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With
the passing of Heath Ledger in January, "The Dark
Knight" has continued to dominate in the theater
with audiences easily making the Batman film one of
the most successful of the summer.
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What a wild year it’s been at
the movie theater.
Who could have imagined that some of my favorite films of
the year would be a superhero title, a movie about a child
working in a junkyard, a story about dreams - or a story about
the nature of storytelling?
It’s been a surprising, delightful, astounding year. And
yet we still have five months remaining before the end, and a
good three months before Oscar season kicks into high gear.
Here, a quick look back at my 10 favorite films of the year
thus far:
1.
"The Dark Knight" (still in theaters)
It’s more than just a comic book movie. There are hints
of Greek tragedy, of Shakespearean turmoil, of Oscar-caliber
introspection afoot in "The Dark Knight," a movie
about pure evil and man’s need to scour his dark side in
order to confront that evil. "The Dark Knight,"
buoyed by the brilliant and unforgettable performance from the
late Heath Ledger, will keep showing into the fall, will be
pushed as a serious Oscar contender - and might just have the
goods to back up the campaign.
2.
"The Visitor" (coming soon to DVD)
There are two central men in "The Visitor," a
professor who rarely comes to New York, and the illegal
immigrant and musician whom he finds squatting in his
apartment. At first horrified by the invasion of privacy, the
professor nevertheless reaches out to this man in need, forms
an unlikely friendship and is drawn into the dark of world of
immigration crackdowns. An emotional, inspiring, haunting
accomplishment.
3.
"My Winnipeg"
It’s a meditation on the complex meaning of home.
Featuring characters in a perpetual state of sleepwalking,
director Guy Maddin crafts a documentary filled with lies, a
self-described "docu-fantasia" that is one part
nostalgia, one part dreamscape and one part fictional
concoction. It’s a hypnotizing accomplishment.
4.
"The Fall"
It only showed for a few weeks in Milwaukee, but what a
glorious time it was, when "The Fall" was screening
downtown. It is a movie about a man and a young girl stuck in
a California hospital, about the fantastical story he tells
her to get her to aid him in an attempted suicide, and a
powerful testament to the way we tell, and hear, stories.
5.
"Chop Shop"
Another movie featuring a stunning performance from a
youngster, "Chop Shop" is about a young brother and
sister living in a junkyard in New York City, about two
children forced to grow old before their time, struggling to
make a dollar in hopes of escaping poverty.
6.
"The Wackness"
It opened in Milwaukee last month, and what a burst of
energy it was. "The Wackness" is about two men - one
teenager, one middle-aged therapist (played by Ben Kingsley) -
both dealing with something close to a midlife crisis. Smoking
pot, miserable about women, depressed and looking for a way
out, it’s an unlikely story of desperation, jubilation and
learning to take the good with the bad.
7.
"In Bruges"
Written and directed by the dark, acclaimed playwright
Martin McDonagh, "In Bruges" is the great
undiscovered treasure of 2008. About two hit men hiding out in
the European tourist destination of Bruges, McDonagh contrasts
beauty with gore, always nudging things along with existential
dialogue that is at once base, beautiful and disarming.
8.
"Man on Wire"
I’m hoping this one opens in Milwaukee soon - an
inspiring movie about the tightrope walker who ascended the
newly-constructed World Trade Center in the 1970s, breaking in
to the complex in order to have his moment of transcendence,
walking between them. It’s a historical documentary told as
heist film, both suspenseful and sublime.
9.
"Kit Kittredge: An American Girl"
I was expecting to hate this movie, about a middle-class
girl dealing with her fears during the dark days of the
Depression and coming of age amid the financial strife. But as
it turned out, I loved the way it dealt with the subject
matter soberly and seriously - and I positively ate up the
cutet and affecting performance from young Abigail Breslin.
10.
"Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day" (Now Available
on DVD)
A lovely story about a day-in-the-life of a prima donna,
and the accidental personal assistant who tries to keep pace
with her for a day, it is the most charming period piece of
the year thus far.
What are you favorite films of the year thus far? Let Steve
know at SnyderReviews@hotmail.com
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