Filmography 2008

Same as for 2007. All the films I saw in 2008 at the cinema, in less than 25 words.

Lust, Caution
Intriguing thriller that possibly moves too slowly for its own good. Great visuals, acting and a subtle script that leaves a lot unsaid.
8/10 [my full review]

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
Tense, interesting, character study with great performances from everyone. Sketchy plot and potentially unsatisfying ending take the shine off an otherwise intriguing piece.
7/10 [my full review]

No Country For Old Men
A magnificent, deep, thoroughly enjoyable thriller, with more to it than might meet the eye initially. Excels in every aspect.
10/10 [my full review]

Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
As long as you don’t expect too much depth and character, there’s a dark, entertaining story to be had here.
7/10 [my full review]

Cloverfield
Tightly produced, and entertaining to watch. The short run time keeps the pace up, but leaves possibly too little room for interesting character development.
7/10 [my full review]

Juno
Unapologetically quirky. Funny and bizarre in equal measure, with great performances from everyone, especially Ellen Page.
9/10 [original review in this post]

There Will Be Blood
A very strange experience. I don't know if I enjoyed it, but it was possibly the most compelling film I have ever seen.
9/10

Grindhouse
Gritty, ballsy and ludicrously entertaining. Not perfect, but it gets out there and does something different, and with great success.
9/10 [my full review]

The Other Boleyn Girl
I'd have preferred a bit more court intruigue, and a bit less romantic fluff, but this is certainly not a lost cause.
6/10 [original review in this post]

Vantage Point
Sets up an interesting premise, and then throws it away in favour of Hollywood rubbish. Disappointing.
5/10 [original review in this post]

21
Starts well, but there's no believable darkness to the story, and it runs out of momentum after a while.
4/10 [original review in this post]

Persepolis
Stylish and well told, if lacking a some direction, depth and punch.
6/10 [my full review]

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Flashes of the real Indy experience are rare. Too smug and obsessed with self-references to be anything more than a generic action film.
4/10

The Happening
Genuinely creepy at times, but runs out of steam after half an hour. Melodramatic with no interesting diologue or characters.
4/10 [my full review]

Hancock
First half is promising. Could have been an interesting look at superhero psyche. Just another CGI-fest in the end. Pity.
6/10 [original review in this post]

Kung Fu Panda
Polished, stylish and very funny. Not massively original story, and a couple of underused characters, but overall an excellent film.
8/10 [original review in this post]

WALL - E
Entertaining without being fluffy. Deep without being preachy. Cute without being kiddy. Contains a lovable cockroach. What more could you ask for?
10/10 [original review in this post]

The Dark Knight
Exciting, thrilling and disturbing. Complex and dark. Takes the superhero genre to new heights. Heath Ledger is mesmerising.
9/10

The X-Files: I Want To Believe
Smug and uncinematic. No style or substance. No good writing. Big disappointment. Billy Connolly is good, though.
3/10 [original review in this post]

Get Smart
Tooth-grindingly generic. Watch the trailer and be done with it.
3/10 [my full review]

Somers Town
More charming than gritty, but not unenjoyable. Rough around the edges, but perfectly watchable. Good performances from all three leads.
7/10 [original review in this post]

Rocknrolla
It's no Lock, Stock, but it's not bad. Enough larger-than-life characters to cover up some of the dodgy gangster stylings.7/10 [original review in this post]

Tropic Thunder
Starts slowly. Hit and miss. Wants to be a satire, but often slips into straight comedy. Enjoyable without being brilliant. Tom Cruise is amazing, though.
7/10 [original review in this post]

I've Loved You So Long
Slow and tense, but the climax doesn't feel as dramatic as it could have. Good in general, but never brilliant.
6/10

Quantum Of Solace
Tries to do interesting things with an overarching storyline, but the plot of this particular film suffers. Good action sequences, but nothing massively memorable. 6/10

W.
Too much caricature and not enough substance. Great acting, for the most part, but the story doesn't drive deep enough.
5/10 [original review in this post]

Julia
Interesting characters and good twisting plot. Not afraid to be occasionally dark. Possibly slightly too long, and suffers from predictable ending.
8/10 [original review in this post]


And the films I wanted to see but never got around to:

• 4 Months, 3 weeks, 2 Days
• Dan In Real Life
• In The Valley Of Elah
• Le Scaphandre Et Le Papillon - The Diving-Bell And The Butterfly
• In Bruges
• The Mist
• Man On Wire
• Hellboy II - The Golden Army
• The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
• Gomorrah
• Burn After Reading
• Max Payne
• Changeling