Year in Review: Movies 2008
Note: I'm gonna do my movie review based on what I watched during 2008, and not what came out this year. =D
Favourite Movies
English Language Movies
Forgetting Sarah Marshall - The only Hollywood movie that I can honestly say I loved this year. (No, Dark Knight didn’t really do it for me, except for letting me to squee over Christian Bale) It’s funny, sweet, and all kinds of awesome and was basically the best romantic comedy movie of 2008. Plus, where else you are going to find a movie in which they have rock opera about Dracula using puppets?! … I thought so.
Once -al;kdjfa;ldj OMG THE SOUNDTRACK. THE GLORIOUS, GLORIOUS SOUNDTRACK. *is shot* I’ve never seen a movie before that was so dedicated to music. It’s quiet, understated, and utterly beautiful, a simple story of two people who meet and want to produce music together, and I love it to bits. Plus, the soundtrack. *drools*
(other) European Movies
Pan’s Labyrinth - Okay, basically? This is the best fantasy movie I’ve ever seen. It has a dark feel to it, with the magic being very tangible and raw, and I thought they did an excellent job balancing between the magical realm and what’s going on in Real Time, during WWII. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant, and also, the cinematography is beautiful without being flashy about it. =D
Let the Right One In - Forget Twilight, THIS is the best vampire love story that came out this year. I love how they stick to some paranormal conventions while reversing various troupes, and I love how detached the violence was, giving everything a kind of distant horror, and the sweet nothings between two extremely messed up kids. Am still disappointed at the one-second scene of fire, but am getting over it. Plus, the movie is shot beautifully. I love the pristine winter look it has. =D
Chinese/Korean Movies
Perhaps Love (Chinese) - The only musical I’ve ever seen that I actually liked… Mostly because it has not one, not two, but THREE layers of stories in this movie. And the people bursting into songs and dance didn’t bother me like most musicals do. Also? Zhou Xun is my favourite Mainland China actress ever. Also? The soundtrack. Oh, the pretty, pretty soundtrack. <3
Red Cliff (Chinese) - Favourite historical epic of the year. Um, and Takeshi Kaneshiro is very cute in here and Alan sings the theme song. Also, it’s beautifully shot. Also, I’m mostly just excited about the second movie and its BURNING OF ARMY IN BOATS SCENE. =D =D =D
Rough Cut (Korean) - Um, because I’m really, really shallow and the scenes with two very hot Korean men (So Ji Sub and Kang Ji Hwan. Mm, mm, mmmmmmmm) fighting it out in the mud was the sexiest thing ever? *is shot* Plus, the gay subtext! THINK OF THE GAY SUBTEXT! *is shot again* Also, terribly mockable. Am tempted to write parody of this movie.
Japanese Movies
Tada, Kimi wo Aishiteru - Okay, so I mentioned this movie a while back, and it still makes me all squee for it. The sweetest love story movie I watched this year, even more than Let the Right One In, and it’s awesome slice-of-life: at times funny, at others a quiet kind of sadness, and all of it extremely beautiful and I heart it to bits.
Little Dj~Chiisama no 10 no Yakusoku - Um, this is one of those movies that I would have never watched if I, like, actually read the plot and didn’t jump at it the very second I caught a glimpse of the cast list. See, it’s one of those terminal disease stories starring a kid, and everyone knows how well THOSE go. (Not that they’re bad, these movies, but they’re always so sad and I don’t willingly go about watching these sad, sad movies if I can help it. I like my comedy.) But yeah, it had Fukuda Mayuko in it and she’s, imo, the best child actress in Japan, so I couldn’t resist. And I’m glad I went and watched it. It was an amazing movie. Very sweet, very heartbreaking, and if anyone wants a tearjerker with competent and brilliant child stars for once, watch it. Watch it now.
Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo - Favourite anime movie I watched this year. (Though I get a feeling if I actually went to the screening of Sky Crawlers this would be a different story, but I didn’t, so yeah.) Very interesting thoughts on time travel, and a cute love story inserted in without ever feeling cliché or sappy. But mostly I loved it for the time travel. =D And the feeling of mystery as the protagonist wonders who left the time travel device around. Very interesting, and I recommend it highly. =D
Death Note Movies - Um, this is one of those movies you have to like the series and be a complete L fangirl to enjoy to its fullest. And I love L. And I love the actor who plays L (Matsuyama Kenichi) so it was very much a win-win situation.
Detroit Metal City - This was the movie in which I got to see in theatres AND get to see Matsuyama Kenichi in person AND get his autograph. *___* lol, but yeah, beyond my endless love for MatsuKen, it was the craziest, wackiest, and funniest movie I saw this year, and yeah, it had a few problems, what with the love interest being… Nothing more than the love interest, but such little things we can let it slide, yesh? =D It’s about a hill billy who loves trendy pop music but finds himself the lead singer of a Death Rock band and oh, the crazy, it can’t even be described in words. It must be seen to be believed. =D Highly recommended to all.
