WALL·E (2008)
Directed by: Andrew Stanton
Written by: Andrew Stanton & Pete Docter
Starring: Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard & Kathy Najimy

Summary:
What if mankind had to leave Earth, and somebody forgot to turn the last robot off? After hundreds of lonely years of doing what he was built for, WALL*E (short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class) discovers a new purpose in life (besides collecting knick-knacks) when he meets a sleek search robot named EVE. EVE comes to realize that WALL*E has inadvertently stumbled upon the key to the planet's future, and races back to space to report her findings to the humans (who have been eagerly awaiting word that it is safe to return home). Meanwhile, WALL*E chases EVE across the galaxy and sets an adventure into motion. Joining WALL*E on his journey across the universe is a cast of characters including a pet cockroach and a heroic team of malfunctioning misfit robots.

My View:
The best animated film of the year, although I thought Kung Fu Panda and Bolt were both well done to. WALL-E is one of the most fun, original and imaginative films I've seen in a long. Not only is it great fun for kids but it has some wonderful underlying themes about the direction our society is heading with respect to health and pollution. It sends a much needed message to children about looking out for our planet, but without being to scary or preachy.

Gran Torino (2008)
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Written by: Nick Schenk & Dave Johannson
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Christopher Carley, Bee Vang & Ahney Her

Summary:
Walt Kowalski is a widower who holds onto his prejudices despite the changes in his Michigan neighborhood and the world around him. Kowalski is a grumpy, tough-minded, unhappy an old man, who can't get along with either his kids or his neighbors, a Korean War veteran whose prize possession is a 1972 Gran Torino he keeps in mint condition. When his neighbor Thao, a young Hmong teenager under pressure from his gang member cousin, tries to steal his Gran Torino, Kowalski sets out to reform the youth. Drawn against his will into the life of Thao's family, Kowalski is soon taking steps to protect them from the gangs that infest their neighborhood.

My View:
Clint Eastwood does it again. This was overlooked a lot this awards season especially from the oscars. Eastwood should have got a best actor nod at least. I think the ad campaign for the film was a little misleading. A lot of people seemed to think it was going to be Dirty Harry in his retirement rather than the emotional drama that it was.

Eastwood remains one of the best filmmakers today and I really hope he's not ready to retire anytime soon.

Doubt (2008)
Directed by: John Patrick Shanley
Written by: John Patrick Shanley
Starring: Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams & Viola Davis

Summary:
It's 1964, St. Nicholas in the Bronx. A charismatic priest, Father Flynn, is trying to upend the schools' strict customs, which have long been fiercely guarded by Sister Aloysius Beauvier, the iron-gloved Principal who believes in the power of fear and discipline. The winds of political change are sweeping through the community, and indeed, the school has just accepted its first black student, Donald Miller. But when Sister James, a hopeful innocent, shares with Sister Aloysius her guilt-inducing suspicion that Father Flynn is paying too much personal attention to Donald, Sister Aloysius sets off on a personal crusade to unearth the truth and to expunge Flynn from the school. Now, without a shard of proof besides her moral certainty, Sister Aloysius locks into a battle of wills with Father Flynn which threatens to tear apart the community with irrevocable consequence.

My View:
I was really surprised by Doubt. I thought the plot sounded a little dry however I should have known better. With the acting talent involved I should have known it would be one of the best films of the year. This is probably the best work by an ensemble cast this year. Both Streep and Hoffman burn it up every time they're on screen together. The tension between the two characters is captivating.

The best performance in the film however lies in Viola Davis. It's very brief, but her heart wrenching portrayal of a mother looking out for her son was amazing. It's nice to see that the academy recognized it as well. It just goes to show you that even that there really are no small roles just small actors.

Changeling (2008)
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Written by: J. Michael Straczynski
Starring: Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich & Jeffrey Donovan

Summary:
Inspired by actual events that occurred in 1920s-era Los Angeles, Clint Eastwood's "Changeling" tells the story of a woman driven to confront a corrupted LAPD after her abducted son is retrieved and she begins to suspect that the boy returned to her is not the same boy she gave birth to. The year was 1928, and the setting a working-class suburb of Los Angeles. As Christine (Angelina Jolie) said goodbye to her son, Walter, and departed for work, she never anticipated that this was the day her life would be forever changed. Upon returning home, Christine was distressed to discover that Walter was nowhere to be found. Over the course of the following months, the desperate mother would launch a search that would ultimately prove fruitless. Yet just when it seemed that all hope was lost, a nine-year-old boy claiming to be Christine's son seemed to appear out of thin air. Overcome with emotions and uncertain how to face the authorities or the press, Christine invites the child to stay in her home despite knowing without a doubt that he is not her son. As much as Christine would like to accept the fact that her son has been returned to her, she cannot accept the injustice being pushed upon her and continues to challenge the Prohibition-era Los Angeles police force at every turn. As a result, Christine is slandered by the powers that be, and painted as an unfit mother. In this town, a woman who challenges the system is putting her life on the line, and as the situation grows desperate, the only person willing to aid her in her search is benevolent local activist Reverend Briegleb (John Malkovich).

