84 replies to this topic

[Loomis]

Didn't see many new films this year, but, still, here's my top twenty list. Also, some of the following were perhaps not 2008 releases, strictly speaking, but, well, here goes:

MY FILMS OF THE YEAR (more or less in order)

1. THE DARK KNIGHT
Let no one tell you that this is Heath Ledger's film (although he is remarkable) - it's fundamentally the story of Harvey Dent (to which Aaron Eckhart's magnificent performance does more than justice, ho ho, see that little pun o' mine there?), and the rise and fall of Gotham's "white knight" makes for probably the most surprising and multilayered comic book superhero blockbuster, well, ever. A milestone in mainstream moviemaking.

2. INTO THE WILD
A better film than this year's five Best Picture nominees (ATONEMENT, JUNO, MICHAEL CLAYTON, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN and THERE WILL BE BLOOD) put together. Okay, so it's a bit flowery in places (and, at 148 minutes, feels just a tad too long), with a surfeit of drippy hippy musings in voiceover.... but it's also striking, absorbing stuff, a meditation on and celebration of life. Technically dazzling, with terrific performances and some wonderfully National Geographic-ish cinematography, INTO THE WILD is one of the richest and most invigorating film experiences that these old eyes have witnessed in quite a while (that one can read into it whatever one damn well pleases helps a lot, a guess).

3. RATATOUILLE
Arguably a tad overlong, with a narrative that flags in places, but still one of the best films of recent years, thanks to fine characterisation, great visuals (and visual gags) and a large helping of heartwarming movie magic balanced in flavour by a surprisingly substantial side salad of sophistication (it's definitely one of those animated efforts that can be enjoyed just as much by adults as by children, indeed it seems as though RATATOUILLE may be aimed chiefly at grown-ups!). My compliments to the chef.

4. CONTROL
An astonishingly accomplished feature debut by veteran photographer and music video director Anton Corbijn, who, in one of those little factoids that sends a chill down the spine, was responsible for some of the most iconic images of Joy Division in the first place.

Funnily enough, the Ian Curtis story - which on the face of it is not an especially cinematic or even (with no disrespect intended, for I am a huge Joy Division fan) a particularly interesting one - has been told in not one but two highly acclaimed British "indie" films in recent years: this and 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE. On paper, it would seem uninteresting, even for fans of the band. Like TITANIC, you know exactly how the story's going to end; like a Joy Division album, it doesn't promise to be much of a laugh, either.

However, this is a surprisingly vibrant, cinematic affair. Stunningly shot by Martin Ruhe in Corbijn's trademark atmospheric black and white, CONTROL recalls kitchen sink fare like THE LONELINESS OF THE LONG DISTANCE RUNNER, while Sam Riley, playing Joy Division's Troubled™ lead singer Ian Curtis, gets to loom from the strikingly composed monochrome gloom like F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu.

The performances are incredible, with Riley - whose face must be one of the most expressive of any actor out there - taking top honours, and the casting of even secondary roles like Joy Division manager Rob Gretton is so spot-on that it's often hard to believe that one is watching impersonations as opposed to the real thing. Matt Greenhalgh's script and Andrew Hulme's editing create a mesmerising pace and rhythm for a riveting film that never feels exploitative or hagiographic, and most definitely never falls into the "for fans only" trap. It's not a rock biopic (and anyone wondering about Joy Division and what exactly was so special about their music will find next to no such information in this flick); instead, it's a human, moving story of a man and a marriage. Not once do Corbijn and co. put a foot wrong.

5. THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY
An emotional nuclear bomb of a film, with terrific performances by Mathieu Amalric and Max von Sydow, and unforgettable cinematography by Janusz Kaminski (who strangely enough is responsible for both one of my best visual experiences this year, i.e. this movie, and one of my worst, namely the utter eyesore that is INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL).

6. QUANTUM OF SOLACE
What can I say that hasn't been said already? Well, nothing, so let's move on.

7. THRILLA IN MANILA
Riveting documentary about the rivalry between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, which culminated in their 1975 bout in the Philippines, a bonecrunching, horrifying spectacle of two of the greatest boxers of all time fighting very nearly to the death. Indeed, there's a case to be made that both men were indeed killed in the ring that day, only they didn't know it at the time.

The man born Cassius Clay now seems generally regarded as a sort of living saint, but this documentary is no hagiography - indeed, it portrays him as a political extremist and a racist (who addressed a Ku Klux Klan rally in his capacity as a member of the black separatist Nation of Islam), as well as a dirty fighter, a hypocrite in his approach to being a Muslim, and a borderline nutcase who'd go to the most despicable and terrifying lengths to taunt and psychologically unsettle his opponents prior to matches.

To put it in Rocky movie terms, if Ali comes across as a blend of Apollo Creed and Clubber Lang, Frazier seems nothing less than the real life Italian Stallion, a friendly, gentle simpleton whose boxing ability didn't centre on fancy stuff about dancing like a butterfly or stinging like a bee, but simply boiled down to his possessing such a vast amount of "heart" and will as to be able to absorb the most murderous punishment and remain standing. Indeed, he nowadays appears to be living a ROCKY BALBOAesque retirement in Philly, reminiscing about his glory days and possibly still slugging it out in his mind with his old nemesis Ali.

It's a film that's about an era that seems to have passed, and one's immediate reaction is to say thank goodness for that. It was a time when men were men and boxing matches weren't stopped until it looked virtually certain that the ring was about to become a murder scene. It was an age in which the big thing wasn't to listen to Coldplay on your iPod while trying to figure out how to decrease your carbon footprint - boxing was the coolest thing around, almost the new Beatlemania, and a heavyweight title clash could feature Burt Lancaster as the commentator and Frank Sinatra as the official photographer, with a longhaired Woody Allen among the celebs in the crowd. Nowadays, you only get a few diehards like Sylvester Stallone at ringside, and the wider public doesn't really give a damn about boxers any longer, but the likes of Ali and Frazier really did take the world by storm.

And what a different world it was (well, hopefully, anyway). The film does not shy away from its racism, including the racism within the African American community. It was a world where if you supported Ali, you were reckoned to be against the war in Vietnam, whereas you were presumed to be in favour of it if you cheered on Frazier. The Marcos regime ruled the Philippines through martial law. Against this seething backdrop clashed the two titans Ali and Frazier, with all the glitz and excess of the 1970s swirling around them.

