one of the cleanest comedies of 2008 features two drugged out buddies as they curse their way through an elaborate drug war. After all, it didn’t feature Will Farrell violating a drum set as in Step Brothers, or Jack Black offering sexual favors in exchange for drugs in Tropic Thunder. Not that that’s not funny or anything, but Pineapple Express sets itself apart through it’s subtle direction, charming characters, and excellent acting. After a second viewing it only became more of an enjoyable experience, and I’m sure it will hold up.

Best Fantasy

Nominees:
The Fall
Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Winner:

The Fall



It’s beautiful. Simply beautiful. That could have been enough to warrant a viewing, but The Fall truly succeeds due to it’s wonderful characters and equally wondrous cast. Consistently imaginative and provoking in it’s profundity, The Fall is easily one of the best of the year.


So Bad That I Actually Enjoyed It

Nominees:
The Happening

Winner:
The Happening



Grass is killing people. And I don’t mean the drug. It’s just grass. The kind you’d find in the front lawn.
Mr. M. Night Shyamalamadingdong, you’ve done it again. Here’s a sack of cash and a Rolls Royce.

So Bad No One Should Ever Enjoy It. Ever.

Nominees:
Sex and the City
Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay

Winner:
Sex and the City

Let’s not talk about it. Let’s not even think about it. Sometimes I wake up at night with a cold sweat and think I’m still in the theater being tortured by having to watch countless sequentially moving frames featuring Samantha talk about her sexy pool boy. UGggghhhhh. I just puked on my keyboard and now am typing chunks of undigested corn into the little spaces between the keys. You think that’s gross? I would rather lick these vomit chunks than watch Sex and the City again. I’ll do it just to stop thinking about it. I’m doing it right now. Adkjcdjvbaewuh932p4cs.

Personal Favorite

Nominees:
Let the Right One In
Cloverfield
In Bruges

Winner:

Cloverfield.



Right now you’re asking one of two things. First, did Cloverfield really come out in 2008? And second, really? Cloverfield? To answer the first question, yes. Cloverfield was released in 2008, but barely. In the usual dry spell between January and the rest of the year, a solid piece of cinema gold hit theaters. That’s not to say that many didn’t have mixed opinions regarding it’s release. Some may object to my nomination of Cloverfield as best film of 2008 due to their claims that it may or may not have caused violent seizures due to it’s handheld look. Personally, I don’t understand how anyone could watch Cloverfield and say it was not one of the most enjoyable cinematic experiences of the year. The film managed to hit a perfect balance, one that teetered between horror, action, and romance. Despite maintaining a PG-13 rating, Cloverfield maintained a constant state of intensity, only occasionally letting up seemingly for the sake of allowing it’s audience to feel the strain in their muscles. The characters could have easily remained paper thin, yet they develop convincingly, and in doing so they bring an undeniable haunting quality to the frantic destruction.
Cloverfield needs to be recognized for it’s extravagant use of the medium it exists in. I can’t recall any film so dedicated to it’s own art-form. With it’s limited run-time, it’s subtle beginning, it’s gritty look, and it’s convincing cast, Cloverfield is an evolution in the cinematic experience. I feel bad for anyone who missed experiencing it with an active audience, but I pity anyone who still has yet to see it at all. It's one of my all time favorites.