Best Movies Of 2008 (1st Quarter Report)

Man 2008 is flying by. With April 1st hitting us, we’ve officially arrived at the beginning of the second quarter of the year already. 2008 appeared to be a very strong upcoming year for film… and it still does, but I have to tell you that at this point I haven’t been blown away by what we’ve seen in theaters so far with 25% of the year now gone. Still, most of the highly anticipated films are still on the horizon and 2008 may still end up being a fantastic year for film.

So I now present to you our 1st quarter report on the state of the movie year. What has been the best stuff offered to us in theaters the first three months of the year:

1) In Bruges
Will it make 2008 Year End Top 10 List? – YES
A cast lead by three actors who each completely knock it out of the park. Colin Farrell (who gives the best performance of his career), Brendan Gleeson (who rules in just about everything) and Ralph Fiennes (do I really need to say anything?) all grab this film by the throat and makes it their own. Intense and exciting all while being extremely funny as well. Come on… a suicidal hitman on vacation… does it get any better?

2) The Spiderwick Chronicles
Will it make 2008 Year End Top 10 List? – NO
I didn’t have much hope for this film. To me it looked like just another Harry Potter/LOTR/Narnia rip off film that was trying to capitalize on the trend of adapting kids fantasy books. What I failed to take into account is the presence of Freddie Highmore (I’ll go on record and say he is the very best child actor in Hollywood today) who plays not one, but two roles in the film (he plays twin brothers) and does such a great job at it, I didn’t realize it was him doing both roles… I was sitting there assuming Highmore had an actual brother in the film. The movie just worked. It had a great sense of wonder and fantasy all while making it a fun adventure too. It’s no Narnia, but it was a wonderful film nonetheless.

3) City Of Men
Will it make 2008 Year End Top 10 List? – NO
When I heard that producer Fernando Meirelles was doing a follow up film to City Of God, it sounded a bit like a desperate gimmick to me. However, this nice work of friendship, violence, family all set in its exotic background makes the film truly work. It doesn’t come close to City of God in terms of quality, but setting that aside for a moment, it is a fine film on its own merits, which is really all you can ask for. The film does a great job of illustrating how life can get out of control and turn to a totally different direction than you planned as a result of the choices you make… friends become enemies and choices get even harder.

4) U2 3D
Will it make 2008 Year End Top 10 List? – NO
I finally got around to watching this amazing “film” (can one call a concert video on steroids a “film”? For the purposes of this list I am). I have to admit that I’m a touch biased because U2 is my all time favorite band, and quite frankly I think the greatest band of all time… and yet I procrastinated from seeing this movie. Maybe I was too afraid it was going to suck… who knows. At any rate, it jumps off the screen at you right from the start. The music, which is already so powerful, gets taken up a notch. I know it’s a cliche to say this… but it’s true: The film really makes you feel like you’re there at a live show. I can’t wait to see it again.

5) Definitely, Maybe
Will it make 2008 Year End Top 10 List? – NO
I know most people will role their eyes at this being on the list… but for a Romantic Comedy, this film was pretty special. Ryan Reynolds showed off his usual solid comedic timing, but he also brought a lot more to the character than I’ve ever seen him do before. Abigail Breslin was very good, the three leading ladies (well… two of them anyway) were quite solid, and the way in which the story was told (as a non-linear bedtime story from father to daughter) was done pretty well. Not an all time classic film, and one that will probably be forgotten by the end of 2008, but a nice little movie nonetheless.

6) The Bank Job
Will it make 2008 Year End Top 10 List? – NO
While the poster for The Bank Job was VERY cool and stylish, it unfortunately also gave off the impression of “Oh look… it’s The Transporter 3”. Not a lot of marketing or push from the studio behind this film which also gave it the appearance of a cheap little heist film. Fortunately, although it is indeed a cheap little heist film… it also happens to be a pretty fun one. My biggest complaint about The Bank Job was that it felt a little too much like a poor man’s “Snatch” (if you’ve seen both movies you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about), but the film still manages to win you over and get you drawn in.

7) Horton Hears A Who
Will it make 2008 Year End Top 10 List? – NO
Animated films these days that don’t have the work “PIXAR attached to it usually end up being pretty forgettable at best (Bee Movie) and down right horrible at worst (Madagascar) so going into see Horton Hears A Who I didn’t have a lot of hope. While the film doesn’t make you jump out of your seat to cheer… nor will it get nominate for any awards (unless the rest of the year sucks for animated films), Horton Hears A Who ends up being a pretty enjoyable and cute little film that was fun to watch.

8) The Band’s Visit
Will it make 2008 Year End Top 10 List? – NO
A very touching and interesting film (although a little slow at times and periodically not nearly as interesting at it seems to think it is), about how we as people… no matter how different, all how much MORE in common than we do that separates us. The premise alone for this film is great with a Muslim Egyptian marching type band off to play at a festival that accidentally gets on the wrong bus and ends up in a small Israeli town. Old hatreds and predjuices surface, many scenes are quite wonderfully uncomfortable… but the message is a strong one.

9) Vantage Point
Will it make 2008 Year End Top 10 List? – NO
It’s a sad commentary on the first quarter of 2008 and this film makes my list. But even though it’s filled with flaws, the repeated non-linear way in which it tells the (uninteresting) story still makes watching this film well worth it. I also admit to having a soft spot for any film that Denis Quaid is in, and he does a pretty solid job in the film as do most of the cast. Not a great film… in other years it wouldn’t be in the list… but here it is.

10) Rambo 4
Will it make 2008 Year End Top 10 List? – NO
This film has one of the greatest turn arounds in movie history. The first 60% of the film is one of the most inept, boring and horribly written films I’ve ever seen in my life and I came very close to walking out of it (if it wasn’t a press screening I probably would have walked out). But thankfully I stuck around and got to see the movie completely turn around and become one of the most intense action/war films I’ve ever seen. Some of the most brutal, explicit and horrifying combat scenes you’ll ever see on the screen. It’s almost as if Stallone woke up half way through the production and said “Oh wait a sec… we’re making a RAMBO movie here!”. I’m glad he did. Not a “great” movie over all… but it was salvaged.

So there you have it folks. As you can see… I predict only one film out of all the movies in the first quarter of 2008 will actually end up on the year end top 10 list (In Bruges). I know most of you still haven’t gone out to catch In Bruges… but if it’s playing ANYWHERE near you, I’d get out to see it asap. You’ll be glad you did!

Overall, I give the first quarter of 2008 a 6 out of 10.

So the obvious question here is…. how would you rank the films of the first quarter of 2008? What films would you drop from my list and which films would you replace them with?