Best films of 2008

It is the best movie of 2008. It is very difficult to watch, specially because it shows the misery that is lived in India, but thanks to the way it is told, it becomes really enjoyable. Despite it is quite predictable, the film absorbs you so much, that by the ending it's impossible to imagine a different ending.

Vissually awesome, "Benjamis Button" is a wonderful film that counts with stong performances from every single member of its cast. It has great special effects and make up. The impossible love story is quite known, but it is told in a way that it becomes impossible in a very original way. It might be overlong for some, and melodramatic for others, but for those who love movies like "Titanic", this is deffinetly a movie you must watch.

An underrated film, Sam Mendes' "Revolutionary Road" counts with the strongest performance from Kate Winslet( even better than "The Reader"). The film is really faithfull to the book, and (thanks to Winslet) it is more centered in the couple than only in the husband, who was a little more important in the book than the wife. Its main flaw is being so faithful to its source material, only those who love the books crude vision will love the film. I loved both, so I had no problem.

The best animated movie from the decade, WALL-E, makes something that seemed impossible: it says a lot of things using only a few words. We really become connected with WALL-E, even when "how" he developped emotions is never explained, and we understand him very well, even when he never says more than 3 words. We know how the movie is going to end, I mean its a children' movie, but this movie is so special, that when everything appears to go wrong with the main characters, we can't avoid feeling sad and moved, we can't avoid wanting to go inside the film and help them.

It is the best superhero film ever made. It is not only an action film, but a really deep study of the human behavior. Heath Ledger gives a magnificent performance, and I liked they chose Magie Gyllenhaal instead of Katie Holmes. A totally unpredictable film, its only flaw is that it is overlong, but by the time the movie ends, you are so inside it that you want to see more.

A movie that is as good as "The Queen", also written by Peter Morgan. Frank Langella gives the best male performance of the year.

A movie that depends entirely on its cast in order to work. Every sigle actor in "Doubt" gives a wonderful performance, specially Mryl Streep and Viola Davis. This movie allows the viewer to take his own conclutions, it never provides easy answers. Actually, the film's greatness is that it never provides a satisfactory answer at all.

This is one of those movies that , despite it is wonderfull and deep, many people won't see. Like "Winter's Bone", it explores a lot of human themes, and it is well directed, well written and beautifully acted. An underrated masterpiece, "Frozen River" is a movie difficult to forget.

Cleant Eastwood's films ussually count with strong performances from its leadings. This movie is not the exeption. I don't understand why it was overlooked by the Oscars, probably because they were more focused on Eastwood's other film, "Changeling". It will not please for those who are looking for violence. This is one of those movies that leaves you thinking, even after the credits are over.

Darren Aronofsky is my favorite director, I like the way he explores the human nature in each one of his films. Despite that, I didn't enjoy "The Wrestler" as I enjoyed his other films. This doesn't mean that this movie is not good, actually it is exelent, but it is more difficult to feel connected with it. Yes, it counts with superb performances from Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei. Actually both of them give the best performance of their respective career.

The main problem of the film is that it lacks of the unfogettable imagery and emotional charge of Aronofsky's previous films ("Pi", "Requiem for a dream"). Many people consider this one his best film. Personally, I prefer its complement, "Black Swan", wich (with more or less the same plot) explores the human decadence in a more profound and artistic way.

There isn't much to say about this film, exept that it is exeptional. It counts, more or less, with the same great elements of "Frozen River" (Strong performances, a difficult topic, a well written screenplay). This is not the kind of film for people who expects always happy endings.

Angelina Jolie's beauty ussually distracts us from the fact that she is a good actress. In "Girl Interrupted" she proved that she could deal with powerful emotions, with the darkest side of the humanity. In "A Mighty Heart" she proved that she could express deep emotions, she could work with a difficult topic without making her character a cliché. "Changeling" is a mix of both, a character that deals with a difficult situation, and that, in order to find the truth, must explore the most horrible side of humanity. In hands of other actress, Christine Collins could have been a melodramatic caricature of a mother in pain, but Jolie gives her the humanity she needs. Christine is not perfect, and it is that what allows us to feel connected with her, to understand her. This movie depends entirely in Jolie, and that's exactly its greatest strenght and flaw.

I won't say much about this film, exept that it is pure entertainement. The best superhero movie till the date (with the exception of "The Dark Knight"), it will be enjoyed by everyone, even if you hate comics.

This is one of the most underrated films I have ever seen. I know that it is not perfect, and that it is emotionally distant, but it is so well acted that one can forget about those faults inmediatly. The actors give to the film the emoyion it does not have, we can understand their characters, even when they are not innocent at all. This is a film that let you explore the human nature in a very disturbing way.

Another movie about the holocaust, "The boy in the striped Pyjamas" is a surprisingly lovely film with a shocking ending. The important is not the story itself, it is the way in which it is told. This movie can be enjoyed by the entire family, including children, without being boring. This is quite surprising considering the story it tells. I recomend this movie to those who are looking for an entertaining and profound expierence.

Mike Leigh is a director who ussually works with risky characters. In "Happy-Go-Lucky" he tells the story of a really happy woman. She is not pretending to be happy, she IS happy. One would think that a character like this is impossible to make, but Sally Hawkins proves us that her character is not perfect, she is a human being, but a happy one. A movie that explores the british society, as every single film from Mike Leigh does.

Anne Hathaway proved with this film that she was actually a great actress. She had already proved that she had talent, but her movies were ussually silly romantic comedies . In "Rachel Getting Married" she is wonderfull, making us care for a character who is actually a mess. In other hands, this character could have been too irresponsable and arrogant for audiences, but Hathaway and director Jonathan Demme gives us a different perspective of her. The way in which the movie is filmed allows us to feel that we are in a real wedding. It is a very original movie.

This movie is far from being perfect, but it works thanks to the powerfull performances from Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson.

It is not as complex or as impressive as WALL-E, but it is still funny enough to keep viewers interested in its hillarious, if sometimes silly, story.

The 21st place on my list belongs to a film for its originality. The movie that is chosen ussually is more apreciated by me in personal terms than in technical ones. This year was difficult, I was debating between this one, "The Duchess" and "Il y a longtemps que je t'aime".I choose this one because it is entertaining for both, adults and children. It is an wonderfull fairy tale and, at the same time, an effective thriller.