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Film Revisionism: Your Top 10 For the Past 13 Years

2004 In Review​
Linked: Top 100 Grossing Films*
*Don't count re-releases.

Linked:Films Receiving BAFTA Nominations**
**Don't count Monster.

Linked: Films Receiving Academy Award Nominations

Linked: National Board of Review Nominations

Films Shown At the 2004 Cannes Film Festival***
***Don't count Oldboy or Kontroll.

Roger Ebert's Ten Best Films of 2004
1. Million Dollar Baby
2. Kill Bill Vol. 2
3. Vera Drake
4. Spider Man 2
5. Moolaade
6. The Aviator
7. Baadasssss!
8. Sideways
9. Hotel Rwanda
10. Undertow

Here's my top 10 for 2004:

1) Downfall: About Hitler's, as well as the Third Reich's, final days, Downfall is the film from which all of the "Hitler in translation" videos come from. Despite one of its scenes being used as a meme (something I am guilty of but that I suspect was fueled by the caricaturization of Hitler in Inglorious Basterds), this is the best film ever made about anything pertaining to Nazi Germany (yes, this includes the Holocaust, and thus Schindler's List). In a performance for the ages, Bruno Ganz portrayal as a haggard and defeated Hitler raises plenty of questions about not only what constitutes goodness, but also how we judge a person's character.

2, Tie) Head-On: Another German film about a middle-aged Turkish man who enters into a sham marriage with a young German woman of Turkish descent who is trying to appease her ultra-traditionalist family. If you think this sounds like some romcom-drama hybrid that tries to address cultural and racial tolerance by making light of it, then you're in for a very rude awakening, buddy. Movie don't get much more violent and realistic than this one. I used to love the movie Crash, and it probably would have made my 2005 top ten list had I not seen this movie. If you hate films that oversimplify diversity and try to preach tolerance through contrivance and emotional manipulation, skip the repeat viewing of Crash and watch Head-On.

2, Tie) Million Dollar Baby: Most of you have seen this one already. Only a year after the release of Mystic River, Eastwood again knocks it out of the park with this one. This time, though, there was no other film, or series of films, more deserving than his during the Oscars.

4, Tie) Calvaire/The Ordeal: xfear and I talked a lot about the New French Extremity on here a lot but this is one of the films we never got to discuss. If you haven't seen it, Calvaire is about a singer who lives out of a van and performs in retirement homes and similar venues for a living. En route to a Christmas gig, the singer's van breaks down deep in the countryside and he is stranded until he is rescued and brought to the inn of a nearby village. While the elderly male innkeeper is initially warm and kind to the singer, things take a turn for the worse when the innkeeper identifies the singer as his dead wife and another local who had an affair with this late woman joins the innkeeper in his delusion. I assure you that this film is every bit as odd and terrifying as it sounds.

4, Tie) Mysterious Skin: I can almost guarantee you that jmt is going to put this as his number one since, like my love for Michael Haneke, his love for Joseph Gordon-Levitt knows no bounds (I also can almost guarantee you that he has all season of 3rd Rock from the Sun on DVD). I'll let him talk about this one since he probably pre-ordered his tickets for Don Jon last year.

6) Passion of the Christ: This movie was over two hours long but played out as if it was only 75 minutes long. Even though I don't think much of Braveheart, I think Mel Gibson showed himself to be a damn fine director with this one.

7) Primer: A ultra low-budget movie about time travel that I'm still trying to figure out.

8) Shaun of the Dead: Someone else can comment on this one.

9) Friday Night Lights: Someone else can comment on this one.

10) Collateral: Someone else can comment on this one.
 
JGlass said:
4) 28 Days Later: Aside from a few classics, 28 Days Later is probably my favorite horror film, and for my money is one of the few American horror flicks worth a damn made since the 1980s. 28 Days Later managed to make zombies terrifying without going too over the top–an easy trap to fall into. The last action sequence is fantastic, especially considering the budget the film had to work with. It's the type of action sequence that makes hundred million plus budgets look silly, and I give it all the credit in the world for making a thrilling movie with a 5 million pound budget.
Click to expand...

I believe you mean British, dear boy :) The cast were all pretty much perfect in their roles and Cillian Murphy's payback during the "In the house - in a heartbeat" sequence is just so brilliantly executed with the combination of lighting, music and quick editing.

9) Friday Night Lights: Someone else can comment on this one.
Click to expand...

I'm not a big Billy Bob fan, I'm not a massive American Football fan (though I enjoyed watching it when I could) and FNL is just a film I took a chance on given the good reviews it was getting.

The score of the film comprising of several Explosions in the Sky songs lent a much different feel to the film than the usual kind of music used in sport films. The instrumental ambivalence of their songs matched the ambivalence of some of the characters; for some of the players, football is all they'll ever want to do and for the others, they happen to be good at football but have to deal with enormous pressure of expectation as football success is all the town seems to care about.

Even if someone isn't a fan of sports films or American football, Friday Night Lights is too good a movie to avoid for those reasons, given that it deals with more off the field issues than on-field issues.

Plus, the TV show is fantastic too although it isn't a direct spin off from the film.
 
1. Million Dollar Baby- By far my favorite Hillary Swank film ever, and she really earned her Best Actress Oscar. The scene towards the end, where Swank is confined to the bed, and her uncaring and moneygrubbing family comes in from Disney World. The mother puts a pen in Swank's mouth, so she can sign over all her assets to the family. Swank, realizing her family is just taking advantage of her for the money, spits the pen out, and she FINALLY tells her family to fuck off for good. An amazing scene, cast, and when you add in Clint's masterful work behind the camera, Million Dollar Baby is one the few Oscar favorites that actually lives up to the hype. A shame Swank is still aimlessly wandering around in a mediocre phase.

2. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind- Comedy or non-comedy, Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind is Jim Carrey's best film. With ETSOTSM, you get a look at the joys, pitfalls, and heartaches in a relationship with a sci-fi twist, and the film never reaches a too cynical or too corny point. Winselt and Carrey shared some excellent chemistry, while delivering two outstanding performances on their own.

3. Spider-Man 2- My favorite Sam Raimi film next to Evil Dead 2. Using similar reasons for my X2 pick, Spider-Man 2 is one of the best superhero sequels ever made, and a legit contender for the best superhero film of all time, easily surpassing the original 2002 Spider-Man in every way possible. Alfred Molina was a great villain, James Franco was more entertaining portraying a distraught, vindictive, and miserable Harry Osborn. That scene where Harry repeatedly slaps Peter in the face in front of everyone at the party is a scene that's hard to forget. Amazing fight sequences, a deeper emotional spectrum, and a truly great summer blockbuster.

4. Collateral- I'll always remember Collateral for Tom Cruise taking a real chance, and stepping out of his comfort zone to portray a darker and villainous character. His buddy Will Smith should take notes, because Cruise proved you can be more edgy, and still have a successful run at the box office. Jaime Foxx wasn't bad, but I think the Oscar nomination took things too far. Why? Because without Cruise as his foil, I guarantee you Collateral doesn't receive so much praise.

5. The Incredibles- Definitely in my top five for favorite Disney/Pixar films. I really enjoyed The Incredibles, because the film has a story that appeals to kids and adults. Lots of laughs and some cool action scenes. The Incredibles is just a lot of fun, and I'm kind of disappointed they never went with a sequel.

6. Team America: World Police- Ugh, I'm so tempted to say I enjoy this more than South Park Bigger, Longer & Uncut. Matt and Trey delivered a hilariously profane political satire comedy with all the absurd silliness you've come to expect from the both of them, and World Police is loaded with some good memorable moments.

7. The Aviator- I mellow on some feelings of disdain I have for this film (mainly the runtime, which seemingly drags forever) every now and then, and The Aviator is one of the more memorable Scorsese/DiCaprio collaborations. And Leo really earned his Oscar nomination.

8. Secret Window- I enjoy the novella, but I love the film more. Secret Window is a rare Hollywood psychological thriller that doesn't settle for the happy ending, where the nutcase suffers a predictable demise. And the chemistry between Depp and John Turturro is just excellent. Plus, David Koepp did an admirable job of adapting King's work, and admirable is not an easy task to accomplish by a long shot (don't believe me, watch The Langoliers).

9. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy- I did not like this the first time I saw it. In fact, I hated it. But I'm always indifferent to Will Ferrell's work. Anyway, I was bored out of my mind one day, so I gave this another try on HBO, and I laughed my ass off throughout the movie. I don't think Anchorman works without Ferrell's buffoonish and over the top performance, and I'm looking forward to the sequel.

10. Man On Fire- I know some will think of Man On Fire as one of the more underwhelming Washington/Scott Brother's collaborations, but I couldn't disagree more. Top notch performance from Denzel, because he taps into his darker side again here. Christopher Walken and Dakota Fanning provide a pair of good performances also. Man Of Fire is a brutal and very violent revenge flick, that packs a powerful punch. Plus, I can't forget about the graphic, bloody, and hard to watch torture scenes throughout the film.
 
1) Nobody Knows - Heartbreaking Japanese film about a 12-year-old young man and his siblings who are left to care for themselves when their mother abandons them. This movie, by far, has the best child acting I've ever seen. These kids, specifically the lead, are so remarkable that it just blows you away.

2) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - I didn't know what I was really in for when I saw this. And I'm glad because it made the first viewing experience all the better. What a unique, magical film this is that leaves you thinking for hours after you see it.

3) Kill Bill: Vol. 2 - What can I say? I love Quentin Tarantino, and I love these Kill Bill films.

4) Before Sunset - Richard Linklater's beautiful follow-up to Before Sunrise about two young adults reuniting in France when almost ten years before, they spent about 15 hours together roaming around Vienna and falling in love, promising each other at the end that they'd meet at a train station 6 months later when Ethan Hawke's character had to go back to the states. This film is shot almost entirely in real time, and it feels as real as any other movie you'll ever see.

5) House of Flying Daggers - The most beautiful martial arts epic film ever made. The story leaves a little left to be desired, but man... visually, this movie is stunning.

6) Mysterious Skin - Tdigs is right, my love for JGL knows no bounds, although I didn't rate this as highly as he thought I would (and no, I don't have 3rd Rock from the Sun on DVD, lol). Regardless, this is definitely a top 10 film of the year and I'd say JGL's performance in it was the 2nd best performance of the year (behind only Yuya Yagira in Nobody Knows).

7) The Machinist - There are so many layers to this film. I'm surprised it's not more popular since when you break it down, it's every bit as mysterious and thought-provoking as something like Mulholland Drive. It gets remembered for Christian Bale's dramatic weight loss, but there's so much more to the film than that.

8) Man of Fire - A top 3 Denzel Washington movie for me, and if you're familiar with his filmography, then you know that's saying something. You walk in expecting a typical popcorn flick, but it's so much more than that. The intensity and beautiful relationship between Denzel and Dakota Fanning all take you for a loop.