It's a film full of colourful characters and larger-than-life personalities (Ali's doctor being especially good value), as well as a slew of stranger-than-fiction truths - for instance, the Manila fight took place in the morning, to accommodate American viewers watching live via satellite, although this meant that Ali and Frazier were under relentless assault not just from each other but from the sweltering heat. Refereeing was a Filipino B-movie actor apparently picked at the last minute, while the most shocking fact of all is that Frazier was virtually blind during the final rounds, with one eye completely out of action and closed and the other open only as a tiny slit through which so little of his opponent could be glimpsed that it really made no difference. Frazier was fighting purely on instinct.

8. SON OF RAMBOW
As a Rambo-loving child of the '80s who well remembers things like SCREEN TEST (and having to adjust the tracking on VHS tapes), this film brought nostalgic tears to my eyes - in many ways, it was like watching an affectionate recreation of my own childhood, right down to memories of kids using the word "skill" every five minutes (when did young people stop doing that? When did they start? Who decides these things?), and mindblowingly boring "geography" lessons that revolved around the topic of alluvial silt. Heck, this is the AMERICAN GRAFFITI for Brits of my generation! (Mind you, there are also a fair few anachronisms that for those of us who were there are amusing to spot - so much so that they were probably deliberate.)

Over and above all of which, it's - remarkably, given that this is a low budget British flick, this being a country that does not, as a rule, produce films that are especially cinematic, and often quite the opposite - a visual treat, with fine performances. And extra points for the brilliant tagline: "Make believe. Not war."

9. GRAN TORINO
This is, essentially, Clint Eastwood's ON GOLDEN POND, albeit with a generous side order of brutality and gunplay that proves that the old boy is still more than capable of delivering the goods in a DIRTY HARRY sequel, which indeed is what the internet rumour mill at one point speculated that GRAN TORINO was going to be. There's plenty of life left in Eastwood, both as an actor and as a (very fine) filmmaker.

I've never exactly been the world's biggest Clint fan, but here he gives an absolutely superb performance, albeit that the role isn't exactly a stretch for him (let's see him as, say, a grossly overweight Russian drag queen, and then I'll bring out the big guns of my praise). And the film is riveting, spellbinding stuff.

Okay, it's somewhat hokey and "Hollywood", but it's easy to forgive how neatly everything slots into place at the end simply because, well, simply because it's such a good flick. It's a thinking person's feelgood movie bathed in the authenticity of grizzled old Eastwood's advanced years. It tugs at the heartstrings (as well as the brain), but never feels preachy or pretentious (and I didn't feel the same way about MILLION DOLLAR BABY).

It's also very, very funny indeed. I didn't expect any humour whatsoever from this picture, but blow me down if it doesn't contain more hilarious lines than most comedies I can think of.

10. HOW TO LOSE FRIENDS AND ALIENATE PEOPLE
A stupendously silly story (I understand that this is a highly fictionalised adaptation of Toby Young's memoir) concerning a bumbling British journalist's misadventures in the Big Apple after his hugely improbable headhunting by a ruthless magazine tycoon, HOW TO LOSE FRIENDS & ALIENATE PEOPLE initially comes across as a laddish, lowbrow THE DEVIL MEETS PRADA with nods to things like THE OFFICE and THE PARTY, before veering off into CROCODILE DUNDEE territory and finally triumphing as a feelgood romcom with bags of big laughs. Star Simon Pegg is presumably the new Hugh Grant post-FOUR WEDDINGS, and that such a claim can be made of someone who looks like Pegg is, of course, part of the whole joke.

Super-predictable to a degree that makes RAMBO seem full of thoughtful twists and turns, ALIENATE also takes a while to get going, but - after a smug and almost exquisitely unfunny opening that has Thandie Newton playing herself at a showbiz bash at which Pegg wreaks Clouseau-esque carnage - it takes off as a ribtickling rollercoaster ride, with Pegg a likeable and hilarious lead and Jeff Bridges terrific as his terrifying boss (cue a possible running in-joke via another character that references THE BIG LEBOWSKI, which only true Lebowski buffs will pick up on). Sophisticated it ain't, but it's done very well indeed, with additional treats for Fellini fans and, oh, a wonderful surprise for Bond enthusiasts, too. Great stuff.

11. SICKO
Another superb piece of work from Michael Moore.

12. JUNO
Extremely watchable, but looks and feels more like a TV sitcom than a film. Winning performances (with Ellen Page and J.K. Simmons the standouts) and some affecting moments, but the characters often seem so divorced from reality as to be preposterous. Takes a while to get going, and your enjoyment will probably depend on your tolerance for acres of smartass dialogue. Mixed views about the ending.

13. RAMBO
While perhaps not quite as magnificent a film as ROCKY BALBOA, it's nonetheless the ROCKY BALBOA of the Rambo series, more than atoning for the wretched sequel (seemingly centuries) before it and ending the saga perfectly.

Stallone does not insult the fans (Rambo is still defiantly sporting bandana and mullet, in what seems just another ****-you gesture to the world by our disgruntled hero), and he doesn't insult "general audiences", either. RAMBO seems to have as many subtitles as yer average Wong Kar-Wai flick, because Stallone has calculated (rightly) that Burmese characters are likely to be speaking, well, Burmese. The main bad guy (I seem to recall that this role is played by a real Burmese armed forces veteran, and he gives a compelling performance) appears to have not a lick of English, but one good thing about this is that this time round we're spared dialogue like Steven Berkoff's "You want to test me? Good! Good!", as delivered with more than a few thick slices of ham in RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART II (in which he basically plays Orlov again). With touches like this, RAMBO seems a hotbed of realism compared to the first two sequels (although you could argue that that wouldn't exactly be difficult).

14. BATTLE FOR HADITHA
Greengrassian docudrama from Nick Broomfield (who'd be the obvious choice to take over the director's chair on the Bourne franchise when Greengrass decides to call it a day) that gives a harrowing account of the 2005 killings in Haditha, when Iraqi noncombatant civilians bore the brunt of the response by United States Marines to an attack on an American convoy.

Well-made and powerful stuff, with some superb cinematography and editing, as well as remarkably naturalistic performances from what would seem to be a cast of little-known actors and nonprofessionals.

