Last year was the year we needed to escape. The reality of a broken-down economy and uncertain times, had us flocking in droves (movie sales were up 2% from 2007), to the local movie house where we payed big bucks to be distracted, saddened, overjoyed and mystified (and of course, stuffed with popcorn [after all, what's a post about flicks without a nod to corn]). There was a crystal skull, a million-dollar game show and group of anarchist clowns. And we loved it. So instead of doing a traditional top 10 list of my favorite movies from the year that was 2008, I've instead decided to compile a list to celebrate the movies that I've seen and been extremely excited by. I've seen a lot by some standards and too few by others, and all the while I've managed to retain a sense of wonderment and bewilderment. And yes, I'm sure my regimentation will fall along the lines of other top ten lists, but never mind that, these are movies that moved me, reaffirmed my faith in the moving picture narrative as a viable art form well and provided a bit of happiness in an unhappy world. By the way, I'm not going to go in spoiler territory, or even give a synopsis of each film, I'm simply going to state some of my impressions about each movie, after all I wouldn't want to ruin it for you.

Synecdoche, New York

"Every one is disappointing, the more you know someone" Knowing that you don't know is the most essential step to knowing, you know? The past is not static, it's always changing. Of course there is uncertainty about the future but what about the now? This movie doesn't make any sense, and that's what made it so enjoyable to me. Aside from it's aphoristic tendencies and it's mnemonic ciphers, it remains a touching small scale (pardon the pun) story. It's a story about aging and how the past is strictly conceptual now and therefore ever changing. Go see it. Then come back to it. Or don't. Because the movie can be so nebulous and incoherent times, it will constantly be shifting in your memory. But doesn't everything?

Slumdog Millionaire

Danny Bole not only introduced a new word into the vocab of the west, he introduced us to Mumbai with this beautiful film. This is a great feel good (sometimes bad) movie gushing with candy-coated mantras about destiny and love, which I suspect, for many people, will be a turn-off. It looks beautiful, sounds beautiful and feels beautiful. Did I mention how beautiful it is? It even winks its proverbial eye at traditional Bollywood flicks. So stick with it, and maybe, by the end, even you may start to believe that love truly does conquer all.

Man on Wire

This movie is ABSOLUTELY BREATHTAKING
in a low-key kind of way. This movie is sincere, minimal at times and eccentric by the very nature of its subject. It's magic. It's gray against blue with a tiny line in between. It's visually poetic. And the music is superb. This movie amazed me and it wasn't because of the extraordinary feats performed, and they were extraordinary, it was because I realized someone else still believes in the incantatory.

Låt den rätte komma in

Can you recall the satisfaction obtained from crunching through the fresh layer of snowfall on brisk night? Or what it was like to meet someone new? Remember how it was to have a crush on someone before you even knew what that meant? If not, this movie will remind you, if only temporarily. Poor little Eli probably can't remember these things. She's forgotten how. But she meets Oscar, and begins to relearn. As do we. This movie is about abandonment, loyalty and the melancholy promise of a sustained childhood friendship. It can't last. Inevitably we change. This is a cold movie with a somber undercurrent about a warm friendship, and of course...a vampire. You know, when I heard this was going to be remade for American audiences I couldn't help but chuckle and think, hasn't this already been done? And then I thought, why remake it? It's perfect the way it is.

Encounters at the End of the World

If Planet Earth is the Citizen Kane of documentaries then Encounters at the End of the World is the Bicycle Thief. It's boring, but that's a good thing, why should exciting get all the limelight anyway? Sometimes things need to be slow and surgically sterile, after all, that's just as vibrant of a sensation as any. That's not really fair though. This film isn't really boring, it's just reserved and/or polite. Unlike most movies, it's not an assault on our senses. In other words: It's not Bad Ass dude! But really it is.
So there you have it, five fantastic 2008 flicks that caused my heart to swell.