A Decade in Cinema: 2008

And they are:


In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Seige Tale
27 Dresses
Meet the Spartans
Strange Wilderness
Step Up 2: The Streets
Be Kind Rewing
Semi-Pro
The Bank Job
Drillbit Taylor
21
Run Fatboy Run
Superhero Movie
Leatherheads
Smart People
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Baby Mama
Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay
Iron Man
Speed Racer
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Sex and the City: The Movie
Kung Fu Panda
You Don't Mess with the Zohan
The Happening
Get Smart
WALL-E
Hancock
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Meet Dave
The Dark Knight
Mama Mia!
Step Brothers
Pineapple Express
Tropic Thunder
The Rocker
The House Bunny
Hamlet 2
Disaster Movie
Burn After Reading
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Religulous
RockNRolla
Sex Drive
Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Role Models
Slumdog Millionaire
Twilight
Milk
Frost/Nixon
Punisher: War Zone
Yes Man
Bedtime Stories
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marley and Me
The Spirit

And the standouts are:
1. Smart People - Due to a stellar performance from Ellen Page, this simple comedy works as a way to show how sometimes being smarter doesn't make you a better person.
2. Forgetting Sarah Marshall - Introducing Jason Segel to the mainstream audience and supposedly launching 1000 male nude scenes. It's one of the best romantic comedies of the decade that both sexes can enjoy.
3. The Dark Knight - Another top ten movie that set more records in the box office and in my viewing pleasure. I don't know what the appeal is, but it rises above many other movies with dark, complex undertones and a performance by Heath Ledger that should go in the history books (and not for the outcome).
4. Pineapple Express - A stoner comedy that also works as an action movie and can be appreciated by more than just pot heads for it's vibrant sense of humor and bizarre form of violence.
5. Tropic Thunder - One of the best politically incorrect comedies of the decade that challenges the audience not to laugh with some of the most ignorant jokes to be put on screen.
6. Burn After Reading - A crime suspense comedy that is very dry and is acquired tastes, but if you fit the mold, it's one of the best movies you'll see.
7. Religulous - The religion documentary is so fearless and Bill Maher's approach is so non-forcing that it manages to raise more questions amongst the audience than those that were asked.
8. RockNRolla - While this may as well be "Snatch 2", it manages to create some of the greatest mob characters in modern cinema and create a universe so rich that you can't help but get lost in it.
9. Role Models - Probably one of the best comedies of the decade to feature rude children. While many family movies go for that, it took an R-rated movie to make it fun and enjoyable.
10. Slumdog Millionaire - Because it's just a really good movie.
11. Milk - Probably one of my favorite biographical movies this decade. It told a compelling story with great performances and made me feel like pointing out the small flaws in our society's beliefs of deviant culture.
12. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Another awesome effort from Brad Pitt and should be remembered for it's rich story as well as the special effects that actually give it an old school feel and can easily captivate you.

Comments