15. A MIGHTY HEART
Docudrama about the kidnapping and murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl in Pakistan in 2002. Raw and riveting, with a convincing sense of time and place. There's less talking down to the audience than might have been expected of director Michael Winterbottom, while Angelina Jolie gives a terrific performance despite a rather wobbly "French" accent.

16. MAMMA MIA!
An enjoyable romp (and I say that as someone who absolutely despises ABBA). It's certainly not a deep and meaningful film, or even an especially inventive or involving one, but it'll go to work on you well enough if you let it. And Brosnan is absolutely outstanding - probably his best ever work, along with the excellent THE MATADOR (even though his singing is indeed rather poor).

17. THE KITE RUNNER
Well-acted, beautifully shot and moving. Can't understand why this one didn't get a Best Picture nomination. Mind you, such a "serious" and "worthy" film has no business having its script contrivances, and it's also disappointing that the ball is dropped on basic research relating to life under the Taliban.

18. THERE WILL BE BLOOD
The first half is compelling, chilling and utterly magnificent. Sadly, though, the film does not give even remotely adequate payoff for its riveting first half. And the ending loses me completely.

19. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
The first hour or so is exceptional: masterfully crafted, brilliantly shot and almost agonisingly suspenseful (more films should be as sparing as NO COUNTRY with their music scores, for this flick is full of silence that just jacks up the tension no end ).

As it wears on, though, more and more suspension of disbelief is required, and the thing became more and more of a patchwork of other, better movies: FARGO, KILL BILL, THE WILD BUNCH, 21 GRAMS, MULHOLLAND DR., and even THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM.... and I guess y'all jes' gonna have ter count me as one of them good ole boys who'd be better off watching THE DUKES OF HAZZARD, because I, too, feel it falls apart towards the end. Terrific setup - I mean, this is at least 75% an absolutely brilliant film.... but the payoff is terrible. The Coens started off with a cracking yarn, superbly told, and then just started chucking stuff in the blender.

The Coens have done much better. As with Scorsese's (dire, IMO) THE DEPARTED, I strongly suspect that NO COUNTRY'S Best Picture Oscar was chiefly a lifetime achievement award in disguise.

20. ATONEMENT
A cleverly-crafted, thought-provoking and, ultimately, emotionally devastating work, the deceptive coldness of some of the earlier scenes paying off in spades with the arrival of an ending that plunges a fist into your chest and rips out your heart Mola Ram-style.

TURKEYS OF THE YEAR

THE INCREDIBLE HULK
A total mess of a motion picture that's little but dumb, loud action, presented with no particular panache, as well as wretched performances by respected actors "slumming it".

INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
So awful that there are just no words. Perhaps the biggest and most unforgivable disappointment in cinema history.

THE KINGDOM (not exactly a vintage year for quality flicks with "kingdom" in the title, huh?)
Numbing and wearying, with everything of potential interest ultimately utterly lost in the sound and fury of relentless, bloody gunplay. It's disappointing that a picture that early on promises much smartness and much thought-provoking stuff (to say nothing of a couple of decent twists) should peter out into such standard issue Hollywood action fare.

MICHAEL CLAYTON
I'm simply left breathless by how bad it is. Easily the worst Best Picture nominee I've ever seen.

It's badly-constructed, excessively talky, and agonisingly pretentious and chest-beating. It's also incredibly convoluted and confusing, crippled further by a boring performance from George Clooney and a hammy and unintentionally comical one by Tom Wilkinson (who appears to believe he's still acting in a Batman flick - actually, you could say the same about Clooney). And it's anyone's guess as to how Tilda Swinton won an Oscar for an utterly ordinary turn as a wholly uninteresting character.

Furthermore, Tony Gilroy's flashy direction only throws into sharper relief the mile-wide cracks in the scribbled-on-the-back-of-a-napkin, poor-man's-Grisham "story", which is nonsensical in those few moments when it's actually comprehensible. There isn't a single character to care about, and the whole thing's an absolutely merciless bore, and "up itself" to boot. It's also as cliched as hell - I mean, this alleged work of quality is still a flick in which characters spew dialogue like "We have a situation here" with a straight face, and in which Our Hero™, exhausted by his struggles, gives a cabbie fifty bucks and instructs him to "Just drive". Yeah, right, whatever.

Absolutely dire. The presence of such names in the production team as Anthony Minghella, Sydney Pollack, Steven Soderbore---- sorry, berg (I know, I know, it's a cheap gag, but then again I've had to sit through one of the man's productions), and the ever-earnest and terminally dull Mr Clooney only leads me to conclude that there is a kind of Hollywood mafia of "worthy" moviemaking who must for some reason be eternally rewarded for self-important dross such as this.

Just abysmal.

UNTRACEABLE
Just when you think you've seen it all, along comes UNTRACEABLE. I've sat through more exciting short mat bowling matches.

[DamnCoffee]

2008 Movies - Best to Worst.

Quantum of Solace -
The Dark Knight -
Wanted -
Mirrors -
Mamma Mia -
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor -
Hellboy II: The Golden Army -

[[dark]]

I may be missing a few from earlier in the year...

The Dark Knight
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
WALL·E
Quantum of Solace
Cloverfield
Ghost Town
W.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
U2 3D:
The X-Files: I Want To Believe
Iron Man
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
21
Get Smart
Burn After Reading
The Happening
Jumper
Mamma Mia!

[Joyce Carrington]

Can I just show some love for Iron Man - I think the only film I saw this year that was just plain fun, good action entertainment.

[BlackFire]

IMO

Quantum of Solace
Twilight
Mamma Mia!
Get Smart
Wall-E
The Dark Knight
Sweeney Todd
Bolt
HSM 3

Ones I didn't bother to watch:

Hellboy 2
Indiana Jones
Star Wars
The Mummy

I missed:

21

Edited by BlackFire, 26 December 2008 - 05:53 PM.

[Jim]

I enjoyed:

The Diving Bell and The Butterfly - more than enjoyed, I was enthralled. Wonderful.
Quantum of Solace - as a James Bond film, pretty terrible. This is why it's great, because they're mostly cretin fodder.
Mamma Mia! - I must have been in my yearly two hours' worth of good mood. Pierce Brosnan is hilarious, and as it's Christmas we'll believe it to have been intentional. I did feel my thin veneer of heterosexuality being chipped away at throughout, however.
Wanted - unashamedly rubbish and it knew it. Glorious.
Son of Rambow - very charming, and unexpectedly moving.
The Kite Runner - unexpectedly charming, and very moving.
There Will Be Blood - ooh, some acting. Extreme theatre. I know it's a film. Perhaps it's not a very good film because it's so monstrously OTT, but I liked that. I laughed a lot.

