To The Movies: 2008
28 December 2008
While studying cinema in a concentrated matter years ago while still a young lad in CEGEP, I’m not sure I was quite creatively conscious through it all, I felt I was blindly following others without much personal opinion. The subject ended up being thrown on the back burner and has now been forgotten for quite some time. However, now that I feel somewhat comfortable with photography, grasping pretty much the gist of it, I am ready to slowly tackle and gain dexterity with its forgotten animated cousin.
Consequently, the past twelve month were the year of moving pictures. I watched many more films that read any books, with great esteem for it. I was scrutinizing the cinematography, questioning the editing, criticizing the plots and direction. To gain a complete knowledge of film, like for any other medium, one must watch, compare and analyze a heavy amount of material and then try it out for himself before getting it. ‘Tis the only way.
So the following list is what I watched this year. Nothing outstanding: simply composed of many long neglected old classics, some great and other no-to-great recent works. Looking back, the selection process was always arbitrary: most of them ended up being from american productions, with was no definite tying themes either; though liking a director’s storytelling or an actor’s performance, I often tended to watch a few other of their works in a concentrated matter.
So here goes 2008 in chronological viewing order, with starred personal favorites. Links will direct to the related hippopocampe review:
- La Face cachée de la lune (2003)
- The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
- Scoop (2006)
- 3:10 to Yuma (2007)
- American Gangster (2007)
- The Passion of the Christ (2004)
- No Reservations (2007)
- Juno (2007)
- Helvetica (2007)
- Eastern Promises (2007)
- Dreamgirls (2006)
- Dirty Dancing (1987)
- Charlie Wilson’s War (2007)
- The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
- Shrek the Third (2007)
- Knocked Up (2007)
- Mrs Henderson Presents (2005)
- Gangs of New York (2002)
- Babel (2006)
- Dan in Real Life (2007)
- Full Metal Jacket (1987) *
- Il Buono, il brutto, il cattivo (1966)
- The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005) *
- C’era una volta il West (1968)
- Boogie Nights (1997)
- Horton Hears a Who! (2008)
- Sweeney Todd (2007)
- Hairspray (2007)
- 12 Angry Men (1971)
- Godfather: Part III (1990)
- Swimming Pool (2003)
- Zodiac (2007)
- Cidade de Deus (2002) *
- United 93 (2006)
- Do the Right Thing (1989) *
- Harold and Maude (1971)
- Manufactured Landscapes (2006)
- Fatal Attraction (1987)
- Hable con ella (2002) *
- Panic Room (2002)
- Restoration (1995)
- Hable con ella (2002)
- Fatal Attraction (1987)
- 4 luni, 3 saptamâni si 2 zile (2007) *
- Trainspotting (1996)
- Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis (2008)
- WALL·E (2008)
- Caché (2005)
- Eyes Wide Shut (1999) *
- Amores Perros (2000) *
- Into the Wild (2007)
- The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
- Rescue Dawn (2006)
- 12 Monkeys (1995)
- The Prestige (2006)
- Scarface (1983)
- Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993)
- Son of Rambow (2007)
- Heat (1995) *
- Die Fälscher (2007) *
- The Untouchables (1987)
- Akeelah and the Bee (2006)
- The Aviator (2004)
- Finding Neverland (2004)
- The Cider House Rules (1999)
- Munich (2005)
- Pianiste, La (2001)
- Donnie Brasco (1997)
- Paranoid Park (2007)
- Bom yeoreum gaeul gyeoul geurigo bom (2003) *
- Maquinista, El (2004)
- I’m Not There (2007)
- Funny Games US (2008)
- Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) *
- Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006)
- I Heart Huckabees (2004)
- Unser täglich Brot (2005)
- Up the Yangtze (2005)
- La Vie secrète des gens heureux (2006)
- The Graduate (1967) *
- Kung Fu Panda (2008)
Suggestions for 2009 are widely accepted. And yes, Matt, next one up is Koyaanisqatsi .