9) The Bourne Supremacy - The weakest of the Bourne movies, yet still a top notch action flick and one of the best movies from 2004. I can't speak highly enough of this trilogy.

10) Million Dollar Baby - I thought this was a really good film, but not as good as hyped up. Hilary Swank of course is brilliant, but I really thought the third act was forced and that they went the whole "tragic" route just to be tragic. The way the whole accident takes place... I just didn't buy into it. Despite that (imo) flaw, you can still see why this movie is so highly lauded and can't help but respect it regardless.
 
1. Downfall
As the Third Reich loses its grip on power, Hitler loses his somewhat already tenuous grip on sanity in this film portraying the final days of the Nazis. It’s a stirring, powerful drama which manages to humanise the worst of these monsters while not making them necessarily sympathetic. Bruno Ganz gives a career best performance in a career littered with astounding performances.

2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
A truly original film both in narrative and visual design, Eternal Sunshine questions the moral implications of being able to erase memories by examining the blissful highs and shattering lows of a relationship through a man’s memories, while they are being deleted.

3. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
I’m a big Wes Anderson fan, though it took me a few repeat viewings to get into The Life Aquatic. Looking past the Jacques Cousteau references and animated trappings this is essentially an examination of a man going through a midlife crisis, the type of role Bill Murray has excelled in during the latter part of his career. A successful oceanographer in the past, Steve Zissou is over the hill with nothing to show for his efforts until the son he didn’t know he had turns up. No spoilers, but one of the final scenes has Staralfur by Sigur Ros played over the top and it’s truly heartwrenching.

4. Sideways
Another film about a man in a midlife crisis. Alexander Payne has directed a lot of films which focus on men of a certain age reaching a turning point and having to make a tough decision as to where the rest of their life will go. The California vineyards are basked in an amazing glow throughout and Paul Giamatti is excellent in the lead role.

5. Million Dollar Baby
A real tear-jerker this one with exceptional performances all around.

6. The Aviator
Along with Gangs of New York, the film that really shed DiCaprio’s image as just a pretty-boy heartthrob and announced him as one of today’s top actors.

7. The Motorcycle Diaries
Gael Garcia Bernal is excellent as a young Che Guevara, on the trip that will ultimately radicalize him.

8. Kill Bill Vol. 2
You know, I love Tarantino. When I was a teenager I thought that Reservoir Dogs was the coolest thing in the world. I think I watched it four times the week I got it on DVD and could quote most of it. Yes, I’m aware that that’s incredibly sad. However, I just could not get into Kill Bill Vol. 1. I thought it was decent enough but that it was too concerned with emulating certain genres that it came off almost as pastiche or parody rather than homage. It seemed like it tried too hard to be cool. Volume 2 though is like the kid that doesn’t have to try to be cool. It just is. The homage to Westerns in Kill Bill Vol. 2 seems more subtle and organized than the homage to martial arts films in Volume 1 and it just all around feels like a tighter film.

9. Collateral
I’m not a Tom Cruise fan really but I enjoyed him in this playing a villain for a change. Nobody shoots night-time scenes like Michael Mann does. It’s simply a really entertaining film and Cruise is excellent as the affably evil hitman.

10. Before Sunset
Proof that you don’t need cheese to make an effective romance. Like Before Sunrise, Jesse and Celine’s relationship nine years on is built purely by dialogue. It feels so natural and so real that you totally forget that you’re watching Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy and not Jesse and Celine.
 
1) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: My favorite Kaufman film, this is a beautiful movie about the futility of relationships and life in general. One of the more melancholy and bleak endings you'll see, but a truly great work of art.

2) Million Dollar Baby: Right in the window of great Clint Eastwood flicks, Million Dollar Baby has three fantastic performances and a good mix of action, comedy, sweetness, and some of the saddest shit you'll ever see.

3) Anchorman: I am unashamed to say that I still find this movie hilarious. If anything, it's actually grown on me over the years. It's likely Will Ferrell's best role, and it really helped make the careers of Paul Rudd and Steve Carrell, two actors that have gone on to make several other terrific films.

4) Mean Girls: I'm surprised I'm the first person to list this. Since the 90s, good teen comedies have been few and far between, and this is one of them.

5) Kill Bill Vol. 2: Was a step down from the original, but the fight scene with Daryl Hannah was bad ass, as was the final scene with David Carradine.

6) The Punisher: Because fuck you, this is my list. I really liked this movie, and even though John Travolta as a mob boss villain was a fucking joke, I though Thomas Jane did a pretty decent job, and the way Frank Castle got his revenge on Howard Saint.

7) Saved!: Another good teen comedy, but this one tried to have more of a message than Mean Girls. It was still really fucking funny, and Mandy Moore really showed that she can, under the right conditions, deliver a pretty decent performance.

8) The Terminal: Tom Hanks was funny, Stanley Tucci was an evil bastard, Catherine Zeta-Jones was hot, and Diego Luna was there too. It's a good watch.

9) King Arthur: I like Kiera Knightly a lot, and heck, this is a fun take on an old story.

10) Van Helsing: Because fuck you, this is my list! I have fond memories of watching this one with my best friend from high school and discovering how ridiculously hot Kate Beckinsale is.
 
2004​

1. Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind: I know much praise is heaped upon The Truman Show as Jim Carrey's best movie, and rightfully so. Personally, I felt ESOTSM was better, as it was easily Carrey's most complicated film, and one of the best of the year as well. The ending was genuinely surprising and moving at the same time, and both Kate Winslet and Carrey pull this off beautifully. It's a very cerebral film that dares the audience not to be moved. Winslet deserved the nomination for Best Actress here, and was my favorite movie from 2004.

2. Million Dollar Baby: It took two viewings for me to truly appreciate this movie. Understandably deserving of the Oscar's it won, specifically, Swank's performance and Eastwood's directing, I like movies such as this. Specifically, one's that don't necessarily end in triumph for the character's, but rather, the triumph of character. Eastwood's consulting of the priest before ultimately deciding to do what will leave Maggie better off was a heartbreaking yet rewarding scene. The movie wrapping as he successfully euthanizes her while calling her "daughter" and "blood" was gutwretching, yet felt triumphant as you realize Morgan Freeman is reading to Frankie's daughter about who her dad truly is.

3.Saw: I'll take the "This is my list" approach with this one, especially in placing it this high. The seven Jigsaw movies were all ones that my friends and I made a habit of seeing the midnight premieres of, and I saw this one in theatres three times. I liked Tobin Bell, Cary Elwes and Shawnee Smith prior to this movie each, but this was my favorite film the three did.(Except Princess Bride for Elwes, lest I be scolded) The movie, while great fun, is also dark in it's resounding message regarding the importance of not wasting one's life, as well as the great twist made this overall one of my favorite 2004 movies and launched a very good franchise. Horror movies generally aren't "great", and neither was this. But it was personal preference.

4. Downfall: There's simply nothing I can say here that Tdigle didn't go over. I had never heard of Bruno Ganz before this, but he was simply incredible here.

5. The Aviator: The best movie not named Million Dollar Baby nominated for an Oscar, and the only one at the time I remember even having a realistic chance at winning it otherwise. Its hard to believe this movie is almost 3 hours long, because it in no way feels it. DiCaprio tackles the role of Howard Hughes quite impressively, depicting beautifully how mental illness can interfere with, or, in this case, destroy the lives of even the most intelligent and gifted among us. A great ensemble as supporting cast made this movie truly enjoyable, as while DiCaprio stole the show, he wasn't the only one.

6. Spider-Man 2: Pretty much what Mitch said, although I personally felt this was Sam Raimi's best movie. A hero is only as good as his enemies allow him to be, and Alfred Molina and James Franco both, as Mitch pointed out, were great here.


7. The Passion Of The Christ: For some reason, this movie feels much older then 2004. If one believes this to be true(As I do), then it is quite simply the most heartbreaking and amazing story of love and redemption adapted to screen. Jim Caveizel is how I picture Jesus when he comes to mind, and his soft-spoken, calm demeanor is beautifully contrasted up against all others, from his disciples to Pilate to the thieves dying next to him. Wonderfully directed by Mel Gibson and an Easter-time staple at my house.

8. Collateral: Even when Tom Cruise makes a bad movie(not the case here), his acting is typically able to pick the movie up because he's always in top form as an actor. Here, it was interesting to see him step out of his comfort zone and play a soft-spoken, truly evil hitman, with Jamie Foxx easily his equal as his foil. I like the morality attached to each character, and how the message of, "What is the right thing to do?" is often confused with "What is the right thing for me?", which the movie answers well.

9. The Machinist: I surprised I didn't see this on someone else's list, as Christian Bale was excellent in this. Bale, a man driven by guilt so bad that he is unable to sleep and eventually, dives further and further into insanity as the film progresses. There are so many questions that demand answers as the movie moves forward and they pay each off with surprising detail and, quite simply, a tour de force performance by Bale. A true reflection, I imagine, of what guilt can do to the human psyche and body alike.

10. Mean Girls: To this day, Mean Girls remains one of my wife's favorite movies. I think it was Tina Fey that said in an interview that it was geared more as a comedy for adults and a reality show for teens. That's pretty spot-on, actually, as I saw it just a few years ago for the first time and genuinely laughed. Great casting.
 
2005 In Review​
Linked: Top 100 Grossing Films*
*Don't count re-releases.

Linked:Films Receiving BAFTA Nominations

Linked: Films Receiving Academy Award Nominations

Linked: National Board of Review Nominations

Films Shown At the 2005 Cannes Film Festival

Roger Ebert's Ten Best Films of 2005
1. Crash
2. Syriana
3. Munich
4. Junebug
5. Brokeback Mountain
6. Me and You and Everyone We Know
7. Nine Lives
8. King Kong
9. Yes
10. Millions

Here are my top 10 for 2005:

1) Cache: The second Haneke film I saw and probably my favorite. This one, about a bourgie French family receiving anonymous surveillance tapes of their home, polarized critics when it was first released. Like many classic European films, such as Antonioni's L'Avventura, Blowup, and Tarkovsky's Stalker, Cache raises more questions than it answers. Its intentional ambiguity turns off a lot of people, but this is precisely, in my eyes, what makes it such an eminently watchable and great film.

2, Tie) Batman Begins: The best superhero film ever made and Christopher Nolan's greatest film to date. I'm still at a loss as to why people think The Dark Knight is better than this one.