My View:
Clint Eastwood is at it again. He has become one of the best directors around as well. It's sick how good this guy is.

Changeling is a perfectly made drama, filled with great performances that remain subtle and don't overshadow each other. I have to admit, I thought Angelina might not be so believable in this role, but she pulled it off perfectly.

The running time might be a little long, but if you're in the mood for an excellent, well crafted drama, Changeling is for you.

Iron Man (2008)
Directed by: Jon Favreau
Written by: Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby
Starring: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts & Philip Seymour Hoffman

Summary:
Tony Stark is the complete playboy who also happens to be an engineering genius. While in Afghanistan demonstrating a new missile he's captured and wounded. His captors want him to assemble a missile for them but instead he creates an armored suit and a means to prevent his death from the shrapnel left in his chest by the attack. He uses the armored suit to escape. Back in the U.S. he announces his company will cease making weapons and he begins work on an updated armored suit only to find that Obadiah Stane, his second in command at Stark industries has been selling Stark weapons to the insurgents. He uses his new suit to return to Afghanistan to destroy the arms and then to stop Stane from misusing his research.

My View:
I think most fan boys leapt to their feet the moment it was announced the Robert Downey Jr. was to portray Tony Stark. If ever there was perfect casting in a film based on a comic that was it.

Iron Man is not just a great comic book film, it's a great film period. Favreau realized that these stories revolve around more than just the cool technology and action sequences. The characters are the main focus here. Don't get me wrong, the special effects in the film are among the best of the year, Favreau just doesn't rely on it to carry the film.

The Iron Man 2 talk is in full force, and a franchise looks inevitable. I also love how Marvel is setting up the eventual cross-over of their main characters into an Avengers film.

The Wackness (2008)
Directed by: Jonathan Levine
Written by: Jonathan Levine
Starring: Ben Kingsley, Josh Peck, Famke Janssen & Olivia Thirlby

Summary:
Its the summer of 1994, and the streets of New York are pulsing with hip hop and wafting with the sweet aroma of marijuana. The newly-inaugurated mayor, Rudolph Giuliani, is only beginning to implement his anti-fun initiatives against crimes like noisy portable radio, graffiti and public drunkenness. The Wackness centers upon a troubled high school student named Luke Shapiro (Josh Peck)a teenage pot dealer who forms a friendship with Dr. Jeffrey Squires (Ben Kingsley), a psychiatrist and kindred lost soul. When the doctor proposes Luke trade him weed for therapy sessions, the two begin to explore both New York City and their own depression. Propelled by an exuberant hip hop score, The Wackness captures the spell of 1994--a time of pagers, not cell phones; a time when Tupac and Biggie were alive but Kurt Cobain had just died. Funny and moving, The Wackness is an offbeat tale of two lost souls stumbling towards maturity.

My View:
I know what you're thinking and yes, this is the movie where Ben Kingsley makes out with Mary-Kate Olsen. The obvious strangeness of that scene aside The Wackness is a pretty captivating little film.

Kingsley is great as always, playing a psychiatrist who could use a little therapy himself. I also wasn't aware of Josh Peck before this film, but he's definitely a young actor to watch.

The Wrestler (2008)
Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
Written by: Robert D. Siegel
Starring: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei & Evan Rachel Wood

Summary:
This is a drama about an aging professional wrestler, decades past his prime, who now barely gets by working small wrestling shows in VFW halls and as a part-time grocery store employee. As he faces health problems that may end his wrestling career for good he attempts to come to terms with his life outside the ring: by working full time at the grocery store, trying to reconcile with the daughter he abandoned in childhood and forming a closer bond with a stripper he has romantic feelings for. He struggles with his new life and an offer of a high-profile rematch with his 1980s arch-nemesis, The Ayatollah, which may be his ticket back to stardom.

My View:
Advertised as being the resurrection of Mickey Rourke. Whoever made that statement obviously hasn't seen Sin City or Domino. In both of those films Mickey was the best part. I would have to agree that this is some of his all time best work.

I've been a huge Aronofsky fan for a while. I'm one of those people that even like The Fountain. The Wrestler is a departure from is normal style of filmmaking into something more gritty and real. It's made to feel like a fly on the wall documentary, and it succeeds in this very well.

