My Favourite Films of the Year

Some are new, some are old - some I've seen before, some I just happened across - some I've been waiting years to see.

Of course there were many great films I saw, and some not so great, but which weren't included in the blog because I didn't watch them in their entirety - 'Network' for example. So the films that are listed on this blog are only the ones I watched start to finish.

These are, in the order I watched them, my 20 favourites of the 254 films I watched in 2008:

Spirit of the Beehive (Victor Erice,1973)

Kramer vs Kramer (Robert Benton, 1979)

There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2008)

The Elephant Man (David Lynch, 1980)

Requiem (Hans Christian Schmid, 2006)

The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (Werner Herzog, 1974)

Persepolis (Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud, 2007)

Alice in the Cities (Wim Wenders, 1974)

Kes (Ken Loach, 1969)

The Piano (Jane Campion, 1993)

Odd Man Out (Carol Reed, 1947)

2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968)

Andrei Rublev (Andrey Tarkovsky, 1966)

Berlin Alexanderplatz (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1980)

The Bill Douglas Trilogy (My Childhood, 1972; My Ain Folk, 1973; My Way Home, 1978)

I, Pierre Riviere... (Rene Allio, 1976)

Fargo (Joel and Ethan Coen, 1996)

Hunger (Steve McQueen, 2008)

The Big Lebowski (Joel and Ethan Coen, 1998)

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Andrew Domynyk, 2007)

It would seem the 1970s produced the best films, or that I watched a majority of films from the 1970s, as they've dominated my list with 6 films, whilst the 1990s and the 1960s get 3 apiece and the 1980s have 2. One film dates from 1947, then of the 5 films since 2000, 4 of them were released in the UK this year.

So all in all a pretty good mix. 7 American Films, 4 British, 4 German, 1 New Zealand, 1 Spanish, 1 Russian, 1 French and 1 French/Iranian.

Unfortunately my blog lost a bit of momentum. Starting with 1000-word essays really set the bar for myself and I couldn't keep it up, usually because if I had time to write an essay about a film, then I had time to watch a film - which is usually what happened. So the essays became sentences and they became single word reviews, but to be honest the main purpose was simply to keep a list of how many films I watched in a year. When I was at university I averaged 1000 a year so I've definitely dipped but i'm happy I have a social life too.

So this is my last ever post. I doubt very much anyone has read any of my blog at all, and if they considered it they were probably put off by the fact I didn't write very much. Nonetheless, I've gained much pleasure from these films - even the terrible ones (and there's been a few - highlights would have to be Liverpool and Mamma Mia, both released this year). I'll keep busy watching and always looking forward to both new releases and old classics waiting to be discovered.

Cheers.

The Princess Diaries (2001)

Alright actually. Quite bland but some genuinely funny moments.

Interview With The Vampire (1994)

Very hammy and a little pointless.

The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981)

Unfortunately, considering my admiration for John Fowles, Harold Pinter (who has sadly passed away) and Karel Reisz, this is a little boring and not particularly insightful. The conceit of showing the actors playing the film doesn't really contribute much to the story and has far less effect than Fowles' post-modern novel.

Mamma Mia (2008)

The film equivalent of a hen night, this is utterly unbearable for anyone with the slightest taste. Most disappointing is the inclusion of several decent actors who should have known better (and shouldn't have attempted to sing!).

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

Fairly entertaining, although a little over the top - until the end where it's just one step too far into absurdity.

Wallace and Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)

Quintessentially English and old-fashioned, like the entertainment that got us through World War Two, but far more witty.

And Now For Something Completely Different (1971)

The best kind of silly.

White Christmas (1954)

Warm and nostalgic - perfect for Christmas.

V For Vendetta (2005)

Original and intriguing idea about a fascist, dictatorship Britain but the film goes over the top and seriously misjudges the meaning of blowing up the Houses of Parliament, the model for democracy around the world.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

Tense, inventive, thrilling and engaging with fine performances (particularly Casey Affleck's revelatory turn) and excellent direction.

Wild River (1960)

A potentially interesting drama spoilt by the unnecessary romance sub-plot, but as with all Kazan films the performances are ahead of their time.

Oyu-sama (Miss Oyu, 1951)

Passionately restrained, with touches of melodrama. Not a remarkable addition to Mizoguchi's oeuvre.

Notting Hill (1999)

Average.

The Blues Brothers (1980)

Riotous fun with fantastic soundtrack and stunning musical cast.

Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)

Not really all that funny, sad or romantic but fairly enjoyable.

Pretty Woman (1990)

Quite a charming fairy tale romance.

Ne Touchez Pas La Hache (Don't Touch The Axe, 2007)

Classically impassioned and a reminder that no one did brooding intensity quite like Guillaume Depardieu - a great loss.

Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988)

Evocative and celebratory elegy.

The Last Picture Show (1971)

Excellent.

Cat On a Hot Tin Roof (1958)

Spirited.

Look Who's Talking (1989)

Charming.

Goal II: Living the Dream (2007)

A little too perfect and unbelievable, but a good formula for the football movie that doesn't borrow too heavily from US sports movies.

Coming Home (1978)

Stirring.

Syndromes and a Century (2007)

Spiritual but not engaging.

Ordet (1955)

Reverent.

Barb Wire (1996)

Ridiculous.