2, Tie) Noroi: The Curse: I found out about this film while I was on a found-footage binge and megaupload and rapidshare were still around (rapidshare is still around but it's now like a morbidly obese gelding compared to the Triple Crown-winning stud horse it once was). Never officially released in the US, Noroi is about a popular Japanese paranormal writer and television personality's investigation into a demon known as the Kagutaba. Filmed like a television documentary comparable to an extended episode of River Monsters (or something similar), Noroi forgoes cheap jump thrills and instead aims for long-lasting and lingering creepiness. Given that it's been at least two years since I last saw Noroi but that it still haunts me from time to time, I think it's definitely safe to say that Noroi achieved its aim with me.

4) Match Point: My favorite Woody Allen film, and many times better than his most similar film, Crimes and Misdemeanors. I wonder if Match Point is so great because it's nothing like a typical Woody Allen film...

5) Junebug: Great indie dramedy about an urbane, cultured couple returning to the husband's southern hometown. I think most of the people that post in this thread have already seen Junebug, so there's no point in going more in-depth. When the hell is Amy Adams going to get an Oscar? Bitch has been nominated for Best Supporting Actress four fucking times in the past eight years!!!

6) Hustle & Flow: Terrence Howard is a great fucking actor. Howard parlayed his Oscar-nominated performance in this film into high-paying supporting roles in Hollywood films. However, he forgot the number one rule of working for Hollywood's white elite: Don Cheadle number one black man!!!

7) Naboer/Next Door: Awesome erotic thriller from Norway. I can't really tell you much about this one because its more atmosphere and tension than plot. However, it's certainly not about nothing, and it clocks in at around an hour and fifteen minutes. No American could be this effective with so short a duration.

8) A Bittersweet Life: A South Korean crime drama about a mob goon who disobeys direct orders to assassinate his boss's mistress and the fallout from this decision. If an American had made this film (I believe a remake is coming in the next one or two years...ugh), it would be about the mob goon falling in love with the mistress and ultimately prevailing over his intrinsically evil boss. Thankfully, this is from the country where quality is inherent in the filmmaking process. Does the mob goon, Kim Sun-Woo, spare the life of Hee-Soo, his boss's mistress, because he loves her, or is it because, in shadowing her, he is reminded of the romantic void in his life? In other words, is it Hee-Soo herself or the thought of someone like Hee-Soo in his life that drives Kim Sun-Woo to make the choices he does? Again, great films ask more questions than they answer.

9) I'm the Angel of Death: Pusher III: The last film in the overall great Danish crime trilogy.

10) Deuce Bigelow: European Gigolo: Another film that jmt and cookie laughed at me for liking. If you can keep a straight face while watching the space cakes scene and listening to the sound effects of a dwarf being thrown in water, then you, my friend, are much stronger man than I am.
 
1. Munich
Spielberg is always at his best when he isn’t over-sentimental or schmaltzy. Munich is a taut, tense thriller and surprisingly cold for a Spielberg film.

2. Everything is Illuminated
American-Jewish Elijah Wood travels to the Ukraine to find the woman who saved his grandfather during the Holocaust, guided by native Alex (Eugene Hutz of Gorgol Bordello fame). The interaction between the two is hilarious. It has the right amount of quirkiness but while the cultural differences are played for laughs there is a good mix of comedy and drama and the denouement is fantastic.

3. The Proposition
Brutal and unflinching Australian Western with a fantastic, haunting score from Nick Cave. Captured by the police along with his younger brother, Charlie Burns (Guy Pearce) is given the opportunity by of securing his and his young brothers freedom by killing his violent older sibling. One of the few films which portrays Aborigine culture with a significant degree of accuracy.

4. Brokeback Mountain
So many jokes about this one when it came out .I was only a teenager so to peers with more limited brain cells watching Brokeback Mountain meant that you were gay. It’s a great tragic love story which just happens to be between two men rather than a man and a woman. Heath Ledger should have won the Oscar for this one. Unlike Crash which won the Best Picture Oscar that year it deals with a sensitive subject without bashing you on the head with it. The cinematography is stunning as well.

5. Broken Flowers
I’m a big Bill Murray fan and I like Jim Jarmusch too. It’s more of a character study about a middle aged man searching for meaning, with a meandering plot as Murray receives a letter from an anonymous old girlfriend claiming that he has a son. He sets out to find his old girlfriends to discover which, if any, can give him more information on him.

6. The Three Burials of Melquiadas Estrada
Tommy Lee Jones’ directorial debut is a brilliant neo-Western. When his best friend, Melquiadas Estrada, is killed by a border cop, Tommy takes the cop hostage and drags both him and the body of his friend across the border to Mexico to fulfil Melquiadas’ last wish – to be buried in the place of his choosing. Jones’ cowboy is a man at odds with the encroaching technology (he still uses a horse instead of a car) but a man who still retains values, integrity and his own sense of justice.

7. Walk the Line
Not much to say about this one. If you like Johnny Cash you’ll be a fan, if not then you’ll probably not enjoy it as much. Joaquin Phoenix is fantastic in the title role and credit to him and Reese Witherspoon for doing their own vocals.

8. Sin City
Hyper-violent, neo-noir. I’m guessing most people on here will have seen it so I’ll not say much. Stylistically inventive and faithful to the original graphic novels.

9. Good Night, and Good Luck.
Clooney’s film depicts Edward Murrow’s attempts to call Joseph McCarthy to account for the communist witch-hunts. Great performances across the board.

10. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
One of the funniest films I’ve seen. Noir-comedy with Robert Downey Jr. doing what he does best and Val Kilmer who is hilarious as a gay private detective. Laugh out loud funny with a cracking script.
 
1. A History Of Violence: I've always been a Viggo Mortensen fan, and here his work with David Cronenberg was top notch, and my favorite movie of the year. The "Is he or isn't he", based upon the claims that Mortensen's Tom is a gangster as claimed by Ed Harris' Carl is seemingly dispelled quickly, only for other stories, town gossip, mostly, and stories of Tom enjoying violence rise in their place. is a tremendous look at the capacity for people to change, and the idea that if you do something different from your past long enough, its not pretending. William Hurt was outstanding as Tom/Joey's brother, and was deserving of the Best Supporting Actor nomination, at the least. As Breaking Bad played out tremendously, this film was a startling revelation of how violence, even the smallest amounts, have the impact to bring widespread consequence. The movie also explores the ability for the human being to truly change as well I've seen a movie do in some time.

2. Match Point: It's not Midnight in Paris, nor did I even recognize it as a Woody Allen movie at the time. This was the role of a lifetime for Scarlet Johanssen, and she seemed to enjoy playing the mistress from hell immensely. I felt a small bit of smug dissatisfaction in myself hoping that Rhys-Meyers Chris would get away with the double homicide, but was equally surprised when he did. Allen's idea of justice has always clashed with that of society, and does once again with the ending. Had it not been for the magnificent themes and acting both in History of Violence, this would have been my favorite movie of 2005.

3. Crash: I remember the shock overall at the Academy Awards in 2005 when Crash won for Best Picture, or perhaps more explicitly, Brokeback Mountain didn't. I can only go on personal preference, and that was Crash for me, easily. The way the majority of the storylines overlapped in one way or another was, for me, a great piece of storytelling, along with the very real depiction that regardless of who you believe someone to be, you never know truly until in a situation how someone is going to react. Further, that racism and racist people aren't as cut and dry as we think, or behave one way or another all the time. Life, like racism, can be incredibly situational, and I felt this movie demonstrated that better then any I've ever seen. I especially liked the performances of Ryan Philippe and Don Cheadle here.

4. Walk The Line: I've never been a huge fan of biopics, mainly because I've read or know the backgrounds already, and they generally fail to do the subjects' justice. I am unapologetic as a huge Johnny Cash fan, and was incredibly surprised with how well and accurately the movie portrayed Johnny and June. So much credit has to go to Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon, both who studied the lives and beliefs of the Cash's in order to get into full character. It worked, in splendid form.

5. Batman Begins: Christian Bale has always been my favorite Batman, popular sentiment or not. I liked how they explored the backstory of how he became Batman, not simply portraying him as a carefree Playboy who donned the rubber suit when it worked for him. Liam Neeson was a tremendous first adversary for Bale's Batman, as Rha's al Ghul was a formidable villian the previous films mistakenly didn't tackle. I liked Michael Caine, Neeson, Bale, and Gary Oldham each in their respective roles.

6. Syriana: Like Crash, this movie blends storylines together in a way that seems quite effortless, and in a way where there are few plot holes left. I've heard the criticisms that Syriana attempts to over-simplify a much larger issue, but I felt the film was both thought-provoking and emotionally unnerving both, and felt the characters were more confused by movies' end rather then sending some larger 'message'.

7.Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang: One of the few movies I can watch at any time and not grow sick of. Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer displayed excellent chemistry together, and the movie didn't take itself too seriously. The ending was a roll-your-eyes farce, but it seems that's what Joel Silver and Shane Black intended based on the dialogue, which was exceptional.

8. The 40 Year Old Virgin: A heartwarming comedy that strikes the perfect balance between being crude and feelgood, which seems to be a staple of Judd Apatow comedies. He couldn't have cast a better writing partner here as his lead then he did with Steve Carell.

9. Saw 2: A huge step down from the first installment of the series, with Jigsaw's identity now known. The heartbreak I felt for Donnie Wahlberg, even as a corrupt cop and lousy dad was paramount as he couldn't keep his temper in check, even to see his son again. There were several clever plot twists here as well, but no one truly came across as likeable on the whole. Still, my favorite modern day horror franchise cracks my top 10 for the second straight year.

10. Wedding Crashers: It might not be proper and what-not to like such a mysognystic film, but I found it to be legitimately funny. I've never been a fan of Vince Vaughn or Owen Wilson all-that-much, but they were a great pair here. A fun movie.
 
1. Batman Begins- After Batman & Robin, I think most people would agree the Batman franchise couldn't possibly stoop any lower. Nolan, Bale, and Neeson went and above and beyond "something that was simply better than Batman & Robin" or a passable effort. They hit a homerun out of the park, and Nolan set a new standard of excellence for The Batman franchise. And when you consider how terrible Batman & Robin was, Nolan's achievement deserves more praise, because he'll always be remembered as the guy, who resurrected The Batman franchise.

2. Sin City- I have a thing for extreme violence and bloody gore, and Sin City gives you more than you can ask for. One of the most creative neo noir crime thrillers you'll ever see, and Sin City is loaded with quotable one-liners ("I take away his weapons........both of them"). Plus, the vast majority of the cast (Willis is okay, and Alba is only remembered for her rope and lasso dance on the bar counter) is just fantastic.

3. The Descent- There aren't enough words to describe how much I love this movie. Tons of nasty gore, and a handful of really good jump scares throughout the film. But The Descent isn't limited to being a random blood and gore fest you'll find in the Wal-Mart $5 bin. No, the characters have real depth, and as the massacre in the cave unfolds, The Descent becomes a compelling tale of morality, vengeance, and survival. And the ending with Sarah, the pickaxe, and Juno? Amazing cliffhanger.

