| Juno |
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Neha :
A tight and linear narrative with strong character development, catchy music that underscores characters and amusing and crafty dialogue keeps you entertained. Also emotions keep sneaking up you courtesy a winning performance from Ellen Page whose character Juno is so rough around the edges but sensitive at the core. Juno is one of the few films released in 2008 in India that has a distinctive writing style by Diablo Cody that's original and intelligent.
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| Burn After Reading |
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Neha :
It's a refreshing take on "taut political thrillers"- where the Coen brothers show off their film making ability with a stellar cast- George Clooney, Frances Mcdormand, John Malkovich, J.K. Simmons - and the cherry topping of this film is Brad Pitt who plays an absolutely unlikely goofy character.
For me Burn After Reading is about the Coen brother's proving that they still have their finger on the pulse of comedy- coming out of the buzz of a classic Oscar winner like no country for old men, they do it without relinquishing their status.
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| Iron Man |
Neha : This is a comic-book inspired visual effects extravaganza- however the special effects true to form- give you the thrills, overwhelm you at times and transport you into Tony Shark's world.
What a concept- your superhero is a robotic armor and the creator and operator is the super-genius, raising a debate about who the actual superhero is in this film.
It's refreshing. A superhero that doesn't belong to another planet isn't a confused teenager and it's his own genius that is responsible for creating his tool to fight his opponents- even more so that a Batman is. And the ace card of this film is Robert Downey Jr who invigorates the super hero phenomena with his winning interpretation. His distinctive intensity, humor and spontaneity makes him for more of a James Bond meets Superman.
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| Kungfu Panda |
Neha : It's got the classic underdog theme- This film celebrates the triumph of the human spirit and it does it in such an endearing fashion that you can't help rooting for Po.
All action film lovers will appreciate the complex fight sequences. To make martial art sequences as intoxicating as a real fight using animated characters not an easy task.
At the same time the animation is not more empowering than the emotion in the film. You're always connected to the journey of our Panda Po- empathizing when he's being laughed at and applauding him when he achieves his milestones. Such a human connect is rare to find in films today.
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Ira : HIGH concept, with great heart, and a little bit of noodle soup for the soul! KUNG FU PANDA scores for me first because of its very unique, heartwarming premise and for its costumes, production design and visual effects making it fun to watch. The film has humour and action and balances the two well through it's characters-in terms of performances, Black, Hoffman, Randall Duk Kim and the famous four all brings nuances and accessibility to their characters and will charm you.
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| Wall-E |
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Neha : It's a well-conceptualized, sweet, uplifting film that proves that you don't need an A-List voice cast to connect with characters or story.
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Ira : The top film of 2008 for me, without a doubt is WALL E! this film is a classic and WALL E, to me, the most endearing hero of 2008, will go down in cinematic history as the sweet robot , nothing more than pile of metal, which learned to love- a reminder to us all that this is the most powerful human emotion. An animated film with depth and heart for the whole family that can be revisited anytime- Kudos to that. this is a MUST CATCH.
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| Dark Knight |
Neha : Very few films surprise me and Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight" is one of them. It's a perfect mix of comic book wonder with the realism of a dark and chilling crime saga.
Comic book characters, mind-boggling action, a plot to cheer about with breathless twists and turns and performances that will be etched in you mind. Particularly Heath Ledger- who makes his Joker one of the greatest villains of all time. He's the kind of character who you love and fear at the same time. Christopher Nolan's direction is visionary. He doesn't stick to the rules- making such a dark film about a superhero. It gives you the thrills, yet it slows you down and forces you to think. It's glorious cinema that will appeal even if you're not a Batman fan.
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Ira : A haunting performance by Ledger, a great supporting cast particularly ECKHART, a loaded, thought-provoking screenplay, some good cinematography & top-class action sequences shot with IMAX screens for sharpness and wonderful locales, sometimes noisy, some jagged cuts in the latter half, and of course a slightly long-drawn end, this one will still keep you edge-of-your-seat engaged.
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| The Edge of Heaven |
Ira : Split into chapters that seemingly give away mini climaxes, the film still manages to blend the characters journeys in so insidiously, you forget the foreshadowing of certain events! AMIN also avoids political and social commentary and thus makes this a story of mothers, fathers, daughters, friendships, love, loss, home and loneliness that could be set anywhere, making this a universal film that we all can relate to at once. BAKI DAVRAK, SUSSAN STAUB & PATRYCIA ZIOLKOWSKA shine in the film and performances across the board are gripping. A film that will lead you gently into a world at once familiar, stark, layered and beautiful.
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| Persepolis |
Ira : A poignant, charming coming-of-age story about a young outspoken, precocious MARJI (MARJANE SATRAPI, co-director and author of the autobiographical graphic novel of the same name) growing up against the backdrop of the Iranian revolution, PERSEPOLIS is a film that has been highly acclaimed across the world and this isn't surprising. Overall, the film scores on is visual style, its simplicity, the use of music and for CHRISTIANNA MASTRIANNINI's voice rendition in making MARJI's characters so riveting to watch.
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| Caramel |
Ira : It stays rooted in the lives of these women, their respective families and them, their love interests and their own sense of who they are and what they want. The film spans generations as well as one of the sweetest sub plots revolves around AUNTY ROSE, an elderly seamstress and her even more ageing, senile, yet hilarious sister LILLI. Humour combines with gentle pathos throughout. Not as rich or layered as above two, but enjoyable nonetheless.
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