Public Enemies

Public Enemies
Starring Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Coltillard, and Billy Crudup

Michael Mann has had some hits in his time, and some near misses. With its lush images, close-ups that inject the audience into a character, and a few beautiful moments of film-making, "Public Enemies" would be one of his hits. However, the film also includes way to many characters to keep track of even for 143 minutes, a camera that needs a bit of stability from time to time, and actors that aren't so Batman-like.

According to IMDb, there are about 100 named character in "Public Enemies." Besides the cast above, Mann includes Giovanni Ribisi, Channing Tatum, LeeLee Sobieski, Stephen Dorff, Emilie de Ravin, and Lili Taylor, who are all very recognizable faces if not names. This causes a problem. If the film wants to focus on Depp and Bale with a bunch of scenes including Coltillard and Crudup, that's fine, but throwing in other known actors into the mix creates some confusion, especially when some of them barely have a line. It was as if the film wanted to justify itself as a pre-game for Awards season or something.

Johnny Depp was really the only great aspect of "Public Enemies." He drew us in, creating a humanistic side to his villain, John Dillinger, who ultimately was the protagonist. Christian Bale was a cold character, much like Josh Brolin in "Milk," however Bale provided no hint of weakness or humanity throughout the film, lacking a trait needed to match Depp's Dillinger.

Luckily Coltillard did not follow the path of most Oscar winners after they win the golden man (i.e. Halle Berry goes from "Monster's Ball" to "Catwoman"; Helen Mirren does "National Treasure 2" after winning for "The Queen"; and, of course, the infamous aftermath of "Ray" when Jamie Foxx starred in "Stealth," which i have yet to see on the grounds that I'm still boycotting the film), and she provides a solid non-Oscar-worthy performance as Dillinger's woman. She does have one scene at the end that is brilliant.

Mann's script lacked solidity and dragged for scene after scene, however, every bank robbery and jail escape worked as a tie that strung the film together. The excitement and tension outshone the dull scenes of dull dialogue. And one scene in particular, speaking of tension, that stood out above all is the one in which Depp struts into the police department, the police who are out to get him, and goes into Bale's character's office where all the files and pictures and clues are. All the police are out looking for him, and here he is, in the department, talking to some of the ignorant officers who don't notice him. It was perfect.

All in all, "Public Enemies" is what it is: a really great summer flick trying to be a winter consideration.

Grade: C+

Mini Movie Reviews

In Theaters:

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

An improvement from the first for two reasons and two reasons only: Amy Adams and Hank Azaria.

Grade: C





The Hangover

The first time I saw this hilarious rendition of the typical bachelor party movie, I laughed my effing ass off. I was nearly on the ground. Afterwards, I wasn't sure if I would like it a second time, kind of like "Rat Race." So, I gave it a B-. Then, after a few days, I was like, "I still like it... A LOT", so I gave it a B. Then I saw it for the second time. Did it withstand a sophomore viewing? HELL YES! "The Hangover" is one of the funniest, most original comedies I've seen in a long time. Without knowing why, one just loves it and laughs. But after an analysis of my love for Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis, I realize that not only do I see myself in their H.O. odyssey, but the structure of the film is brilliant for such a cliche overdone genre. Who knew that NOT showing the bachelor portion of the story would work better than showing it all! And, no worries - they show what happens one way or another (i.e. credits photo album).

Grade: B+


Land of the Lost

Will Ferrell nearly falls off the deep end in the comedic sense. He's losing his touch with the laughs; but luckily Danny McBride saves the entire film, despite shitty effects and costumes. Oh, and the poolside trip scene is THE BEST.

Grade: C


The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

There are a few problems with this film and a few plus-sides: Problems? John Travolta. He doesn't become his character. He gives such a phony and laughable performance that when he performs acts of violence, ones we are supposed to be shocked and terrified by, we giggle. Plus-sides? Denzel Washington. He's true to his character, creating an Everyman set in an inescapable situation. He's the exact opposite of Travolta, which is a great thing.