4.Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire- Franchises aren't suppose to get better with more films, but Potter disproves this theory. 'Till this day, I still believe The Goblet Of Fire is the best book and film, because the twists and surprises shocked the hell out of me, when I first read the book. And the movie was able to provide an engrossing story, while setting the perfect dreadful, doomsday stage for Lord Voldemort's return. And for what it's worth, I was happy, when Cedric Diggory was killed off in the book and movie.

5. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith- I remember this movie for a few reasons. 1. I saw this one in theaters on opening day a few days before my last day of high school, and 2. I watched it for a second time in theaters on the night of my graduation. Anyway, Revenge Of The Sith is easily the best of the prequels, Natalie Portman is great here, and the final lightsaber duel between Anakin and Obi-Wan is a top contender for the best saber duel ever.

6. Hustle & Flow- I was surprised how good this was, when I first saw it. I refused to go to any theater to watch this, because I did not like the trailers at all. Terrence Howard is amazing, and Taraji P. Henson is pretty good too. A shame Howard is still stuck in a limbo phase with his acting career.

7. King Kong- A grand and epic remake that does a wonderful job of paying homage to the original. I know a lot of people complain about the runtime, but King Kong could've gone for four hours, and I would still love it.

8. Cry Wolf- Most will dismiss this one as another generic slasher, but I love Cry Wolf. Although, I'll say this, if you're looking for lots of blood, gore, and sex, you'll be disappointed with Cry Wolf. But Cry Wolf will keep you guessing until the shocking finale with a lot of good twists and turns during a life or death game of cat and mouse.

9. The Exorcism of Emily Rose- Emily Rose tries to be something different, when you compare it to most exorcism films. Top notch cast, but what I love most about this film is they don't rely on a bunch of over the top exorcism scenes, where the female victim's body twists all over the place, and she either a. urinates, or b. constantly shouts threatening and hateful sexual obscenities at the priest, c. scream the names of the demons, who have taken control of her body, or d. all of he above. Yeah, you'll see the exorcism stuff here, but it doesn't reach the point of overkill.

The Exorcism Of Emily Rose is a more thought provoking horror/exorcism film, and the courtroom scenes might bore most people, but not me, because you get a more in-depth and thorough point of view from the believers and non-believers.

10. Cursed- Again, fuck the critical reception. Cursed is one of my favorite horror comedies ever. Jesse Eisenberg and Judy Greer are hilarious, and although she's overshadowed by better performances (mainly Greer and Eisenberg), Christina Ricci isn't bad in the leading role. And well, I could never bring myself to say anything negative about Ricci regardless, so yeah.
 
Damn, missed a few years. Few good years of film too.

1. Batman Begins: Brought back one of the most beloved superheroes of all time from his last stint in Batman & Robin. At the time, this was a fresh spin on the franchise, and should be in everyone's top 5 for this year at least.

2. Thank You For Smoking: Harvey Dent as a spokesman of Big Tobacco. To me, one of the best films Aaron Eckhart has done. Guy defends his corporation while also trying to be a good role model for his son. With enough satire to make WrestleZone weep.

3. The Chronicles of Narnia- The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe: Great book to film adaptation. Come to think of it, probably one of the best adaptations. Excellent casting and an endearing story about Jesus rising from the grave. But with Santa giving children weapons.

4. Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire: Edward dies.

5. Walk The Line: Come to think of it, most films on my list are probably not going to come from an original source. 2005 saw the rise of old film remakes, comic book adapts, regular book adapts, and life stories of famous people. I present one of the best, Johnny Cash. I'm a Cash fan and I think they did his legacy justice in this one. Perfect casting and good pacing.

6. The Descent: Possibly my favorite horror movie of 2005. Semi-original location, a cave, for a horror movie and it had a few decent scares. I recommend it if you can get passed the first 10 minutes of it, because damn if those weren't the most irritating minutes of my life. Well worth it, though.

7. Hard Candy: Personal pick. Child molester flick that has a child exacting revenge. If you have the stomach for it, I recommend it. Patrick Wilson plays a great role.

8. Saw II: Nowhere near the great twist ending of the first flick, but it had an excellent premise with the detective that has already been touched on in this thread. I enjoyed the "funhouse" atmosphere as well.

9. The 40 Year Old Virgin: It was an okay comedy. Had a few good moments but nothing I can really get specific with since it's been a while since I've seen it.
 
1) Serenity - Joss Whedon's brilliant follow-up to his terrific television series, Firefly. Just like the show, this film is filled with unbelievably intense action and great humor, and the story itself is as original and unique as can be. I'm not the biggest fan of Sci-Fi, but Firefly/Serenity simply blew me away and it's one of those films/shows I can watch any time and enjoy it.

2) Batman Begins - I couldn't have had lower expectations for this film. I was a HUGE Batman fan as a kid, so when this came out you'd figure I be stoked. I wasn't. In fact, I waited until it premiered on HBO to even give it a shot. And man, I couldn't believe how good it was. THIS was the Batman film I've waited for my whole life. Shit, this was the comic book film I waited for my whole life. I couldn't have been happier with it.

3) Kingdom of Heaven - The Director's Cut, of course. This was another movie I blew off simply because I couldn't buy Orlando Bloom as a bad ass. But the lead wasn't about being a bad ass; it was about being a leader and an inspiration, and Bloom simply nailed it. Despite pretty much knowing the outcome going in, the action scenes are still heart racing, including one of the greatest sword fights I've ever seen in a movie between Orlando Bloom's character Balian and a dude named Guy. You could not ask for a better epic.

4) Sin City - 2005 is about the movies I brushed off as being shit but ended up loving, and Sin City is no exception. With the trailers, I thought there was no way I was going to like something so over-the-top and with such goofy special effects, despite Tarantino's name being linked to it. It took me YEARS to even consider giving this a shot, despite the critical and fan praise. Well, I finally did a couple of years ago, and it was fucking awesome. Flat out awesome.

5) A Bittersweet Life - Tdigs nailed it. This is easily one of my favorite "gangster" movies of all time.

6) V for Vendetta - I'm not much into Hollywood films with such a biased liberal political message, but how could you not like this? It's so fascinating from start-to-finish, and the climax is simply terrific. Great movie.

7) The Squid and the Whale - American indy filmmaking at its finest here. I could be pretentious and say that none of the dialogue or references didn't go right over my head, but they did. And regardless, I still enjoyed the film to the utmost degree due to the acting and the weird sense of humor the movie had. And then reading on later just how full of shit Jeff Daniels' character was and then watching it again so I could understand all the little snobbish references that I didn't get the first time, only made the film that much better.

8) Noriko's Dinner Table - My main man Sion Sono's prequel to Suicide Club, which if you remember I rated as the 2nd best film from the year 2001. This film isn't as quite as good as that one, but it still has the same emotional depth and weirdness that Suicide Club had.

9) Walk the Line - Love Johnny Cash and couldn't have asked for a better biopic of him. Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon were both spectacular in this film. I'll never forget their performances.

10) The 40-Year-Old Virgin - Obvious. Just one of the best, instant classic comedies from the 00's. It'll never get old.
 
Wow, 2005 was a great year for entertaining movies (especially comedies it seems), and I've yet to see some of the biggest names on the list. I have some catching up to do.

1) Sin City: Remains one of my favorite movies to this day. It's quite surprising how they managed to get three different directors to direct the three different segments and still managed to put together a very cohesive movie, and one that's not short on glorious visuals and thrilling action. It also helped revitalized Mickey Rourke's career. Most people credit The Wrestler for that, but I'm not sure Rourke gets casted for that if he didn't give a solid performance as Marv.

2) A History of Violence: There are probably a few people on this forum who are bigger fans of Cronenberg than I, but other than that I'm probably going to be one of the biggest fans you'll meet. He has the uncanny ability to make you extraordinarily uncomfortable while also titillating, educating, engrossing, and entertaining his viewers. A History of Violence continues along his stark departure from the B-movie type films that helped make his early career, and in my opinion A History of Violence is his work.

3) V for Vendetta: I've seen this movie get a lot of flack on these forums, but I still like it. The message is not subtle, but with what basically boils down to a super hero movie, does it have to be? The action is fantastic, Natalie Portman is smoking hot (mostly when she has hair), and there are a few moments of beautiful cinematography.

4) Wedding Crashers: Probably remains Vince Vaughn's best film and is likely Owen Wilson's best non-Wes Anderson project as well (apart from Midnight in Paris, naturally). I still get a kick out of it, and it has some terrific acting performances from top to bottom.

5) Thank You For Smoking: Jason Reitman's feature-length career starts in a big way with this movie. A funny dark-comedy with a nice little look into how deeply rooted cigarettes are into American culture as well as the dangers of lobbying. It's also a comedy that doesn't have a particularly happy ending, which is a pretty brave move.

6) Jarhead: Not a great war movie, but a good one. Not Jake Gyllenhaal's best performance, but it's up there. It benefited from having the tremendously talented Sam Mendes direct, and you could definitely see tones of American Beauty in this movie.

7) Lords of Dogtown: A more personal pick, I've always had a soft spot in my heart for Lord of Dogtown. This is one of those films that allows Heath Ledger to show his range, this time as a dick that owns a surf shop and makes use of the local surfing and skating talent to further his own goals, and yet we wind up feeling for him when things don't turn out the way he wants at the end. It's a fun insight to the early days of skateboarding and how these bitter rivals paths intersected their whole lives.

8) Batman Begins: I'm of the school of thought that this is the second best Batman film, but it's still a damn good one.

9) Waiting...: I remember seeing this in high school and thinking it was the funniest movie in the world. I've since come around on one or two (or six or ten or twenty) films that are funnier than Waiting, but I'll still watch this when it's on TV and have a few good laughs.

10) King Kong: The scenes on Skull Island have stuck with me since seeing it on Christmas Day 2005, and the rest of the film ain't bad either. It was a nice insight to the wild imagination that Peter Jackson had, and Black, Watts, and Brody all played their parts beautifully in this wondrous world that Jackson created.
 
2006 In Review​
Linked: Top 100 Grossing Films*
*Don't count re-releases.

Linked:Films Receiving BAFTA Nominations

Linked: Films Receiving Academy Award Nominations

Linked: National Board of Review Nominations

Films Shown At the 2006 Cannes Film Festival

Roger Ebert's Ten Best Films of 2006
1. Pan's Labyrinth
2. Bubble
3. Children of Men
4. The Departed
5. The Lives of Others
6. United 93
7. Flags of Our Fathers/Letters from Iwo Jima
8. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
9. Babel
10. Man Push Cart

Just helping TDigle out with this for today, as this is still his thing.

