This week’s Time cover story is “The List Issue”. The Time editors and writers rank the top ten everything of 2008 – top ten break-ups, top ten books, top ten scandals, top ten animal stories, under-reported stories, songs, slogans etc. The only list they forgot was the one I was really looking forward to (that they had last year) – top ten magazine covers. Oh, well.
So Time’s resident movie critic Richard Corliss ranks the top ten movies of 2008. I have no idea who Corliss is, how old he is or why he’s so cranky. In my mind he’s a bitter old coot with a shotgun, yelling at the docudramas to get off his lawn. This image of Corliss has been formed mainly by his recent rave review of Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino. Only coots truly appreciate other coots.
Here’s Corliss’s top ten list, with my descriptions:
1. WALL-E
Film critics always do this. They list an animated film as number one to try to prove they’re not cranky old bastards, but kids at heart.
2. Synecdoche, New York
Oscar-winning screenwriter Charlie Kaufman’s directorial debut, starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Michelle Williams. I haven’t seen it, but I seem to remember everyone hating it.
3. My Winnipeg
Obscure Canadian film. Corliss calls it “docufantasia”. *headdesk*
4. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
This is that Romanian film (with subtitles) about a young girl trying to get an abortion in Communist-era Romania. It’s won a ton of film festival awards and it looks really interesting.
5. Milk
Everybody thinks Sean Penn will win his second Oscar for playing gay icon Harvey Milk. Gus Van Sant directs, also starring Josh Brolin and James Franco.
6. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett star, David Fincher directs. This will probably sweep the technical Oscars – Best Make-up, etc.
7. Slumdog Millionaire
Everybody’s talking about this British/Indian film about a an Indian teenager trying to win the heart of his true love. Danny Boyle directs, set on location in India.
8. Iron Man
Like the shark in Jaws, you can feel Gwyneth’s dark presence on the list.
9. Speed Racer
Ugh. Seriously?
10. Encounters at the End of the World
Werner Herzog’s documentary about Antarctica. My guess for the film’s tagline is “It’s Really F@#king Cold.”
Here’s a link to Corliss’s descriptions of the films.
You can read Time’s “The List Issue” online on their website.
LOL @ #10’s tagline.
Seriously? You know none of us are gonna see a movie with subtitles, and he blew any kid cred when he put speed racer on the list. Who do you know that’s gonna watch a movie about Antartica? Puhleeze, this guy is definitely in the ‘old coot’ range.
They did include the Top Ten Magazine Covers!
http://www.time.com/time/specials/2008/top10/article/0,30583,1855948_1863163,00.html
Surprised they left out The Dark Knight, one of the most overhyped movies of the decade.
That’s a wacky list, but everyone has an opinion even after ingesting huge amounts of liquor.
The fact that they put Speed Racer on this list means they absolutely nothing about movies – or that their criteria for picking good movies included “film was shown on a screen with sound”.
*looks at my collection of subtitled films* Oh. Ok then.
Am I at least allowed to watch “Joyeux Noelle” at the cinema club this week? 😐
The films he chose seem generally really interesting, based on his reasoning. And I would suggest that some of you read his reasoning for Speed Racer because it’s solely for the innovative effects that he’s nominating the film – not as a cinematic masterpiece. I guess he sees the FX as this year’s answer to The Matrix.
I cannot believe that you didn’t cover the Top 5 female performances of the year though Kaiser! 😉
I’ve seen No.4 and it’s grim but brilliant. I intend to see Nos 5,6 & 7. And Werner Herzog (along with Kinski) is a mad genius, directed one of my all-time favourite movies, Fitzcarraldo, so I’d probably also give No.10 a go.
I’ve only seen Nosferatu, geronimo, (in German, natch 😉 ) and Kinski was excellent in that.
I would recommend Wall-E though, it is super-cute. Lots of little Apple in-jokes too.
i’m really excited that he included “my winnipeg” on the list. guy maddin (the film maker and subject) is a respected canadian director and i’m actually from winnipeg (as is he). i’ve been wanting to see this movie since i first heard about it for more reasons than the setting. docu-fantasia is probably a pretty accurate description since it’s a sort of surrealist fantasy re-enactment of major events in maddin’s childhood growing up in winnipeg in an unusual family blended together with a history and commentary on the city itself.
guy maddin continues to live in winnipeg instead of relocating to toronto or vancouver (which is sort of like an american film maker who grew up in detroit and even though he made it big, chooses to stay there instead of moving to new york or LA).
i’m hoping they’ll have it to watch on my flight home this holiday, like they did last time i went back, since i still haven’t seen it.
oh, and it was very well received by most critics garnering a 97% rating on rottentomatoes.com when it was released, so it may reappear on a few lists.
although, seriously? speed racer? that’s ridiculous.
Y, Whoops! They only have at the time.com though, they didn’t put it in the magazine.
Mairead – Yeah, I didn’t mean that I’m against subtitled films – I actually want to see that 4 Months movie. It sounds good.
For me, the most surprising inclusion was “Iron Man” honestly. I liked it but it wasn’t “top ten” by any stretch.
…I actually liked Speed Racer. A lot.
I’m surprised that it made it, and that the Dark Knight didn’t.
Speed Racer…really? They must have been high while making this list!
uhhh the ppl suck!!!! seriously, wtf kind of list is this? some are worthy yes but what about – the wrestler, dark knight, & let the right one in????
oh that’s right speed racer was better – ppfffttt they just lost credibility…
Kaiser – I didn’t mean your comment, I was talking about Kink’s comment. But it doesn’t matter what I say, as apparently I don’t exist. Nor do any of the imaginary people I saw in the cinema not watching The March of the Penguins or Touching the Void. I will also never be able to see what the people who weren’t coming out the the cinema after not watching the Story of the Weeping Camel were raving about. 😉 (tell me if I’m overdoing the ironic bit 😆 )
I’ve been useless about going to the cinema this year and have only seen Iron Man and Wall E out of the bunch. I really liked them. Then again, I actually did laugh at The Love Guru and enjoyed most of 4 Christmases (except a bit from where Reese visited her mother)- so… nevermind me 😳
Mairead – Gotcha. But I wasn’t dissing documentaries either! Although I did find “March of the Penguins” really depressing, and the idea of watching that Herzog doc is already making me sleepy. 😳
My favorite docs are the political ones, the stuff on PBS, like “The Smartest Guys in the Room” (about Enron).
kaiser, make sure you rent that romanian movie. its great. really.
and slumdog millionaire is the best movie ive seen in about 3 years. absolutely so good. have early tickets to see benjamin button so I’m excited.
and to the person who wont watch subtitled movies: wake up, its 2008.
Uh, the “movie with subtitles” is actually a pretty good movie (and one of the few I’ve seen on this list), you people need to broaden your horizons. There’s no way Iron Man is going to get an Oscar, it was well-received, but it’s a fun movie not a contender for any award unless it was for Best Special Effects. Speed Racer’s inclusions must be a joke or something?
The Wrestlet looks REALLY GOOD…saw a trailer for it and was like…Mickey Rourke is PERFECT for the role he plays!
Milk was an excellent film. I can’t wait to see it again.
what the hell is up with this idea that film critics are stuffy and pretentious?
“Film critics always do this. They list an animated film as number one to try to prove they’re not cranky old bastards, but kids at heart.”
what the hell is this. what critics do this
I loved “Synecdoche, New York” but then I really like Charlie Kaufman’s sensibility and messages.
I also loved Wall-E and hope it makes in to the best film category as opposed to just animated film.
i loved the story of the weeping camel! but speed racer? ummmm, no. just….no.