TIME’s Top Ten (I don’t know if there are two lists of these, one for Schickel and the other for Corliss – this is just one):
1. Wall-E
2. Synecodoche
3. My Winnipeg
4. 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days
5. Milk
6. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
7. Slumdog Millionaire
8. Iron Man
9. Speed Racer
10. Encounters at the End of the World
Top Ten Performances by Richard Corliss (I don’t know where Schickel’s are)
1. Kate Winslet, The Reader
2. Viola Davis, Doubt
3. Dakota Fanning, The Secret Life of Bees
4. Kimberly Rivers Roberts as herself in Trouble the Water (I agree)
5. Angelina Jolie is Wanted
Maybe these are Schickel’s:
1. Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight
2. Jean-Claude Van Damme as himself (give me a break)
3. Vlad Ivanov in 4 Months
4. Brandon Walters in Australia
5. Ben Burtt as Wall-E
No Response for "TIME’s Top Ten"
Any list that has Speed Racer as one of the best movies of the year is a kind of joke to me
There are some really stupid-ass choices showing up on some of these lists. And it’s not just loathing over Iron Man over The Dark Knight…which is a stupid-ass choice.
Speed Racer was underrated. I do not think it is a top ten material nor was it better than TDK, but I am glad that it is getting some love.
maybe I’m confused, but I thought that 4 months, 3 weeks, 2 days was released last year. Or I am thinking of something totally different
These have to be some of the weakest critics lists I’ve seen in a long time.
Wow, I really can’t believe some of these lists. It’s great seeing Wall-E actually appear on most of them, but excluding The Dark Knight for Iron Man and Speed Racer, as well as leaving off Heath Ledger for Angelina Jolie in Wanted? The choices seem more bizarre than anything else.
This is the time of year when I start imagining a cool New Year’s Eve party, and which critics would be hanging out in the “cool room” and which ones would be getting drinks spilled on them, by me.
Maybe that’s Schickle’s Top 10, because metacritic scores Richard Corliss’ Iron Man review as 90 and his review of The Dark Knight as 100.
Like my best buddy says, “Who’s lying?”
Can someone please explain the charm of Wall-E to me? Honestly, please?
Simone if you’re reading this – I e-mailed you
I really can’t believe that this is the second list to leave off TDK in favor of Iron Man… its just unbelievable to me. Iron Man was awesome, but it was no Dark Knight. Also, I may be one of the only people in the world who loved Speed Racer (on IMAX it was just exhilarating and I’m a fan of the source material), but it is no top 10 placer…
OMG, Iron Man and Speed Racer among some others in this TOP TEn is at least a joke, given that 2008 was the year of TDK , Slumdog Millionaire, TCCBB, Che, Frozen River, Burn After Reading, The Wrestler, The Reader, Gran Torino, Revol.Road…………….
My Winnipeg. Interesting to see it on here. Terrific but definitely not for everyone.
Is it really a “performance” if you are playing yourself in your own life? I havent seen the movie, so made it just seems to be a little odd to call it a “performance”.
Then again, I would love it if Angelina Jolie got nominated for Best Actress for Wanted and I haven’t even seen the movie. It just appeals to my sick sense of humor and the uproar would be something else.
I, too, cannot fathom why Iron Man is rated above TDK. Granted, the first half of Iron Man is very good but it descends into typical comic movie nonsense where the hero has to fight a slighter bigger and stronger version of himself.
However, this is nothing in comparison to the mind numbingly stupid decision to put forth Jolie’s performance in Wanted over her performance in Changeling.
And isn’t it amazing how Jean Claude Van Damme is awarded for being able to play himself. That, to be sure, is quite an achievement.
I agree with the comments about the poor choices among many of the critics this year. It has always been a beef of mine how critics can be so critical of the Academy for their Oscar choices, yet it’s okay to pick a film like Speed Racer as one of the year’s ten best above far more substantial films. It’s hypocritical and borderline disgusting.
I find it interesting that some are upset by TDK being left off a top ten list in favor of Ironman. The reality is not everyone thought TDK was one of the best films of the year.Looking at the latest top ten lists I expect Wall-E to lead this season in overall top tens possibly followed by Slumdog Millionaire.
Slagging it online has become way too much of a hobbyhorse for me, so I will just say that SYNECDOCHE has become disgracefully overrated. Also, JCVD is really pretty good.
I don’t know if it’s too early to tell but I’m sensing an Oscar backlash by the critics thus far. Hm….
