2008 top ten list - prelude part 1

Tomorrow I’ll start writing about my 10 favorite movies of 2008. I’ve picked the top 10 (assuming I don’t go running off to the movies today and see something great), but I keep flipping it around in my head. Usually I have it pretty much in place by the 1st, with only a minor switch here and there once I start writing about them. I have a lot of movies that I really liked, but the number one movie didn’t stick out. Any of my top four can still take it.

There are two reasons why that could be. The first is that none are amazingly great enough to stick out, and the second is that all are great enough to mesh together. It’s a combination of the two. On one hand, I don’t have any one film that lingers in my head because I loved it so much. (In fact, there’s one that I REALLY, REALLY didn’t get, and I seem to be the only person in the world that didn’t gush over it. And no, I’m not talking about Cloverfield. With Cloverfield, at least I’ve figured out why I didn’t like it, and I’ve written about that in detail, in addition to the fact that it’s Blair Witch meets Godzilla, and I liked neither. No, this is a movie I just saw a few days ago. In my head, I keep playing over and over how MUNDANE it was. At the very least, Roger Ebert didn’t think too much of it either. I’m worried that it’s going to get tons of Oscar life. But I’ll write about that movie later. Long parenthetical statement.) On the other hand, when I look at the movies I’ve picked for the top ten, I feel good about all of them. Many of them have great moments and performances that stick with me, just not any complete movies that I’m gushing over.

I took a look back at my previous four years of listing the top movies. For my number ones, I totally stand by three of them – Once (2007), Sin City (2005), and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004). I will watch any of those three any day, over and over. But my 2006 pick? Not as much. I really liked Thank You For Smoking, but it doesn’t fit with those other three. I don’t own it. I haven’t watched it since I first saw it. I have no desire to watch it. But I don’t see a movie on my 2006 list anywhere that I really LOVED. But my 2005 list is filled with tons of great movies beyond the number one. I think this year’s list is going to be more like 2005’s list overall, but I’m sure I will second guess my top choice when looking back, much like the 2006 list. (By the way, for those curious about previous lists – myspacers can read the 2007 list, 2004-2006 are on livejournal. )

And an update for those who read my halfway point breakdown in the middle of summer, only the number one movie made it to the year end list.