The Best of 2008

Well, yeah, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? Here’s the deal: after graduating college in May, and floundering for six months, I got a job. “Okay,” you may say, “so you’ve been busy, but why no reviews at all?” Well, this job of mine, it makes writing film reviews a conflict of interest, let’s leave it at that. I’ve yet to determine if I can write the occasional review or not, but at the least, I thought I could right a semi-farewell (I’ll be posting things at least once in a rare while), and share my top movies of 2008. I’m also attempted to list my 10 favorite performances in each acting category, but in some circumstances, I wasn’t able to thin out the heard to any less than 11 or 12. In the interest of full disclosure, I’ve yet to see “Marley and Me” and “Bedtime Stories,” but something tells me my list will remain intact. That said, all the ordering is tentative, and seems to change from day to day. If there’s anything you think I overlooked or missed, feel free to comment or chastise:


25. "Forgetting Sarah Marshall"

24. "Son of Rambow"



23. "Be Kind Rewind"

22. "Tropic Thunder"



21. "Reprise"



20. "Australia"

19. "Blindness"

18. "Let the Right One In"

17. "Young @ Heart"

16. "The Visitor"

15. "Shine a Light"

14. "Cloverfield"

13. "Slumdog Millionaire"

12. "The Wrestler"

11. "Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father"



10. "Burn After Reading"

9. "The Fall"

8. "The Dark Knight"

7. "In Bruges"



6. "Milk"

5. "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

4. "Synecdoche, New York"

3. "Revolutionary Road"

2. "WALL•E"



1. "Rachel Getting Married"





BEST ACTOR
Josh Brolin, “W.”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “Revolutionary Road”
Colin Farrell, “In Bruges”
Brendan Gleeson, “In Bruges”
Phillip Seymour Hoffman, “Synecdoche, New York”
Richard Jenkins, “The Visitor”
Frank Langella, “Frost/Nixon”
Danny McBride, “The Foot Fist Way”
Sean Penn, “Milk”
Sam Rockwell, “Snow Angels”
Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler”


BEST ACTRESS
Kate Beckinsale, “Snow Angels”
Anne Hathaway, “Rachel Getting Married”
Sally Hawkins, “Happy-Go-Lucky”
Melissa Leo, “Frozen River”
Frances McDormand, “Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day”
Julianne Moore, “Savage Grace”
Meryl Streep, “Doubt”
Catinca Untaru, “The Fall”
Naomi Watts, “Funny Games”
Michelle Williams, “Wendy and Lucy”
Kate Winslet, “Revolutionary Road”


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Russell Brand, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”
Josh Brolin, “Milk”
George Clooney, “Burn After Reading”
Robert Downey, Jr., “Tropic Thunder”
Ralph Fiennes, “In Bruges”
James Franco, “Pineapple Express”
Philip Seymour Hoffman, “Doubt”
Bill Irwin, “Rachel Getting Married”
Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight”
Brad Pitt, “Burn After Reading”
Michael Shannon, “Revolutionary Road”
David Strathairn, “My Blueberry Nights”


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Patricia Clarkson, “Married Life”
Penelope Cruz, “Elegy”
Penelope Cruz, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”
Viola Davis, “Doubt”
Rosemarie DeWitt, “Rachel Getting Married”
Samantha Morton, “Synecdoche, New York”
Amy Poehler, “Baby Mama”
Emma Thompson, “Brideshead Revisited”
Marisa Tomei, “The Wrestler”
Debra Winger, “Rachel Getting Married”