CREATIVE EXPRESSION
THE MOVIE MYSTIC
My Favorite Films of 2008
By Stephen Simon
As I note every year, my favorite fi lms are not the ones
another. There may have been other actresses in other
that I consider the “bestʼ fi lms of 2008. I do not believe
eras who were her equal but there has been no greater
that works of art can or should be ordered from good
actress in the history of fi lm than Meryl Streep.
to best to whatever. How could anyone OBJECTIVELY say
that a Rembrandt is a “better” painting than a DaVinci
Letʼs also raise a mighty toast to being middle-aged,
or a Van Gogh?
or maybe even “two-thirds” aged or more. Watching
Meryl and her cohorts race around a Greek Island is
We only know what we personally like and donʼt like.
a joyous reminder that much of the so-called “aging
As a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture
process” is rooted only in our attitudes.
Arts and Sciences, I hope that we eventually change
When we embrace love, fun, and spontaneity, age is
the description of the Oscars that we award every year
truly irrelevant and then, MAMMA MIA!, what a party
from “best” to “favorite”. To do so would be much more
life can be.
accurate and honest.
3) WALL-E
Here are my personal favorites of 2008:
WALL-E is a completely original work of visionary
1) THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
genius. The fi lm also possesses many brilliant nuances
BUTTON is a fascinatingly complex human “fantasy”,
and human insights, has a pure and gentle heart, and
a globe-encircling adventure, a powerful and moving
has much to say about love and life.
love story, and one of the most dazzlingly original fi lms
WALL-E is beyond dazzling to watch. To say that itʼs
ever made. If the fi lm were an Olympic diving event, the
an animated fi lm is somewhat like saying redwoods
degree of diffi culty would be totally off the charts.
are just trees. I have never seen or even imagined that
A man (Brad Pitt) is born old, and then reverse ages
computer-generated images could look or feel like
for the entire fi lm. When he is old, he meets a young
this. In a strange, beautiful way, both WALL-Eʼs story
girl (played as an adult by Cate Blanchett). As she gets
and technology wrap us in the warmth of knowing that
older, he “youths” until their age lines eventually meet.
our humanity can indeed surpass and transcend our
And then….
technology.
From achingly beautiful and complex performances, to
The fi lm also shows us how self-indulgent we have
jaw-dropping visual eff ects, to makeup eff ects that age
become as a species and how we can, and must,
and reverse age the two main characters, to the human
reverse that trend.
drama of living through almost the entire 20
th
Century,
WALL-E (the latest fi lm from the inestimably brilliant
BUTTON is an almost 3 hour epic in every sense of
Pixar Studios) has so much on its mind, in its heart,
the word. The last hour of the fi lm is so poignant
and in its vision that it just may reinvigorate your hope
and beautiful that Iʼm not sure I even breathed while
not only for movies, but also for our own humanity.
watching it.
4) LAST CHANCE HARVEY
BUTTON is, I believe, destined to become a true
American classic. It also puts to rest one of the oldest
LAST CHANCE HARVEY stars the always-wonderful
clichés ever: youth is most defi nitely NOT always wasted
Dustin Hoff man as Harvey Shine, a 60-ish composer
on the young.
whose only income is derived from writing commercial
jingles for advertisers. As he struggles to keep his job
2) MAMMA MIA
and dignity, his daughter is to be married in London
MAMMA, MIA!, what a movie!. Exhilarating, dazzling,
where Harveyʼs ex-wife and her much more successful
breathtakingly beautiful for your eyes, rockingly
new husband also live.
wonderful for your ears, and energetically enchanting
Also living in London is Kate Walker (played by the
for your heart, MAMMA MIA is pure, unadulterated fun.
also always-wonderful Emma Thompson). Kate is
I dare you not to be singing along and rocking out at
unmarried, lonely, and feels totally out of place in the
home when the cast performs “Dancing Queen.” No, I
“singles” world.
double quadruple dare you!!
Somehow, they meet and……..
At the fi lmʼs epicenter is the inestimable Meryl Streep
who is, as always, brilliant, exquisite, and utterly
The charm and joy in HARVEY derive from our
fearless. To go from last yearʼs cold, calculating
recognition of where both Harvey and Kate fi nd
diva in THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA to a singing, utterly
themselves in life. Somewhat disillusioned. Out of
uninhibited, former hippie here and then to the stern
synch with the world around them. Is this where my life
nun in DOUBT would be almost impossible transitions
was leading me? I didnʼt think I would end up alone.
for anyone other than Meryl Streep. For over thirty years
Is this really “it”, then? Donʼt I still deserve one last
now, she has created one indelible performance after
continued on page 30
Oracle 20/20 February 2009 29
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