Roger Ebert Top 20 Movies 0f 2008
I like Roger Ebert and not just because he gave kindly reviews to K-9 and Alaska. Whereas Gene Siskel came off as pretty much a snob, I always got the sense that Ebert walks into a theater wanting to like the movie. If you can’t adopt that attitude, at least give movies a honest shot, why become a film critic in the first place?
Ebert has beaten everyone to the punch by already coming out with his Top 20 Movies of 2008. Unlike a number of reviewers, Ebert believes this was a strong year for movies:
In these hard times, you deserve two “best films” lists for the price of one. It is therefore with joy that I list the 20 best films of 2008, in alphabetical order. I am violating the age-old custom that film critics announce the year’s 10 best films, but after years of such lists, I’ve had it. A best films list should be a celebration of wonderful films, not a chopping process. And 2008 was a great year for movies, even if many of them didn’t receive wide distribution.
Here’s his list:
Ballast
The Band’s Visit
Che
Chop Shop
The Dark Knight
Doubt
The Fall
Frost/Nixon
Frozen River
Happy-Go-Lucky
Iron Man
Milk
Rachel Getting Married
The Reader
Revolutionary Road
Shotgun Stories
Slumdog Millionaire
Synecdoche, New York
W.
Wall-E
Sad to say, I haven’t even seen half the movies on this list. Chapel Hill’s a great place to live, but re indie films, it ain’t LA. For example, Slumdog Millionaire still hasn’t made it to the Triangle.
What are your favorite movies in 2008?