Angelina for “Wanted”? That is…absurd.
I never really know wether a list for awards is justified or not, because I never know what exactly all these boards and academies and whatnot are looking for.
You can find a lot of entertainment value in Wanted. But it hasn’t got the depth of Hunger and In Bruges. What do these people want to see? To me, Wall-E is in neither category, it’s in the children’s films category. And I saw it. It’s cute and it’s great computer work, but how on EARTH can anyone compare it to dramas with actual actors on them? You might as well give the “Best Actor” Oscar to Wall-E.
Yeah I think the nominations and lists are a little strange this year. I thought the BIFAs would be a good indicator, but they seem to fail me there.
And I’ll play the bad guy again; I liked Iron Man, and I don’t see why it being nominated should have anything to do with The Dark Knight. They aren’t connected by an umbilical cord. I don’t see why it has to either IM or DK, OR both OR neither in anyone’s eyes. I enjoyed both, I don’t think it’s strange for anyone to like one more than the other, wether it’s Iron Man or Dark Knight they prefer. Yes, they’re both Superhero movies. In Bruges and Cassandra’s Dream both have a guilt-ridden Colin Farrell in them, and I don’t see anyone mentioning Cassandra’s Dream when In Bruges is nominated.
The first top ten are very unusual, the only buzz movie, is Milk, and i’m very happy for this.
Speed Racer? These critics are off their rockers this year!
He lost me when I read ‘Angelina Jolie for Wanted’.
I’m also confused by Speed Racer. In my opinion, the best film should have a great story, believable acting and dialogue, and be visually stunning. Speed Racer was only fun to look at. but hey, to each his own.
Everyone relax about the TDK snub. It’ll get nominated. The Academy can’t afford not to give it a spot. I’d bet my right eye…and it’s the only one I’ve got left
I know I’m a TDK supporter, but these lists continue to get stupider and stupider. Nothing for TDK, yet we’re getting stuff for Horton Hears a Who, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and Speed Racer?
Seriously?!
And I wish people wouldn’t put last year’s movies on their lists. I know you didn’t get to see 4 MONTHS until this year, but you just missed the boat on that one. Let’s make 2008 best of lists for 2008 films please, and let’s, you know, but the BEST of on the lists, not these ridiculous choices.
The absence of TDK on a number of the Top 10 lists so far is disconcerting, but WALL-E is prolific. I know TDK still has better Oscar chances, but perhaps WALL-E still has legs after all (a guy can dream, can’t he?)
Sasha,
Could you explain what you mean by an Oscar backlash by the critics? Time’s list contains three of the usual BP suspects.
I don’t usually say this when reading top ten lists, but…
What, the, fuck?!
Wall-e #1?!?!?!?!
Speed Racer!?!?!?!
And no Dark Knight?!?!?!?
I don’t want to seem pretentious, but this guy is an idiot.
I think all the lists are Corliss, and the performaces are divided by male and female. Also 4 Months only had a one week run in LA last year, and never played in NY (where Time is based) until this year so it is resonable for him to include it; I’m actually predicting 4 Months to take the Foreign Language award at the NY Critics (like 07’s winner The Lives of Others which had a similar one week run in LA only in 06).
Have you seen “JCVD”? Don’t say “give me a break” – Van Damme is actually great in it.
Have to agree, Free. The critics seem to making a special effort to be perverse and contrarian. A supposedly esteemed critics from a legendary news magazine names Ben Burtt as one of 5 best male performances of the year — in a year of Penn, Rourke, DiCapro, Langella, and… well, check the sidebar for yourself. It’s ludicrous. By trying to be clever and, I dunno, “hip,” Corliss just shows his ass. No wonder traditional print media is getting pulped and going under.
If we’re reading lazyass weak tea-leaves like the ones being dribbled out by the likes of Anthony Lane and Richard Corliss, we might as well examine the entrails left on display by people who still seem to care about movies.
We might raise an eyebrow at the fact that Slumdog Millionaire doesn’t have a single “memorable quote” that anyone has cared enough to submit to IMDb. While movies that haven’t even been released yet — like Benjamin Button — have several.
Heck, even unseen Gran Torino has a “memorable” quote:
Thug: What you lookin’ at old man?
Walt Kowalski: Ever notice how you come across somebody once in a while you shouldn’t have messed with? That’s me.
(Ever notice how when you begin a sentence with “Ever notice” you sound just like Andy Rooney?)
Thug: Mess with this.
