Five Favorite Films of 2008
I thought to celebrate the end of the year I would look back on a few of the films I saw the past year. I thought of doing a top 10 but I felt the bottom five weren't good enough of making a best of lists. Although I'm cheating a bit with a couple of these which came out in 2007 which didn't arrive in my area until earlier this year.
5. Persepolis
One of the 2007 movies, I was glad to watch an animated film that wasn't released by Disney, Dreamworks or one of the other major studios. I really liked the simple design of the animation and the mix of real cartoony style and more simple realistic scenes, espicially the scenes with the silhouettes which looked surprisingly real, and possibly rotoscoped. The story was pretty entertaining as well, but admittedly was not my selling point of seeing it in the first place.
4. There Will Be Blood
The other film from last year was brought me in with its Kubrick style directing by P.T. Anderson. Lewis' performance got better as the movie went along, but the simple story of an oil man and his greed, and the wide scope of the film, was really made me like it so much, was robbed of Best Picture, and a future Blu-Ray purchase in the future, along with the other four films.
3. Slumdog Millionaire
I got a chance to see this at a free screening earlier this month which a representative from Fox Searchlight saying this was a rough cut, but I wasn't really sure about that. This was surprisingly enjoyable and shockingly original story about a boy remembering about his past to get the answers on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? The final sequence was so tense that I thought the audience I was with would get up and cheer at the end, but sadly that didn't happen.
2. Cloverfield
One of my most anticipated films of this year was also one of the more enjoyable. I made sure to arrive at the first screening in the morning the day it was released so I could finally see what most everyone was anticipating to see. It didn't really blow my mind like it probably wanted me to be, but my eyes were glued the whole time. I probably won't fall for this kind of secret promotional campaign again, but I enjoyed what I got out of it.
1. WALL·E
By far my most anticipated movie of 2008 and most enjoyable. I saw it 4 times in a theater, which is very rare for me to see any movie more than twice. The teasers had me more built up than any movie I've seen and was hoping for great things. I admit that I was a bit let down that I didn't see the greatest movie of all time (Back to the Future/Spirited Away hold that title for me), but it's definitely in a spot in my top 10. The minimal dialogue sequences, especially in the first 1/3, really astounded me and actually got me teary eyed in a couple spots. Also it is SOOOOOOO ADORABLE!!! <3
5. Persepolis
One of the 2007 movies, I was glad to watch an animated film that wasn't released by Disney, Dreamworks or one of the other major studios. I really liked the simple design of the animation and the mix of real cartoony style and more simple realistic scenes, espicially the scenes with the silhouettes which looked surprisingly real, and possibly rotoscoped. The story was pretty entertaining as well, but admittedly was not my selling point of seeing it in the first place.
4. There Will Be Blood
The other film from last year was brought me in with its Kubrick style directing by P.T. Anderson. Lewis' performance got better as the movie went along, but the simple story of an oil man and his greed, and the wide scope of the film, was really made me like it so much, was robbed of Best Picture, and a future Blu-Ray purchase in the future, along with the other four films.
3. Slumdog Millionaire
I got a chance to see this at a free screening earlier this month which a representative from Fox Searchlight saying this was a rough cut, but I wasn't really sure about that. This was surprisingly enjoyable and shockingly original story about a boy remembering about his past to get the answers on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? The final sequence was so tense that I thought the audience I was with would get up and cheer at the end, but sadly that didn't happen.
2. Cloverfield
One of my most anticipated films of this year was also one of the more enjoyable. I made sure to arrive at the first screening in the morning the day it was released so I could finally see what most everyone was anticipating to see. It didn't really blow my mind like it probably wanted me to be, but my eyes were glued the whole time. I probably won't fall for this kind of secret promotional campaign again, but I enjoyed what I got out of it.
1. WALL·E
By far my most anticipated movie of 2008 and most enjoyable. I saw it 4 times in a theater, which is very rare for me to see any movie more than twice. The teasers had me more built up than any movie I've seen and was hoping for great things. I admit that I was a bit let down that I didn't see the greatest movie of all time (Back to the Future/Spirited Away hold that title for me), but it's definitely in a spot in my top 10. The minimal dialogue sequences, especially in the first 1/3, really astounded me and actually got me teary eyed in a couple spots. Also it is SOOOOOOO ADORABLE!!! <3