Richard Roeper’s Best Films of 2008
Richard Roeper finds a way to mention about 5 dozen movies in his year-end wrap up, with categories as predictable as Performance of the Year:
Meryl Streep and Sean Penn are arguably the most accomplished film actors of their respective generations — and they each added an Oscar-caliber performance to their resumes in 2008.
…and as admittedly sexist as Most Beautiful Newcomer: Freida Pinto (“Slumdog Millionaire”), Olga Kurylenko (“Max Payne,” “Quantum of Solace”) and Odette Yustman (“Cloverfield”).
Roeper demonstrates how a list of 25 is a really waffley way to mock any movie missing out on the Top 10, and flip the silent finger to anything past 25.
1. “Slumdog Millionaire”
2. “The Dark Knight”
3. “The Wrestler”
4. “In Bruges”
5. “I’ve Loved You So Long”
6. “Gran Torino”
7. “Milk”
8. “The Visitor”
9. “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”
10. “Frozen River”
(close but no cigar, after the cut)
11. “Doubt”
12. “Snow Angels”
13. “Frost/Nixon”
14. “The Reader”
15. “Seven Pounds”
16. “Iron Man”
17. “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”
18. “W.”
19. “Henry Poole Is Here”
20. “Burn After Reading”
21. “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
22. “WALL-E”
23. “The Bank Job”
24. “Tropic Thunder”
25. “Che”
alois says:
Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 10:01pm
When it comes to “hot young thing”, straight men usually don’t go for male actors.
They’d rather reward them when they
- are old
- have a pot belly
if you’re young (for male actors: under 40), being attractive is your reward… unless you’re a young Philip Seymour Hoffman, in that case you can start making room above your chimney
that’s why I only trust asexual critics, or transsexual ones
N8 says:
Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 10:04pm
I don’t know about you, but I’d have a hell of a hard time finding 21 films this year that are better than WALL-E. So far I can’t even find one!
Ben says:
Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 10:08pm
Richard Roeper is a dim-witted syncophant who should count his lucky stars every hour. I can name a dozen people whose posts I have read on this site who know a lot more about film than he does.
Ryan Adams says:
Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 10:10pm
ha, N8.
Makes one wonder what The Bank Job did wrong to blow its shot at 21, doesn’t it?
Gregoire says:
Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 10:11pm
Am I going to be the only one who thinks that’s an outstanding top 10?
dela says:
Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 10:13pm
Seven Pounds?!?!
Mr.F says:
Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 10:15pm
Yay! more love for In Bruges
chase kahn says:
Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 10:20pm
Well, I agree with “Funny Games” being on the ‘Worst Of’ list…
cjKennedy says:
Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 10:24pm
Oh yeah, he was that fella I used to see on the TEEvee. Right?
dela says:
Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 10:25pm
Paris Hilton mentioned alongside Bette Midler and Will Ferrell…She must be doing something right.
Marky Mark says:
Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 10:30pm
I’m beginning to think that people can’t be happy with a top 10 list around here unless it contains every film on their own list. I’m glad to see I’ve Loved You So Long and Forgetting Sarah Marshall on his list.
chase kahn says:
Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 10:31pm
By the way, what the hell is Roeper doing these days? I was reminded when I saw Ben “Chump” Lyons commenting on the Globes, surprised he didn’t demand an ‘Eagle Eye’ nomination…
Sasha Stone says:
Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 10:39pm
How does Seven Pounds rank higher than Benjamin Button?
chase kahn says:
Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 10:41pm
I hope this trend of ‘Benjamin Button’ sliding halts soon — I can’t wait to see it, hope it’s one of the best of the year.
I keep seeing big-name critics leaving off of thier list…
Bobby C says:
Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 10:41pm
Where’s Revolutionary Road??
red_wine says:
Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 10:41pm
Most of his article is ludicrous.
He has columns like
Good sequels of the year
Just OK sequels this year
Worst sequels of the year
Don’t forget the lyrics
Best villain of the year
Worst villain of the year
It’s the stupidest quote of the year!