I tolerated:

The Dark Knight - until it simply wouldn't stop and go away after about fifteen hours.
Iron Man - although if you asked me about it now I wouldn't be able to tell you much save that it involves an iron man.
The Duchess - inert, although it had its lucid intervals.
Michael Clayton - at times irritating, at times enervating, at times both in the same moment. A very odd film that on the one hand one may wish to see again to understand but on the other this could be an error as it will expose it as utterly awful.
That Dylan Thomas film - see, can't have made much of an impression as I can't be bothered recalling its name, but I don't think I actively hated it.

I didn't understand the point of:

Indiana Jones and the thing. Weirdly unengaging. I tried to like it, much as I try to like Doctor Who or Scrabble or lager. Call it my failure that I did not.
High School Musical III - I have a school age daughter and she forced me to take her to watch this. She's out of the will. I think her brothers encouraged me to take her for that very reason, sneaky little monsters.
Sex and the City - seventeen years of marriage nearly came to a savage end. Appeared to be a film about shoes. Claptrap.
WALL-e - watched it yesterday. Meh.
Rambo - obscene. An unremittingly blatant redefinition of pointlessness and cruelty. Grotesquely exposes that Hollywood has far too much money to throw around, and too little conscience. Vile.

Film of the Year: The Diving Bell and The Butterfly
Runner-up: There Will Be Blood
Worst film Art that did not engage me upon either a spiritual, intellectual or moral level: Rambo

[Harmsway]

I'm restricting my list to items that are strictly 2008 US releases, so notable films - which I love - like THERE WILL BE BLOOD and SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET are not included, since they appeared on the 2007 list (indeed, the vast majority of films that Loomis listed are thereby excluded from my list). I'm also not truly qualified to make a definitive list, having not seen such the vast majority of the 2008 Oscar-buzz flicks, and I imagine I won't for a while yet. But here's my list, from what I've seen so far:

1. THE DARK KNIGHT.
It's a big, giant blockbuster. Not the greatest piece of art, per se, but as far as "event" cinema is concerned, there's very little that has been on this level for quite some time. That's why it gets the top spot. So far, anyway.

2. THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
It's not a masterpiece from Fincher, so don't expect another SE7EN or ZODIAC. But it is a satisfying fable, with some of Hollywood's best actors doing their thing. A great Christmas release.

3. WALL-E
A terrific piece of children's entertainment. WALL-E's main flaw is that it's second hour squanders much of the creativity of the first, which keeps it from being one of the best of Pixar, but it's still quite good.

4. QUANTUM OF SOLACE
An immensely enjoyable Bond outing. It's not perfect, but when it's good, it's really good.

5. HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY
Among all the high-profile summer flicks, this one got lost in the shuffle. But make no mistake, other than THE DARK KNIGHT, it's the summer's biggest success. A nice blend of mainstream popcorn entertainment and Del Toro's wonderful visual sensibility.

6. THE FALL
This film has been tragically neglected. It's not necessarily a great film, but it is stunning to look at, and has the best performance from a child actor/actress I've ever seen.


Most Underrated Film of 2008: THE FALL.

Most Overrated Film of 2008: IRON MAN.

2008 US releases I have yet to see which could potentially end up on this list: IN BRUGES, MONGOL, BURN AFTER READING, SYNECDOCHE NEW YORK, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, MILK, FROST/NIXON, THE READER, DOUBT, GRAN TORINO, THE WRESTLER, REVOLUTIONARY ROAD.

Best Films of the Decade: THERE WILL BE BLOOD, PAN'S LABYRINTH, MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD, SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET, ZODIAC.

[Loomis]

Rambo - obscene. An unremittingly blatant redefinition of pointlessness and cruelty. Grotesquely exposes that Hollywood has far too much money to throw around, and too little conscience. Vile.

Fair enough. Very surprised and pleased that you checked it out, though, Jim.

Will have to see this WANTED thing. Seems it's being raved about by all and sundry.

[DamnCoffee]

Mamma Mia! - I must have been in my yearly two hours' worth of good mood. Pierce Brosnan is hilarious, and as it's Christmas we'll believe it to have been intentional. I did feel my thin veneer of heterosexuality being chipped away at throughout, however.

It's nice to see some Mamma Mia love.

[Harmsway]

Rambo - obscene. An unremittingly blatant redefinition of pointlessness and cruelty. Grotesquely exposes that Hollywood has far too much money to throw around, and too little conscience. Vile.

I don't know that I felt quite as strongly as you, but I largely agree. RAMBO left a bad taste in my mouth.

[Jim]

Rambo - obscene. An unremittingly blatant redefinition of pointlessness and cruelty. Grotesquely exposes that Hollywood has far too much money to throw around, and too little conscience. Vile.

Fair enough. Very surprised and pleased that you checked it out, though, Jim.

Will have to see this WANTED thing. Seems it's being raved about by all and sundry.

I felt it checking me out. A most unpleasant experience.

As for Wanted, it's not actually "good", but if you're in the mood for some well-meaning, God-awful nonsense after a bad day, ticks the box nicely. This is what would set it apart from Rambo, which seemed unremittngly cynical as an exercise and unforgiveably nasty as an artistic event.

[Santa]

kids using the word "skill" every five minutes (when did young people stop doing that?)

I don't know but I am definitely going to start doing it again. Skill. I'm so glad you reminded me.

[Loomis]

kids using the word "skill" every five minutes (when did young people stop doing that?)

I don't know but I am definitely going to start doing it again. Skill. I'm so glad you reminded me.

Well, just as long as you don't start going round calling people Joey Deacon.

[Santa]

kids using the word "skill" every five minutes (when did young people stop doing that?)

I don't know but I am definitely going to start doing it again. Skill. I'm so glad you reminded me.

Well, just as long as you don't start going round calling people Joey Deacon.

Oh I already do that.

