2008 Films Reviewed

So has someone else ever mentioned this Rule-of-7 / Rule-of-8 thing, or is it all in my head? Take for instance 1997: great movie year - BOOGIE NIGHTS, L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, FUNNY GAMES, SWEET HEREAFTER, etc. On the other hand 1998, absolutely dire movie year (even worse in retrospect). 1987, great movie year, probably the best of the 80s (my Top 3 are all stone-cold masterpieces); 1988, poor movie year - so poor, in fact, that most people's top pick is a TV series ("The Decalogue"). 1957, great movie year imho; 1958, poor movie year imho. 1937, ditto; 1938, ditto.

Which of course brings us to: 2007, great movie year, according to just about everyone. 2008 ... well, who knows, but the signs aren't exactly encouraging (neither was Sundance, which is where we stand as I type this).

Guess we shall see - and hopefully this site will be around for the duration. Meanwhile, here are the 2008 Films Ranked by Rating as well as the part that explains what it all means. 2008: The Year When I Started Reading Books Again...

(V) = film seen only on video

(TIFF) = film seen (or first seen) at the Toronto Film Festival

(ThIFF) = film seen (or first seen) at the Thessaloniki Film Festival

• THE ACCIDENTAL HUSBAND (37)
• ACNE (TIFF) (37)
• ADORATION (V) (64)
• AFTERSCHOOL (68)
• ASTERIX AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES (49)
• AUSTRALIA (46)
• THE BAADER MEINHOF COMPLEX (36)
• BABY MAMA (40)
• BAGHEAD (V) (58)
• BANGKOK DANGEROUS (35)
• THE BANK JOB (V) (62)
• BE KIND REWIND (V) (59)
• THE BEACHES OF AGNES (V) (72)
• BEAUFORT (V) (54)
• BEDTIME STORIES (49)
• BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA (37)
• BIENVENUE CHEZ LES CH'TIS (V) (49)
• BIGGER STRONGER FASTER * (V) (60)
• BIRDSONG (V) (66)
• BLIND LOVES (V) (56)
• BLIND SUNFLOWERS (TIFF) (41)
• BLINDNESS (47)
• BOARDING GATE (V) (62)
• BODY OF LIES (60)
• BOY A (V) (58)
• BRIDESHEAD REVISITED (38)
• THE BROTHERS BLOOM (TIFF) (69)
• BURN AFTER READING (71) (second viewing: 61)
• THE BURNING PLAIN (27)
• CADILLAC RECORDS (V) (53)
• CHANGELING (75)
• CHICAGO 10 (V) (51)
• CHOCOLATE (V) (44)
• A CHRISTMAS TALE (TIFF) (72)
• CITY OF EMBER (55)
• CJ7 (V) (64)
• THE CLASS (V) (71)
• CLOVERFIELD (43)
• THE COTTAGE (V) (43)
• THE COUNTRY TEACHER (ThIFF) (63)
• THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (V) (52)
• THE DARK KNIGHT (58)
• THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (41)
• DAYTIME DRINKING (ThIFF) (49)
• DEAR ZACHARY (V) (17)
• DEATH RACE (44)
• DEFINITELY, MAYBE (42)
• DELTA (ThIFF) (60)
• DEPARTURES (V) (53)
• DERNIER MAQUIS (TIFF) (56)
• IL DIVO (V) (75)
• DONKEY PUNCH (V) (47)
• DOOMSDAY (56)
• DOUBT (V) (64)
• THE DUCHESS (53)
• ELEGY (52)
• ELITE SQUAD (V) (52)
• THE EYE (38)
• FEAR(S) OF THE DARK (V) (57)
• FIREFLIES IN THE GARDEN (43)
• FLOWER IN THE POCKET (V) (ThIFF) (26)
• FOOL'S GOLD (24)
• FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL (54)
• FOUR CHRISTMASES (44)
• FOUR NIGHTS WITH ANNA (TIFF) (66) (second viewing: 57)
• FRONTIER OF DAWN (V) (45)
• FROST / NIXON (V) (55)
• FROWNLAND (V) (74)
• FROZEN RIVER (V) (52)
• GET SMART (45)
• GHOST TOWN (TIFF) (51)
• GITMEK: MY MARLON AND BRANDO (V) (ThIFF) (58)
• GOMORRA (TIFF) (63)
• THE GOOD THE BAD THE WEIRD (V) (49)
• GOODBYE SOLO (V) (47)
• GRAN TORINO (V) (64)
• HAMLET 2 (55)
• HANCOCK (48)
• THE HAPPENING (38)
• HAPPY-GO-LUCKY (V) (62)
• HAROLD & KUMAR ESCAPE FROM GUANTANAMO BAY (V) (25)
• THE HEADLESS WOMAN (V) (66)
• HEAVY METAL IN BAGHDAD (V) (50)
• HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY (51)
• HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3 (46)
• HOME (V) (56)
• HORTON HEARS A WHO! (55)
• THE HOUSE BUNNY (V) (41)
• HOW TO LOSE FRIENDS & ALIENATE PEOPLE (36)
• HUNGER (TIFF) (70)
• I'M GONNA EXPLODE (TIFF) (45) (second viewing: 47)
• IN BRUGES (V) (71)
• IN SEARCH OF A MIDNIGHT KISS (38)
• THE INCREDIBLE HULK (44)
• INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL (61)
• INKHEART (37)
• IRON MAN (53)
• I'VE LOVED YOU SO LONG (V) (55)