Apart from Mickey however the film also offers up some great supporting work by both Evan Rachel Wood and Marisa Tomei. Marisa may have been shut out at the oscars this year but at least she's taking home a couple of Minxies.

Frost / Nixon (2008)
Directed by: Ron Howard
Written by: Peter Morgan
Starring: Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Sam Rockwell & Kevin Bacon

Summary:
Writer Peter Morgan's legendary battle between Richard Nixon, the disgraced president with a legacy to save, and David Frost, a jet-setting television personality with a name to make, in the story of the historic encounter that changed both their lives. For three years after being forced from office, Nixon remained silent. But in summer 1977, the steely, cunning former commander-in-chief agreed to sit for one all-inclusive interview to confront the questions of his time in office and the Watergate scandal that ended his presidency. Nixon surprised everyone in selecting Frost as his televised confessor, intending to easily outfox the breezy British showman and secure a place in the hearts and minds of Americans (as well as a $600,000 fee). Likewise, Frost's team harbored doubts about their boss' ability to hold his own. But as cameras rolled, a charged battle of wits resulted.

My View:
Not a film I thought I'd like but I ended up loving Frost/Nixon. Frank Langella is brilliant here as Nixon, and Michael Sheen, a little overshadowed by Langella gives an excellent performance as well.

I have a hard time explaining to people just how captivated they'll be when watching it. The subject matter seems to scare folks away, but please if you haven't seen it, don't wait another minute.

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Directed by: Danny Boyle & Loveleen Tandan
Written by: Simon Beaufoy & Vikas Swarup
Starring: Dev Patel & Freida Pinto

Summary:
Eighteen year old Jamal Malik is having an amazing answering streak on the Indian version of the television game show, "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire". He's only one correct question away from the big prize. However, some, including those associated with the game show, question how someone like Jamal, a self confessed non-genius who grew up in the slums of Mumbai, can be doing so well on the show when others who are brighter, more educated and wealthier than him have failed. Is Jamal cheating? Is it purely luck that they have asked him the questions to which he knows the answers? Seeing Jamal's life journey to this point ultimately answers these questions. His life journey includes being orphaned at an early age; growing up with an older brother, Salim, who was both his guardian/protector and antagonist; and having a relationship since childhood with another orphaned child, a girl named Latika. His motivation for being on the show also may provide some answers to his success. Perhaps it was all just meant to be.

My View:
After seeing this film last year I flat out said, "Slumdog Millionaire will win the best picture oscar." There was no doubt in my mind, and for once I was right.

The film is breath taking. From it's cinematography to it's performances from every generation of actor involved. I didn't really have very high expectations going into the film either. I've never been impressed by anything that could be considered "Bollywood." The story just sucks you in from the first minute right through to the last scene. It can be a hard film to watch to as the subject matter is a harsh one to confront. The ending however is note perfect, and will leave you feeling satisfied as you realize just how involved you were with these characters.

The Dark Knight (2008)
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Written by: Jonathan Nolan & Christopher Nolan
Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart & Michael Caine

Summary:
With just one year having passed after taking out Ra's Al Ghul's plan to have Gotham eliminated and the mysterious disappearance of Dr. Jonathan Crane AKA the Scarecrow, and after the city was nearly plundered with his toxins, Bruce Wayne and his vigilante alter-ego the Batman, continue the seemingly endless effort to bring order to Gotham, with the help of Lt. James Gordon and newly appointed District Attorney Harvey Dent. But a new threat has now emerged into the streets. The Dark Knight faces a rising psychopathic criminal called The Joker, whose eerie grin, laughter, and inhuman morality makes him as dangerous than what he has yet to unleash. It becomes an agenda to Batman to stop the mysterious Joker at all costs, knowing that both of them are in an opposite line. One has no method at all and seeks to see the world plunge into the fire he has yet to light. One represents the symbol of hope and uses his own shadow to bring the peace and order he has yet to accomplish doing.

My View:
Two years ago Batman Begins held the number one spot on this list, and I remember dreaming of what lay ahead for this apparent blockbuster franchise. At that time I couldn't even fathom how amazing and huge this film would be. It's not just the biggest film of the year it's one of the biggest films of the decade.

Chris Nolan has done what no other director has done for a comic book film. He's broken the stereotypes of what a comic book film has to be. With The Dark Knight he melds the dark reality of the life of Batman with the gritty reality of a crime drama.

Heath's passing was initially a blow to the film, but in a morbid way I think it only heightened it's popularity. His performance raises the film into a whole other level, and his oscar win is evidence of that. It's a great day for fan boys everywhere when a comic book film is gaining this kind of recognition.

There's no need to emphasize a need to see the film, because unless you've been under a rock since last summer than you already have. So let's just say that another two years from now I hope I'm writing about the third film in the franchise. Can it really get any better? I hope so.