Favourite Movies
English Language Movies
Forgetting Sarah Marshall - The only Hollywood movie that I can honestly say I loved this year. (No, Dark Knight didn’t really do it for me, except for letting me to squee over Christian Bale) It’s funny, sweet, and all kinds of awesome and was basically the best romantic comedy movie of 2008. Plus, where else you are going to find a movie in which they have rock opera about Dracula using puppets?! … I thought so.
Once -al;kdjfa;ldj OMG THE SOUNDTRACK. THE GLORIOUS, GLORIOUS SOUNDTRACK. *is shot* I’ve never seen a movie before that was so dedicated to music. It’s quiet, understated, and utterly beautiful, a simple story of two people who meet and want to produce music together, and I love it to bits. Plus, the soundtrack. *drools*
(other) European Movies
Pan’s Labyrinth - Okay, basically? This is the best fantasy movie I’ve ever seen. It has a dark feel to it, with the magic being very tangible and raw, and I thought they did an excellent job balancing between the magical realm and what’s going on in Real Time, during WWII. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant, and also, the cinematography is beautiful without being flashy about it. =D
Let the Right One In - Forget Twilight, THIS is the best vampire love story that came out this year. I love how they stick to some paranormal conventions while reversing various troupes, and I love how detached the violence was, giving everything a kind of distant horror, and the sweet nothings between two extremely messed up kids. Am still disappointed at the one-second scene of fire, but am getting over it. Plus, the movie is shot beautifully. I love the pristine winter look it has. =D
Chinese/Korean Movies
Perhaps Love (Chinese) - The only musical I’ve ever seen that I actually liked… Mostly because it has not one, not two, but THREE layers of stories in this movie. And the people bursting into songs and dance didn’t bother me like most musicals do. Also? Zhou Xun is my favourite Mainland China actress ever. Also? The soundtrack. Oh, the pretty, pretty soundtrack. <3
Red Cliff (Chinese) - Favourite historical epic of the year. Um, and Takeshi Kaneshiro is very cute in here and Alan sings the theme song. Also, it’s beautifully shot. Also, I’m mostly just excited about the second movie and its BURNING OF ARMY IN BOATS SCENE. =D =D =D
Rough Cut (Korean) - Um, because I’m really, really shallow and the scenes with two very hot Korean men (So Ji Sub and Kang Ji Hwan. Mm, mm, mmmmmmmm) fighting it out in the mud was the sexiest thing ever? *is shot* Plus, the gay subtext! THINK OF THE GAY SUBTEXT! *is shot again* Also, terribly mockable. Am tempted to write parody of this movie.
Japanese Movies
Tada, Kimi wo Aishiteru - Okay, so I mentioned this movie a while back, and it still makes me all squee for it. The sweetest love story movie I watched this year, even more than Let the Right One In, and it’s awesome slice-of-life: at times funny, at others a quiet kind of sadness, and all of it extremely beautiful and I heart it to bits.
Little Dj~Chiisama no 10 no Yakusoku - Um, this is one of those movies that I would have never watched if I, like, actually read the plot and didn’t jump at it the very second I caught a glimpse of the cast list. See, it’s one of those terminal disease stories starring a kid, and everyone knows how well THOSE go. (Not that they’re bad, these movies, but they’re always so sad and I don’t willingly go about watching these sad, sad movies if I can help it. I like my comedy.) But yeah, it had Fukuda Mayuko in it and she’s, imo, the best child actress in Japan, so I couldn’t resist. And I’m glad I went and watched it. It was an amazing movie. Very sweet, very heartbreaking, and if anyone wants a tearjerker with competent and brilliant child stars for once, watch it. Watch it now.
Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo - Favourite anime movie I watched this year. (Though I get a feeling if I actually went to the screening of Sky Crawlers this would be a different story, but I didn’t, so yeah.) Very interesting thoughts on time travel, and a cute love story inserted in without ever feeling cliché or sappy. But mostly I loved it for the time travel. =D And the feeling of mystery as the protagonist wonders who left the time travel device around. Very interesting, and I recommend it highly. =D
Death Note Movies - Um, this is one of those movies you have to like the series and be a complete L fangirl to enjoy to its fullest. And I love L. And I love the actor who plays L (Matsuyama Kenichi) so it was very much a win-win situation.
Detroit Metal City - This was the movie in which I got to see in theatres AND get to see Matsuyama Kenichi in person AND get his autograph. *___* lol, but yeah, beyond my endless love for MatsuKen, it was the craziest, wackiest, and funniest movie I saw this year, and yeah, it had a few problems, what with the love interest being… Nothing more than the love interest, but such little things we can let it slide, yesh? =D It’s about a hill billy who loves trendy pop music but finds himself the lead singer of a Death Rock band and oh, the crazy, it can’t even be described in words. It must be seen to be believed. =D Highly recommended to all.