Grade: C


Year One

If you're thinking about going to see this movie because you think Michael Cera is hilarious (which he is!), wait until the DVD comes out so you can fast forward through every non-Cera second. I guess Paul Rudd's scene is funny too, but I saw it in the previews. JUST GO SEE "THE HANGOVER" FOR THE SECOND OR THIRD TIME!!!

Grade: D-


Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

It's all about the people you go with. I was in Las Vegas, it was my last day of vacation, I wasn't in the mood for anything heavy or dramatic - all I wanted was to see shit blow up. And that is all you get from this sequel. Plus, a slow motion running Megan Fox, which bumps the grade from a D to the one below.

Grade: D+


On DVD or Internet:

The Young Victoria

Not even released in the United States, this British film is slightly boring (but ultimately good boring) and drags on, but with a sensational performance from Emily Blunt, as well as Rupert Friend, "The Young Victoria" proves better than most of the movies released in our country.

Grade: B


The Uninvited

Contrary to my cousin's belief that this is a great movie, "The Uninvited" deals no thrills or chills that are lasting, have the worst performances in the world, and has such a dumb ending, I couldn't believe they actually did it. The only, and I mean ONLY, reason this doesn't get a flat-out F, is because the Japanese version (the original) took many Shakespearean elements into consideration while creating the script, particularly from "Hamlet."

Grade: D-


Fanboys

There are some really funny parts and give it a shot if you want a laugh and like "Star Wars," but its subject a tad too narrow for me, and I couldn't get into it as much as I'd like to.

Grade: C





Notorious

All the performances are stellar in this biopic about Notorious B.I.G.'s life and death, however it felt more like an MTV movie than a Hollywood release.

Grade: C




Gran Torino

There were some good moments in Clint's latest, such as the barber shop scene, but come on - if you can't see the self-indulgence in "Torino," you might want to see the eye doctor.

Grade: C-


Bride Wars

I'm pretty sure that the only reason I didn't hate this movie, like everyone else, is because I didn't pay for it in the theaters. It was quick, decently funny, and it was good to see a few females (Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson) lead a film for once this year.

Grade: C


He's Just Not That Into You

Very much a contemporary Leo Tolstoy story, "He's Just Not That Into You" provides a third person omniscient point of view (which is kind of rare for such a big cast) and works every side of relationships, from crush to dating to going out to engagement to marriage and even divorce, and doesn't forget about the Facebook/texting era that we live in. And although, with such a huge cast, not everyone stood out, Jennifer Connelly gave a powerful performance as the wife being stepped on.

Grade: B


New in Town

Renee Zellweger, what the hell are you doing to your career??? Don't you remember early this century? "Chicago"? "Cold Mountain"? Come on!

Grade: D-

Up

Up
Voiced by Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai, Bob Peterson & John Ratzenberger

The tenth film released by Disney/Pixar with its minimalistic title, "Up" does just that - brings a simple, ordinary life into the unbeleivable. Carl Fredricksen (Edward Asner) is a lonely, grumpy, and sad old man who has kept his property the same for decades, even though the contemporary, skyscraping battles unconditionally against him. He - like every human being - has a story, and his story is told in a ten to fifteen minute montage of his life and his amazing, exuberant wife, Ellie. This chonological mostly-silent section of "Up" takes the audience on a roller coaster of ups and downs. Carl and Ellie were in love the second they met, when they were kids, and always had high hopes of living a beautiful life together, a life of adventure. Yet, all doesn't go as planned, which is life, but Ellie and Carl make the best of what they have. Now a widow, Carl has nothing. Or so he thought.

Pete Docter's script is full of heart and soul, while we watch a grandiose adventure of a lifetime with the hero being a box-shaped senior citizen. Carl's life reaches new heights as he escapes the city in search of Ellie's dream land - South America. And he doesn't take a plane; Carl flies by the only thing he's ever known: balloons. Thousands and thousands of balloons. However, when a pudgy boy scout named Russell (Jordan Nagai) accidentally comes along the ride, Carl is forced to face the facts that this persona of the grumpy old guy is just that - a persona.

