The REEL Addict 

Honourable mentions: HUNGER, HAPPY-GO-LUCKY, DARK KNIGHT, TROPIC THUNDER, THE FALL, MY BLUEBERRY NIGHTS, FROST/NIXON, THE BANK JOB, WALL-E, CLOVERFIELD.

10. QUANTUM OF SOLACE

Despite all the negative buzz surrounding the film and the insurmountable expectations resulting from CASINO ROYALE setting the bar too high, I ended up having a great time with QOS and felt that it was both a very impressive entry to the Bond series and a damn good night at the movies. While the film has plenty of excellent action sequences that run the gamut from car, boat and plane chases, to a dazzlingly choreographed face off at an opera house, there is still plenty of character development and the characterization is integrated nicely into both the plot and action with the film doing a good job of conveying Bond’s emotional journey since Vesper’s death. The film sets up the next installment very nicely and I can’t wait to see where Bond goes on from here!

9. ROCKNROLLA

ROCKNROLLA marks Guy Ritchie’s return to form as he crafts another convoluted myriad of intersecting story lines in the seedy underbelly of England. Hilarious coincidences, situational comedy, double-crosses, philosophical rants, dim-witted criminals and Russian hit men are all present here and despite being similar to SNATCH and LOCK STOCK, this is a classic crime-caper bustling with energy and wit and is one of the most delightful and entertaining films of the year. I am a sucker for British gangster films and had a ball with this one. There is nothing better than seeing a dynamic talent back on the top of his game plus the film also has one of the funniest on-screen sex scenes…ever!

8. THE WRESTLER

I wasn’t initially too keen on a movie about professional wrestling, but I was completely spellbound by every moment of this film. Darren Aronofsky has delivered a truly inspiring and touching tale of redemption and the film could have been set in any profession and could be a story of anyone past their prime tying to hold onto their past glories. Mickey Rourke as the bruised, battered and lonely lead is the most inspired casting of the year and he delivers a career-best performance in a role that is the perfect culmination of his life’s work while Marisa Tomei is equally impressive as an aging stripper. THE WRESTLER is a brutal, gripping and elegantly told film with vivid cinematography and a brilliant understated score by Clint Mansell. I completely fell in love with Randy through the course of the film and was shattered as (SPOILER ALERT) I ultimately saw him destroy himself and the final 10 minutes of the film is the most moving piece of cinema you’ll see all year.

7. SLUMDOG MILIONAIRE

I have never seen anything quite like SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. Set entirely in India with no -name actors, the film is a mélange of genres from game-show drama, to crime thriller to romantic fairy tale and Danny Boyle has weaved all these genres together in a very entertaining and enthralling manner using an unconventional story-telling approach. The film is a marvelous achievement full of life and color with spectacular performances and a great soundtrack and is one of the most inspiring and touching tales of the year.

6. BURN AFTER READING

Bearing all the hallmarks of a typical Coen’s comedy, from a deliberately disjointed storyline and quirky characters to sudden flare-ups of violence and the unexpected deaths of major characters, this spy-thriller spoof is a refreshing and relentlessly entertaining ride with a sharp script and a great ensemble cast. In a year full of cookie-cutter comedies, not only is the film the funniest I’ve seen all year, but it is also a very clever and brilliantly constructed satire on Internet predators and the beauty industry. I loved the wacky characters and the downright ridiculousness of the premise; this is a very smart film about some very stupid people and is a true winner.

5. SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK and CHE (tie)

These two are hands down the most visionary and divisive films of the year and they affected me deeply, probably more than any films I’ve seen this year.

SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK: Some might call it pretentious and some might consider it a masterpiece, but no one can accuse SYNECDOCHE NEW YORK of lacking ambition. Making his directorial debut, Charlie Kaufman has expanded on the basic subject themes of all his previous works and has crafted a mind-bending and moving essay on existence, creativity and love that is a mixture of conventional narrative and surrealist cinema and is like a breath of fresh air in an era of artistic timidity and creative fatigue.

CHE: Part documentary and part bio-pic and over 4 hours in length, CHE is gripping filmmaking and is a stirring epic journey of a 20^th century icon with a powerful, understated performance by Benico Del Toro as the eponymous revolutionary. Told in two parts; the first, THE ARGENTINE covers the Cuban revolution from inception to completion, while the second, GUERRILA, deals with Che’s failed efforts to spearhead a revolution in Bolivia that led to his capture and execution. Told entirely in Spanish, the film is a grand epic and despite its length, it is thoroughly engaging and compelling and is one of the best films of the year.

4. BLINDNESS

BLINDNESS was essentially stigmatized upon release; however, Fernando Meirelles’ sophomore English project is an incredible socio-political commentary and a very daring and dark essay on social breakdown and the human condition. The story is somewhat depressing and the film is at times visually disturbing, yet it is thoroughly compelling, thought-provoking and moving and is very elegantly told with a phenomenal performance by Julianne Moore at its centre. The cinematography is my absolute favourite part of this film and the cinematographer uses a lot of white and does some innovative things with exposure and light to depict blindness. This is a highly underrated and misunderstood gem.

3. REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

REVOLUTIONARY ROAD is a very heavy and hard-hitting film that I found hard to shake off easily and it made me reminiscence on my own struggles about living truthfully. This brutally honest relationship drama is superbly crafted, in both the writing and the amazing direction by Sam Mendes. Further, Winslet and DiCaprio deliver exceptional performances as a couple on the verge of emotional and marital collapse. This is not a film for everyone and it dwells into subject matter few movies have dared to touch on. However, if you are prepared to deal with a bit of stark reality, you will be hard-pressed to find a more honest and thought provoking film this year.

2. RACHEL GETTING MARRIED

Being a veteran at helping out at family weddings, I am acutely aware of the stress, anxiety and excitement involved in the proceedings and with RACHEL GETTING MARRID, Jonathan Demme has captured all of that perfectly as he delivers a warm-hearted and tremendously moving insight into the dysfunctional lives of one family as they prep for a wedding. The film is full of well defined, believable relationships, candid moments and intense family eruptions and the cast all deliver stellar performances portraying flawed yet deeply sympathetic characters. The home-video approach combined with the dispersed sound brings a sense of immediacy to the proceedings, making the performances even more intense and the audience feel like voyeurs prying into the family’s grievances and resentments. This is one of the mot raw and touching movies I have seen in years.

1. IN BRUGES

While the trailers for IN BRUGES painted the film as a formulaic post-Tarantino flick, Martin McDonough’s feature film debut is a surprisingly original and brilliant effort and is not only a very poignant crime drama with a smart and unpredictable script full of flair and wit and sharp, fully-realized characters but also one of the funniest and most quotable movies I have seen in years. Shot entirely on location in Bruges, the film is superbly photographed and scored and takes full advantage of the city’s historical buildings and the performances are all exceptional, particularly Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell who make a terrific team. The film holds up remarkably well on repeat viewings and with every viewing I found even more layers and depth to the material. IN BRUGES is a perfect mix of humour, violence and true heartfelt human emotions; movies this original and astounding don’t come very often.