Non Oscar Bait Top Ten

Since it's December, and the deluge of "critically acclaimed" arty movies is upon us. I'd like to compose a list that focuses on movies that had the guts to be released before December, and still probably have a shot at a few Oscar nods. I mean, come on, would anybody remember Doubt or Revolutionary Road come awards season if they hadn't been released a couple months beforehand?

A number of film critics like to compare the quality of one year to another, usually with the intent of reminiscing some glorious period (for some the gritty mid-late 70's, others the "rise of the indie" 90's). It has been my experience, and I think this is why film appeals to me so much, that every year is pretty consistent, you will see something new, unexpected and exciting every year.

My favorite film critic, James Berardinelli of Reelviews.net, has released his top ten list, and it is a little more populist than most, but not quite as down to earth as the list you'll find here.

First some honorable mentions: In Bruges, The Bank Job, Wanted, Death Race, Quantum of Solace, Cloverfield, Pineapple Express, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall

10. Kung Fu Panda

I rarely expect anything but mediocrity from Dreamworks when it comes to animation. They have the inferior robot, ant, fish, and rat movie. However, Pixar would be foolish to attempt to top the perfection they have achieved here, with the martial arts animal flick. Kung Fu Panda was probably the most fun I've had watching a "kids" movie in a long time.

9. Quarantine

A largely reviled film, considered an unoriginal mish-mash of Cloverfield style and a zombie film. I was impressed because while Cloverfield was constantly bordering on incoherent, Quarantine's use of a live amatuer documentary style only hightened the experience. The critical hate for this film somewhat baffles me, as it really only has one flaw, which is the excessive shrieking from the female lead in the films final 20 minutes.

8. Tropic Thunder

I had heard about Tropic Thunder fairly early on in it's advertising campaign, and was intrigued by Robert Downey Jr's character. That the movie managed to be as entertaining as that one joke is probably why it ended up on my list.

7. Redbelt

Spartan is one of my favorite movies of all time, I don't know why, it just is. David Mamet's follow up Redbelt is anchored by a great performance from Chiwetel Ejiofor. Like Spartan it deals with a man of action and principle having to learn to live in a world that is far less idealized than he would like. That Redbelt also features some great realistic martial arts doesn't hurt either.

6. The Incredible Hulk

If you were to ask me if redoing Ang Lee's Hulk with a film helmed by Luis Leterier (whose previous directing experience features Transporter 2 as the highlight) would be a good idea I would probably laugh and say absolutely not. But if you told me you had Edward Norton to play Bruce Banner I might consider it. This is the Hulk, not that odd send up to cheesy b-movies that once was the Hulk. Finally, with the creation of Marvel's own film studio we have the opportunity to see what happens when people who care about the source material make the creative decisions and with this year's release of The Incredible Hulk, Ironman, and The Dark Knight (which all made my top ten) I'm excited about the future of the comic book film.

5. Rambo

Simultaneously one of the most ridiculous and ridiculously entertaining movies of the year. More blood and gore than all previous Rambo's combined. That Rambo is saving missionaries makes this all the more hilarious/awesome.

4. Wall-E

While most people praise this movie unequivocally, I have several reservations, mostly about the way the final two-thirds don't hold up as strongly as the beginning and first encounters between Wall-E and Eve. However, the magic in those first 35 minutes is fantastic.

3. Ironman

Maybe I'm a little biased, seeing as how Ironman has always been one of my favorite superheroes. However, Robert Downey Jr's note perfect portrayal of Tony Stark elevates Ironman above the typical comic book action movie (Daredevil comes to mind when thinking of comic book movies that almost made it, but were held back by weak lead performances).

2. Slumdog Millionaire

Probably one of the few films actually deserving of the orgasmic critical response it has received. Danny Boyle continues to prove himself as a visionary director, you'd never know (unless of course you read it somewhere on the internet, as I did) that Boyle struggled to find a distributor for his film, which has been since called "a vibrant hymn to life" and sits triumphantly atop numerous top ten lists.

1. The Dark Knight

Like Beradinelli, I had a tough time choosing between Slumdog and Dark Knight. But the fact is that while Slumdog is an excellent movie, The Dark Knight transcends the category of movie or film into that of experience. It is the type of film making that just doesn't happen that often. The Nolan brothers (director and screenwriter, not unlike Joel and Ethan Coen) have crafted one of the most dense, breathtakingly relentless movies in ages.

Once I get around to seeing movies like The Wrestler, Gran Torino, Doubt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Revolutionary Road, The Reader, and Valkyrie I'll compile an Oscar bait top-ten.