Talking dogs, crazy species of birds, and Carl & Ellie's life long hero ensue our story, but the heart of it remains through all the craziness, which is why I will forgive Pixar for selling out a bit with their dog dogfight just to gain membership in the 3-D club. "Up" is another of Pixars amazing line-ups teaching children and adults that life's too short, to love, and to live.

Grade: B+

And just for fun, I'm ranking the 10 films produced by Pixar starting with my favorite:
1. Toy Story
2. Finding Nemo
3. Ratatouille
4. Wall-E
5. A Bug's Life
6. Monster's, Inc.
7. Up
8. The Incredibles
9. Toy Story 2
10. Cars

Star Trek

Star Trek
Starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Eric Bana, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Anton Yelchin, Simon Pegg, Winona Ryder & Leonard Nimoy

From an outsider's perspecive, the renewal of the "Star Trek" establishment beams into gear with fun, excitement, thrills, and a excellently written script. Director J. J. Abrams installs some of his usual Felicitian/Lostian love triangles into the mix as well as proving that his ability to create a high-class summer hit is well beyond the living room tube.

Obviously, being a galaxy-questing story, "Star Trek" makes use of its weaponry and action; yet, unlike the "Star Wars" fleet of films (talking about the Episodes I through III), "Trek" becomes more than just cheap thrills and spills. The scene where Sulu (John Cho), Kirk (Chris Pine), and some other guy zoom down and parachute onto a platform of some drill that's breaching the atmosphere and earth of a planet is startlingly intense.

Although Zachary Quinto has been born to play Spock, Chris Pine as the roguish, angsty, and not to mention completely hilarious James T. Kirk steals the show. Pine's portrayal of a could've-been Luke/Anakin Skywalker doesn't mope and throw out cheeseball lines like Mark Hamill, and he doesn't whine like a little baby as Hayden Christensen so annoyingly did in Episodes II and III. Pine creates Holden Caulfield gone badass for himself - and it works.

With all this comparing and contrasting to "Star Wars," "Trek" can't live up to one thing: the dark side. Vader and all the other Darths make "Wars" a symbol of good and evil, God versus Satan, "Paradise Lost", "Romeo & Juliet". It's Shakespearean. "Trek's" badguy, played by Eric Bana, is a sideshow compared to the rest of the film, and in no respects comes close to the evil encompassing "Wars", but like I said, that's really the only part.

Oh, one more thing - I like Quinto better than Nimoy, and WTF Winona? Can't headline a movie anymore?

Grade: B+

January to June - 6 Months, 1 Sentence

My Bloody Valentine: 3-D

Completely pointless, "My Bloody Valentine" will leave you bloody for bringing your valentine to such a complete suckfest.

Grade: F






Friday the 13th

Some scenes and scare-sequences were actually directed well and I loved how the movie starts 30 minutes into it, but the ending killed it for me alongside the mediocre acting.

Grade: C-





Coraline

Great story, but the animation or whatever its called made me want to puke the same kind of puke "Ren & Stimpy" made me hurl.

Grade: C

Two Lovers

An excellent, dramatic piece of film at a time in need of quality acting - thanks to Phoenix, Paltrow and Shaw.

Grade: B+

Watchmen

Waaaaaaayyy too much information for a movie and waaaaaayyyyy too much Manhattan junk.

Grade: C-






The Last House on the Left

This horror flick puts the evil in people, both psychopaths and vengeful parents, and pushes the boundaries of the word "squeamish".

Grade: B-






I Love You, Man

When this comes out on DVD, have a mandate with your guy friend by watching the Rudd/Segel chemistry that matches the compatibility of DiCaprio/Winslet; and if you're a chick, let your guy have his mandate, and you can probably join in too.

Grade: B





Knowing

I hate Nicholas Cage and anything he's made since 2002's "Adaptation."

Grade: D+







Observe & Report

Rogen really shouldn't do a movie by himself without a team of highly qualified funny people (a.k.a. James Franco or Leslie Mann) because Anna Faris didn't get enough screen time to hold his weight.

Grade: F





X-Men Origins: Wolverine

How many times can we watch Sabertooth and Wolverine run at each other before having a glorified cat fight?

Grade: D+






Angels & Demons

Better than "DaVinci Code," but there's too much vital information that's left out from the book.

