The Top Ten Movies of 2008

10. Frost/Nixon

Directed by Ron Howard
This film works because it's structured in a fashion similar to that of a sports movie. It's the story of an underdog versus an undefeatable goliath. Only here, the stakes are much greater, and the reigning champion is not just a one-sided villain, but a character the audience can actually sympathize with at times.


9. The Wrestler

Directed by Darren Aronofsky
Aronofsky has created a world of incredible realism which makes Mickey Rourke's outstanding performance all the more effective. The movie accurately captures the sadness of being a celebrity that the world has stopped caring about.


8. Religulous

Directed by Larry Charles
Despite its flaws as a movie, RELIGULOUS deals with a subject of incredible importance, raising big questions which need to be addressed. And it does so in a very funny and accesible way.


7. American Teen

Directed by Nanette Burstein
From a storytelling point of view, there's something perfect about a year in high school. Kids from all walks of life are thrown together into this pressure-filled environment where anything can happen. There is a definite beginning, middle, and end, but the details are different for everyone. Burstein uses these elements to show high school as a microcosm of society on the whole.


6. Iron Man
Directed by Jon Favreau

Robert Downey, Jr. is the driving force behind the best first movie in a Marvel franchise. On it's own, the film is a lot of fun, more as a performance-driven comedy than an action movie. But it also begins the process of opening up the Marvel movie universe to infinite possibilities.


5. Cloverfield

Directed by Matt Reeves
This movie has a very simple premise that works extremely well. Why not do a monster movie from the general public's perspective? But it also adopts an improvisational acting style and documentary-like aesthetic which acts in stark contrast to its big-budget effects. The end result is a very unique and visceral experience.


4. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Directed by Steven Spielberg
The Indiana Jones movies have always dealt with pre-established mythologies, and the new film is no different. However, this one chooses to use a much more modern myth, that of Roswell, which makes it the perfect homage to the sci-fi B-movies of the fifties.


3. Quantum of Solace

Directed by Marc Forster
This film picks up where CASINO ROYALE left off, expanding on the mythology and adding depth to the character of Bond. It does so without falling into the trap of cliches which has killed so many 007 films in the past.


2. Zack and Miri Make a Porno

Directed by Kevin Smith
Leave it to Smith to turn a movie about amateur porn into the sweetest love story of the year. It's also the funniest movie of the year, combining Smith's brilliant writing with the improv talents of Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks.


1. The Dark Knight

Directed by Christopher Nolan
Nothing else comes close to being as good as this picture. Starting with Christopher and Jonathan Nolan's script, all the way through Lee Smith's editing, THE DARK KNIGHT does not miss a beat. The perfectly constructed story is not just an excuse to blow things up. It's extraordinarily dense, dealing with important issues and complex characters. Heath Ledger's performance is a revelation, but it should not overshadow the work of the rest of the cast, especially Aaron Eckhart. Wally Pfister's Imax photography produces some of the most stunning images ever put to screen. And the score by James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer is haunting, without ever drawing attention to itself.

Nolan's masterpiece is an achievement on every level. How often does a popcorn movie carry this much substance? How often does a character-driven drama exercise such great attention to technical detail? THE DARK KNIGHT is so much better than any other movie of the past half decade that it is quite ridiculous not to call it the best film of the year.