How would you improve the best films of the year?

Face it: Top 10 Lists Are Subjective

Some films are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them. You may hate action films or animation. The simple, yet unadventurous "kitchen sink drama" may have fewer problems than the daring but flawed satire. The brilliant thriller may be morally reprehensible and unfit for adult, let alone family, viewing.

Rating and ranking are tough. But here we are.

Read my analysis of 2007, then send an email to movies@bren.us.

Hey, I could be wrong...

Best Movies of the Year

The Best of 2008

I've put aside my 2008 analysis for the season. Sorry. I feel the time has come for me to retool the toolbox and focus on my projects.

That said, I've been disappointed by the year's offerings, mostly. Many are too political (Milk, Frost/Nixon, W ), depressing (The Wrestler) and/or bad (Rachel Getting Married) for me to review. While many were good (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) I don't feel like giving them "great movie" status. Most were just disappointing: the latest James Bond and Indiana Jones flicks were a mess, Valkyrie seemed listless, and (sorry) The Dark Knight doesn't deserve any more than best supporting actor for Heath Ledger.

Among the best for 2008 are Iron Man, Doubt, Slugdog Millionaire, and In Bruges. I also recommend Horton Hears a Who!, Kung Fu Panda and WALL·E. See those and I will develop a better list for next year.

The Best of 2007

This has certainly been an interesting year of entertainment, what with the oncoming elections, Iraq war and writer's strike taking greater significance over the 24/7 Britney saga we're subjected to.

Many movies this year were either coarse or eye candy, from Judd Apatow's Knocked Up and Superbad (doesn't this guy sleep?), to the final, disappointing installments of Pirates of the Carribean: Beyond World's End and Spiderman 3.

Participate in the latest Movie poll

Choose your favorite 2008 film: HERE

Continue reading for the Top 10 list and several mentionables...

The Best of Past Years

Year

 

The Best of 2006 --- Click for Analysis

  1. The Departed
  2. Notes On a Scandal
  3. Lives of Others
  4. Children of Men
  5. Blood Diamond
  6. Casino Royale
  7. Thank You for Smoking
  8. The Queen
  9. Little Miss Sunshine
  10. Last King of Scotland

... Plus several Mentionables, including Babel, Dreamgirls, Pan's Labyrinth and more

The Best of 2005 --- Click for Analysis

  1. Cinderella Man
  2. Capote
  3. The Constant Gardener
  4. Batman Begins
  5. Walk the Line
  6. Match Point
  7. Howl's Moving Castle
  8. Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Wererabbit
  9. Mr. & Mrs. Smith
  10. 2046

... Plus several Mentionables, including Crash, Brokeback Mountain, Chronicles of Narnia and more

The Best of 2004 --- Click for Analysis

  1. The Incredibles
  2. Finding Neverland
  3. Ray
  4. The Aviator
  5. Twilight Samurai
  6. Hotel Rwanda / Sometimes in April
  7. Sideways
  8. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
  9. A Very Long Engagement
  10. Collateral

The Best of 2003: 

  1. Cidade de Deus (City of God)
  2. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
  3. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
  4. Finding Nemo
  5. Dirty Pretty Things
  6. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
  7. Thirteen
  8. Pieces of April

The Best of 2002: 

  1. The Pianist
  2. Chicago
  3. Catch Me If You Can
  4. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
  5. About Schmidt
  6. Far from Heaven
  7. Unfaithful
  8. Road to Perdition
  • Adaptation

The Best of 2001: 

  1. Le Fabuleux destin d'Amelie Poulain (Amelie)
  2. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
  3. Monsters, Inc.
  4. Beautiful Mind
  5. Training Day
  6. Memento
  7. Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (Sprited Away)
  8. Hedwig and the Angry Inch

The Best of 2000: 

  1. Almost Famous
  2. Billy Elliot
  3. Gladiator
  4. O Brother, Where Art Thou?
  5. Malena
  6. Meet the Parents
  7. You Can Count on Me
  8. Traffic
  • Cast Away
  • Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
  • Erin Brockovich
  • The Contender

The Best of 1999: 