[Puts a bullet between Walt's eyes. The End.]
I mean, he’s supposed to be a thug, right? Wouldn’t he have some kind of brutal thug reaction? Or is he just a little Asian sissy asking for a butt-whoopin from the neighborhood racist white sociopath? Then wouldn’t that make Walt the real bully, the real menace to society? I guess I need to see the movie.
Heck, even unseen Gran Torino has a “memorable” quote:
Thug: What you lookin’ at old man?
Walt Kowalski: Ever notice how you come across somebody once in a while you shouldn’t have messed with? That’s me.
I mean, he’s supposed to be a thug, right? Wouldn’t he have some kind of brutal thug reaction? Or is he just a little Asian sissy asking for a butt-whoopin from the neighborhood racist white sociopath? Then wouldn’t that make Walt the real bully? I guess I need to see the movie.
Ryan, the scene in question actually involves Walt and three black thugs. Don’t even get me started on how the film skillfully (i.e., cynically) manages to portray Latino, Asian & black youth as criminal and vicious and white youth as cowardly, selfish and wannabe. Guess which ethnic group the kid Walt eventually ends up giving a brutal beatdown to belongs to?
“I know you didn’t get to see 4 MONTHS until this year, but you just missed the boat on that one.”
For real. I live in the epicenter of America’s sensory deprivation zone and I saw 4M3W2D in 2007.
Haha! Maybe both of us need to see the movie, Ryan, but that dialogue and reaction from the trailer leaves something to be desired indeed.
“Ryan, the scene in question involves Walt and three black thugs.”
In which case, in a realistic facedown, there wouldn’t even be any Goldfinger-Bond discussion at all. There would just be an abruptly deceased white guy.
But then we’d miss the birthday candle scene at the end, or whatever the fuck is tugging everybody’s heartstrings about the lovable old bigot. Sorry, looks like a pile of Archie Bunk to me.
In defense of the choice of Ben Burtt: There’s something to be said for accomplishing a lot with very little. Using only his voice and, what, two different words, Burtt delivered some of the most emotionally satisfying line readings of the year.
And don’t rag on Van Damme! He’s dynamite in that movie. And he’s not playing himself in the documentary sense; it’s more of a “Malkovich Malkovich” thing.
Were I a nationally read film critic, I’d be tempted to put together a list that excluded all the usual suspects, too. Do I need to be the 10,000th person to say “hooray for Sean Penn”? I do not. I’d probably take the chance to call attention to a brilliant, but non-traditional and therefore unnoticed, performance too.
Ugh, Sasha… I thought maybe something has changed but, “gimme a break” for the much raved Jean-Claude Van Damme performance? I mean, the guy lands a role that allows him to show acting muscle instead of just plain muscle, scores raves everywhere and pleads for Hollywood to give him another chance and all he gets here is a “gimme a break”? I still have yet to read a single “mediocre” related to that performance and it’s truly significant that because of several factors – who’s van Damme and his past, the nature of the movie itself and the fact that it’s foreign – these raves aren’t going to take him anywhere close a Golden Globe nomination at least. ’cause the reviews are Award-calibre ones. Now, back into my spiritual retirement.
“Were I a nationally read film critic, I’d be tempted to put together a list that excluded all the usual suspects, too.”
That’s fine, valid, and honorable, Gentle Benj. I don’t have a problem with recognizing unsung achievement. I’m all for it. But it shoudn’t be labeled a “Top 10″
Of course, this is the issue of Time magazine that also gives us the year’s Top 10 Breakups. (Hugh Hefner and Holly Madison beat George Clooney and Sarah Larson? stfu!!!)
‘But it shoudn’t be labeled a “Top 10″’
Oh heavens no! I would name it George and I would pet it and love it and it would be mine.
aha! Gentle Benj! I love it.
TIME to PEOPLE: I drink your milkshake! I drink it up!
Man, the way people are taking out the knives on these lists leave me even more convinced that Ebert’s list was the best way to go.
@ Ryan: Yes, TIME must have decided to capitalize on the huge market vacuum for celebrity gossip…
…
When did “Iron Man” and “The Dark Knight” become exchangeable?
Just because one is in a Top 10 it doesn’t mean that it “stole” the other’s place.
By arguing that, people are just showing their ugly fanboy claws and perpetuating the idea that “comic book” movies should only get one slot in lists and awards.
Perhaps not everyone went ga-ga over Batman but that doesn’t mean “Iron Man” is an inferior movie.