[Kristian]

Well, this past year has been hectic at work (an unending surfeit of Azzholes and Corporate Climbers That Deserved to be eviscerated - needless to say Kristian does not play ball well with others), with family (Poor sister is undergoing a divorce from her husband after 21 years and I am if nothing super-supportive), and my own relationships (Amazing that people say women are the weaker sex when a man can do a much better job of curling up against you and asking that million-dollar question: 'What are you thinking about?' - I'm thinking about your penis and how it makes up for all these stupid questions you ask, now get your clothes off).

But I digress. All this by way of saying that I have not seen many films this year, but among the meager few I was able to observe, I found the following Diamonds, Zirconiums, and Outright Fakes. Please note that I saw so very few movies from this year, that I am including films that I saw this year but were made in another year - clear as mud? Hope that is okay.

DIAMONDS:

1. Quantum of Solace - Of course. Do I want all Bond films to be like this one? Probably not. But this was like a Vacation from Corny-Land. Now if Babs can find that hallowed middle ground between Corny-Land and Bourne-Land for the next one, I will be the first in line with Boy Toy in tow. ANd Daniel Craig - my ovaries are yours. Boy Toy will just have to get used to it.

2. Slumdog Millionaire - Wonderful, wonderful film that makes a cynical bitch like me tear up like Carrie Bradshaw at a Manolo Blahnik sale. Surprised that Danny Boyle was responsible for this - kept waiting for a crazed, infected Zombie with a rage problem to pop out of the woodwork and bite someone's head off.

3. Sex and the City - Sorry, Jim. I know this almost killed your marriage, but your wife and I realize that there are so few meaningful movies out there about women's shoes and cocktails. Please forgive us. We're only human.

4. Deja Vu - Yeah, yeah, I know this made in 2006. But I only saw it this year on video, and WOW. Who knew that Tony Scott could create a gripping (if ultimately implausible) thriller with a solid emotional core. Denzel Washington and Paula Patton's romance across time and space sells this flick, as well as one most emotionally resonant musical scores in memory.

5. Kung Fu Panda - SOrry, but sometimes I loves me a little Looney TUnes type animated action. Definitely not just for kids. Wonderfully loony and memorably goofy. Go for it.

4. BOLT - Not groundbreaking, but good old-fashioned fun with a modern twist. But truthfully, this movie wouldn't have been as awesome as it is if it weren't for that glorious hamster RHINO!!! This wonderfully inspired character makes this gem soar!!!! Or as RHINO himself says: "YOU CAN DO ANYTHING IF YOU'RE AWESOME!!!!" W00-HOOO!!!

ZIRCONIUMS

1. 27 DRESSES - Again, Jim - please withold judgement. It's an estrogen thing. What woman wouldn't sort of like this movie about an "always the bridesmaid, never the bride" lady who finds herself in a knotty love triangle centered around an impending wedding. What keeps this from joining THE DIAMOND CIRCLE is the slight miscasting of James Marsden as the Boy TOy. Yes, he is hot and can act, but I think his chemistry with Katherine Heigl was more of the brotherly, "let me give you a noogie" variety. Didn't exactly raise my temperature. Should've cast James Van Der Beek.

2. The Dark Knight - During Happy Hour the other day my fellow Cinematic Bitch/Partner in Crime Nanette said that this wasn't really a superhero flick, but more of a thriller. Not surprising, since Chris Nolan has cited HEAT as his primary reference. Overall, a solid film - but just a bit overrated. And although the women in the movie were a tad more relevant than the last one, I still want more female representation. Sounds like a job for Catwoman (but not Angelina Jolie - BRING ON SHANNYN SOSSAMON!!!!)

3. MADAGASCAR 2 - Not as good or as edgy as the original, with actual dull passages, but still tolerable because of those damn PENGUINS!!!! What a hoot!


OUTRIGHT FAKES

1. Nights in ROdanthe - Okay, I'm not going to lie. The trailer for this was so well put together that I had a tear in my eye. THen me and my gal pal Yvonne went to see it and were like. "WHAT. THE. F@#K?" Turn out all the best scenes were in the trailer. Diane Lane is awesome and ALMOST makes this bearable, but the script defeats her. They were shooting for BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY power, but ended up with PEDESTRIAN LANES ON MAIN STREET banality.

2. INDIANA JONES AND THE CRYSTAL CONDOM - You can correct me if you want, but I don't give a sh!t. Maybe the movie might have been better if they HAD made it about a CRYSTAL CONDOM, because as it is, it's about as exciting as a visit to a Retirement Home to look for a long-lost Remote Control in the Activity Room. Harrison Ford, get thy azz to a plastic surgeon.

Edited by Kristian, 26 December 2008 - 08:51 PM.

[K1Bond007]

Unfortunately, I didn't see that many movies in the theaters (or new on DVD) this year.

The Good:
The Dark Knight - Best movie of the year.
Iron Man - A solid comic book movie. It ranks high on that list, which I guess isn't saying much, but it beat my expectations and Robert Downey Jr was perfect for the role.
Quantum of Solace - I loved it. Would have like more narrative and less "quick edits", but all-in-all a solid Bond film.
Wall-E - Pixar can just do no wrong.
Rambo - it all. It owned.

The Bad:
Wanted - Enjoyable to an extent, but even as you watch it you can't help feel that the movie somehow is making you dumber. Giant Ancient Loom.
Hancock - The first half was great, then you get the second half and it's like it was written by someone completely different. What a huge waste.

The Ugly:
Indiana Jones - It sucked. End of discussion.

[ImTheMoneypenny]

I was trying to remember all the movies I have seen all year. I avoided the ones I figured wouldn't like so my list is all pretty thumbs up. They're in no particular order.

1.Quantum of Solace-Love it, Love it, Love it!

2. Iron Man- Thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Wasn't sure I would. It's just a fun movie. Oh it ain't Shakespeare that's for sure!

3. Wall-E-This movie is a Sci-Fi masterpiece of animation.

4. Get Smart-A cute, fun film.

5. HellBoy II: The Golden Army- Great film. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

6. Ghost Town- Not a fancy film, not the best by a long shot. It was entertaining and that's good enough for me.

7.Tropic Thunder- This movie had me laughing really hard. It's normally not my style of humour but damn it was funny! Wildly inappropriately funny.

