The Films & Grades of 2008

Before I go ahead with my list of films and grades of 2008, I want to acknowledge Keira Knightley for her excellent performance in "The Duchess." If I could redo my Best Actress list, she would be #7, after Michelle Williams, knocking out Cate Blanchett.

Like I said before, I think 2008 was one of the best years on cinema of my life (c. 1985) and so, I tried to be harsh for the first 11 months, but I saw so many amazing movies in December and January that I can't help but give away A's like candy. Anyways, here are all the movies I've seen of '08 according to grade and in alphabetical order from there on out.


A+

Doubt
Let the Right One In
Slumdog Millionaire


A

The Dark Knight
Man on Wire
Milk
Rachel Getting Married
WALL-E
Wendy and Lucy
The Wrestler


A-

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frozen River
Happy-Go-Lucky
In Bruges
Iron Man
The Reader
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
The Visitor


B+

The Counterfeiters
The Duchess
Funny Games
Paranoid Park
Pineapple Express
Revolutionary Road
Snow Angels
Transsiberian
The Wackness


B

Appaloosa
Australia
Changeling
The Fall
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Hamlet
Stop-Loss
Tropic Thunder
Zack and Miri Make a Porno


B-

Burn After Reading
Eagle Eye
Frost/Nixon
Get Smart
Hancock
Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
The Strangers


C+

Bolt
Marley & Me
Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist
Quantum of Solace
The Ruins
Smart People
Wanted


C

The Happening
The Incredible Hulk
Mamma Mia!
The Other Boleyn Girl
Saw V
Untraceable


C-

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
Step Brothers


D+

Role Models
The Tracey Fragments


D

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian


D-

The Love Guru
Yes Man


F

Speed Racer

Juno, Atonement, The Bucket List

Juno

Starring Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Gardner & Jason Bateman

It's quirky, trendy, fun and easy to spend and hour and a half with it's title character, "Juno." In a world of cliques, rules and judgements, Juno (Ellen Page) finds herself thrown into a world where none that matters when she becomes pregnant with Bleeker's (Michael Cera) baby. She decides to have the kid and give it away to a family in need of child - that would be Jennifer Gardner in her best performance to date as Vanessa Loring and Jason Bateman as her reluctant husband, Mark.

Ellen Page is phenomenal, bringing her amiable, wisecracking cynicism to the role, and with the popularity "Juno" has received from the public, Page will be expected to become a favorite, and hopefully not a sell-out (I trust her though). The reality of pregnancy mixed with the hilarious, though over-the-top dialogue, by newcomer Diablo Cody creates a world we know and love to watch.

Grade: A-

Atonement

Starring Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Saoirse Ronan, Romola Garai & Vanessa Redgrave

Joe Wright, director of "Pride & Prejudice," enables himself to bring a story of longing to life with some of the most beautiful shots I've seen in years. The story is Briony's (Saoirse Ronan, age 13; Romola Garai, age 18; and Vanessa Redgrave), a girl who tragically mistakes (or lies) about an occurrence she didn't fully understand. The occurrence involves a number of people, but most particularly Cecilia (Keira Knightley), her sister, and Robbie, Cecilia's love interest and Briony's childhood crush. Briony's the only witness, but an unreliable one. As time goes by, Robbie is forced into the military and Cecilia exiles herself from her family, while Briony seeks atonement.

Cinematographer Seamus McGarvey ("World Trade Center" & "The Hours") deserves Oscar for his captivating shots, rich with color, angles and symmetry. There is a point in the film, when Robbie and a few army friends walk along a beach of other soldiers waiting to deport. The shot lasts for about five minutes and doesn't stop to blink. There is so much beauty in the filming that it's difficult to take in everything, just as it's difficult for the characters for forgive and forget and reconcile.

Grade: A

The Bucket List

Starring Jack Nicholson & Morgan Freeman

You would think that Mr. Freeman, a one-time Oscar winner, and Mr. Nicholson, a three-time Oscar winner, would know not to do a movie that involves Rob Reiner and the Seven Wonders of the World. They are obviously losing their minds. "The Bucket List" is the slowest, crappiest, piece of junk I've seen in a while. The only thing that brings the film up a few notches is the duo of caliber. The film was so low budget that they couldn't even spend the money to go to the pyramids or the Himalayas or anywhere else the script takes them - oh, and what a horrible script! The two characters don't even get off their asses for an hour of the movie. Then they fly around together and die. I hate this movie.

Grade: D