Gentle Benj says:
Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 10:45pm
@ chase kahn – Oh, Lord, yes. Funny Games is easily the worst movie I’ve seen this year. I might have to go back three or four years before I can think of a worse film. It’s been weeks since I rented it and I’m still angry.
Auteur theory is always a perilous dance with arrogance, but when it leads a director to despise his audience as much as Haneke does in Funny Games, it almost makes me wish the old-time studio system would make a comeback.
It’s like Haneke was disgusted by the idea that the viewers might begin to develop their own interpretation of the film, so he had Michael Pitt address the camera periodically to “correct” them. If you have to resort to a literal lecture, narrative filmmaking is not the medium you should be using.
It’s funny, too, how Haneke seems so smugly convinced that he’s concocted such a brutal cinematic ordeal that his audience must surely be begging for mercy by the third act. Because, you know, surely no one who watches a film like this has ever seen any REAL exploitation movies. Disturbing as the events of Funny Games are, they are not going to faze the only likely audience. If you’ve seen Cannibal Holocaust, Michael Haneke holds no terror for you. But he’s still waiting for you to cry uncle.
But the worst thing is the hypocrisy of the “rewind” scene. All that moralizing about movie violence, and Haneke has the audacity to try to have his cake and eat it too by splashing gory, cathartic vengeance all over the screen, then undoing it? As if to say “I am the the director here and I will tell you when you may have satisfaction.” Well, the joke’s on him, because I too have a rewind button, and I watched the splatter several times afterward, for spite.
The sad part is that the performances are INCREDIBLE. Naomi Watts, Tim Roth and the kid are just mind-blowingly good. What do you do when you’re confronted with such superb performances in the service of such a worthless film? I call that the “Breaking the Waves Problem.”
Shahed says:
Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 10:50pm
It is sad that someone who chooses to make a list of “beautiful new comers” where it has no relevance or value (not to saythat such a list has relevance or value anywhere) is still talked about and mentioned for his taste in movies. It is not only sexist but extremely objectifying women. “She is soo beautiful she’s gonna be on my list. and then I’m gonna rank them all!”
Personally I would stop mentioning his name and ignore him in every possible way (including not publishing his favorite movies of the year). Unless people start to ignore people like Roeper and continue to value his opinion and talk about it he will not know what is wrong with stuff like that and will continue to think it is normal for men to treat women as objects to be ranked for how they look.
cjKennedy says:
Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 11:10pm
Where do I hop on the “I Hate Funny Games” bandwagon? Is this the spot?
Gentle Benj says:
Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 11:13pm
All aboard!
Dan says:
Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 11:15pm
Cache was such a mesmerizing, deeply unsettling film – all the elements clicked – society of surveillance, embedded classism and racism, along with the recognition that all of us, somewhere, have something we do not want made public. But the balance was definitely off in Funny Games, they did not click in the same way. Cache was strangely restrained, almost circumspect. Funny Games was not.
Gentle Benj says:
Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 11:19pm
Yeah, I ended up sounding like I loathe all Michael Haneke, which isn’t true; I have respect for La Pianiste (still haven’t seen Cache!). But if Funny Games is indicative of where Haneke is going, he needs to pull a 180. Damn.
Tero Heikkinen says:
Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 11:21pm
I like many of those films, but Henry Poole Shouldn’t Be Here.
Funny Games – what’s with the hate? I think the remake was almost as good as the original (being so similar – it felt like the original was just dubbed).
XanderLJ says:
Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 11:24pm
Shahed, cut that “objectifying women” line, it’s a knee-jerk load of melodramatic B.S. that should have been buried over a fucking decade ago!
Appreciating a beautiful women is NOT sexist, and, sorry to burst your little self-righteous bubble, but the beauty of women IS an important part of the magic of film, and has been since the dawn of cinema, and will always continue to be, no matter how many silly posts you make here.
One could reasonably argue so is the beauty of men (ahem shirtless Connery Bond, shirtless McConaughey, Mel Gibson’s goddamn ass in the 80′s) but I think one would be hard-pressed to argue it’s of equal importance.
