comment #1

berg says ...

Son of Rambow and Be Kind Rewind are spiritual cousins, both films about amateurs remaking studio films on video. The Fall deserves more than that. Man on Wire and Tell No One are the best so far.

comment #2

MikeSchaeferSF says ...

So I saw "In Search of a Midnight Kiss" over the weekend on pay-per-view; my cable system has "IFC on Demand". And I liked it quite a bit. So thanks for the tip on that one -- good call.

BUT -- the version IFC is showing on their PPV platform is in color! Not the "silvery black & white" every critic has swooned over. I mean... WTF? Is this another of those contractual "we'll release it in B&W theatrically, but the video version must be in color" things, like "The Last Seduction"? (and no, turning down the color on my TV isn't quite the same thing)

comment #3

jesse says ...

I noticed you didn't include Step Brothers, which based on your reaction I'm assuming would go in your "worst" box, but for my money is just about as good as Pineapple Express and Tropic Thunder, and more subversive in some ways.

You really have to check out Miss Pettigrew and The Fall -- two of the better movies of the year so far, I'd say, though unlikely to turn up on my final ten for the year unless the last four months really wipe out.

Also, I see no mention of Snow Angels -- did you see it, either at Sundance '07 or during its theatrical run this past spring? Easily one of the best movies of the year, if not the best so far.

comment #4

berg says ...

Snow Angels didn't do it for me, it was more like Undertow than All the Real Girls in that DGG tries to wrap the film with violence rather than straight drama. In Search of A Midnight Kiss was shot in color, the few scenes that were shot in black and white were re-shot in color.

comment #5

Breedlove says ...

Jeff, what's up with the archives? Yesterday I was the last human being on Earth to see 'Dark Knight,' and I wanted to go back and read your review and read the comments. Can't find it anywhere. Searched under everything I could think of. Seems like most of June and July are missing.

comment #6

calraigh says ...

Man on Wire is one of the best films I've ever seen let alone of the year. Son of Rambow , Tell No One , Wall-E and I'm still deciding what comes next in the best of list.

I'm still scarred by The Mummy and Clone Wars and I can't talk about Smart People or My Blueberry Nights without having to deal with some serious rage issues.

comment #7

jesse says ...

berg, you know, Undertow is my other favorite DGG movie (though I've liked-to-loved all of them). Snow Angels was based on a novel, so I think that excuses the "wrapping up with violence" issue to some extent (I know film and books, different media, etc., but it would be a pretty huge departure to change this ending). Also, one thing I loved about Snow Angels is that it doesn't end *on* that violence. There are at least two scenes following that are breathtaking and heartbreaking in different ways.

comment #8

JHRussell says ...

My top 5 so far:

Tropic Thunder
Wall-E
Iron Man
In Bruges
Frozen River

At this point of every year, it seems impossible to believe that there will be 10 films that will displace all of these from my Top 10 of the year, but it usually happens...and I am not sure I see 10 bona fide contenders on the horizon, but I hope that there will be at least that many...

comment #9

T. S. Idiot says ...

MISS PETTIGREW is the sort thing the manly men hereabouts would never stoop to seeing, but it tells its slight, charming story succinctly and with some visual flare. McDormand and Adams are quite good. Bharat Nalluri also directed the first two episodes of Life on Maris, the best British series this century, and he may do a comic-book adaptation with Cruise: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0620576/news#ni0554235

TELL NO ONE is my favorite of 2008 so far. Cruz and Kingsley in ELEGY give the best performances.

comment #10

iamwhoiam says ...

You kinda lost me when you put the routine and not-very-funny Pineapple Express ahead of the brilliance that is Tropic Thunder, but you made up for it, a little bit, with the abomination that is Wanted.

comment #11

DavidF says ...

A few weeks ago I had a free night and had to choose between Pineapple Express and Tropic Thunder.

I saw the former and while I liked it, it was not nearly as funny as I'd expected after about a year of hype. Franco was great and I'd never seen Danny McBride before and was very impressed.

Yesterday I finally saw Tropic Thunder and loved it. Firstly, I now know the awesomeness that is McBride is for real. Secondly, it's the most complete and best film Stiller has made (which isn't saying A LOT, but still....).

Downey Jr. is every good as bit as I'd heard, if not better and while several of the cameos had been spoiled, they still worked. Cruise dancing during the end credits is great on its own.

There are at least a dozen fall movies I'm excited about seeing and, despite living in Toronto, I won't be able to see any of them at the festival.

comment #12

lipranzer says ...

I echo the praise for MISS PETTIGREW, though it's mostly for the cast, especially Amy Adams, who is great. I hope she does more roles like this in the future.

MARRIED LIFE had some good performances, but there was no there there.

My faves of the year so far:

BOY A
THE EDGE OF HEAVEN
ROMAN POLANSKI: WANTED AND DESIRED
TELL NO ONE
THE VISITOR

If I had to pick a favorite of those, it would probably be EDGE OF HEAVEN.

comment #13

Carl LaFong says ...