Grade: C+






Drag Me to Hell

Kind of hated it, kind of liked it - it was scary, funny, annoying and sardonically masterful.

Grade: C+

Early Oscar Predictios for 2010

So here are my early predictions for next year's Oscars. Let's see how I do in 10 months. The pictures of the nominees are the ones I see as the front runner right now.

BEST PICTURE
The Human Factor
The Lovely Bones
Nine
Public Enemies
Shutter Island






BEST DIRECTOR
Clint Eastwood for The Human Factor
Peter Jackson for The Lovely Bones
Ang Lee for Taking Woodstock
Terrence Malik for Tree of Life
Rob Marshall for Nine






BEST ACTRESS
Penelope Cruz in Broken Embraces
Nicole Kidman in Nine
Michelle Pfeiffer in Cheri
Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia
Hilary Swank in Amelia






BEST ACTOR
Daniel Day-Lewis in Nine
Robert Downey, Jr. in Sherlock Holmes
Morgan Freeman in The Human Factor
Viggo Mortensen in The Road
Peter Sarsgaard in An Education






BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Kate Hudson in Nine
Sophia Loren in Nine
Mo'Nique in Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire
Rachel Weisz in The Lovely Bones
Michelle Williams in Shutter Island






BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Philip Baker Hall in All Good Things
Matt Damon in The Human Factor
Richard Kind in A Serious Man
Mark Ruffalo in Shutter Island
Kodi Smit-McPhee in The Road

2009 Oscar Winners - Who Will They Be?

When everything seems so predictable, do you trust the Academy enough to go along with the crowd? I don't know. I really don't know. In one week, I expect upsets, however, the question is: "where?" I could've played it all safe, but I feel that I'd lose out and kick myself later. I'm going out on a limb in some cases here. I'm very stressed out.

Take note: I will announce who I think is going to win and who I want to win - not to be confused with who deserves it most or who was my favorite.


BEST PICTURE
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

WHO WILL WIN? Slumdog Millionaire
WHO DO I WANT TO WIN? The Reader
WHO WON? SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE


BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Richard Jenkins - The Visitor
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn - Milk
Brad Pitt - The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

WHO WILL WIN? Sean Penn
WHO DO I WANT TO WIN? Richard Jenkins
WHO WON? SEAN PENN


BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Melissa Leo - Frozen River
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Kate Winslet - The Reader

WHO WILL WIN? Kate Winslet
WHO DO I WANT TO WIN? Kate Winslet
WHO WON? KATE WINSLET


BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Josh Brolin - Milk
Robert Downey Jr - Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger -The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon - Revolutionary Road

WHO WILL WIN? Heath Ledger
WHO DO I WANT TO WIN? Robert Downey, Jr.
WHO WON? HEATH LEDGER


BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Amy Adams - Doubt
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Taraji P Henson - The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler

WHO WILL WIN? Penelope Cruz
WHO DO I WANT TO WIN? Amy Adams
WHO WON? PENELOPE CRUZ


BEST DIRECTOR
David Fincher - The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant - Milk
Stephen Daldry - The Reader
Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire

WHO WILL WIN? Stephen Daldry
WHO DO I WANT TO WIN? Stephen Daldry
WHO WON? DANNY BOYLE


BEST FOREIGN FILM
The Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany)
The Class (France)
Departures (Japan)
Revanche (Austria)
Waltz With Bashir (Israel)

WHO WILL WIN? Waltz With Bashir
WHO DO I WANT TO WIN? The Class
WHO WON? DEPARTURES


BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Eric Roth and Robin Swicord - The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button;
John Patrick Shanley - Doubt
Peter Morgan - Frost/Nixon
David Hare - The Reader
Simon Beaufoy - Slumdog Millionaire

WHO WILL WIN? Simon Beaufoy
WHO DO I WANT TO WIN? John Patrick Shanley
WHO WON? SIMON BEAUFOY


BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Courtney Hunt - Frozen River
Mike Leigh - Happy-Go-Lucky
Martin McDonagh - In Bruges
Dustin Lance Black - Milk
Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon and Pete Docter - WALL-E

