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Best films of 2008
Time Out’s film critics remember 2008’s silver screen highs, lows and welcome reissues
Dave Calhoun, Film editor
FILMS OF THE YEAR
‘There Will Be Blood’
Daniel Day-Lewis led the charge into 2008 with his mesmerising portrayal of Upton Sinclair’s oil man, Daniel Plainview. Writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson leant poetry and mystery to this birth-of-a-modern-nation epic and kept us guessing on many fronts, not least what the hell passed between the epilogue and the bulk of the movie.
‘Happy-Go-Lucky’
Mike Leigh’s latest was litmus-test cinema to determine whether or not you had a beating heart… And in retrospect Leigh’s story of an upbeat young Londoner (Sally Hawkins) was what we needed in these times: a simple, funny, touching study of what it means to be happy and get along with our fellow man.
‘Of Time and the City’
There were tears at the Cannes screening of Terence Davies’s first foray into the realm of the docu-essay. The form may be new, but the interest was familiar: Davies’s Liverpool childhood, adopted here to project ideas of where we’ve travelled in the past 50 years and what we’ve left behind.
BEST FILM WITHOUT DISTRIBUTION
‘Z32’
Venice showed Avi Mograbi’s ‘Z32’, an invigorating mess of a doc about a young Israeli soldier reminiscing over his involvement in the planned killing of Palestinian soldiers. Mograbi mixes odd special effects with his own songs about the difficulty of locating truth.
WORST FILM OF THE YEAR
‘The Other Boleyn Girl’
Peter Morgan’s adaptation of Philippa Gregory’s novel hovered limply between solemnity and soap opera.
REISSUE OF THE YEAR
‘The Bill Douglas Trilogy’/‘The Terence Davies Trilogy’ on DVD
The BFI released these two, superb post-hoc trilogies by two British filmmakers who transformed their childhoods into the highest art.
Wally Hammond, Deputy film editor
FILMS OF THE YEAR
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‘There Will Be Blood’
Paul Thomas Anderson’s masterful movie saw him apply an epic scope and dark psychological poetry to ‘mythic’ American cinema.
‘Wall.E’
Pixar-Disney’s semi-‘silent’ eco-parable was the greatest of this year’s animations, flawed only by too much space time on the cruise ship.
‘The Romance of Astrea and Celadon’
In a great year for geriatric cinema – including works by nonagenarian Manoel de Oliveira – this romantic (possible) swansong from French master Eric Rohmer was the most ardent, youthful and optimistic.
BEST FILM WITHOUT DISTRIBUTION
‘Under the Tree’
Indonesian director Garin Nugroho’s latest, Bali-set ‘musical’ would make a great, if unlikely, candidate for singalong cinema.
WORST FILM OF THE YEAR
‘Cassandra’s Dream’
Woody Allen’s attempt to ape Mike Leigh with this cock-er-nee crime caper was a total embarrassment.
REISSUE OF THE YEAR
‘The 39 Steps’ in cinemas
‘Wedlock is padlock’ said Dr Johnson. Hitch took him literally, joining Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll at the wrist for this most pleasurable, tightly written and economically directed of his British-era ‘entertainments’.
Derek Adams, Film critic
FILMS OF THE YEAR
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‘No Country for Old Men’
The Coens' modern Americana thriller proves that straight-up mainstream entertainment can easily co-exist with smart filmmaking. Javier Bardem’s cattle-gun killer is the year’s most malevolent psycho and the widescreen cinematography is sublime.
‘There Will Be Blood’
Paul Thomas Anderson’s oil epic is remarkable, not least for the performances of Day-Lewis and Dano.
‘In Bruges’
The year’s most deliciously un-PC movie is also one of the funniest. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson’s hitmen have a rollicking time bouncing off one another like magnets at opposite poles.
WORST FILM OF THE YEAR
‘Disaster Movie’
An awful film of such vapid inanity it makes my blood boil thinking about it.
BEST FILM WITHOUT DISTRIBUTION
‘Max Minsky and Me’
This German teen romance is forthright in its depiction of teen life.
REISSUE OF THE YEAR
‘The Complete Coen Collection’ on DVD
Blu-ray releases of the original ‘Planet of the Apes’ and ‘French Connection’ were welcome additions to the HD canon, but my money’s on this full-monty DVD collection of classic Coens.
David Jenkins, Film critic
FILMS OF THE YEAR
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‘Flight of the Red Balloon’
It got trashed by the UK press, but no film tackled the nature of artistic representation and the struggles of inner-city living with the delicacy, depth and persuasiveness of Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s sublime and simple Paris-set drama with Juliette Binoche in one of her most charismatic roles.
‘My Winnipeg’
That wonderful Canadian fabulist, Guy Maddin, offered up this hilarious ‘docu-fantasia’ about his upbringing in snowbound Manitoba.