Corliss has gotta be kidding with Angie for Wanted. I’m a huge Angie fan, but that was the most phoned-in perf of all time. She was better in the TRAILER for Changeling than in the whole of Wanted.
Any list with Wall-E at number 1 can’t do any wrong.
Van Damme doesn’t play himself, but a version of himself–just like John Malkovich did in Being John Malkovich. JCVD isn’t a documentary–it’s a fictionalized rendering of a has-been action star’s life in the present with many self-reflexive moments. I think Sasha needs to contextualize her “give me a break” comment, because we don’t actually know where it’s coming from (ie., whether it’s because of Van Damme, or the film, or both). Anyway, one could argue that we all perform versions of ourselves whether a camera is on us or not.
As an aside, has anyone seen the trailer for Monsters vs. Aliens? it looks hilarious. “Suuuusan”
I think its TOTALLY AWESOME that Iron Man, and now Speed Racer as well, is making it on to the Best of the Year lists. And I don’t think you trade one off for TDK. Frankly, what upsets me is that The Dark Knight isn’t listed as THE BEST MOVIE (i.e. #1, the top of the top) on EVERY list. Because anything else at the top seems completely stupid. That said, I’m very happy for Wall-E, Slumdog Millionaire, Iron Man and Speed Racer.
Oh, and Synecdoche!!
Really, Dark Knight fans have nothing to worry about. If the one-eyed guy bets his last eye on TDK getting Oscar nominations, then I bet both my eyes on it
honestly. Think. They have to nominate at least Heath Ledger so chill the feck out! Dark Knight has nothing to worry about no matter on how many lists it doesn’t appear. People couldn’t have missed the Dark Knight if they had TRIED.
It’s the independent, smaller films that should be worrying for not being on lists. Not the big huge-budget, super-hyped Batman sequel. Give me a break!
Heh Speed Racer was an abomination. Horrible film. Iron Man is vastly overrated, standard superhero fare, although one from the topshelves.
As for the rest, I have the feeling there’s too many crowd-pleasers in those lists simply because the Oscar-baity movies didn’t deliver. Is this something others concur with?
Speed Racer was a really well made, fun fun fun movie. Much better than Wall-E, imo. The only thing I didn’t like about Speed Racer was the stupid kid moments where Spritle would pop up and ruin a scene. Wall-E had much more to make me groan.
The Dark Knight getting snubbed is inexcusable. Childish, really. And, no, I don’t think that TDK and Iron Man are interchangeable. In fact, both would appear on a top-10 of 2008 if I were to craft it.
In Bruges should be on there, as well. It was a lot better than Slumdog Millionaire.
Oh yeah… and leaving Ledger off of the ‘best performances’ list is grounds for being fired. I’m not even kidding.
I saw Jean-Claude in J.C.V.D. this year. He was incredible… really moving. Yeah it was a surprise, but nothing deserving a “give me a break”!
I was curious, so:
JVCD Trailer
I’m not expecting another Wrestler, but I’m still curious.
Um, he split the performances by Top 5 Actress and Top 5 Actor.
Speed Racer is so fucking fun – not the best movie by any means, but nice to see it show up.
It pains me to see a very good list like this (those top 3? to die for! Herzog! Button!) get shit on just because there’s no Dark Knight love, even though it gets performance of the year.
A trend is forming.
Good to see that Dakota Fanning got a mention, possibly the only one for her great performance in Secret Life of Bees this year.
Wow…
There must be some Kool-Aid being passed around before these lists go up…
The year is not over, but at this point WALL-E is my Number 1 film. Thus, I applaud this list, even if it does have SPEED RACER on it! LOL!
Speed Racer was incredibly underrated! You movie snobs pull your heads out of your narrow assess and you would realize!
the dark knight is not included in most of the top film lists
roger ebert include it on his top 20 films though….
What is this guy on?!
Love the gutsy Speed Racer pick,
but Angelina Jolie in Wanted is a stretch.
It’s nice that “WALL-E” got the No. 1 spot, and it’s also nice to see that “Speed Racer” was able to squeeze in.
I guess TIME didn’t add “The Dark Knight” on the list either it generated too much buzz or they thought it wasn’t good enough. On my list, this would go on No. 3 after “WALL-E” and “Milk”.
“5. Angelina Jolie – Wanted”
Seriously? Are you stoned on “powdered jellybeans”?
It is an absurd! Angelina Jolie and Dakota Fanning are best actresses??? It sounds like a joke.
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