WHO WILL WIN? Dustin Lance Black
WHO DO I WANT TO WIN? Martin McDonagh
WHO WON? DUSTIN LANCE BLACK


BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
WALL-E

WHO WILL WIN? WALL-E
WHO DO I WANT TO WIN? WALL-E
WHO WON? WALL-E


BEST ART DIRECTION
Changeling
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Duchess
Revolutionary Road

WHO WILL WIN? The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
WHO DO I WANT TO WIN? Revolutionary Road
WHO WON? THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON


BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Changeling
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

WHO WILL WIN? Slumdog Millionaire
WHO DO I WANT TO WIN? The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
WHO WON? SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE


BEST SOUND MIXING
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
Wanted

WHO WILL WIN? The Dark Knight
WHO DO I WANT TO WIN? Wanted
WHO WON? SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE


BEST SOUND EDITING
The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
Wanted

WHO WILL WIN? WALL-E
WHO DO I WANT TO WIN? Iron Man
WHO WON? THE DARK KNIGHT


BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button - Alexandre Desplat
Defiance - James Newton Howard
Milk - Danny Elfman
Slumdog Millionaire - AR Rahman
WALL-E - Thomas Newman

WHO WILL WIN? AR Rahman
WHO DO I WANT TO WIN? AR Rahman
WHO WON? AR RAHMAN


BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Down To Earth from WALL-E - Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman
Jai Ho from Slumdog Millionaire - AR Rahman and Gulzar
O Saya from Slumdog Millionaire - AR Rahman and Maya Arulpragasam

WHO WILL WIN? Jai Ho
WHO DO I WANT TO WIN? O Saya
WHO WON? JAI HO


BEST COSTUME
Australia
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
The Duchess
Milk
Revolutionary Road

WHO WILL WIN? The Duchess
WHO DO I WANT TO WIN? The Duchess
WHO WON? THE DUCHESS


BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)
Encounters At The End Of The World
The Garden
Man on Wire
Trouble the Water

WHO WILL WIN? Man on Wire
WHO DO I WANT TO WIN? Man on Wire
WHO WON? MAN ON WIRE


BEST DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT)
The Conscience of Nhem En
The Final Inch
Smile Pinki
The Witness - From The Balcony Of Room 306

WHO WILL WIN? The Witness
WHO DO I WANT TO WIN? Smile Pinki
WHO WON? SMILE PINKI


BEST FILM EDITING
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire

WHO WILL WIN? Slumdog Millionaire
WHO DO I WANT TO WIN? Milk
WHO WON? SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE


BEST MAKE-UP
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Hellboy II: The Golden Army

WHO WILL WIN? The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
WHO DO I WANT TO WIN? The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
WHO WON? THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON


BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM
La Maison en Petits Cubes
Lavatory - Lovestory
Oktapodi
Presto
This Way Up

WHO WILL WIN? Presto
WHO DO I WANT TO WIN? Lavatory - Lovestory
WHO WON? LA MAISON EN PETITS CUBES


BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
Auf Der Strecke (On the Line)
Manon On The Asphalt
New Boy
The Pig
Spielzeugland (Toyland)

WHO WILL WIN? Toyland
WHO DO I WANT TO WIN? The Pig
WHO WON? TOYLAND


BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Iron Man

WHO WILL WIN? The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
WHO DO I WANT TO WIN? Iron Man
WHO WON? THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON


Dane's Total = 18/24 = 75%
Jennie's Total = 19/24 = 79% <--- WINNER

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

Best of 2008: Top 10 Motion Pictures

Looking back at the past few years of reviewing film, 2008, quite frankly, has been the best year since '02 (Adaptation, The Hours, Chicago). The movies of the past twelve months have hit me in spots only rare cinematic masterpieces do. At times, a cast or a single driven character took the movie by storm and captivated me entirely. In other cases, films that struck me at first, died out, and others grew on me like the annoying, nerdy girl in high school who turns out to be hot. The creativity of this year was wonderful to watch and the performances were even better.

I could probably release my top 20 and feel perfectly fine with every selection, yet I will keep it so you can count all of them on both hands.