‘Be Kind Rewind’
Michel Gondry’s loopy comedy dared to embrace the democratic future of cinema via YouTube, camcorders and dodgy effects.
WORST FILM OF THE YEAR
‘The Hottie and the Nottie’ or ‘The Love Guru’
So bad, I’d like to see them again, which is more than can be said for Harmony Korine’s ‘Mister Lonely’, ‘Cassandra’s Dream’ and ‘Quantum of Solace’: the most disappointing films.
BEST FILM WITHOUT DISTRIBUTION
‘The Headless Woman’
Lucrecia Martel’s mesmerising movie puzzle-box mixes Haneke, Buñuel and ‘BlowUp’ to disturbing and thought-provoking effect.
REISSUE OF THE YEAR
‘Killer of Sheep’ (Charles Burnett, 1977) in cinemas and on DVD
Burnett’s film came dangerously close to perfection, while the DVD release of the year was Jacques Demy’s musical, ‘Les Demoiselles de Rochefort’.
Tom Huddleston, Film critic
FILMS OF THE YEAR
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‘Memories of Matsuko’
A dizzying explosion of bubblegum pop, bonecrunching violence and swooning melodrama underscored with a heartfelt plea for empathy and understanding in an unforgiving world. All of life is here.
‘Mister Lonely’
Cynics sneered at Korine’s heartfelt, hilarious and devastating portrait of life on the outer fringes. More fool them.
‘Wall.E’
Pixar made their boldest, most significant statement to date with this joyous deep-space romance.
BEST FILM WITHOUT DISTRIBUTION
‘The Birthday’
Happily, most of this year’s festival favourites – ‘Anvil’, ‘Wendy and Lucy’, ‘Afterschool’ – have picked up UK deals. But why has no one jumped on hyperactive horror comedy, Corey Feldman vehicle, ‘The Birthday’?
WORST FILM OF THE YEAR
‘Cashback’
It may seem cruel to kick a first-timer, but Sean Ellis’s ‘Cashback’ was a truly irksome slice of pseudo-arty claptrap.
REISSUE OF THE YEAR
‘The Walter Hill Collection’/‘The John Carpenter Collection’ on DVD
Welcome box-set retrospectives for a pair of era-defining ’70s/’80s masters, Optimum’s ‘The Walter Hill Collection’ and ‘The John Carpenter Collection’ proved the lasting significance of two filmmakers too often dismissed as generic journeymen. Now, how about ‘The Larry Cohen Collection’?
Geoff Andrew, Contributing editor
FILMS OF THE YEAR
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‘Of Time and the City’/‘My Winnipeg’
Two very different cinematic poems from Terence Davies and Guy Maddin, each of which take idiosyncratic trips down urban memory lanes.
‘You, the Living’
From Sweden’s Roy Andersson the darkest, funniest comedy of the year? The most eccentric, for sure.
‘Changeling’
The quiet maestro, Clint Eastwood, just keeps on producing radical/classical gems. Next…!
BEST FILM WITHOUT DISTRIBUTION
‘La Forteresse’
Fernard Melgar’s excellent documentary chronicling the experiences of staff and inmates at a Swiss centre for asylum seekers. Topical, compassionate and subtle.
WORST FILM OF THE YEAR
‘North Face’
Ludicrously implausible dross from German director Philipp Stölzl that purportedly tells the true story of a fatal mountaineering feat.
REISSUE OF THE YEAR
‘Some Came Running’, in cinemas
Vincente Minnelli’s 1958 film sees Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Shirley MacLaine in a shamefully underrated Hollywood melodrama: stylish, subversive and wondrously moving.
User comments on this story
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- marie said...
- thank you very muchsite Posted on Mar 20 2009 16:09
- Report as inappropriate
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- cb said...
- happy go lucky sucks Posted on Jan 24 2009 14:50
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- Valerie Livina said...
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FILMS OF THE YEAR:
> The Reader
> Changeling
> Rock'n'rolla
WORST FILM OF THE YEAR
> Cloverfield
REISSUE OF THE YEAR
> Mamma Mia
Last week, Jupiter moved from the sign of his detriment Capricorn into Aquarius. Jupiter’s transit in Capricorn took more than a year, and as I wrote earlier, I expected his influence on cinema to be rather disappointing: this was time to make money rather than create masterpieces.
One can hardly recall a masterpiece among all those hancocks of 2008, and even Mamma Mia, with great ABBA songs and ugly voices of the actors, was an artificial production whose main aim was to earn (certainly very favourable for ABBA sales).
All the major blockbusters came out to be too dark, secondary and unimpressive. In the BBC annual film review, I noticed phrase “failed to make much of impression”, which is quite indicative.
I might have called a masterpiece the film released last week, “The Reader”, but even this one is an illustration of the Jupiter in Capricorn: Cardano says on this constellation in aphorism 2.45 of Lilly’s edition about “power under pretence of justice” with “unfortunate issue” – come and see the film to understand how true this is.
