The Year in Pixels and Kernels: Top 20 Movies of the Year

In essence, this is not really a list of the best films of 2008 since I included 2007 films that I’ve only seen last year. However, I did not include 2006 and older films that I’ve seen last year no matter how good they are like “Dancer in the Dark” and “Trainspotting”. But I’ve included older foreign films that were screened in the different film festivals in the Philippines this year like Cinemanila, Cine Europa, Eiga Sai, Pelikula/Pelicula, French Film Festival, .MOV Filmfest, and others.

Putting that aside, I invite you to take a bite and indulge yourself with my picks for the Top 20 Movies of the Year.

Honorable Mentions:
n Vicky Cristina Barcelona (http://failed.multiply.com/reviews/item/220)
n Milk (http://failed.multiply.com/reviews/item/215)
n Persepolis (http://failed.multiply.com/reviews/item/95)
n Change of Address (http://failed.multiply.com/reviews/item/138)
n Endo (http://failed.multiply.com/reviews/item/119)

20. Rocket Science
Unlike other comedies, this film manages to be outright funny without sacrificing the important message it has to convey – that message is not related to the mind-bending laws of physics and chemistry. It is simply about teenage angst and the awkwardness of high school. There is no debate that this smarty-pants underdog story deserves applause.

Read the full review at:
http://failed.multiply.com/reviews/item/145

19. I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK
This is a refreshing change from the retaliation-centric films tailored by director Park Chan-Wook. The overall mood is painted with pastel colors and bright sunshine. “I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK” is a cute, adorable, and charming film. It can be silly sometimes, but that’s OK.

Read the full review at:
http://failed.multiply.com/reviews/item/206

18. Let the Right One In
This Swedish import rewrites the rules of the vampire genre. There are no cheap scares, no screaming victims, and no Edward-Bella mushiness. The narrative plays out like a somber ballad – controlled, moody, and haunting, but at the same time, sweet and charming. “Let the Right One In” is too tender to be a horror film, but too grotesque to be otherwise.

17. The Orphanage
Director Juan Antonio Bayona spawns an unusual story delving on the supernatural and the imaginary parallel universe. This eerie film makes good use of minimalism to generate unexpected scares that aren’t superficial and gory. This tale of bereavement belongs to the Horror Hall of Fame together with modern classics and genuine chillers such as “The Sixth Sense” and “The Others”.

Read the full review at:
http://failed.multiply.com/reviews/item/102

16. Juno
This film tackles the sensitive topic of teenage pregnancy with complete honesty and quirkiness. Armed with her arsenal of hip verbiage, the endearing eponymous heroine of this film never fails to amuse the audience with her spontaneously hilarious antics and sharp tongue. In a nutshell, “Juno” is light-hearted, witty, and easy to fall in love with.

Read the full review at:
http://failed.multiply.com/reviews/item/93

15. The Band’s Visit
The low-key but hard-hitting debut feature from director Eran Kolirin boasts of a biting sense of humor and pitch-perfect understatement. “The Band’s Visit” is a tender affirmation that regardless of war and tension, even conflicting races can and will connect with each other. The characters may have spoken in fractured English, but the message they have conveyed in this modest film is far more meaningful and affecting than other more eloquent films.

Read the full review at:
http://failed.multiply.com/reviews/item/203

14. Love Songs
The eccentric characters and their equally eccentric affairs may not strike a common ground with our own but its mental resonance is undeniable. We are left reflecting on relationship dissatisfaction, sexual jealousy, heartache, and profession of feelings. Strangely enough, this risqué Parisian musical hits the right notes and sings the songs that will subject us to an all-night of contemplation.

Read the full review at:
http://failed.multiply.com/reviews/item/193

13. Foster Child
This is reality stripped to its core. There are slivers of truth scattered in the long running hours of the film that sparkle like gems amid the bleak Manila setting. In watching films like these, one must learn the virtue of patience – to be patient enough to appreciate the beauty that only subtlety and realism can bring.

Read the full review at:
http://failed.multiply.com/reviews/item/116

12. Gone Baby Gone
Gritty and action-packed, Ben Affleck’s directorial debut will leave us at the edge of our seats. The film rolls its sleeves for jaw-dropping surprises, leaving the characters battling against their own mores. This urban crime thriller plays with our minds, surprises us with its twists, and leaves us questioning in the end.