10. Man on Wire

The greatest and most masterful aspect of "Man on Wire" is its ability to be about a man who crossed the World Trade Center towers in the '70s without being about September 11th, and yet, it is about that horrible day in 2001. Never mentioned, the film illuminates the brilliance and incredible height of the towers, the curiosity, the fear, the idea of danger. Phillippe Petit is one of the most entertaining storytellers I've ever seen. The man who walked on the wire for nearly an hour, shocking America, shares a story of love, hope, and dreams. He's the most inspirational man ever. The dramatizations of the night they snuck into the towers perfectly design their story onto screen. Excellent, excellent documentary.

9. The Dark Knight

Although, in my mind, "The Dark Knight" kind of lost its flavor over the past few months, it is one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. Not only does Heath Ledger brilliantly and psychotically bring new life to The Joker, but the rest of the cast is spectacular as well. Christian Bale is stark and stoic as Batman, Maggie Gyllenhaal initiates a certain intelligence Katie Holmes didn't capture as Rachel, and Aaron Eckhart dove into the doppelganger that is Two-Face. The script is great, Nolan's directing is equally excellent, and the entire feel of the film is beyond any of the superhero flicks. But, it's all about Ledger. Always.


8. Milk
The reason only James Franco made my best supporting actors list and not any of the other "Milk" men (Josh Brolin, Emile Hirshe) is because, although they gave stellar performances, this film is about Harvey Milk alone. Sean Penn is the driving force in Gus Van Sant's epic tale of human rights and human relationships. Whether you're straight, gay, bi, transgender, black, white, Latino, Asian, or even if you have three legs, "Milk" will tell you one thing, and one thing only: understand each other - beyond differences - so that we might one day live in a peaceful world. With Harvey's assassination, we're not even close to that world but Dustin Lance Black's trying, I guess.


7. Wendy and Lucy
The first film on my Top 10 that didn't have a chance after I saw it, "Wendy and Lucy" will spawn great things after you give it some time. The script, the directing, the acting appears so simple and two-dimensional to the eye, but the more you brood the more complicated the story of Wendy (Michelle Williams) and Lucy (her lost dog) becomes. It's so short and concise, that it leaves nothing behind to criticize. Williams literally becomes that random girl walking through town, a town focused on themselves (save the security guard), focused so much on money. The town, representing America, allows this girl to starve, without shelter, without help or love. She's alone in her quest to find her dog, the only soul who knows.


6. WALL-E
With an opening half-an-hour of sheer Chaplin-inspired comedy and an Act 2 and 3 with a message for children and adults of the 21st century to get up off your asses, "WALL-E" locks itself in one of Pixar's best. Reversing the dominant male/female roles, WALL-E, our protagonist, falls madly in love for Eve, the aggressive, but kind, robot in search for plant life on Earth. The beauty of "WALL-E" lies in silence. Hardly any dialogue, the script explores the visual essence of words, taking us back to a time of music, motions, and faces. It's nostalgic and genius.


5. The Wrestler
Darren Aronofsky tackles the art of a realistic film - and achieves it fantastically and depressingly. Compared to his other films, "The Wrestler", a lot like "Wendy and Lucy" spawns a feeling of truth within you. Desperation never looked so horrible and fantastic. Mickey Rourke, like Sean Penn, travels through the movie, rediscovering himself as a performer and human being. It's soulful, raw, and intense. His relationships are shattering, and old one with his daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) and a new one with his favorite stripper (Marisa Tomei). His portrayal of the rundown professional wrestler enlightens us on growing old and striving to stay young. Follow your dreams, even if they kill you.