• JCVD (TIFF) (66)
• JERICHOW (TIFF) (56)
• JOHNNY MAD DOG (V) (62)
• JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH (63)
• JULIA (V) (72)
• JUMPER (45)
• JUST ANYBODY (V) (65)
• KABLUEY (V) (62)
• KISSES (TIFF) (37)
• KIT KITTREDGE: AN AMERICAN GIRL (V) (64)
• KUNG FU PANDA (63)
• LAKE TAHOE (ThIFF) (68)
• LAKEVIEW TERRACE (V) (55)
• LAST CHANCE HARVEY (61)
• THE LAST HOMECOMING (ThIFF) (43)
• LEATHERHEADS (V) (61)
• LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (V) (57)
• LINHA DE PASSE (V) (60)
• LIVERPOOL (TIFF) (53)
• LORNA'S SILENCE (64)
• MADE OF HONOR (33)
• MAMMA MIA! (16)
• MAN ON WIRE (V) (53)
• THE MARK OF AN ANGEL (TIFF) (57)
• MARLEY & ME (50)
• MARTYRS (TIFF) (64)
• MAX PAYNE (34)
• MEET DAVE (56)
• MEET THE SPARTANS (9)
• MILK (V) (45)
• MIRRORS (39)
• MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY (V) (45)
• MOMMA'S MAN (V) (59)
• MOTHER OF TEARS (V) (45)
• MY MOM'S NEW BOYFRIEND (32)
• NICK AND NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST (V) (52)
• NIGHT AND DAY (71)
• NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS (V) (68)
• NIM'S ISLAND (44)
• NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD (TIFF) (68)
• NUIT DE CHIEN (TIFF) (61)
• OF TIME AND THE CITY (TIFF) (47)
• THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL (46)
• OUR BELOVED MONTH OF AUGUST (V) (68)
• PAPER SOLDIER (V) (74)
• PARIS 36 (60)
• PASSENGERS (38)
• PINEAPPLE EXPRESS (60)
• PONTYPOOL (TIFF) (59)
• PONYO ON THE CLIFF BY THE SEA (V) (71)
• PRIDE AND GLORY (52)
• QUANTUM OF SOLACE (57)
• LA RABIA (V) (63)
• RACHEL GETTING MARRIED (V) (67)
• RAMBO (56)
• THE READER (54)
• RED CLIFF (57)
• REDBELT (V) (64)
• REVANCHE (62)
• REVOLUTIONARY ROAD (V) (48)
• ROLE MODELS (61)
• ROMAN POLANSKI: WANTED AND DESIRED (62)
• THE RUINS (V) (55)
• SAVAGE GRACE (V) (64)
• SERAPHINE (V) (62)
• SERBIS (ThIFF) (53)
• SEVEN POUNDS (45)
• SEX AND DEATH 101 (V) (59)
• SEX AND THE CITY (63)
• SEX DRIVE (48)
• SHINE A LIGHT (V) (53)
• SHIRIN (V) (57)
• SHOTGUN STORIES (V) (69)
• SHUTTER (46)
• SITA SINGS THE BLUES (V) (74) (second viewing: 72)
• THE SKY CRAWLERS (TIFF) (68)
• SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (V) (43)
• SNOW ANGELS (V) (57)
• SPARROW (V) (48)
• SPEED RACER (60)
• THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES (47)
• STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE (V) (73)
• STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS (32)
• STELLA (V) (73)
• STEP UP 2 THE STREETS (28)
• STILL WALKING (TIFF) (63)
• STOP-LOSS (V) (59)
• THE STRANGERS (58)
• STREET KINGS (61)
• SUGAR (TIFF) (45)
• SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO (V) (41)
• SUMMER HOURS (TIFF) (66) (second viewing: 79)
• SUPERHERO MOVIE (47)
• SURFWISE (V) (50)
• SUT (TIFF) (57)
• SWING VOTE (24)
• SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK (TIFF) (64)
• TAKEN (V) (67)
• TALE 52 (ThIFF) (61)
• TEETH (V) (44)
• 10,000 B.C. (52)
• 35 SHOTS OF RUM (TIFF) (49)
• THREE MONKEYS (V) (58)
• TOKYO SONATA (TIFF) (65)
• TONY MANERO (ThIFF) (65)
• TRANSPORTER 3 (63)
• TRANSSIBERIAN (V) (48)
• TROPIC THUNDER (49)
• TULPAN (TIFF) (52)
• 24 CITY (V) (60)
• 21 (31)
• 27 DRESSES (46)
• TWILIGHT (54)
• TWO LOVERS (73)
• UNDER THE BOMBS (ThIFF) (36)
• UNRELATED (V) (49)
• UNTRACEABLE (51)
• UPSTREAM BATTLE (TIFF) (46)
• VALKYRIE (63)
• VANTAGE POINT (58)
• VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA (67) (second viewing: 73)
• VINYAN (TIFF) (58)
• W. (59)
• THE WACKNESS (V) (42)
• WALL-E (76)
• WALTZ WITH BASHIR (TIFF) (50)
• WANTED (54)
• THE WAVE (47)
• A WEEK ALONE (V) (ThIFF) (73)
• WELCOME HOME, ROSCOE JENKINS (37)
• WENDY AND LUCY (TIFF) (72) (second viewing: 70)
• WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS (39)
• WHAT JUST HAPPENED (V) (51)
• WILD CHILD (35)
• WINDS OF SEPTEMBER (ThIFF) (43)
• THE WRESTLER (TIFF) (55)
• THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE (35)
• YES MAN (54)
• YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN (53)
• ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO (34)
• ZIFT (V) (48)