8.Flashbacks of a Fool- I'm adding this even though I was only able to see it on DVD. It's a fantastic movie! Again a simple, but entertaining film.

[dinovelvet]

Erm...I liked In Bruges, and the new Bond fillum. I would give them both some stars out of five.

MY FILMS OF THE YEAR (more or less in order)

12. JUNO
13. RAMBO

Er...really, Loomis? I think you need an emergency Stallone marathon, pronto!

[Kristian]

Well, this past year has been hectic at work (an unending surfeit of Azzholes and Corporate Climbers That Deserved to be eviscerated - needless to say Kristian does not play ball well with others), with family (Poor sister is undergoing a divorce from her husband after 21 years and I am if nothing super-supportive), and my own relationships (Amazing that people say women are the weaker sex when a man can do a much better job of curling up against you and asking that million-dollar question: 'What are you thinking about?' - I'm thinking about your penis and how it makes up for all these stupid questions you ask, now get your clothes off).

But I digress. All this by way of saying that I have not seen many films this year, but among the meager few I was able to observe, I found the following Diamonds, Zirconiums, and Outright Fakes. Please note that I saw so very few movies from this year, that I am including films that I saw this year but were made in another year - clear as mud? Hope that is okay.

DIAMONDS:

1. Quantum of Solace - Of course. Do I want all Bond films to be like this one? Probably not. But this was like a Vacation from Corny-Land. Now if Babs can find that hallowed middle ground between Corny-Land and Bourne-Land for the next one, I will be the first in line with Boy Toy in tow. ANd Daniel Craig - my ovaries are yours. Boy Toy will just have to get used to it.

2. Slumdog Millionaire - Wonderful, wonderful film that makes a cynical bitch like me tear up like Carrie Bradshaw at a Manolo Blahnik sale. Surprised that Danny Boyle was responsible for this - kept waiting for a crazed, infected Zombie with a rage problem to pop out of the woodwork and bite someone's head off.

3. Sex and the City - Sorry, Jim. I know this almost killed your marriage, but your wife and I realize that there are so few meaningful movies out there about women's shoes and cocktails. Please forgive us. We're only human.

4. Deja Vu - Yeah, yeah, I know this made in 2006. But I only saw it this year on video, and WOW. Who knew that Tony Scott could create a gripping (if ultimately implausible) thriller with a solid emotional core. Denzel Washington and Paula Patton's romance across time and space sells this flick, as well as one most emotionally resonant musical scores in memory.

5. Kung Fu Panda - SOrry, but sometimes I loves me a little Looney TUnes type animated action. Definitely not just for kids. Wonderfully loony and memorably goofy. Go for it.

4. BOLT - Not groundbreaking, but good old-fashioned fun with a modern twist. But truthfully, this movie wouldn't have been as awesome as it is if it weren't for that glorious hamster RHINO!!! This wonderfully inspired character makes this gem soar!!!! Or as RHINO himself says: "YOU CAN DO ANYTHING IF YOU'RE AWESOME!!!!" W00-HOOO!!!

ZIRCONIUMS

1. 27 DRESSES - Again, Jim - please withold judgement. It's an estrogen thing. What woman wouldn't sort of like this movie about an "always the bridesmaid, never the bride" lady who finds herself in a knotty love triangle centered around an impending wedding. What keeps this from joining THE DIAMOND CIRCLE is the slight miscasting of James Marsden as the Boy TOy. Yes, he is hot and can act, but I think his chemistry with Katherine Heigl was more of the brotherly, "let me give you a noogie" variety. Didn't exactly raise my temperature. Should've cast James Van Der Beek.

2. The Dark Knight - During Happy Hour the other day my fellow Cinematic Bitch/Partner in Crime Nanette said that this wasn't really a superhero flick, but more of a thriller. Not surprising, since Chris Nolan has cited HEAT as his primary reference. Overall, a solid film - but just a bit overrated. And although the women in the movie were a tad more relevant than the last one, I still want more female representation. Sounds like a job for Catwoman (but not Angelina Jolie - BRING ON SHANNYN SOSSAMON!!!!)

3. MADAGASCAR 2 - Not as good or as edgy as the original, with actual dull passages, but still tolerable because of those damn PENGUINS!!!! What a hoot!


OUTRIGHT FAKES

1. Nights in ROdanthe - Okay, I'm not going to lie. The trailer for this was so well put together that I had a tear in my eye. THen me and my gal pal Yvonne went to see it and were like. "WHAT. THE. F@#K?" Turn out all the best scenes were in the trailer. Diane Lane is awesome and ALMOST makes this bearable, but the script defeats her. They were shooting for BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY power, but ended up with PEDESTRIAN LANES ON MAIN STREET banality.

2. INDIANA JONES AND THE CRYSTAL CONDOM - You can correct me if you want, but I don't give a sh!t. Maybe the movie might have been better if they HAD made it about a CRYSTAL CONDOM, because as it is, it's about as exciting as a visit to a Retirement Home to look for a long-lost Remote Control in the Activity Room. Harrison Ford, get thy azz to a plastic surgeon.

Oh. My. Gosh. (Very Fields-like, eh?) How could I forget the following:

DIAMONDS:

1. IN BRUGES - It's a toss-up as to which was the funniest comedy this year, this gem or TROPIC THUNDER, but I give this one the #1 spot because it's more droll than THUNDER, but no less side-splitting. How can you not love a movie wherein Colin Farrell calls a bunch of AMerican tourists Elephants, Brendan Gleeson calls Ralph Fiennes' kids , and a midget gets karate-chopped in the neck and gets called (yes) a ? You can't.

2. TROPIC THUNDER - This is what I've always imagined a live-action SOUTH PARK film to look like. Unbearably funny. Ranks second to IN BRUGES in abundance of non-PC humor. The sight of Ben Stiller running around with Panda carcass strapped to his head is a sight I won't soon forget. Or Jack Black offering oral sex to buddies just so he can get a hit of heroin. LOFL


ZIRCONIUM:

1. SHUTTER - Atmosphere saves this remake of the Thai chiller. Hottie Joshua Jackson provided a lot of heat (for me, anyway) and Rachael Taylor makes for a sympathetic heroine and eye candy for the guys(and looks like a cross between Naomi Watts and Nicole Kidman). Not as good as THE RING, DARK WATER, or even THE GRUDGE, but nowhere near as bad as crap like PULSE.

