[Movie] "You'll Be Like Oh Shit Thats The Jam!" - Best Movies You've Seen In 2008

WALL-E

Yes, I get it. I'm a 9-year old child with no sense of self-worth and thinks the environment is dying, blah blah blah. I LOVED WALL-E. It wasn't because it felt like some thinly-veiled social commentary on how Wal-Mart is destroying the world through commercialization, but the camera work and the endearing titular character that made this movie so great. You'd have to be a curmudgeon to dislike WALL-E and EVE as a great, albeit very unconventional, screen couple. Those two didn't need dry or corny dialogue or even facial expressions to convince me that they had enough chemistry to power the entire Axiom.

The Dark Knight

Yeah. The Joker REALLY is worth all the hype. Fuck the haters, this was an awesome movie.

Quantum of Solace

Pretty much agreeing with LeHah on this one. Everything that people complain about what's "wrong" in this movie is really what makes it such a great film. That car chase at the beginning of the film just grabs you and the film really never lets go from that point on. Bond is clearly damaged goods and is one hardcore motherfucker because of it. It has a very bleak and obtuse feel to it but, then again, a man bent on revenge would feel like that, wouldn't he? I also loved how they paid homage to Goldfinger... WITH OIL.

Transsiberian

Yeah. Your monsters and killers on trains have nothing on the suspenseful gritty opus that is Transsiberian. Woody Harrelson and Emily Mortimer are rock-solid in the roles of a couple who are so unlike each other yet eerily similar and traveling the world doing charity work. The real gem of this performance is Ben Kingsley with yet another nationality portrayed with surgical precision under his resume, is bone-chilling as narcotics agent Ilya Grinko. Sure, comparisons to Hitchcock are not far off but this film stands so damn well on its own, why would anyone even bother? This movie movie is proof immaculate that filmmakers don't need to rely on gore and shock value to instill fear into its viewer; Transsiberian will feed off of your fear and you will love every minute of it that it consumes you.

Nanking (2007)

I posted this in my journal a couple of weeks back and it still stands as one of my favorite documentaries of all time. The story of the "Rape of Nanking" is told in narrative form by a cast in a room reading journals of the people who were there. The film also features a sizable portion of actual people who experienced it; on both sides. Im not kidding when I say that this is a very hard movie to watch because hard to not feel bitter and even somewhat violated at the fact that such atrocities have, and can still happen, for that matter. The film is unflinching and brutal and recommended for those of you who need to learn that Hitler was not the worst thing to happen to the world during World War II.

Wristcutters: A Love Story

Because anyone who channels Eugene Hutz and pulls it off makes any movie they're in awesome as all-fuck. Oh yeah, it helps that this movie is one of the most surreal and dryly funny movies I've ever seen. Plus, motherfuckin' Tom Waits plays the ringleader of a rag-tag band; he is essentially playing himself. Buy it, rent it, rob old ladies for it. You must watch this movie.

CONTROL

A biopic about the late great Ian Curtis and his band Joy Division. Shot entirely in black and white, the film is about as gritty as they come without being a noir flick and makes Manchester look like the legendarily bleak cityscape that inspires all the music that radiates from its loins. Sam Riley plays Ian down to the wiry spasms and is pretty much the sole reason why it works so well. Probably one of my favorites of all time.

Riding Giants

I know this one has been around for a few years but I caught this one night while I was running on no sleep and obscene amounts of coffee and, even though I've never actually surfed, I had an unflinching desire to do so halfway through the movie. I'm sure I would fail miserably but Stacy Peralta and his friends make it look so goddamn easy! The enthusiasm shared by the cast about something they love so much is downright contagious.

[•REC]

knkwzrd recommended this movie instead of that schlock remake Quarantine and I was pleasantly wowed. Few movies get the "shaky camera" effect down convincingly enough and this movie is probably the one that I think nails it. I mean, it's also genuinely scary, gory and shot with the urgency of, well, a group of people trying to survive against insurmountable odds. Amazing, amazing movie.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Tokubetsu

The Assassination of Jesse James by The Coward Robert Ford: This is an amazing movie in almost ever aspect. It's got AMAZING cinematography. I can't think of another movie that's as magical and as beautiful as this one. The acting is incredible. Casey Affleck shines in every scene. Brad Pitt is believable as the quiet gunman. Even the script/dialog feels authentic. I love love love this movie. Sad we get a barebones dvd release.

I've heard this movie is one of the most amazing westerns ever made but I haven't got around to finding it on DVD.

Most amazing jew boots

Originally Posted by LeHah

It was good - but it was no Open Range.

Yeah, Open Range is probably my favorite Costner flick ever. I still haven't seen "3:15 To Yuma" either and I hear that one is good.

Originally Posted by sprouticus

LA Confidential
Fucking amazing, fun flick. Keeps you guessing and keeps you hooked every step of the way. This film comes as close to perfect as films get.

You barely saw this?!?!? Man, that's one of my Top 10 of all time. 11 years running and I watch it every 2 or 3 months like clockwork. Curtis Hanson really never made another movie that good again and it was a disgusting farce of an awards season that year when every major award was given to "Titanic" when this film deserved them all many times over. It truly IS an amazing film.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Tokubetsu

8 mile was good (Curtis Hanson directed)

It was OK. Wonder Boys was far better but none of Curtis' films have ever equaled the greatness of L.A. Confidential. EVER.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by LeHah

The Proposition

What a great, weird movie this is. Kind of like Quigley Down Under but ... not as goofy and with less gunplay. Good acting, very good use of music. Its basically a journey into purgatory, as a man must save his younger brother from a hanging by killing his crazy rapist/murder/horse-thief older brother. A lot of people said this was gory as heck, but I think we've all seen a lot worse.

I just watched this movie last night since I saw the Limited Edition on sale for $10 at Target. If you can brave the crowds at this time of year, it's totally worth it. However, the only thing it has in common with Quigley Down Under is the fact that it's set in Australia. I loved this movie though. It was gritty, bleak, violent and, most of all, well told. I agree with the use of music too. It's amazing to watch it with a good sound system because you'll note the subtle changes in the bass lines depending on the character the scene focuses on and I love how the two worlds of Outback and "civilization" have their own themes and the mood changes depending on the variation of said themes.

All in all, this is an amazing film and anyone who dismisses it as a mere Western is really doing themselves a great disservice.

Most amazing jew boots