2008: The Year in Review

It was a good year at the movies, wasn’t it?

Superheroes showed us that they can both blow up stuff and blow our minds (thank you, Iron Man and Batman). Sexy ladies proved that they are, indeed, a force to be reckoned with at the box office, and a little robot made us fall in love with him with nary a word spoken.

Here’s a look at what I liked most about the year that was. I hope 2008 was everything you wanted it to be and more.

Have a good 2009!

Best Body: Jason Statham (The Bank Job, but really this is because of Transporter 3, which I didn’t see, but c’mon….)

Best Cameo: Tom Cruise in Tropic Thunder

Best Chemistry: The cast of Tropic Thunder

Best Comeback: Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man, Tropic Thunder)

Best Dressed: (tie) Amy Adams in Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day and the cast of Sex and the City

Best Ensemble: Sex and the City

Best Hair: (tie) Cate Blanchett in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Keira Knightley in The Duchess

Best Look: Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman in Australia

Best Prop: “Roger,” the vintage studded belt Sarah Jessica Parker wore in several scenes of Sex and the City

Best Quotable: “Skadoush!” (Kung Fu Panda)

Best Trailer: Revolutionary Road

Hey, Madonna – Nice Try (I Mean It!): Filth and Wisdom

Hey, Madonna – I Don’t Have the Sundance Channel (When’s the DVD Coming Out?): I Am Because We Are

Biggest Scene-stealer: (tie) Danny McBride (Tropic Thunder, Pineapple Express) and Jason Bateman (Hancock)

Can't Get Enough – Female: Gwyneth Paltrow (Iron Man)

Can't Get Enough – Male: (tie) James Marsden (27 Dresses) and John Krasinski (Leatherheads)

Can’t Wait to See You Again on the Big Screen – Female: Kristen Bell (Forgetting Sarah Marshall)

Can’t Wait to See You Again on the Big Screen – Male: Thomas Kretschmann (Wanted, Valkyrie)

Could Have Gotten More: Daniel Craig (Quantum of Solace, but really this is because of Flashbacks of a Fool, which I just rented on DVD, and Defiance, which hasn’t opened in my market yet)

Coolest Title (Even Though I Didn’t See It): Guy Ritchie’s RocknRolla

Dreamiest Casting: Keri Russell in Bedtime Stories

Guiltiest Pleasure: Cloverfield

Most Beautiful: The cast of Sex and the City

Most Disappointing: Speed Racer

Most Handsome: Daniel Craig in Quantum of Solace

Most I Love You But Please Don’t Sing: Mamma Mia!’s Pierce Brosnan

Most Improved: The Hulk franchise (The Incredible Hulk)

Most Promising: (tie) Jon Favreau (director of Iron Man) and Dustin Lance Black (screenwriter of Milk, pictured at right)

Most Underrated: Ricky Gervais in Ghost Town

Most Romantic: WALL-E’s WALL-E and EVE

Most Welcome to the A-List: (tie) Anna Faris (The House Bunny) and Michael Cera (Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist)

Most Enjoyable: Get Smart

Least Enjoyable: Over Her Dead Body

Breakthrough Performance – Female: Elizabeth Banks (W., Zack and Miri Make a Porno)

Breakthrough Performance – Male: David Kross (The Reader)

Best Supporting Actresses: Penélope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona), Viola Davis (Doubt), Rosemary DeWitt (Rachel Getting Married), Taraji P. Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Kate Winslet (The Reader)

Best Supporting Actors: Josh Brolin (Milk), Robert Downey Jr. (Tropic Thunder), James Franco (Milk), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Doubt), Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)

Best Actresses: Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married), Angelina Jolie (Changeling), Sarah Jessica Parker (Sex and the City), Kristin Scott Thomas (I’ve Loved You So Long), Meryl Streep (Doubt)

Best Actors: Christian Bale (The Dark Knight), Daniel Craig (Quantum of Solace), Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Sean Penn (Milk), Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)

Best Directors: Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire), David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight), Gus Van Sant (Milk), Andrew Stanton (WALL-E)

Best Animated Film: WALL-E

Best Documentary: American Teen

10 Best Films of the Year: (in alphabetical order)

Australia
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Milk
The Reader
Sex and the City
Slumdog Millionaire
Tell No One
Tropic Thunder
WALL-E

Honorable Mention: Marley & Me

Photos: Lionsgate Films (Transporter 3); IFC Films (Filth and Wisdom); Paramount Vantage (Defiance); Focus Features (Milk); New Line Cinema (Sex and the City); 20th Century Fox (Australia).