1. The Departed:One of my favorite movies ever, one that certainly announced Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg, and Matt Damon all, if there was any question, as humongous box-office draws. Jack Nicholson, Alec Baldwin, Martin Sheen and Vera Farmega round out this terrific ensemble cast. Its a terrific race against the clock as DiCaprio plays Bill Costigan, a rookie Boston cop who goes undercover in Jack Nicholson's crime organization, and Matt Damon as Colin Sullivan, a corrupt lieutenant in the Massachusettes state police department who works for Nicholson as an insider. The tragic consequences play out in devastating fashion in one of Scorsese's best, as the more the lies mount, the body count rises. The good may win in the end, technically. but at a terrible price. The best ensemble cast I've ever seen.

2. Sherrybaby: Maggie Gyllenhaal is almost unrecognizable here as a former heroin addict recently released from prison, and desperate to start a new life with her daughter. However, her poor choices from the past catch up with her time and again, as her heroin cravings, troubles re-acclimating to society, her poor relationship with her family and a difficult parole officer lead her back to using. A small complaint: She absconds her daughter to run away from the pressure and mounting problems, desiring to start over where she can have her daughter and use alike. However, which most if not all heroin users wouldn't do, she realizes she needs help and returns home, which simply wouldn't happen. Otherwise, however, Gyllenhall is brilliant and the movie is a brilliant depiction of what most addicts struggle through. Other than the end, the movie is raw and not even slightly "feel good", and it works masterfully here.

3. Bubble: This limited-release, unconventional film from Steven Soderburgh was a rare movie, in that it featured three untrained actors as it's leads, and uses their houses and family's as the cast around them. The love triangle surrounding the three leads was much more true-to-life than Hollywood. In Hollywood, the conversations would have moved with comfort and each joke or story told by any character would have brought about laughs, rather then the mostly uncomfortable silence. A great film that tells the stories of alternate reality as well as I've seen it done, with a disturbed, shocking end.

4. United 93: I don't cry much, but this movie had me in tears the first time I saw it, pretty much from the beginning. My cousin was supposed to be on this flight, as an attendant, and she switched her schedule instead in order for her best friend to visit family during her layover. Obviously, this never happened, and being quite close to Emily, my cousin, at the time, I feared for her life. Finding out she was safe was a relief, but Paul Greengrass directs as moving a movie I've ever seen, due to the heroism of the passengers and the loss of life for the families who lost loved ones. Their stories are told movingly and with as powerful of emotion as perhaps any movie I've ever seen.

5.Children of Men:I'm not one for futuristic films for the most part, but COM, especially Clive Owen's role, was excellent. Exploring the ideals themes of hope and faith while faced with futility and despair is one of my favorite themes, and COM does it faced with a society that will one day go extinct due to the lack of reproduction. Julianne Moore was excellent as Clive Owen's estranged wife and militant leader of an invading America. But for me, the overarching question, is this: When faced with almost impossible odds, is it worth fighting knowing almost certainly you will fail. Asked well, and answered even better, I feel.

6. The DaVinci Code: Having read both this and it's predecessor, Angels and Demons, which Dan Brown wrote first but released following The DaVinci Code, there are few movies in history that have elicited such criticism from the Catholic Church as this movie. That's always confused me, because while the movies have characters taking certain positions regarding whether or not Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married and reproduced, it ends on a "decide for yourself" moment. While the movie cut certain things from the book, as always, it's aesthetically pleasing as Robert Langdon(Tom Hanks) and Sophia Novea(Audrey Tautou) race alongside uber-rich conspiracy theorist Leagh Teabing(Ian McKellen) to stop the mysterious "Teacher", who hopes to squash possible outcomes by having high-ranking Opus Dei monks killed. I've read and seen the book both, several times, and the twist is one of the best I've ever seen.


7. Hostel: The only actor/actress I remember from Hostel? Rick Hoffman, who currently stars on USA legal drama Suits. But what I remember him most for isn't that: It's him talking about how the best p***Y in the world can't compare to the thrill of the chase, torture, and finally kill, especially of Americans. What made Hostel so fascinating and ultimately, great, was that it wasn't a SciFi horror flick, or a monster that is killed 20 times but gets back up time and again. It's that things such as the events of Hostel, where rich businessman can pay exorbitant sums to hunt, torture, and eventually, kill Americans. Chilling and legitimately scary, because I truly believe these things happen.

8. Babel: Starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, Babel looks at how four cultures are all impacted by one action, that of a thoughtless child. Throughout the movie, one can see how small misconceptions and a lack of understanding of other cultures can cause more personal anguish then war and bloodshed. Throughout the movie, there is an impending sense of doom, but the end truly gets one on a personal level as the horrifying reality of the situation sets in. Sometimes, it's a movie without heroes or villains, but rather, people we can empathize with one and all that truly leaves me the most moved, and Babel does exactly that. Aleandro Inarritu(?) expertly directs this tale about well-intentioned(for the most part) individuals who simply don't understand the culture of those not like them, and how tragic that can be.

9. Lucky Number Slevin: As much as I can remember, the reviews for this one were poor, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. Josh Hartnett is believable as a thoroughly unlucky kid in his mid-twenties, who is mistaken as a friend with huge gambling debts to TWO mobsters, Morgan Freeman and Ben Kingsley. Bruce Willis does a great job as a contract killer seemingly working for both mobsters, but also with an agenda regarding Josh Hartnett. The end is a fantastic twist that I never saw coming, and one that genuinely threw me. Lucy Lui works as Hartnett's love interest/eye candy.

10. Talladega Nights: I didn't like Semi-Pro, Step Brothers, Anchorman, or Elf. I've never been, for the most part, a fan of Will Ferrell's, but The Ballad of Ricky Bobby had me laughing start-to-finish. Sasha Baren-Cohen was glorious as his over-the-top gay rival, John C. Reilly hilarious as his imbecilic best friend who ultimately steals his wife, and Amy Adams was delightful as the woman with lack of confidence equal to his that helps him get his confidence back. Not a great year for comedies, but it would have been among the best in any year.
 
1. Pan's Labyrinth- Guillermo del Toro's best film to date. I remember Pan's Labyrinth, because a former co-worker of mine told me I had to watch this. I was blown away. Pan's Labyrinth is an extraordinary mix of fantasy and horror, but when it's all said and done, you realize the most magical fantasies or dream worlds won't do enough to help Ofelia/Princess Moanna (the main character) escape from a dark and dreadful reality. A breathtaking film with a lot of heartache and emotional depth, and now I reminded I finally need to go out and buy this on DVD (or Blu-Ray, depending on how I feel).

2. Letters From Iwo Jima- A potent and thought-provoking war drama, and I believe Clint Eastwood should've won the Academy Award for Best Director.

3. The Departed- I love this film. I really do, but Scorsese's Oscar win was nothing more than a pity prize, because the Academy had to give him something after all those years. Scorsese is a living legend and one of the greatest filmmakers of our time, but he should've won in 2002 for Gangs Of New York. I mean, look at Scorsese's track record, and the films he didn't win an Oscar for. You're trying to tell me The Departed was a better film than Taxi Driver, GoodFellas, Raging Bull, and hell, I think you can make an argument for Casino. Come on now. The Departed is an outstanding crime drama, but the pity Oscar cheapens the legacy of this one for me.

4. Invincible- One of Mark Wahlberg's best performances (Fear is still #1 in my eyes, followed by The Departed at #2). It's a gritty and inspiring biopic with a lot of heart, and I never get tired of watching this one.

5. Lucky Number Slevin- In the leading role, Hartnett is overshadowed by Kingsley, Freeman, Liu, and...well just about everybody. I know Lucky Number Slevin gets a lot of "trying too hard to be too clever" hate, but for me, it's an entertaining mystery/suspense drama with some genuinely shocking twists and turns, and the perfect diabolical ending.

6. Stranger Than Fiction- My favorite Will Ferrell film to this day, and I still believe Ferrell's delivers his best performance in Stranger Than Fiction. It's a touching and heartfelt dramedy with a quirky sense of humor, and a unique premise. And it's refreshing to see Ferrell step out of his whacky and over the top comfort zone here.

7.The Pursuit of Happyness- Smith is great here, but I've always thought The Pursuit of Happyness is a bit overrated. Still, not as bad as Seven Pounds, Smith's most undeniably obvious attempt to score an Oscar nomination.

8. Rocky Balboa- This really works as nice trip down memory lane for Rocky fans, and it's a satisfying return film for the Rocky franchise. Plus, Stallone did a great job of playing a more humble Rocky, who's worn out by a rough life, but he's still got some gas left in the tank for another fight. I remember Stallone saying one of the main reasons why he wanted to do a Rocky 6 is because he felt as if he didn't end Rocky V the right way. Well, if Rocky Balboa is the last Rocky film, I think we can we say the series ended with the right amount of closure. Although, I guess I'm one of the very few people, who actually enjoyed Rocky V, so yeah.

9. Saw III- Earns a spot on my list, because for me Saw III signifies the end of the glory days for the Saw franchise, as the last quality Saw film. After this, the series devolved into a mess of shit. Watching the deaths of Jigsaw and Shawnee Smith's Amanda Young is a bittersweet moment for me, because Jigsaw and Amanda are the two most entertaining characters in the franchise, IMO. And speaking of Smith, she's a lot of fun to watch as this unhinged sociopath, who's tired of taking orders. After Saw III, we're forced to watch flashback clips of Jigsaw and Amanda until the series ended with 7, and Hoffman was such a boring antagonist as the new Jigsaw (Amanda should've taken that honor).

10. Black Christmas- I'm not a big fan of the '74 original. Why? Because it's a boring, pretentious, and overrated piece of shit. This remake never takes itself too seriously, and Black Christmas 2006 doesn't hide its true identity. It's a mindless fun gore fest with hot women, lots of blood, and Black Christmas '06 is loaded with a lot of shocking and jaw dropping kills. I have no shame in saying this is one of my favorite Christmas movies ever, and I can't count the number of times I've seen this one.
 
1. The Departed - Martin Scorsese is probably my favourite director and The Departed is probably my favourite of all his films. It's not his best, but certainly my favourite. The cast is superb with everyone putting in a fine performance with Mark Wahlberg being the highlight and who truly deserved an Oscar nomination for his role as Sgt. Dignam. Although I'm not one to complain about it's Oscar win, it probably should have come a lot sooner for Scorsese.

2. The Prestige - The film that got me hooked on Christopher Nolan. I watched Batman Begins first but I didn't realise he had directed it. The film features once again a top notch cast with Jackman and Bale both being fantastic. The film had me paying attention throughout and I loved the twists throughout the movie. A great movie and it was super cool being able to see Batman and Wolverine share the screen.

