10. Pineapple Express
I'm a sucker for Judd Apatow's comedy stylings and pretty much all his buddies. Pineapple Express pushed the boundaries of ridiculousness by merging Apatow's sarcastic comedy with action movie cliches (although not as good as Hot Fuzz in the previous year). Rogen and Franco had great chemistry, and Craig Robinson continues to steal the show like everything else he is in.
9. RocknRolla
There was a time when I was on a Guy Ritchie trip, seeing Snatch. and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels in a role and then having Guy not deliver in his next 2 films, its nice to see a return to form with simple British crime stories with larger than life characters. The "Wild Bunch" was incredibly charismatic and serves as the best vehicle to the cool underbelly of England. And Toby Kebbell is an actor to look for. He gave one of the better manic performances in years second to Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight.8. The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttom
Benjamin Button has got undeserved flack for being a Forrest Gump rip-off, mostly because it is one of the few movies that follows a character for a lifetime rather than a moment, but the themes, motifs, and tones are incredibly different than Forrest Gump with exception of the balance of inevitability of death and the satisfaction of life. One of the big show stopper these years, it would be higher on my list if not for the poor pacing and long runtime. A number of times it lost my attention especially during his nights taling with Tilda Swinton. I also think the gimmick (lack of a better word) of a man aging backwords clouded the themes and made the movie more fantasy escapism than thematic life journey. The inclusion of Hurricane Katrina was also very tacky, but the inculision of WWII was probably the most entertaining part of the entire film.7. Role Models
There hasn't been an incredibly funny American film like this in years. Paul Rudd is easily the best thing to come out of Frat Pack/Apatow Crew type films and it baffles me that he does not get more starring roles, and Seann William Scott returns to form as the likeable loser with a big mouth. The two have a perfect love/hate relationship with eachother and their "little brothers" lends itself to a number of comedic confrontations. No bells and whistles, just legit laughs.6. Iron Man
Everyonce in awhile, comic fanboys like myself get treated to the best possible casting anyone could ask for. Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark is one of those casts. Downey flawlessly became the fast talking, Martini swilling company man who traded his Armani for metal. It was your run of the mill three act origin story but Downey's performance saved it from being too bland. Scoring good placement in May, it was able to find an audience before The Dark Knight took over the summer, and now general audiences are as excited about Iron Man's next adventure as they are Batman's.5. The Wrestler
Mickey Rourke was one of those actors who undeservedly faded into obscurity. I imagine there are so many young filmbuffs wondering who all these people like Brad Pitt is naming an influence and one of the greats. That is until they see this movie and know right off the bat that this guy was born to be a star. I don't think there has ever been such a comeback in cinema history. But when you think about who better to play a broken down celebrity looking for a last hurrah than Mickey Rourke. At least this isn't his last hurrah as he has set up an impressive film schedule for the next few years. In general, it's just nice to see a movie make a big splash without the use of giant robots or car chases.
4. Slumdog Millionaire
As a long time fan of Danny Boyle, its nice to finally see him get the attention he has always deserved despite Trainspotting being his much better film. Going into this movie, I thought it was a great concept. Following the life of one man and his connection to all the questions. The concept lends itself to fantasy melodrama, and while the movie is full of it, it never misses a step. The romantic fantasy is tastefully intertwined to true to life brutal nature of the slums creating a perfectly paced and balanced story couple with one of the more beautiful aesthetic atmosphere of 2008.
3. The Hurt Locker
When I saw this movie, starring the guy from SWAT and having the real actors in short cameos taking place in Iraq, I thought it was going to be terrible story and perfromances that would attempt to be anti-war preachy. Instead I got one of the more tense stories in years that effectively examined the human psyche during war-time. I'd even say this is the greatest war movie ever second only to Saving Private Ryan. Jeremy Renner has the screen prescence of an entire platoon and plays his character with the perfect combination of hotshot gung ho and human morality. He toes the line of doing what's right and what's exciting.
2. The Dark Knight
"Like OMG, he didn't but it at number 1." Sorry fanboys, but its true. The Dark Knight was one of the most fascinating movies of last year. It went above and beyond the call for a big budget movie that would usually get treated like Hollywood fluff should be. It was masterfully put together by Christopher Nolan with two of the better supporting actors of 2008, both Heath Ledger and Aaron Eckhart. Its a shame that award shows like the Oscars did not consider it, but there is no question that it will outlive the rest of nominees even if it didn't earn over $500 million at the box office. The biggest downside of this movie: its almost impossible to top it.
1. In Bruges
Biggest surprise of last year, I am happy that the award shows took to it so well. Never have I seen a movie that so masterfully balanced impressive wit and depressing guilt. Colin Farrel is the biggest surprise with a fantastic performance. Brendan Gleeson is awesome as always, and Ralph Fiennes is one of the more entertaining villains. This is a great hidden gem, and definitely my favorite film of last year. Simply well written, well directer, and well performed.
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