As 2008 draws to a close I must admit that although we’ve had a year of immensely satisfying films I’m always excited by the prospect of entering a new year to see what else will be in store for us cinemagoers.
2008 provided us with a wide array of offerings and particular favorites of mine included:
The Dark Knight - the box-office smash of 2008, where Heath Ledger proved what a phenomenal talent he was and how much of a blow it is to film fans that he is sadly not with us any more.
Gone Baby Gone - this surprised lots of people; it was Casey Affleck’s breakout starring role and presented Ben Affleck as a first-time director and a talent to watch, who created a fantastic, complex, intriguing thriller. Colin Farrell showed impeccable comic timing for In Bruges, a wonderful film I discovered this year which was riotous fun and breezed by effortlessly.
Pineapple Express - this had every reason to be awful. In my opinion all stoner movies are as mind numbing as the drugs their protagonists take. This film, however, had charm, was funny, and introduced an engaging double act in Seth Rogen and James Franco. In particular Franco, who normally takes serious roles, shone as the dealer who really just wants to find somebody to hang out with regularly whom he can call his friend.
Finally, Wanted proved that Angelina Jolie is a true movie star, showed that James McAvoy can indeed give Rambo a run for his money in the action stakes, and highlighted to all that film-maker Timur Bekmambetov is a visual genius.
2009 is not short of highly anticipated movies; we will see the return of James Cameron with Avatar, that’s been ten years in the making. There'll be a new imagining of the Star Trek franchise from Lost creator JJ Abrams, and new Terminator, X-Men and Harry Potter films.
But for me the films that have grabbed my attention the most are:
Push – Paul McGuigan is one of my favourite film-makers of recent years. Both Wicker Park and Lucky Number Slevin were guilty pleasures. With Push he attempts science fiction, which some people have already likened to a big screen version of Heroes.
The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus – any film directed by Terry Gilliam is intriguing. This one is defined by the man himself as a ‘fun and humorous story about the consequences of our personal choices in life’. Sadly it will be known also as the film which Heath Ledger never fully completed.
Repossession Mambo – a futuristic action adventure thriller starring Jude Law and Forest Whitaker as two disturbed war veterans who now work as repossession agents for a company that makes artificial organs and that pursues customers who are unable to make payments for their implanted organs. An interesting premise with capable leads, this could be a welcome return to the sci-fi genre for Law since Cronenberg's eXistenZ.
Inglourious Basterds – a new film from old banana chin, Quentin Tarantino, which has been hyped to death (mostly by its creator), and which stars one of the most talked about men on the planet - Brad Pitt. The film is described by Tarantino as a World War II version of The Good, The Bad And The Ugly and features the biggest cast he has worked with to date. Whether you love him or loathe him, he's Tarantino, and he’s guaranteed to provide talking points as soon as the credits roll.
My Bloody Valentine 3-D – I always have to choose a horror offering. This is a remake of the 1981 cult slasher film of the same name. It stars small screen supernatural favourite Jensen Ackles and promises a unique audience participation experience, buckets of blood and super scary moments. Capitalizing on Hollywood’s fascination with remaking old classics, My Bloody Valentine looks to be a worthwhile remake, using a cast of known faces and a proven horror director in Patrick Lussier. It could be quite the ride. Hopefully it’s not 2009's answer to Prom Night.