2. HANCOCK - A great premise not fully explored. The trailers make it look funnier than it actually is. However, contrary to popular opinion, the unexpected second half gave this film more depth and resonance than it would've had, and made it memorable for me. Charlize Theron is such a gift to cinema - she enlivens any film she is in.


OUTRIGHT FAKES:

1. PROM NIGHT - THe most atrocious horror remake EVER. The original was no HALLOWEEN but at least it had a good structure, mystery, suspense, and a great stalking sequence involving a terrified high school student and the killer chasing her through the darkened school as the sound of safety via disco music blares in the distance - if she could just get back there. All that is thrown out the window in the remake for a plot that reveals the killer's identity up front, replaces suspense for boredom, and recreates that famous chase scene with the stupidest victin ever - anyone else would've made it back to the Prom in once piece. Guess the killer did us a favor by killing her before she could spread her genes. Utter e.

[sharpshooter]

I didn't go to the cinemas much this year. I'll check out Benjamin Button in a few days time, though.

The Dark Knight - Best Batman film ever.
Quantum of Solace - Craig's solid second outing.
Iron Man - Robert Downey Jr steals the show.
Wall-E - Enjoyable.
Twilight - Meh.
The Clone Wars - Meh.
Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - Intolerable!

[Tarl_Cabot]

1. The Dark Knight: Best overall quality of cinema experience of 2008.Overhyped to an extreme yet it manages to overcome such a burden.The Batman series went from a penny stock after Batman and Robin to king of the hill-no franchise comes close right now. I can't wait for THE CAPED CRUSADER.

1B. Quantum of Solace. I'll take a Bond film over a Batman film anyday of the week and this one really impressed me. It's my favorite film of 2008 but I'll assigned TDK to the Oscar consideration pages of Variety over QOS.

3. Rambo Loomis clearly belongs over here with us uncultured hill billies.

4. You don't mess with the Zohan It's the funniest movie I saw in 2008...much funnier than the overrated but enjoyable Tropic Thunder.

5.Iron Man it didn't wow me on dvd...that's not good but still fun with room for improvement.

6. Cloverfield An interesting experiement.Not a great movie but fascinating in it's execution.


Passable for matinee: The Incredible Hulk,Tropic Thunder

Cable: Transporter 3, Australia


What the _____ were they thinking?

Indiana Jones and the blah blah...Skull.

Weirdly enough, Harrison Ford has the least to be imbarrassed about; my big fear for Indy 4 was an AVTAK type of effort from Ford and he was fine in the role at 64. This was a total waste of time. But...the much maligned nuke the fridge™ scene was the only clever thing in the whole movie!

Punisher War Zone Just bad. No redeeming qualities whatsoever.I wanted to like this the way the CHUD guys did. The Dolph Lungren film is sooooooooooo much more fun taken as trash theater unashamed to be what it is.

[Matt_13]

In no particular order:

The Dark Knight- Not much more can be said that hasn't already been said. A great film experience all around.

Quantum of Solace- Same as the above, only this is hands down my favorite Bond film.

Iron Man- This one surprised me, as I wasn't expecting much (this year was the first year since my pre-teens that I have seen a superhero movie other than Bond, and my expectations for what qualified as a "superhero movie" can be defined by watching "Batman Forever"). A fun movie with the occasional grit and drama needed to make any film interesting. Great stuff.

The Incredible Hulk- This one caught me off guard as well. It was much better than I had been anticipating, thanks largely in part to Edward Norton and the perfect blend of CGI and live action. I may even be so bold as to rank it higher than Iron Man...ok that might be stretching it, but it definitely is more consistent and has a stronger finale.

Cloverfield- Best movie going experience of my life, but don't let that mislead you as the film isn't particularly good. As I have mentioned before, whoever the guy was running the projector/sound volume that night gets giant kudos, the film shook the theater and despite a thin story and the that I will likely never see it again in my life, the cinematic experience was incredible. The loudest and clearest film I have ever seen for sure.

Tropic Thunder- Best comedy of the year. Moving on.

Wall-E- It made me smile and the animation was top notch. If it won Best Picture I would not be surprised nor disapointed.

Get Smart- Very enjoyable. Nothing really special about it but it had me laughing so it can't be all bad.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly- An astounding piece of film that had a firm grasp on my emotions the whole way through. Never before have I been so moved by a movie; a film that really puts into perspective the human condition, what we take for granted on a day to day basis, and a meloncholic appreciation of life that I have never experienced before. Mathieu Almaric was terrific, however it was the cinematography and writing that really gave this film an edge unlike anything I have ever seen. Bravo.

No Country for Old Men- It was good. That's really all I have to say about it.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull- A tragedy.

Body of Lies- A huge let down. It wasn't God awful, but I was expecting so much more.

[tdalton]

Since it appears as though others are placing late 2007 releases on their list, I will as well.


1. INTO THE WILD: For me, not only the best film of the year, but also the best film of the decade so far. One of the few films experiences that I can remember enjoying so much that I go back to the film time and time again for another viewing. Simply fantastic, with knockout performances by a great number of actors including Emile Hirsch, Kristen Stewart, Hal Holbrook, Vince Vaughan, and so many others. A masterpiece, IMO, and one of my all-time favorite films.

2. QUANTUM OF SOLACE: One of the two best films in the Bond franchise, and the most enjoyable movie-going experience I had this year (although there was only two, so that may not be saying a whole lot). IMO, Daniel Craig deserves an Oscar nomination for this one, although he won't be getting it.

3. WANTED: I never thought that my top 5 would include to all-out action films, but in what has been one of the worst years for films that I can remember, it's actually happened. To say that, though, is not fair to Wanted, which I found to be a particularly well made action film. Great cast, entertaining action, and a decent enough story that is told in quite a stylish way. There's nothing particularly deep about this film, but it's a film that doesn't really need to be anything other than what it is, which is a fun action film.

4. RAMBO: Stallone goes two-for-two on reviving his old franchises. Rambo is a great film, and one that is very well directed by Stallone who has, with this and 2006's Rocky Balboa, proven himself to be a very good director. It's a violent film, to be sure, but it's a good film nonetheless, and is much better than it probably should have been, given the length of time the franchise was dormant.