  1. The Insider
  2. The Matrix
  3. Fight Club
  4. The Hurricane
  5. American Beauty
  6. Magnolia
  7. The Green Mile
  8. Being John Malkovich
  9. Sweet and Lowdown
  10. Stuart Little

The Best of 1998: 

  1. Shakespeare in Love
  2. Saving Private Ryan
  3. The Big Lebowski
  4. American History X
  5. The Truman Show
  6. La Vita č bella
  7. The Mask of Zorro
  8. Velvet Goldmine
  9. Bulworth
  10. Out of Sight

The Best of 1997: 

  1. L.A. Confidential
  2. As Good as It Gets
  3. Titanic
  4. Mrs. Brown
  5. Boogie Nights
  6. Donnie Brasco
  7. Face/Off
  8. Men in Black

The Best of 1996: 

  1. Hamlet
  2. Jerry Maguire
  3. Trainspotting
  4. Shine
  5. Lone Star
  6. Ridicule

The Best of 1995: 

  1. Usual Suspects
  2. Apollo 13
  3. Braveheart
  4. Sense and Sensibility
  5. Toy Story
  6. Mr. Holland's Opus
  7. Leaving Las Vegas
  8. Restoration
  9. Richard III
  10. Unstrung Heroes
  11. Se7en

The Best of 1994: 

  1. Shawshank Redemption
  2. Forrest Gump
  3. Trois couleurs: Rouge
  4. Pulp Fiction
  5. The Professional (Leon)
  6. Madness of King George
  7. Quiz Show
  8. Heavenly Creatures
  9. Ed Wood
  10. The Lion King

The Best of 1993: 

  1. Schindler's List
  2. Remains of the Day
  3. Searching for Bobby Fischer
  4. Rudy
  5. In the Line of Fire
  6. Philadelphia
  7. Fugitive, The
  8. Gettysburg
  • The Firm
  • Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers

The Best of 1992: 

  1. A Few Good Men
  2. Unforgiven
  3. Howards End
  4. Malcolm X
  5. Glengarry Glen Ross
  6. Player, The
  7. Lorenzo's Oil
  8. Dracula
  • Basic Instinct

The Best of 1991: 

  1. Terminator 2: Judgment Day
  2. Silence of the Lambs
  3. JFK
  4. Da hong deng long gao gao gua (Raise the Red Lantern)
  5. The Fisher King
  6. Thelma & Louise
  7. Fried Green Tomatoes
  8. Addams Family
  9. Backdraft

The Best of 1990: 

  1. Goodfellas
  2. Hunt for Red October
  3. Cyrano de Bergerac
  4. Miller's Crossing
  5. Reversal of Fortune
  6. Edward Scissorhands

The Best of 1989: 

  1. Nuovo cinema Paradiso
  2. Field of Dreams
  3. Henry V
  4. Glory
  5. Born on the Fourth of July
  6. Dead Poets Society
  7. When Harry Met Sally...
  8. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
  • Creature Comforts

The Best of 1988: 

  1. Rain Man
  2. Mississippi Burning
  3. Fish Called Wanda
  4. Die Hard
  5. Dangerous Liasons
  6. Who Framed Roger Rabbit
  7. Tucker: The Man and His Dream
  8. Willow

The Best of 1987: 

  1. Last Emperor
  2. Raising Arizona
  3. The Untouchables
  4. Empire of the Sun
  5. Wall Street
  6. Fatal Attraction
  7. Radio Days
  8. Au revoir les enfants
  9. Lethal Weapon
  • Dirty Dancing
  • Innerspace
  • Moonstruck
  • Robocop
  • The Princess Bride

The Best of 1986: 

  1. Platoon
  2. Hoosiers
  3. Room with a View
  4. Hannah and Her Sisters
  5. The Mission
  6. Color of Money
  7. Aliens
  8. Top Gun

The Best of 1985: 

  1. The Color Purple
  2. Witness
  3. Ran
  4. Back to the Future
  5. Purple Rose of Cairo
  6. Brazil
  7. Out of Africa

The Best of 1984: 

  1. Amadeus
  2. Soldier Story
  3. The Killing Fields
  4. The Terminator
  5. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
  6. Romancing the Stone

 

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