Is it sexist when People Magazine do their “sexiest man alive” lists? If you say no, then you’re a ridiculous hypocrite. If you say yes, then you’re just as big an idiot as I thought you were based on the original post.
If appreciating an actresses beauty, even writing about it in detail, is considered objectifying a women, then you dopes might as well start calling the vast majority of heterosexual men in this culture Conscientious Objectors and stop living in denial.
ps: I’ve always liked Roeper, even when I disagree with him, and think his top 10 list is pretty good.
David says:
Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 11:32pm
That’s easily the best top 10 I’ve seen so far this year.
Gentle Benj says:
Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 11:36pm
Sexist or not, it’s a leeeetle creepy.
daveylow says:
Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 11:40pm
I’m so glad this idiot is no longer on TV pretending he knows any better than the rest of us.
mileshigh says:
Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 11:45pm
“Most Beautiful Newcomer: Freida Pinto (”Slumdog Millionaire”),
Olga Kurylenko (”Max Payne,” “Quantum of Solace”) and Odette
Yustman (”Cloverfield”).”
Hell, yeah! I was amazed by their screen beauty especially Freida from ‘Slumdog.’ I always considered Roeper a ‘frat guy’ critic after his ‘Thumbs Up’ for “Coyote Ugly.” He out did himself this time with that pick especially if he couldn’t pick just one ‘girl.’
His Top Ten isnt that bad. I really liked “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” but not over ‘WALL-E’ and ‘Buttons.’ Not impressed with “In Bruges.”
Jake says:
Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 11:55pm
Once again, love from the individual critics, but no love from the awards. The Dark Knight deserves Oscar recognition in the Best Picture category.
Robert Hamer says:
Friday, December 12, 2008 at 12:04am
Is it just me, or does Odette Yustman look A LOT like Megan Fox?
I was going to scold Shahed for his whiny little “sexist” tirade, but it looks like XanderLJ beat me to it. Right on, man!
A “Top 25″ is a bit cheap, if you ask me. Pick ten and stick with ‘em, I say, but his isn’t so bad. I’m especially grateful that there’s yet another critic out there beating the “Dark Knight” drum. Maybe Chris Nolan’s dark masterpiece can be properly recognized by AMPAS after all…
RichardA says:
Friday, December 12, 2008 at 12:04am
Haha. Roeper likes TDK.
Paul Outlaw says:
Friday, December 12, 2008 at 12:57am
… the beauty of women IS an important part of the magic of film, and has been since the dawn of cinema, and will always continue to be … One could reasonably argue so is the beauty of men … but I think one would be hard-pressed to argue it’s of equal importance.
I would say it’s more important.
alex says:
Friday, December 12, 2008 at 1:17am
Great top 10 list.
Joe says:
Friday, December 12, 2008 at 1:20am
Yea. There still seems to be a lot of disinterest for REVOLUTIONARY ROAD out there…it seems like it’s certainly slipped out of the top 5 to me.
PR says:
Friday, December 12, 2008 at 5:52am
it’s a very good list
http://takea-break.blogspot.com
KKR says:
Friday, December 12, 2008 at 7:45am
It’s a good list. I’ll never understand the hate for Roeper. I think he’s alright.
Shahed says:
Friday, December 12, 2008 at 9:31am
Point by point:
“Shahed, cut that “objectifying women” line, it’s a knee-jerk load of melodramatic B.S. that should have been buried over a fucking decade ago!”
Don’t know what to say to that. You are basically telling me not to use the term “objectifying women”. Why do you think that is such an obscene remark?
“Appreciating a beautiful women is NOT sexist,”
What does that even mean, “appreciating a beautiful woman”? what actions does appreciating “them” involve. I know you don’t like the term “objectifying” but that is extremely objectifying. Looking at how beautiful women are and ranking them on a least and talking about their body parts like they are separate from their whole being is akin to treating them like objects.