3. Half Nelson - Ryan Gosling plays a history teacher/basketball coach who has a drug addiction. One day whilst he's shooting up in the girls bathroom, one of his students catches him and the film mainly focuses on the relationship between those two whilst also focusing on their home lives. Ryan Gosling shows off how talented he really is with a dazzling, charismatic performance which got him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

4. Blood Diamond - Another film by Dicaprio, whilst this film isn't as good as The Departed, Dicaprio gives the better performance in Blood Diamond as Danny Archer, a South African criminal. Djimon Hounsou is unbelievabley good here. This film could've been a paint by numbers thriller but the terrific performances and great direction made it so much better.

5. Casino Royale - The first Daniel Craig Bond movie was something I didn't like when I first watched it, but over time I've became pretty fond of it and it earns a spot in my list. Craig proves he has the chops to play Bond and the film has some slick action sequences.

6. The Pursuit Of Happyness - Not Will Smith's best film, but definitely a solid movie. He gives a delightful performance here and the casting of his son is inspired, not annoying this time around. Vastly better than the ghastly Seven Pounds.

7. Brick - One of my favourite Joseph Gordon Levitt movies. The film is very noir, and provides a good detective story and is very unique in it's own right.

8. Hollywoodland - A film that I haven't seen for many, many years, but I found it fantastic when I first watched it. Ben Affleck proves that he is a very capable actor and the film stuck with me for a while after watching it.

9. Pan's Labyrinth - I can't really add more to what has already been mentioned.

10. World Trade Center - This is due to my bias for Nicolas Cage since he is and probably will be my favourite actor of all time. The film is emotional throughout it's run time. It has some good performances and solid story telling.
 
1) Little Miss Sunshine - I don't think I've ever seen a movie establish their characters better during the first ten minutes of the film than Little Miss Sunshine. You get to know this unique, wacky family right away and from then on you know you're in a wild and fun ride. However, it's just not a funny film, but genuinely sweet and touching as well.

2) The Departed - Ever since Martin Scorsese started making films, he's made at least one classic each decade. Taxi Driver for the 70's, Raging Bull for the 80's, Goodfellas for the 90's, and The Departed is without a shadow of a doubt his classic for the 00's.

3) Candy - I mentioned this movie earlier as being the only film that competes with Requiem for a Dream on the subject of drug addiction. This unbelievably depressing film is an unappreciated masterpiece that contains heartbreak and tremendous acting from Heath Ledger and Abbie Cornish.

4) Death Note - I've seen a few of animes get live action adaptations for the big screen, and none are anywhere near as good as this. Tatsuya Fujiwara and (especially) Kenichi Matsuyama give the performances of their lifetime as anime legends Light Yagami and L. Perfect casting for what ended up being a perfect live action adaptation of perhaps the greatest anime/manga ever made.

5) Southland Tales - Richard Kelly's brilliant take on the Book of Revelation. It's very, very weird, yet extremely fascinating once you realize what exactly is going on. The film also contains one of my favorite musical numbers ever in a movie when Justin Timberlake dances to The Killers' "All These Things That I've Done".

6) Blood Diamond - Heartbreaking flick that depicts the horrors of Sierra Leone Africa and other places like it in the rebels quest to find and sell diamonds. Both Leonardo DiCaprio and Djimon Hounsou are brilliant in this film, with Leo pulling off a spot on South African accent for the entire movie.

7) Delirious - Great little movie about the paparazzi and what makes them tick. Steve Buscemi and Michael Pitt have AWESOME chemistry in this film, which paved the way for their unforgettable performance together a few years later in Boardwalk Empire.

8) Half Nelson - Ryan Gosling gave the best performance of the year in this wonderful movie about an urban middle school history teacher/girls basketball coach who's addicted to heroin. Touching, honest, and unpredictable, this movie was the first that let us know that Gosling is one of the best actors in the World today.

9) Alpha Dog - Based on a true story, this film is as raw and compelling as it gets. It's about some spoiled suburban kids who think they're "hood" and kidnap a rival's little brother. What unfolds is a tragedy and one that shocks you if you don't know the story beforehand.

10) Grandma's Boy - One of the funniest movies ever made in my estimation. It really went under the radar the year of its release, but since then it's grown a great following and has gotten the respect it deserves. This is easily the best film to ever come from Happy Madison productions.
 
1) The Fountain: I finally get to drop some Aronofsky in on this party, and The Fountain may be my favorite film of his. Incredibly beautiful and open to all sorts of mind boggling interpretations, The Fountain is a true work of amazing storytelling through film.

2) Borat: I remember going to see this movie when I was in high school, and the theater was PACKED. The last time I was in a movie theater that was so full was way back when Spider-Man first came out and they sold so many tickets that people were sitting in the aisle. The expectations for Borat were sky high, and the movie delivered. Sasha Baron Cohen is both shameless and hilarious, and that makes for a combination that drives the movie from beginning to end.

3) Children of Men: I really love post-apocalyptic and dystopian film. I'm not entirely sure why, but those two genres really appeal to me. This particular apocalypse is ongoing and being caused by the lack of new babies being born. This is an amazingly powerful and emotional film really showing Alfonso Cuaron's strengths off.

4) Little Miss Sunshine: This was a quirky comedy that helped open the doors for other comedies that got away from the mainstream. There were some fantastic performances by all performers involved, and it proved to be the launching point for Abigail Breslin.

5) The Departed: It's on all of our lists for a reason: It's a really good movie.

6) Pan's Labyrinth: This movie was absolutely brilliant and will manage to capture your childlike awe like no other film can. The visuals in this film will just knock your socks off.

7) Man of the Year: I really love Robin Williams, and this was so much more palatable than the monstrosity that was RV. This movie was actually pretty funny and was a half-way decent critique of the American political system.

8) Clerks II: It wasn't as good as Clerks and, quite frankly, probably ranks pretty low amongst Kevin Smith's body of work, but it's still good for some laughs and, as Smith's movies usually do, has a sort of sweet story buried amongst the weed jokes.

9) Talladega Nights: Will Ferrell plays a ridiculous man in a ridiculous world. Also, John C. Riley and Borat are there.

10) The Black Dahlia: Sweet crime movie set in old school Hollywood. If I remember correctly it's slightly better than Hollywoodland, which is essentially the same concept with a different murderer.

10) Brick: Brick is a very daring film, but in my estimation it pays off. It's a crazy and impossible plot, but if you're able to suspend your disbelief it's thrilling to the very end and a great look into those who feel like high school is/was a world within a world.
 
All right, guys. I have been slammed at work for the past week-and-a-half, and I never, ever expected this thread to gain this much traction. To be honest, I only decided to finish it after so long out of respect to Mitch and jmt.

LSN has graciously offered to finish the last three years out so I'm letting him take the reins. LSN, the template is simple: just quote your 2006 post, add one to each link (e.g. if you had the 68th Academy Awards in your initial post, just change the link to show the 69th Academy Awards), and look up Ebert's top 10 for the relevant year.

I thank all of you who have contributed to this thread. It's definitely my favorite out of all the ones I have created, but it wouldn't have been had you not shown any interest in it.
 
I'll try to do justice to this thing TDigle started. It's been a heckuva lot of fun already, thanks to TDigle who started it, and those who've posted along the way. Let's get to 2007, which was one heckuva year for movies, if I recall correctly.

2007 In Review​
Linked: Top 100 Grossing Films*
*Don't count re-releases.

Linked:Films Receiving BAFTA Nominations

Linked: Films Receiving Academy Award Nominations

Linked: National Board of Review Nominations

Films Shown At the 2006 Cannes Film Festival

Roger Ebert's Ten Best Films of 2007

1.Juno
2. No Country for Old Men
3. Before The Devil Knows Your Dead
4. Atonement
5. The Kite Runner
6. Away From Here
7. Across The Universe
8. La Vie En Rose
9. The Great Debaters
10. Into The Wild

1. Gone Baby Gone: JGlass and myself were talking yesterday about the best films from this year, and I didn't have to think much. Despite there being several movies that were darn good, Ben Affleck's directorial debut was the easy choice for me. Amy Ryan's turn as a drug running addict earned her a nomination for best Supporting Actress, which she easily could have won. Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan are lovers/private investigators who are hired by Ryan's character to find her kidnapped daughter, but is she best off with mom? The growing tension over what the "right thing" is and how the "truth" isn't necessarily the best choice in some situatons ultimately tear them apart. With an ending I didn't see coming and a heartbreaking scene when Casey Affleck visits the mother to check in on the girl suggests he made the wrong choice, and he followed the law. The message of wanting the truth until you find it is prevalent throughout, and truly thought provoking as to what the right thing to do is. Its a question I couldn't- and still can't- answer.

2. No Country For Old Men: From the Coen brothers comes the picture of the year according to the Academy, and it's certainly a fine choice. I've heard arguments of it being the best film from the Coen's, although I found Fargo to be slightly better. Javier Bardem's best supporting actor nod was fitting, as his crazed psychopath whose quiet evil, awful haircut and constant use of the word 'Friendo' made him terribly unsettling. The chain of events set into motion by one bad choice from Josh Brolin's character leads to a chain of deaths and unforseeable events. Truly, this is a movie where Bardem, Brolin, and Tommy Lee Jones all play their roles convincingly, and are perfectly cast. I don't agree with Ebert all that much, but #2 seems right here.

3. Michael Clayton: A little high here on the list? Perhaps, but I enjoyed George Clooney the most I had since a decade prior, which was my first introduction to Don Cheadle in Out of Sight. Here, Clooney plays the titular role as essentially a clean-up man for a large New York law firm. Clooney is so good here that it's almost hard to tell that he's acting like he hates his job for moralistic reasons. What I liked best about this movie is the fact that it's entirely reasonable and easy to picture the events of this movie as real. Tilda Swinton was magnificent and certainly deserved the Best Supporting Actress nod she received.

4. Juno: This movie did the impossible, and that's making Michael Cera likable. He's Polly, a 16 year old who gets Juno- played by the fantastic Ellen Page- pregnant. Teenage pregnancy and adoptions alike are both sensitive issues, and the movie worked by integrating them into a film that's a dramedy. I became an Ellen Page fan following this, and recommend Hard Candy to anyone who hasn't seen it, as I hadn't at the time. Jason Bateman was good as the soon-to-be adoptive father who simply wasn't ready to settle down into being a father, and Jennifer Garner good as almost always(I haven't forgiven you, Elektra) as the earnest mother who believes having a baby will be the be all-end all that ensures happiness. There's a happy ending here that's a bit trite, but that doesn't hurt this earnest, heartwarming film.

Plus it started the "Juno Effect", where 18 girls at the same school became pregnant that very year, sparking criticism for not taking pregnancy of a teenage girl in a complete serious manner. I disagree- It took the issue seriously, making it fun at the same time. Isn't life about making the best of your situations, and finding ways to cope that work for you? Juno just happened to be quite sarcastic, and it worked for her. A tough break not winning Best Actress, but a tough choice given the other-and winning-nominees.