Read the full review at:
http://failed.multiply.com/reviews/item/136

11. 100
Being light-hearted and extremely humorous, “100” won’t fail to entertain. The humor is sharp but never slapstick, getting its inspiration on slice-of-life comedy and pop culture references. This film may seem like a comedic take on dying but in essence, it is a mature approach on life that goes by the saying: “carpe diem (seize the day)”.

Read the full review at:
http://failed.multiply.com/reviews/item/210

10. The Lookout
This small-time heist thriller is less about the bank robbery sequence and more about the pitiful guy unwittingly trapped in a mad scheme of greed and deception. Although he appears to be helpless in the face of danger, he musters his courage and fight head on. Oddly inspiring and uplifting, “The Lookout” is one of the year’s greatest films that is greatly overlooked and unrecognized.

9. Wanted
Actionmeister Timur Bekmambetov is a master impresario of pandemonium. He uses splattering blood as accents in orchestrating a grand symphony of crimson-washed brawls, curving bullets, exploding rats, slaughterhouse-esque joust, gravity-resistant car chases, fancy stunt work, and palpable kinetics for an overindulgent visual fest.

Read the full review at:
http://failed.multiply.com/reviews/item/154

8. Revolutionary Road
This is a dark drama that explodes with raw emotions. The script is flawlessly written. The leads throw their lines eloquently. Whenever Kate Winslet and Leonardo Dicaprio fight, their scathing words bruise deeper than any punch or physical torture. Their lashes of tongue whip us causing acute emotional pain.

Read the full review at:
http://failed.multiply.com/reviews/item/219

7. There Will Be Blood
A lot of movies begin with a voice-over narration, but not this one. The first 15 minutes of “There Will Be Blood” is nothing but silence. It is not because the film doesn’t have much to say; in fact, it has a lot to say – from family to money to religion. The film has nifty revelations under its sleeves that may seem irrational at the onset but will soon sink in and dwell on your consciousness.

Read the full review at:
http://failed.multiply.com/reviews/item/110

6. Into the Wild
Being based on a true story, this is the type of film that makes moviegoers rethink about the life they are leading. The film is more than just about rebellion. It focuses on man’s need to break away from everything at one point in his life to regain his sanity and allow him to understand himself better. Our over-dependence and insatiable craving for more money and greater power only give us artificial happiness. Only by liberating ourselves from the things that imprison us subconsciously will we be truly happy.

Read the full review at:
http://failed.multiply.com/reviews/item/144

5. The Dark Knight
This is not the typical action blockbuster. Even though the ubiquitous explosion and morbidity is present, it invests its precious 152-minute running time in something more meaningful. Christopher Nolan’s darker reanimation of the Batman franchise is submerged in a gamut of moral and ethical gray but still affirms our humanity.
Read the full review at:
http://failed.multiply.com/reviews/item/164

4. Wall-E
The trailer may have emphasized that “Wall-E” is a simple love story between two robots, but under the rug, it is a satire on consumerism and a social commentary on man’s duty to be stewards of the environment. It gives us a taste of a fully-automated world where man is fully dependent on machines that they have become obese couch potatoes unable to walk on their own and unable to make genuine human connection. How “Wall-E”, a deceptively simple animated film, was able to pull that off is pure brilliance.

Read the full review at:
http://failed.multiply.com/reviews/item/181

3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Although the film evokes a sense of melancholia and misery, it is brimming with anecdotes and philosophical reflections about life. There are lessons that will tug the heart of even the coldest, most apathetic moviegoer. Heartbreaking as it may be, it leaves an indelible mark on our consciousness. No doubt, this magnum opus will sweep you off your feet.

Read the full review at:
http://failed.multiply.com/reviews/item/217

2. Slumdog Millionaire
In “Slumdog Millionaire”, the grotesque marries the exuberant to produce a vivid travelogue reeking of vivacious energy and effervescent colors. In the film’s heart-thumping climax, we become witnesses of cinema’s most intense dramatic build-up. It is an ultimately gratifying finale, but it is inevitable not to be moved to tears. The coherent script ties all the elements together in panache of grand visuals and exploding emotions.

Read the full review at:
http://failed.multiply.com/reviews/item/218

1. Atonement
This beautifully crafted masterpiece is carefully executed to abide by director Joe Wright’s elaborate cinematic vision. This film sucks you into its core until you find yourself empathizing with the characters’ internal turmoil – the feeling of guilt that imprisons Briony even up to old age and the sense of longing of the estranged lovers for the presence of one another. Key scenarios are replete of palpable emotions intensified by the heart-wrenching renditions of the three lead stars.

Read the full review at:
http://failed.multiply.com/reviews/item/99