Roger Ebert's Top 20 Films of 2008

[Nessus]

This is an interesting list.

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081205/COMMENTARY/812059997/1023

[Paroxysm]

"My Winnipeg" and "The Fall" need more attention so this list is heartily endorsed! :D

I'm still waiting for half those films to get release in aus though (especially "Synecdoche, New York")

[Beelze]

The Kaufman-penned "Adaptation" being one of the few films I liked enough to purchase on DVD in the last couple of years, I'm naturally interested in the Kaufman-directed "Synecdoche, New York". This list also got me interested in "The Fall" and Herzog's "Encounters at the End of the World", both of which I'm sure I'd enjoy.

... Oh, and I look forward to Ebert trashing the Friday remake.

[Paroxysm]

"The Fall" has potentially the best child performance I've ever seen plus it would definitely be among the most gorgeous films ever. Plus the story was right up my alley too :) Just a pity it didn't get a cinema release in this country (had to see it on dvd :()

[Malgon]

^I just read the synopsis on IMDb for The Fall, and I'm intrigued. I couldn't see anything about it being released here in Australia, so I take it you imported it?

[Rider]

Lack of Sweeny Todd = fail

[Amakou]

Lack of Sweeny Todd = fail

.......Sweeney Todd was December '07.

~Amakou~

[Paroxysm]

.......Sweeney Todd was December '07.

~Amakou~

Plus it was terrible.

[Paroxysm]

^I just read the synopsis on IMDb for The Fall, and I'm intrigued. I couldn't see anything about it being released here in Australia, so I take it you imported it?

Yeah only way to get a legitimate copy currently

[Beelze]

"The Fall" has potentially the best child performance I've ever seen plus it would definitely be among the most gorgeous films ever. Plus the story was right up my alley too :)
Blending fact and fiction in a romantic manner usually makes for an enjoyable work for me. Another film which does this, and whose story might be nearby your alley, is the 80's film "Paperhouse" - a somewhat unknown (?), rough little gem with some decent child performances.

Plus [Sweeney Todd] was terrible.
About the only thing I liked a bit was Sasha Baron Cohen's small part.

[Crosma]

Plus it was terrible.
Good god yes.

Odd to see Iron Man in the list. It was good, but surely he could've thought of something better.

The films in the list that I really want to see aren't even out yet. Grumble.

[Mountain Man]

I definitely have to question Ebert's judgment in calling W. one of the 2008's best. Ebert hasn't exactly hidden the fact that he's a hardcore liberal, so I guess it's no surprise that he'd gleefully give a hatchet-job film like W. a perfect 4-star rating despite the fact that he's one of the very few to rate it highly at all (http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/w?q=w.) and, in fact, is alone in giving it a ringing endorsement. It's rather obvious that his disdain for Bush had more to do with his rating than an unbiased analysis of the film itself.

I generally like Mr. Ebert's movie reviews, but he becomes so predictably boring when he delves into politics. It's a bit of a shame, really to see such a brilliant writer stoop to the level of liberal mouthpiece.

[Nessus]

I want to see Chop Shop. It takes place right near my house in the seedy auto garages by Shea Stadium. The same area was in the movie Kiss of Death With David Caruso, Ving Rhames and Nicolas Cage.

[Nessus]

I want to see Chop Shop. It takes place right near my house in the seedy auto garages by Shea Stadium. The same area was in the movie Kiss of Death With David Caruso, Ving Rhames and Nicolas Cage.

[Grande 3:16]

Saw the list the other day. Iron Man definitely deserves to be on the list. :D

(Sweeney Todd) Plus it was terrible.I never saw it (not my thing), but my sister really wanted to see it and she hated it.

[Amakou]

OK, this is off-topic since it's not relevant, but I appreciated Sweeney Todd much more when I watched it a second time-- the first time I saw it, I disliked it. However, I wouldn't add it to my collection.

~Amakou~

[Paroxysm]

I don't think it's horrible it's just not especially good. Tim burton's creativity seems to have hit a brick wall once he realised big hair + dark eyeliner + Depp + Whoever he's banging at the time = winnar! And as a fan of musicals it just wasn't up to task when it came to choreography and the music.

[hiob]

I haven't seen a single movie on that list. :o I really need to catch up.

[someguy2435]

I definitely have to question Ebert's judgment in calling W. one of the 2008's best. Ebert hasn't exactly hidden the fact that he's a hardcore liberal, so I guess it's no surprise that he'd gleefully give a hatchet-job film like W. a perfect 4-star rating despite the fact that he's one of the very few to rate it highly at all (http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/w?q=w.) and, in fact, is alone in giving it a ringing endorsement. It's rather obvious that his disdain for Bush had more to do with his rating than an unbiased analysis of the film itself.