4. Rachel Getting Married
Yes, I gave this movie a "B" when I first saw it. A "B"! And now, it's #4. How does this happen? I'll tell you. After I left the quite hostile crowd who saw "Rachel Getting Married," I was annoyed with some scenes, but discovered that the annoyance was ignorance. Long, drawn-out, and exceedingly faithful to itself as a scene, the reception party to Rachel's wedding was unlike anything I had ever seen - hatred forced itself through, but I then found originality and credibility in a scene of life, a scene of real people in a time where the color of your skin or the way you wear your glasses has nothing to do with anything - a scene of purity, marked with Anne Hathaway's Kym. With all the distractions of race, religion, or simply clothing choices, her character is the one we notice and the characters notice as well. It's about her, as it should be. The story, hitting me in a more personal level than I expected, is about a family dealing with the death of their son and the daughter who is to blame, if you see it that way. Hathaway's remarkable performance deserves an Oscar - though I'd rather Kate - and Rosemarie DeWitt is impeccable as Rachel. I only wish I saw the film for what it is right away.

3. Let the Right One In

One of the most innovative, simple, and intriguing films of the year, the Norwegian work of art "Let the Right One In" crosses a boy-girl love story with vampire hunger. The excellence of this film is not that it fits with the horror genre (though it does), but that the horror, gore, and blood isn't what it's really about - that's all a mere backdrop, a motif of its true nature. A boy, picked on at school and with divorced parents, meets a strange girl, one who doesn't wear anything to warm her feet from the snow, one who is completely entranced by a Rubric's cube, one who's stomach aches with hunger. She's a vampire and her father (or who acts as her father) must kill to let her feed. The visual and special effects are spectacular, gruesome but without the blurring effect that most horror films use nowadays. It's barely possible to see any of the gore in them because the camera shakes so much. "Let the Right One In" treats the horror of itself with intensity and appreciation. Certainly the best horror film I've seen in years - maybe ever - "Let the Right One In" deserves its #3 spot, and shouldn't have been excluded from the foreign film race in the Oscars! Bastards.

2. Slumdog Millionaire

Is it realistic? For the pessimist in me - no - but being the optimist I tend to be, the plot of "Slumdog Millionaire" is meant to be if fate allows. That aside, this film goes beyond anything I've ever seen before; the beauty of each shot transcends the word beauty with colors bursting through the screen, vibrant cinematography, angles, trains, the Taj Mahal, and the Latika smile at the train station. So youthful, the cast doesn't strive to outshine with lead performances, but rather embraces the age of the characters, separating yet linking themselves to the younger characters of the same name. Danny Boyle's direction in "Slumdog" is pure and utter genius. I can't say enough about the power he holds in each take, emotions wring out of them, from hilarity to melancholy, violence to love. But the real reason for "Slumdog Millionaire's" topping my 2008 list is because it ends happily surrounded with such grief and sorrow. It doesn't conclude with sap or with tragedy, it perfectly seizes love, hope, and happiness and allows the audience to feel good.

1. Doubt

Beyond the reaches of Miller's "Death of a Salesman," Sophocles' "Oedipus Rex", Albee's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," or even Shakespeare's "Hamlet" - all plays I have studied, analyzed, and taught - John Patrick Shanley's 2005 "Doubt, a Parable" is the most perfect play I've ever read. One can understand how nervous I was to see Shanely's cinematic interpretation of his Pulitzer- and Tony-winning masterpiece when it was released in December. However, my nerves were settled once the film began. A beautiful, delicate adaptation from stage to screen, "Doubt" is one of the finest films of the year. Though it contains minor flaws, on screen the story thrives, the words clutch throats, and the acting is beyond superb. Honestly, this ensemble comes close to defeating Elizabeth Taylor and Co. in "Virginia Woolf?" for the best cast ever award in my books. They were unstoppable, unreachable, and pitch-perfect. Viola Davis brings forth a single, gut-wrenching scene that captures the complexity of doubt. Amy Adams layers Sister James with about a dozen layers, each more complicated than the next, from naivete to decisiveness. As Father Flynn, Philip Seymour Hoffman steals the audience's hearts while we struggle to believe him - a feat only he can achieve. And then there's Meryl. Other than Sophie Zawistowski in "Sophie's Choice," her Sister Aloysius is Streep's best performance to date. No-holds-barred with a domineering facade that holds much pain and compassion deep inside, she certainly deserves her third Oscar this year. "Doubt" will be the film of 2008 that was not nominated in the Best Picture category and will have people flabbergasted about this snub in years to come - "Doubt" needs time to settle in.