“sorry to burst your little self-righteous bubble,”
Using shit like that in your argument does not make it anymore stronger. It’s condescending and pointless.
“but the beauty of women IS an important part of the magic of film, and has been since the dawn of cinema, and will always continue to be,”
Now you are just stating the obvious but you are using terms to make that sound like it is a good thing. You can convey the same meaning by saying that objectifying women has always been a huge part of film images, which would seem completely normal to you since we live in a patriarchal society were “appreciating beautiful women” has been the norm for a long time.
“no matter how many silly posts you make here.”
again shit like this does not add to your argument.
One could reasonably argue so is the beauty of men (ahem shirtless Connery Bond, shirtless McConaughey, Mel Gibson’s goddamn ass in the 80’s) but I think one would be hard-pressed to argue it’s of equal importance.
Alright now you are just getting ridicolous. Arguing that men have been objectified as women is akin to arguing that African-Americans and other subordinate groups have gotten the same treatment as whites because Denzel Washington and Halle Berry won an oscar.
“Is it sexist when People Magazine do their “sexiest man alive” lists?”
Again this is ridiculous. The discourse around men’s looks and bodies is not in anyway similar to those around women’s nor does it happen to the same extent.
“you say no, then you’re a ridiculous hypocrite. If you say yes, then you’re just as big an idiot as I thought you were based on the original post.
”
why are you winking after calling me an idiot based on nothing?
“If appreciating an actresses beauty, even writing about it in detail, is considered objectifying a women, then you dopes might as well start calling the vast majority of heterosexual men in this culture Conscientious Objectors and stop living in denial.”
the vast majority of heterosexual men in this culture objectify women. This is not to say that this vast majority are somehow sick psychopath. Growing up and being socialezed the way most males in this culture do it is only a natural progression towards that end.
Josh says:
Friday, December 12, 2008 at 10:08am
I love this list. Glad to see TDK and In Bruges so high on it.
Ivan says:
Friday, December 12, 2008 at 10:11am
Great list! Is interesting that Benjamin Button failed in many top ten lists. I have the feeling since the first time I watched the trailer that Fincher´s film won´t be a best picture nominee.
The Dark Knight (8 nominations)
Frost/ Nixon (5 nominations)
Milk (6 nominations)
The Reader (7 nominations)
Slumdog Millionaire (7 nominations)
JR says:
Friday, December 12, 2008 at 12:11pm
Henry Poole is Here ????????????????????
and no Revolutionary Road or Rachel Getting Married.
William says:
Friday, December 12, 2008 at 4:05pm
Shahed-
you must not watch day time drama
Clayton says:
Friday, December 12, 2008 at 4:36pm
What a joke. Placing Henry Poole is Here above Wall-E is such a total mistake, it’s unbelievable. This is one of the most screwed up lists I’ve yet seen this season.
KL says:
Friday, December 12, 2008 at 6:59pm
Clayton: Hate?
John Wayne says:
Saturday, December 13, 2008 at 11:44am
Some of the comments here illustrate just how difficult it is to be a critic. One person is actually ripping Roeper for having categories such as best performance. That’s like criticizing a sportswriter for picking an MVP of a league. What the hell is he supposed to write about?
Another poster apparently doesn’t understand the meaning of the word “sycophant.” Ben Lyons is a sycophant. Roeper, if anything, is TOO critical in his columns and on TV.
Another commenter says putting “Henry Poole” above “Wall-E” is a “mistake.” While I agree that “Wall-E” is a better film, it’s not a “mistake” to have a different opinion!
Jesus! Before you critique the critic, THINK.
KL says:
Saturday, December 13, 2008 at 4:00pm
I hate it when people refer to “The Dark Knight” as the “dark” masterpiece. What does that mean?
Clayton says:
Saturday, December 13, 2008 at 6:17pm
John Wayne, Henry Poole is Here being placed above Wall-E is a mistake; it can’t be called otherwise. It’s not a matter of opinion, it’s fact.
name says:
Wednesday, August 25, 2010 at 4:12am
this helped me so far,