5. Before The Devil Knows your Dead: I asked Mitch- jokingly-the other day when the last time Ethan Hawke made a good movie was. While I agreed on his assertion of Sinister, this was one I had forgotten and only remembered when I read its place on the highest money-makers of 07'. Ethan Hawke and Phillip Seymour Hoffman deliver gems of a performance both, as brothers. But equally if not moreso is the performance of Albert Finney as their father. Guilt-ridden over sleeping with Hoffman's "wife", played by Marisa Tomei, Hawke agrees to assist Hoffman in bizarre and elaborately awful schemes, culminating with the death of their mother. A dysfunctional family becomes a vengeance seeing one, and the results are catastrophic. It's a deep examination of both family dysfunction, and how addiction can control every area of one's life. Even more important then the lives of those one loves most.

6. Persepolis: I honesty forget who on the forums here recommended this one to me, but it left a lasting impression. Set in what I believe is the early 70s in Iran, it's a movie about a young girl growing into an adult, and how she refused to accept tyranny, and carried that attitude with her wherever she went, regardless of consquence. I often wonder if refusing to stand up for what one believes in in the face of persecution is cowardly or wise, and this film highlights how it can be both depending on the situation. A movie I never thought for me, I enjoyed this coming of age film, although the stars of the movie are unrecognizable to me.

7.There Will Be Blood: Another movie with Daniel Day-Lewis winning the best actor award, and while I felt it could have gone to Clooney, DDL was a fine choice. He's ruthless as narrow-minded oil baron Daniel Plainview, who adopts the son of one of his workers after an accident in his mines kills him. While Plainview adopts the boy and immediately makes him a partner, he shows he has no understanding of how to raise a child, or negotiate. He becomes greedier and less sane the more he accumulates, and sets out to destroy the notions of God and religion, He and his nemesis, Eli(played by Paul Dano) lock horns constantly over what brings peace, money or God, and leaves the ending open for one to make their own conclusions, albeit in a less-then-subtle way. It's fitting, as this is a less-then-subtle drama, one that's wholly American.

8. Blades of Glory: One of those movies I saw that I didn't need deeper meaning or is governed by cultural principles and morality. It's just a damn funny movie built off a rediculous premise, that two men who hate one another get into a fight on ice during dance competition and are banned for life....from single's competition. Will Ferrell tells a story I've seen a thousand times and Jon Hader is perfect as his opposite, clean cut and straight laced. Of course they overcome their differences and win the couple's skate, again, showing the recycled nature of the script. But Farrell and Hader both nail their respective parts and are brilliant here, so much so that plot isn't important, the laughs are.

9. Saw IV: I left III off my list for 2006, mostly due to forgetfulness. What makes me like this one slightly more is that it looks more into Jigsaw as a John Kramer, the human being who lost so much due to the miscarriage of his wife, and his cancer diagnosis. It introduces characters that become important in later films. They elect for more gore here, which weakened the movie for me. It's no masterpiece and I won't pretend it's even near the others in terms of quality on this list. But it continued an annual tradition of 7 years of Saw movies, and I liked it more than most, I suspect.

10. The Bourne Ultimatum: This was a nice rebound from the second film, which I found the weakest of the three. Lead by Matt Damon once again in the titular role, it was actually my favorite. Julia Stiles did a fine job as Matt Damon's former contact at Treadstone. Unlike many of the top officials at the program, she saw him as a human being, not a "toy" to experiment on.The film, much like Bourne himself, progresses into an intelligent, finely tuned movie, with the occasional laugh to help ease the tension. All movies had this as a strength, but I felt this one did it best. The chemistry between Damon and Stiles was a factor in making this a strong movie as well.
 
1. Gone Baby Gone- A phenomenal directorial debut for Ben. Truth be told, at first, I wasn't the biggest fan of Gone Baby Gone, when I saw it in theaters. But after a few viewings on HBO, it really started to grow one me. A great shocker for the end, and as LSN pointed out, the conundrum for the message behind the truth in this film is something that's capable of driving you nuts, because it's not so easy to weigh the possibilities and the pitfalls for each side of the argument.

2. No Country For Old Men- I know a lot of people label No Country For Old Men as one of the Coen Brothers more overrated film, but I still love it. The cat and mouse game between Bardem and Brolin is full of surprises and genuinely shocking twists and turns. And kudos to the Coen's for adding the essential dark sense of humor. Javier Bardem is fantastic as Anton Chigurh, one of the most ruthless and cold-hearted villains you'll ever see, and Bardem really nailed the cerebral side of Chigurh's character. I always think back to the scene at the gas station, where Anton toys around with the old man by asking him "What's the most you've ever lost in a coin toss?" The old man didn't have a clue about Anton's motivations, and as Anton leaves, you can sense his sinister joy about holding someone's life in the palm of his hands.

3. There Will Be Blood- As usual, you admire PT Anderson's masterful work behind the camera, but Daniel Day Lewis is able to draw you in with his great, great performance, as a greedy, soulless, and hateful tyrant. Plus, Paul Dano is pretty good in the supporting role.

4. Trick 'r Treat- A superb horror anthology film. Usually, horror anthologies share one big problem: inconsistency. But Trick 'r Treat doesn't have that problem. Each storyline ends with the PERFECT diabolical cliffhanger/ending, and in Trick 'r Treat, all the evildoers (especially that miserable and hateful old man at the end) suffer horrible deaths. If you love horror movies and Halloween, Trick 'r Treat is a must-see.

5. [Rec]- Randomly, a co-worker let me borrow all three REC movies, but it was weeks before I decided to take a chance on them. And that happened after Dowds gave me the green light in a GSD thread I made a little while ago. Usually, I HATE found-footage horror films, but REC is different. REC is loaded with some great jump scares, excellent tension, lots of blood gore, and the cliffhanger at the end is perfect. And for the record, I didn't have a big problem with the American remake Quarantine. Not as good as REC by a long shot, but it's still a respectable remake in my eyes.

6. The Orphanage- The Orphanage doesn't rely on too much blood and gore to get the job done, and it's a refreshing change. Instead, The Orphanage blends together a poignant story of heartbreak and a spooky ghost story to create a chilling haunted house horror movie. I'll admit the finale is a bit underwhelming, but after watching The Orphanage for the first time, riding the mounting wave of tension to the end is something I'll never forget.

7. Superbad- To this day, Superbad is still capable of bringing some great laughs out of me, and that's why I love Superbad. It's one of the few comedies I can watch over and over again without getting tired of it. Superbad is one of the better coming-of-age films I've seen, but it also annoys me for one reason: Superbad was a launching pad for Christopher Mintz-Plasse's career. Seriously, whenever you hear someone else bring up Suberbad in a conversation, McLovin is one of the first names you'll hear. Plasse is okay at times (Kick-Ass 2), but more often than not, he's not funny at all and annoying as shit (i.e. the Fright Night remake, "We could've rocked this evil shit together!" ugh).

8. Halloween- Yeah, I know. A lot of horror and Halloween fans really hate this remake with a burning, white hot passion. A lot of Halloween fans didn't like Zombie's approach for giving Michael a backstory. Myers is supposed to be evil incarnate, so some believed showing a more human side of Michael as a child killed the mystique of his character. I give Zombie credit, because it was a ballsy move on his part. Zombie is a horror aficionado, so he had to know most Halloween fans would shit on him (and they did) for this approach.

Personally, it didn't bother me, because let's be honest, we've always thought about Michael Myers' childhood and what we went through. To this day, I believe Halloween 2007 is Rob Zombie's best film (as a director and writer). He did a great job of paying homage to the original, while presenting his new and updated vision to the world. My only gripe is the very unnecessary and pointless rape scene in the unrated version. I will always respect Zombie's passion and enthusiasm for the horror genre, but you could tell he inserted that scene for pure shock value and nothing else.

I love the 2007 remake, but Zombie defiled the Halloween franchise with H2 (2009). It's almost as bad as Resurrection or Curse/Halloween 6. Yeah, it's that bad.

9. Planet Terror- Easily the best of the Grindhouse double feature, much better than Tarantino's boring piece of shit DeathProof. An excellent B-movie, that does a great job of paying homage to the sleazy Grindhouse films of the past. Lots of nasty blood and gore, over the top action sequences, and the cast is solid.

10. Live Free or Die Hard- Gets a spot on my list, because I believe Live Free is the last quality Die Hard film. My feelings were reinforced after re-watching A Good Day To Die Hard a few times this year. It's so terrible, and without Willis, Die Hard 5 could've been a serious contender for another generic and forgettable action flick in Wal-Mart's $5 bin. A lot of enjoyable preposterous and over the top action in Live Free, with Willis sharp as John again. Live Free was a fun popcorn flick with some great thrills, but the Die Hard franchise needs to die now.
 
1. No Country For Old Men - My second favourite Coen Brothers movie, with Fargo being first. Javier Bardem is phenomenal as the films antagonist and is seriously creepy as Anton Chigurh. He's steals every scene he's in and is the star of the film which is a hard feat to achieve with such talented actors starring alongside him such as Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin. The entire movie works and I always enjoy watching it.

2. Superbad - A ridiculous movie that I can't help but laugh to. It's a movie I can put on any time and still have a good time with it. It gave all 3 leads a launch pad for their career with Jonah Hill surprisingly being the most talented of all the actors, at least in my opinion. My first viewing of the movie left a bad taste in my mouth due to the long build to the party, but multiple viewings have made me adore this film.

3. Gone Baby Gone - A fantastic directorial debut from Ben Affleck and is shockingly my third favourite from his; that's how good his other 2 are. The film is superbly cast with Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan playing a pair of personal investigators. The performances are all good and I'm shocked this film didn't receive any love from the academy. The film is truly shocking and the end is just heart breaking.

4. There Will Be Blood - My favourite Paul Thomas Anderson film and one of my favourite performances of all time with Daniel Day Lewis portraying Daniel Plainview who truly is a bastard. Without DDL, the film may not have been as good as could have been. The cinematography is just gorgeous and Paul Dano wasn't total shit in the movie which is surprising.

5. Shoot Em' Up - One of the most ridiculous action films I have ever watched and yet it's one of my favourite. Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti are just a ton of fun in the movie and make it truly memorable. The film involves a man being killed with a carrot, how could you not love that? The film also has Christian in it so it's gets a spot on my list for that.

6. Zodiac - David Fincher's thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey, Jr. A gripping thriller which captivated me even with it's long run time. The cast is great and the cinematography is just superb.