5. CLOVERFIELD: I loved the concept behind this one. With every other monster film that has come along, it always follows the same formula and shows the situation from a distance, on a larger scale (i.e. where the monster came from, what the government was doing to stop it, etc.). This one takes the great concept that The Blair Witch Project made famous back a decade or so ago, and greatly improves upon it in many ways.

[Otis Fairplay]

Nice thread. Here are five favourites from my visits to the cinema during 2008, including some films premiered at the tail end of 2007 that took a few months to find their way over here.

---

I’m Not There
True: being something of a Dylan nut probably will not harm your appreciation of this film. It is not a guarantee though. On my first viewing I sat next to a middle-aged couple who quite obviously were very knowledgeable about Dylan’s work but in the end nonetheless outspokenly appalled by the film. This is also quite appropriately one of the few films I have seen people walk out on. Personally, I was happy to see Haynes avoiding the trappings of the formulistic biopic, and the film-within-the-film Grain of Sand hints at how dreadful things might have been. Rather, I enjoy the brilliant music (the originals as well as some quite stunning interpretations), the vivid imagery and striking stylistic exercises of the different segments. While I find all of them arresting in their own right, I think the surreal Billy the Kid segment is one of the most successful artistic interpretation of Dylan and his work done by anyone. In the end it all does not quite add up of course, and I think the film is all the better for it.

Låt Den Rätte Komma In [US title Let The Right One In, Directed by Tomas Alfredson]
So far rather an obscure film, though I hear it is making quite a name for itself among the ones who has caught its limited stateside release, I easily find it one of the most haunting titles of 2008. Set in a bleak, icy suburb of Sweden’s capital Stockholm in the early 80’s it is a fine study of loneliness, bullying, dreary childhoods, prepubescent love, lust for revenge and, as it happens, vampires. Moving, sad, macabre, tender, chilling, funny and in the end quite disturbing; it is rather a piece of work and not quite to everyone’s liking. I still would not hesitate to recommend you to find out yourself given the chance. Set for release in several European countries including the UK in the spring and also to appear as a quite likely dubious US remake in the not too distant future.

The Dark Knight
As far as I am concerned quite enough has been written about this film, but suffice to say I still find it solid, brutal and brave six months on. Most likely a classic in its genre.

Juno
While directed in rather a point-and-shoot manner, I think the loveable story and winning acting is quite enough to make it one of the more memorable films of the past year. The script [incidentally written by the now apparent ex-wife of an old estranged Internet acquaintance of mine] is just as unpredictable and for most parts unsentimental enough to keep the film from the sappiness its subject might have reduced it to.

The Kite Runner
While hardly Marc Forster’s strongest film, I find the story of friendship, betrayal, regret and atonement very moving, and the vivid filmmaking during the early parts of the film downright beautiful. The latter part of the film regrettably seems a bit hammy in comparison, but on the whole it remains quite a haunting experience.

Edited by Otis Fairplay, 27 December 2008 - 10:24 AM.

[Joey Bond]

THE DARK KNIGHT tops the list for me, heads and shoulders above everything else.

The second tier includes:
Iron Man
Mamma Mia!
Kung Fu Panda

Third Tier:
Quantum of Solace
Wall-E
Australia
Juno

Then there's a whole bunch that I saw that are just average, such as Star Wars, the Mummy 3, Get Smart, Speed racer etc.

Bottom 5 (no particular order, just about as bad as each other):
Disaster movie
Meet the Spartans
Hancock
Superhero movie (This one probably being the worst)
You don’t mess with the Zohan (Didn't even finish watching this one)

[Tarl_Cabot]

2.INDIANA JONES AND THE CRYSTAL CONDOM - You can correct me if you want, but I don't give a sh!t. Maybe the movie might have been better if they HAD made it about a CRYSTAL CONDOM, because as it is, it's about as exciting as a visit to a Retirement Home to look for a long-lost Remote Control in the Activity Room. Harrison Ford, get thy azz to a plastic surgeon.

Take Karen Allen with you.

I though he looked fine for his age and was believably 57(not playing his real age of 64) but the inclusion of the family banter and insipid supporting characters and poorly delivered middle-third act is what ruined this for me. And isn't Marion is total douche for not telling him about the kid?

Lucas is now 2 for 2 in wrecking his own legacy.

[Scottlee]

I didn't get to the cinema that often this year but when I did I saw the following, and I've ranked them in order of goodness...

(Good)
1 - Eden Lake
The one truly great new film I saw this year. It's about a couple terrorized by young thugs near a lake and is A LOT better than it sounds. I was gripped from start to finish.

2 - Quantum of Solace
Great entertainment but too fast moving to leave me as blown away as I was after seeing CR.

3 - Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
I have to put this on the 'good' list for sentimental reasons ; it was the first ever film I would see at the cinema with my future wife (it was only our third date at the time we went to see it). Not in the same league as the original trilogy though.

4 - Rambo
Did what it said on the tin but the ending came just at a point where I was starting to enjoy the film. A bit on the short side (kind of like QOS actually)

(Bad)
1 - Prince Caspian
I saw this to please the missus and suffice to say I was bored senseless.

2 - Alien V Predator : Requiem
I can't remember if I saw this in late 2007 or early 2008. Let's pretend it was the latter just because I don't have many films to put on the list. It's a poor film anyway, lacking in good ideas and further polluting two classic franchises.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The recession has hit my wallet hard, I think. Here's hoping I get to the cinema more often in 2009.

[Conlazmoodalbrocra]

From the great to the e

Quantum Of Solace
The Dark Knight
Rambo
Indiana Jones 4
Cloverfield
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Never Back Down
The Other Boleyn Girl
Hellboy 2
Iron Man
Kung Fu Panda

[chriso]

My favorite movies of 2008:

Quantum of Solace / The Dark Knight
Into The Wild
The Bank Job
Indy 4
Iron Man
Burn After Reading
Tropic Thunder
In Bruges
Jumper

[Cruiserweight]

In ranking order:


1.The Dark Knight 5 stars
2.Marley & Me 4 stars
3.Quantum Of Solace 3 & a half stars.

& being such a big fan of the movie & book(Marley & Me) i'm happy to post this:

The film opened on 3,480 screens in the US and Canada. It grossed $14.75 million on its first day of release, setting the record for the best Christmas Day box office take ever. The previous high was $10.2 million set by Ali in 2001.