I generally like Mr. Ebert's movie reviews, but he becomes so predictably boring when he delves into politics. It's a bit of a shame, really to see such a brilliant writer stoop to the level of liberal mouthpiece.

I wouldn't say that's a small amount of people who enjoyed the film. I quite liked it; it was surprisingly sympathetic towards Bush.

[Daveman]

I wouldn't say that's a small amount of people who enjoyed the film. I quite liked it; it was surprisingly sympathetic towards Bush.
And that's the first thing Ebert mentioned about it in this list. The fact that it wasn't a hatchet-job.

[Mountain Man]

I wouldn't say that's a small amount of people who enjoyed the film.
I didn't say few people enjoyed it; I said that Ebert was one of the very few critics to rate it so highly. In fact, he's alone in giving it his highest rating.

I quite liked it; it was surprisingly sympathetic towards Bush.
Sympathetic to the character created in the film, maybe, but not sympathetic towards the real George W. Bush.

----------

And that's the first thing Ebert mentioned about it in this list. The fact that it wasn't a hatchet-job.
In the eyes of a bleeding heart liberal like Ebert, perhaps. Do you suppose he would have been so enamored by the film had it portrayed Bush as smart, strong, and confident. I doubt it.

[Daveman]

In the eyes of a bleeding heart liberal like Ebert, perhaps. Do you suppose he would have been so enamored by the film had it portrayed Bush as smart, strong, and confident. I doubt it.
1. You can stop the condescending "bleeding heart" label, it serves no one.
2. He might very well have been so. Did you see the film? One of the things noted by almost every reviewer was how sympathetic the movie was. It's really not hard to prove this, just look on Metacritic for examples. Really, the movie wasn't just a thrown together pile of trash meant to ruin Bush's life. Not a lot of critics liked it, but that doesn't mean he's throwing his politics into it, it might mean that a lot of critics didn't "get" it, which happens to a lot of really, really brilliant movies. I'm not saying it's brilliant, but Ebert is just one man and it's not like everyone in the world agrees that the movie sucked unless you're a terrorist-communist like Ebert, so give the man some credit.

[Boo Boo Juice]

Bookmarked. I want to see all of those movies. Especially Slumdog Millionaire.

[Mountain Man]

Not a lot of critics liked it, but that doesn't mean he's throwing his politics into it, it might mean that a lot of critics didn't "get" it, which happens to a lot of really, really brilliant movies.
That would be a fair point... if Mr. Ebert wasn't alone in giving the movie his highest rating. He's also made it no secret that he greatly dislikes--perhaps even despises--President Bush, so it's really not hard to put two and two together here.

Like I said, I think Roger Ebert is generally an outstanding reviewer, and his are pretty much the only reviews I bother with when deciding which movies I would like to see. It's just extremely obvious when he lets his political ideology get the better of his judgment (his review of Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 is another example).

[SonnyBonds]

Do you suppose he would have been so enamored by the film had it portrayed Bush as smart, strong, and confident. I doubt it.
Well, obviously not. Would anyone? :insomnia:

I don't see the problem, you know what the movie is about and if you dislike his 'bleeding heart' liberal ideology (why do you feel you have to use that expression, anyway? It's condescending and rather dumb), then just ignore those reviews. Problem solved.

Anyway, lots of movies on that list that I haven't seen but the ones I have seen on there are great.

[Daveman]

It's just extremely obvious when he lets his political ideology get the better of his judgment (his review of Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 is another example).
Other reviewers liked that one, too. It's a pretty well-done film, like all of Moore's stuff. I think he's a disgusting person and he angers me too, but he's certainly a good filmmaker.

[Commando Nukem]

he's certainly a good filmmaker.

When? When he's lying, or when he's being fradulant scum?

Please, refer to 'bleeding heart" as condescending again. It makes me laugh. Go on! :D

[Daveman]

When? When he's lying, or when he's being fradulant scum?

You'll notice I avoided using the word "documentary". ;)

[John]

When? When he's lying, or when he's being fradulant scum?

Please, refer to 'bleeding heart" as condescending again. It makes me laugh. Go on! :D

Well he's an academy award winning filmmaker, so obviously not everyone hates him. I'm with Daveman in seeing through the bias and spin, but it's rather odd you'd pick Michael Moore out of everyone else to call a liar and for another reason to use the "bleeding heart" term. :p What would be the opposite of a bleeding heart liberal? ;)