"The Fall": It restored my faith in the cinematic art form. No great narrative, but the most sumptuous visuals I've seen this side of Terrence Malick.

comment #14

thevisceral says ...

Underwhelming: Tropic Thunder

Made My Ass Ache But I Still Loved It: The Dark Knight.

Most childish dialogue: Stop-Loss

Woman I want to fuck really bad: Abbie Cornish

Proof Wells is a doof: Hated Wanted, liked Rambo.

comment #15

Joshua Mooney says ...

Jeff: Agree with you about the "Gonzo" soundtrack, but some lame chestnuts simply HAD to be there--like Brewer and Shipley's One Toke Over the LIne:

"One toke? You poor fool! Wait till you see those goddamn bats. I could barely hear the radio . . . slumped over on the far side of the seat, grappling with a tape recorder turned all the way up on "Sympathy for the Devil." That was the only tape we had, so we played it constantly, over and over, as a kind of demented counterpoint to the radio..."

comment #16

pchu says ...

Here is my top 5 so far:

WALL-E
Dark Knight
Snow Angel
Man On Wire
The Bank Job.

I am amazed that the two summer blockbusters are on the top of my list. Unless, I see a very special film in the fall, they will probably stay there.

comment #17

calraigh says ...

Miss Pettigrew, I agree, is a wonderful film. Ciaràn Hinds is so perfectly cast too.

comment #18

VictorLazlo says ...

Who would've thought, THE DARK KNIGHT has a legitimate chance to win best picture...

Oh by the way, Gallup and Rasmussen have Obama crossing the 50% threshold for the first time!

comment #19

JChasse says ...

My Top 5, so far, are Dark Knight, Shine a Light, Vicki Christina Barcelona, Tropic Thunder and Charlie Bartlett, which Jeff forgot he didn't like because I didn't see it on his list, but I did three months ago and I don't think he liked it.

comment #20

huntermdaniels says ...

I found Pineapple Express to be one of the most unpleasant movie experience I have ever had. A terrible, boring, nihilistic film. and I'm not anti-drug.

comment #21

Chase Kahn says ...

STREET KINGS is complete garbage. TROPIC THUNDER isn't funny, and where is REDBELT?

Still need to see MAN ON WIRE, will agree TELL NO ONE, WALL-E, and THE DARK KNIGHT are three of the best movies so far this year.

comment #22

huisache says ...

Definitely, Maybe was my favorite romantic comedy since Manhattan.

comment #23

BurmaShave says ...

Let's not be psychotic. It was okay and Ryan Reynolds has real star quality, but mother of god, best since MANHATTAN? Also a shame to see IN BRUGES in Wells' second-tier, as it's the best film I've seen all year.

comment #24

lipranzer says ...

I still haven't seen MAN ON WIRE - life keeps coming up. Maybe this weekend - that and FROZEN RIVER.

And CHARLIE BARTLET is easily my least favorite movie of the year (followed closely by VANTAGE POINT). Everyone complains about how Max Fischer is annoying, but he had nothing on that character. Ugh.

comment #25

Aladdin Sane says ...

My top five:

The Dark Knight
The Fall
Wall-E
In Bruges
Gonzo

Haven't seen a ton this summer...maybe I'll catch up on a lot of the early 08 stuff this fall.

comment #26

Ogami Itto says ...

My Top 5:

The Dark Knight
Taxi to the Dark Side
The Fall
WALL-E
Trans-Siberian

Guilty Pleasure: Neil Marshal's "Doomsday"

Don't waste your time on "Sukiyaki Western Django" as it's terrible. Miike decided to have his actors speak English instead of Japanese and the dialogue is almost incomprehensible because of the thick accents.

I thought "Death Defying Acts" was mediocre but not horrible, "The Fall" was visually stunning and wonderful, and "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed" was morally reprehensible and an affront to Reason. Does anyone think Ben Stein really believes the bullshit he's peddling?

comment #27

YRG says ...

Not being a professional critic, I have to choose films based on my first impression of the marketing and reviews. Here's my list, just based on that:

Will see on DVD if ever:
Man on Wire, Pineapple Express, Iron man, Be Kind Rewind, In Bruges, OSS117: Cairo, Bottle Shock, The Wackness (only to see if Olivia Thirlby is the next Scarlett Johansson), Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, My Blueberry Nights, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

Want to see:
Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, Hancock, Funny Games, Wanted, The House Bunny

Saw:
Cassandra's Dream

Liked:
Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

Wish I waited for DVD:
Tropic Thunder

Overrated:
The Dark Knight, Cloverfield

I usually just wait until the last two months of the year to watch Hollywood movies.

comment #28

Hallick says ...

Best but not really perfect: The Dark Knight

Best in my heart: In Bruges

Movies whose theaters I entered like a death chamber but exited happy: Step Up 2 - The Streets; The House Bunny