My top 10 film list - WAY belated. But I hadn't seen a few of them until recently so here goes:
1. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS:
I love World War 2 movies, and I love Quentin Tarantino. To me, this is his most re-watchable film. I literally never get sick of viewing the carefully crafted scenes he puts together here, especially the 15-minute long scene in the underground German tavern. I'm still not 100% sold on Brad Pitt in the film, but Michael Fassbender, Christoph Waltz and Daniel Bruhl more than make up for it.
2. THE HURT LOCKER
After the first five minutes of this film I thought to myself, "Wait...Guy Pearce isn't the main character??" The intro is so well-executed, written/directed that you're immediately immersed into this world of bomb defusers. I'd read a lot about Jeremy Renner's performance ahead of time, and he doesn't disappoint.
3. UP
I didn't love UP when I saw it in theaters in 3-D last summer. At least, not as much as WALL-E and RATATOUILLE. But while watching it again on DVD @ my mom's house over Christmas, a funny thing happened - I choked-up and had to leave the room during the film's opening montage. Whether it conjured memories of my own grandparents or if I was just in a particularly sentimental mood, who knows - but it happened again the second time I watched it on DVD, too! It's so sad but beautiful, and you instantly care for Carl and feel a genuine loss for him and his late wife. The scenes that take place on the Island with all the talking dogs go a little 'left-field', but the film is still fun and filled with a truckload of heart - more than most films any year can claim.
4. DEPARTURES
This won Best Foreign Film of 2008, but it didn't get released in theaters in the U.S. until last summer. I finally caught it on Netflix last month and it really stuck with me. Besides offering a unique window into the world of a 'nakanshi,' or one who prepares the dead for burial, it also serves as a moving film about family, love, and loss. It could easily have been melodramatic, but instead it stays the course. To me this represents the best way to deal with those subjects most of us would rather not think about - with a touch of humor.
5. SUGAR
A really different look at the world of Minor League baseball from an immigrant's perspective. While he's still living in the Dominican Republic, I didn't feel for Miguel "Sugar" Santos' character as much as I did when he relocates to the American Midwest and becomes a fish out of water. Not understanding English, you feel for him when he can't even order off a menu at a diner so is forced to order the same thing every day - eggs; and you feel good when he finally makes a connection with the waitress who teaches him all the different kinds of eggs he can order. While it's affecting when Sugar finally is able to connect to a few people in his new home, the film might have spent a little too much time on Sugar quitting baseball due to his insecurities...but I thought the film offered a really interesting perspective on baseball.
6. BROKEN EMBRACES
I liked BROKEN EMBRACES so much more than Almodovar's last film, VOLVER. I thought it bridged the gap between some of his edgier, more inaccessible films (The Bad Education) and some of his lighter, more commercial fare with Penelope Cruz. This felt a lot more vintage Pedro to me. I like that.
7. CRAZY HEART
Most everyone I've talked to about CRAZY HEART says it's a country music version of THE WRESTLER, with Jeff Bridges essentially playing the Mickey Rourke character. To an extent that's true, they both fit into the same genre, but are way different. Jeff Bridges is always great. It's nice to see The Dude getting some much-deserved recognition. And hey - if he wins this year (which he probably will), it'll sort of make up for Mickey Rourke losing to Sean Penn last year in a weird karmic kind of way.
8. STAR TREK
Fun! Perfectly cast, awesome story...STAR TREK with a budget! Now I kind of wish J.J. Abrams would have been greenlit to reboot Superman in the early 2000's like he was rumored to. And how can you not nod your geeky head in appreciation and silently clap when Leonard Nimoy's Spock walks on screen and saves a young Kirk from a hyper-crazed snow monster? I'm easily excited for a sequel.
9. THE WHITE RIBBON
I think Mike B. said it best in his 'best of' list so I won't expand too much. WHITE RIBBON is one of those films you talk about and debate endlessly with friends after you've seen it, and you're all going to have different theories as to what it meant. I can't believe Michael Haneke wrote this script from scratch as an original story - it feels like it was adapted from a beautiful but violent piece of literature.
10. FANTASTIC MR. FOX
I liked Wes Anderson up until THE LIFE AQUATIC, and then I didn't like him. I REALLY didn't like him when I saw (yeah, I'll admit it) THE DARJEELING LIMITED. I was over Wes Anderson. When I heard he was making a stop-motion version of FANTASTIC MR. FOX, I was curious. The stop-motion was what got me into the theater, but this felt like old-school Wes Anderson. Working from someone else's material forced him to focus on story and not meander on meaningless dialogue and overly-quirky scenes. The outcome - this was a genuinely funny movie with real heart.