7. Live Free or Die Hard - The last good Die Hard. Bruce Willis is back in form as John McClane, even though he's suddenly developed some sort of super powers since the first Die Hard. Justin Long is good as McClane's "partner" and gives me a few chuckles throughout the film. I love the casting of Timothy Olyphant as the main antagonist and he was a pretty good villain for the movie. The film is filled with great action and memorable/over the top thrills.

8. I Am Legend - The ending is pretty shitty I'll admit, but I still enjoy the majority of the film. Will Smith is great as Dr. Robert Neville as the "last" man on the planet. It features a pretty heavy screenplay for what I thought would be an action film, but it's the parts the rely heavily on story and emotions which make me enjoy it so much.

9. Blade of Glory - I'll admit, I'm not the biggest Will Farrell fan, but I do love Blades of Glory. It's very, very silly but there's nothing wrong with that as long as the movie can be entertaining and funny; this movie is both.

10. Bourne Ultimatum - Bourne is back to form after what I thought was a lackluster sequel to The Bourne Identity. It features some slick action scenes and was a fitting way to end the trilogy.
 
1) The Bourne Ultimatum - This to me was the best American action movie released since Terminator 2: Judgment Day. I really dug the first two Bourne films, but Ultimatum truly below me away, especially when I went into it with the lowest of expectations (usually a third film in an action series ends up being overkill). The action scenes are some of the greatest ever created, and the story itself is very strong and intense and you can't help but root for Jason Bourne throughout the whole movie. This is everything you want from an action film and more.

2) Superbad - Perhaps the greatest teen comedy ever made. I've probably seen it close to 10 times now and it still manages to crack me up at certain points. Not many comedies accomplish that with me, but this is certainly one of the rare few that do.

3) Gone Baby Gone - The ending for this movie left me thinking for days and questioning myself what would I have done if I was in Casey Affleck's position. It's something I still ponder whenever I see the movie's on TV or just think about it in general. Any film that can touch me and make me think to the extent this one has is no doubt a masterpiece in my mind.

4) The Lookout - A film that unfortunately went under the radar for 2007, but my fanboyism for Joseph Gordon-Levitt had me well aware of it and it turned out to be one of my favorite films that's he has starred in. JGL plays a troubled young man who has to live with short-term memory loss after suffering a severe car accident on the day of his prom, which killed two of his classmates and took the leg of his girlfriend. He now works at the bank and gets schemed into a plan to help a couple of burglars stick the joint up. It's extremely raw and riveting. Jeff Daniels also gives one of the best performances of his career as JGL's blind friend.

5) Into the Wild - A biopic of Christopher McCandless (played wonderfully by Emile Hirch, which I thought was the best performance of the year), who was a young man who decided to throw all his possessions and savings away and go live in isolation in the Alaskan Wild. What feels like a joyful film throughout with an extremely likable main character and also sub-characters turns into heartbreak by film's end and it's all done with compassion and zero judgment.

6) Eastern Promises - My favorite David Cronenberg film about the Russian Mafia in the UK. With a twist you never see coming, this film is fascinating all throughout with simply brilliant acting from Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts, and Vincent Cassel.

7) Knocked Up - Judd Apatow's best film in my opinion. I really dug the 40-Year-Old Virgin, and while that was a bit funnier than Knocked Up, it didn't have anywhere near the heart and sweetness of this film, which is really why I enjoyed it as much as I did.

8) Atonement - Beautiful yet extremely sad film about the wrath of jealousy and how it can lead to the ruining of innocent lives forever. I'm not one to usually harp on something like Cinematography, but this film easily had some of the best Cinematography I've ever seen. It's just a gorgeously shot picture with an intriguing story to go with the stunning visuals.

9) The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - Very fascinating account of Jesse James' death and what led to it. I've seen people complain about its length and how it can drag at times, but I vehemently disagree. Whenever Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck were on-screen I couldn't help but hang off their every word. It was really their performances that made the film so good for me.

10) There Will Be Blood - Like the Jesse James movie above, this movie is good because of the acting. Daniel-Day Lewis is absolutely brilliant as a ruthless oilman in the early 1900's who ends up suffering a major tragedy while on the job. The story itself isn't as interesting as the other top films from this year, but it doesn't matter when someone like Daniel-Day Lewis is up there grabbing and holding on to your attention throughout the entire duration of the film. Paul Dano was also awesome in this, too. He's never gotten the praise he deserved for this role in my opinion.
 
2008 In Review​
Linked: Top 100 Grossing Films*
*Don't count re-releases.

Linked:Films Receiving BAFTA Nominations

Linked: Films Receiving Academy Award Nominations

Linked: National Board of Review Nominations

Films Shown At the 2007 Cannes Film Festival

Roger Ebert's Twenty Best Films of 2008
(Ebert didn't do a top ten list for 2008, he did a top 20, and they were in alphabetical order, not ranked)

Ballast
The Band's Visit
Che
Chop Shop
The Dark Knight
Doubt
The Fall
Frost/Nixon
Frozen River
Happy-Go-Lucky
Iron Man
Milk
Rachel Getting Married
The Reader
Revolutionary Road
Shotgun Stories
Slumdog Millionaire
Synecdoche, New York
W.
Wall-E
Click to expand...

1. Gran Torino: Clint Eastwood plays a recently widowed Korean War veteran who is terribly racist, especially towards his new neighbors, Hmong Asian Immigrants. However, he steps in and defends them from the gang violence that surrounds them. When he knows more violence is coming, he consults with a young priest whose consistent visits first annoyed him, but eventually softens his heart. He eventually goes to his neighbor, who has been seeking his help in getting revenge on the gang. Instead, he locks his neighbor in his basement, and confronts the gang on his own. Insulting them, they draw on him and kill him which effectively ends the gang war, as they're arrested for murder. He's labeled a hero with an Asian funeral. He leaves his house to the church and his Gran Torino to his neighbor, whom he initially had insulted in the beginning. Just an amazing performance by Eastwood as the effects of kindness from people one has preconceived notions about can bring about change in the hardest of individuals. An amazing, moving movie.

2. The Dark Knight: Heath Ledger was obviously brilliant as The Joker and did a wonderful job moving The Joker away from Nicholson's more comedic character to that of a darker, evil one. But the best performance in the film was Aaron Eckhardt's as Harvey Dent/Two Face, who shows that one(in this case, horribly tragic) event can change the course of a man/woman's life. Christian Bale was his fantastic self as Batman, and was equally defective as a man/superhero conflicted with a choice between revealing his identity, or watching the people of Gotham die. This was extremely close and a tough choice to push to #2 for me.

3. Forgetting Sarah Marshall: I haven't put a comedy nearly this high yet, but FSM, written by and starring Jason Segal, is one of the most brilliant I've ever seen. Recently separated from his girlfriend who was cheating on him with Russell Brand, Segal's Peter goes to Hawaii to get away, only to find she and Brand there as well. Attempting to write a rock musical about Dracula trying to find love(which is much more brilliant then it sounds) while building a relationship with hotel concierge Rachel, (played by Mila Kunis), this good-hearted comedy is also a hilarious movie, one of the funniest I've seen in years.

4. Iron-Man: It remains by far my favorite of the three movies, which is saying something, as I'm a huge fan of the trilogy. Downey Jr works so well as Tony Stark, if for no other reason perhaps than his real-life persona is quite similar to Stark's. Gwyneth Paltrow was a great choice as Pepper Potts and Jeff Daniels was excellent as the villian, a formidable one as well. It's a memorable screen introduction to the comic book character, and it's well-made at that.

5.The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: My only criticism of this movie has been that is was slightly too long, but otherwise, this is an outstandingly absurd fantasy about a man who ages backwards, with unbelievable performances by Brad Pitt in the titular role, and Cate Blanchett as his life-long love, Daisy. The way their relationship progresses is an interesting, and again, absurd one. However, Pitt and Blanchett's performances both make this movie feel plausible even with the knowledge that it's not. Of the nominees for best picture, it would have had my vote, slightly over Doubt.

6. Doubt: A movie I had no interest in seeing going into wound up easily being one of my favorites of the year. Just around the time scandals in the Catholic church regarding rape were high, J.P. Shandley adapted his stage play about a priest(Phillip Seymour Hoffman accused over and again by a nun(Meryl Streep of having sexual encounters with a young black boy to theatre. Viola Davis was great as the mother who didn't care if her son was being sexually molested, he was still getting an education most black boys of his background aren't afforded. The "did he or didn't he" is a big part of the movie, but so is how lives are affected by an unrelenting pursuit of their belief of truth regardless of the affect on others. The ending is one that had my friends and I taking for hours after, and in the weeks to come as well.

7. The Wrestler: As a wrestling fan, I had a lot of fun with this one. It was also my first experience with an Aronofsky film, and made me actively search out other movies of him. Mickey Rourke was excellent in the half-documentary style film of him as a aging wrestler attempting one last hurrah in the ring while trying to work through money issues after blowing the majority on drugs. He's also trying to salvage his damaged relationship with his daughter, an excellent Evan Rachel Wood. But the best parts of this film are watching he and an aging stripper(Marissa Tomei), both incredibly dysfunctional, attempt to have a relationship. Both Rourke and Tomei are deserving of the Best Actor/Best Supporting Actress nominees they received, and it's an honest look at the struggles of an independent wrestler.

8. Burn After Reading: Incompetent people doing incompetent things? This dark comedy's for you. This hilarious (and smart) movie about an alcoholic CIA analyst, John Malkovich, who writes a memoir about his days in the CIA, and leaves it accidentally at a local gym. The CD memoir is found by two gym trainers, Brad Pitt(hilariously dumb), and Frances McDormand, who mistake it for classified information, and attempt to sell it to the highest bidder. It paints the CIA as paranoid and delusional, especially the U.S. Marshall they pay to retrieve it, played by a womanizing George Clooney. It's a dark film where most of the major cast dies, but their antics along the way are quite funny.

9. Saw 5. Not without its flaws, this movie effectively moves the Jigsaw film series along well. With Jigsaw and Amanda both dead, the movie moves on to Detective Mark Hoffman as his apprentice, who plays a cat-and-mouse game with FBI agent Peter Strahm. Hoffman makes Strahm a part of the 'game' as well, despite his relative innocence. He attempts to frame Strahm for continuing the Jigsaw legacy, which Hoffman actually is. Despite the blood and gore, the movie explores, effectively so, levels of innocence and what real evil is. Hoffman shows the true flaws of Jigsaw's ideals when he involves innocents to avoid detection, rather than killing the guilty alone. Good for a scare or two as well.

10. Pineapple Express: It's a smart buddy stoner film that sees Seth Rogen as a stoner who works as process server. James Franco plays his pot dealer whom he shares his "new stuff" with, Pineapple Express, and when Rogen witnesses a murder he's chased after by Gary Cole and his crew, and he brings James Franco with him. It's nothing groundbreaking but it's a truly funny movie that doesn't tire much for me to see.
 
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