Now, as Jupiter is in Aquarius (and weak, being peregrine yet), look at the oncoming movies to find which of them are weird enough to indicate the planetary change…
http://vlivina.blogspot.com/2009/01/cinemundane-ii.html Posted on Jan 13 2009 15:07 - Report as inappropriate
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- jay said...
- no really Posted on Jan 13 2009 13:45
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- jay said...
- i am kafbhlhblhbei Posted on Jan 13 2009 13:44
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- kafbhlhblhbei said...
- bla dee bla dee da Posted on Jan 13 2009 13:41
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- Aidan said...
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All I am saying is that I will not be made to like something through reasoned agrument. Either you like it or you don't and with Mike Leighs films, they constantly let you down. I am, believe it or not, very open minded, this is why I usually watch his films in the hope I might finaly see what the fuss is about. You can not slate something if you have not seen it. But time and time again Leigh serves up tripe. Just because something is niche, or exclusive to certain audiences does not make it any better than something popular, Fact. Those who only watch foriegn/independant or specific types of film are inverted snobs and limited people.
Ian- where on earth you got this democracy thing from baffles me, I assume you are eagerly awaiting Che. Posted on Jan 09 2009 04:41 - Report as inappropriate
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- Rod said...
- Guys -- whoa now. I cant keep up. Gotta go watch some some classic film called Tsotsi. Catch you later. Let us know what you all think of Gomorrah and Time & The City as these were on the critics list and i saw them. Did you ?? Posted on Jan 08 2009 11:27
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- Ian said...
- Sorry to use these forums for discussion, Adian. Perhaps commenting upon films and challenging the tastes and opinions of others wasn't the sort of thing you had in mind when you made your own vitriolic comment (much of which I happen agree with). I shall do the decent thing and keep my trap shut - or perhaps remocate to Iran or China, where my sort would not be tolerated. God (!) bless and I hope that when you finally have the sandpit to yourself you have an awful lot of fun.... Posted on Jan 08 2009 11:18
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- Aidan said...
- Rod... i think it is you hwo have missed the point. I watch film from the point of view of the, wait for it, viewer. I am not trying to put myself in the place of the actor or the director or any of the crew. My job is to let the story speak for its self through them, as intended. If the character is so annoying that I want to claw my eyes out then, regardless of how well you may think they have acted I do not like it. If the intention is to irritate, then it is a case of job done as I am not alone in my opinion. Mike Leigh's films are generally speaking patronising and dull. He is overhyped and would be better off directing Corrie. Boring Boring Boring. Posted on Jan 08 2009 11:14
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- Aidan said...
- Ian.... do you have anything usefull to say or are you just here to plaster smarmy little comments on the board in the hope you will be percived as some kind of wit? Democarcy? you can stick it, along with your head, where the sun don't shine. Posted on Jan 08 2009 10:58
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- Ian said...
- Aidan, Rod - you were made for each other. Get a room, a vague notion of democracy and a playschool grasp of grammar and you might make a whole person. Good luck with it. Posted on Jan 08 2009 10:14
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- Rod said...
- No Aidan... you are misguided. Its a personal opinion you are giving but thats not necessarily a review and to refer to pretentious critics is wrong. There is nothing pretentious about the Happy Go Lucky inclusion. It is quite frankly a masterpiece of characterization and direction. Sally Hawkins presents us with a very different characterization than anything Ive seen in mainstream cinema for years and on the basis films should entertain but also somehow give you an experience good or bad then its ill considered to slate a single actor in a film which shows fine qualities of acting ability and characterization. To reject someone as nauseating on the basis of character and not on the their acting or presentational skills is short sighted. Its a fine film by all members of the cast. Mike Leigh the "worst director" ha you havent a clue. Thats just presumtious. Posted on Jan 08 2009 09:36
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- Aidan said...
- Happy go lucky's inclusion just illuatrates to me how utterly utterly pretentious these critics are. The main charcter was so annoying that it just killed the film stone dead. I have never felt so nauseated watching a character on screen, the very idea some one like that exists I find deeply depressing. Mike Liegh is without doubt the worst director we have. He absolutly cements the stereotype that British people are plucky but ultimatly dull miserable little people who answer to evrything is 'I'll put the kettle on'. Wake up Leigh, not everyone is as boring as you!! Posted on Jan 08 2009 08:44
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- Rachelle said...
- Except in the case of animated films, why do film critics act like they'll catch some sort of disease by giving blockbuster films like 'The Dark Knight' their due? Fine, it is limited by certain confines from the original comic book material, but you can't tell me it wasn't well written, beautifully acted and very well directed. I happily also give praise to 'In Bruges' for being a surprising, strange, slightly demented film that I really enjoyed. Posted on Jan 03 2009 07:21
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