The Wasteland Reviewer

The Wasteland Into the Past: 2008

Welcome to The Wasteland into the Past! Join this journey backwards in time as I take a cinematic look at years past. Each article will focus on a singular year and my Top 5 films from that year. Turn back the clock with me…and let’s get started! 

2008

In Bruges

How dark and twisted is the mind of Martin McDonagh? This man started as a writer of plays and now has created some of the most darkly funny films in recent memory. He first grabbed moviegoers’ attention with In Bruges. This film is about two hit men who are asked by their boss to lie low in all places…Bruges. These foul-mouthed Irishmen don’t have a peaceful and easy visit to this quaint city either. Things take a dark turn when Ray finds out what the true purpose of this trip is. This antsy young man struggles with the quiet of Bruges and he provokes and challenges his way to a much more interesting visit. This is one of the first truly great performances of Colin Farrell’s career as he shows plenty of depth. He is crass and foul-mouthed but surprisingly full of emotion and a path for growth. His shenanigans in Bruges are unbound with getting in fights with American tourists, Canadian tourists, and little people. Then there is Ken. Brendan Gleeson brings a veteran presence that stands out. There is warmth and calm in Ken that Gleeson effortlessly brings. Ken’s dynamic with Ray is excellent in this mentoring role. Then you have Harry. This unhinged man is dangerous as dangerous can be. Ralph Fiennes is downright hilarious as the boss of these two hitmen. He unhinged rant on the phone is one of the funniest moments in such a darkly funny film. His “c-word” filled banter with Ken is hilarious as well. This film is hilarious with its dark-biting atmosphere. There is plenty of emotion too with twists and turns of losses as well. There are plenty of rich, philosophical explorations embedded in this well-written script from McDonagh. This film is some of the best work for both Farrell and Gleeson (at least until they ran it back with McDonagh again in The Banshees in Inisherin).

The Dark Knight

The greatest comic book film of all time, right? This is a film that honestly gets taken for granted because it is just that damn good. Christopher Nolan turned the comic book genre upside down with Batman Begins with its grounded and intense feel (which would influence other franchises to do the same). But it is the sequel that took this genre to a whole new level. The Dark Knight introduced arguably the greatest villain performance in film with the terrifying and unhinged chaos of Heath Ledger’s The Joker. A posthumous Oscar celebrates this storied performance full of darkness and menace. The perfect foil to the control of Batman, this chaos fueled madman is a delight to watch on screen from “the pencil scene” to “the tryouts scene”. But the interrogation is worth the price of admission. This intense, brutal sequence is a masterclass of staging and performance. Bale and Ledger at their peak. Many will not get past “The Batman voice” but Bale’s performance is just as strong but subtler. There are plenty of fantastic supporting turns as well from Gary Oldman to Michael Caine to Aaron Eckhart to Maggie Gyllenhaal. There are some cool twists and turns along with unexpected revelations about character motivations and where The Joker’s darkness will push some of these characters. There are excellently written moments from Alfred’s story about chaos to the goosebump-inducing speech by Commissioner Gordon at the end of the film (one of the greatest moments in comic book films). Han Zimmer’s music is dynamic, intense, and bombastic that underlines this whole film. From the opening sequence with The Joker’s bank robbery, this film shows that it is something special. There is the emotional weight of Bruce and Rachel’s relationship and how Harvey Dent’s presence complicates it. Rachel’s fate is a harrowing moment that rattles the film’s characters and the audience alike. Technically pristine and executed by Nolan, The Dark Knight is an endlessly engrossing and entertaining crime thriller with a bite. Chaos. Fascism. Real thematic ideas. This is a truly special film.

WALL-E

How can a “kids” movie hit so hard in a world with artificial intelligence and robotics expanding so quickly? Pixar really outdid themselves with this incredible film that delivers a haunting look into humanity’s future. WALL-E is also a gorgeous film with plenty of heart and emotion. There is a charming romance at the core of the film as well. Andrew Stanton crafted a beautiful film that starts with isolation, finds connections, and breaks humanity free from its own self-induced isolation. There is barely any dialogue in the first act of this film with the robot WALL-E cleaning up a disgusting and ruined planet Earth. But WALL-E finds love (as unbelievable as that sounds) after being inspired by classic cinema and finds EVE. This charming duo says so much just repeating their names to each other. But this story does not stop here. Their romance would have been enough for a beautiful short film but then we witness the road that WALL-E takes onto a ship full of the rest of humanity. Our future? A horde of floating adult baby blobs stuck in chairs with screens covering every part of our view. Sounds like our worst nightmare…and a little too close to home. Stanton delivers a more nefarious twist as well with an evil autopilot (simply AUTO) who channels all the menace of HAL-9000 of 2001: A Space Odyssey fame. There is enough conflict to build tension and excitement for sure. But robotic romance and the revitalization of humanity make this film such a great experience. Gorgeous, thought-provoking, and engaging, WALL-E is a wonderful film that is amongst Pixar’s best. The creativity, genre play, and homages really tie this beautiful film together.

The Wrestler

Darren Aronofsky certainly has a way with stories about aging artists whose connection to their craft is quite unhealthy, doesn’t he? You have a film like Black Swan that explores the life of a ballet dance in the most twisted way possible. With The Wrestler, audiences are placed in the shows of a professional wrestler who is over-the-hill and relegated to the indie circuits where life is infinitely harder. This is a raw film that feels like we are watching a documentary. You can see a filmmaker following around a former megastar like Randy “The Ram” Robinson and doing a cautionary documentary about the hardened life of a professional wrestler. That is the feeling that Aronofsky goes for and with the help of cinematographer Maryse Alberti, he is able to capture that feeling. Mickey Rourke delivers a meta-performance as a former movie star who was scratching around for roles at the time. This is the raw and poignant performance of Rourke’s career. There is something so authentic in the character that Rourke can create. A stripper portrayed by Marisa Tomei is a wonderful parallel and connection for Randy. They are quite similar and that might surprise you. Aging and lonely, they find connection and that is the heart of the film. Tomei is incredible and raw…perfection. You have a subplot with Randy trying to reconnect with his daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) which is harrowing and moving. But the central conflict of the film lies in Randy’s heart. This man is on the verge of death but continues to fight and claw because wrestling is all he has left. The wrestling matches in the film are well directed and staged while capturing the physical toll on Randy. The climactic match with The Ayatollah is a masterful scene that captures the spotlight of the stage, the brutality of life, and the desperation of Randy. The final shot is iconic, frustrating, and poignant rolled into one. This is a brutal, emotional, and impactful cinematic experience from the start.

Let the Right One In

How hard is it to find fresh twists on the vampire story at this point? We have been treated with vampiric cinema since the beginning. Nosferatu is the first big vampire film back in the early 1920s but in 2008, Swedish director Tomas Alfredson delivered a compelling, haunting, and beautiful film Let the Right One In. This Swedish coming-of-age story is twisted with other genres from horror to fantasy. The story of an isolated young boy, Oskar, develops a beautiful connection with the mysterious Eli…a vampire. Their dynamic has plenty of layers and chemistry. Few tales of childhood connections that feel so unique and fresh. The chemistry between Kare Hedebrant and Lina Leandersson is off the charts, and we just want them to be at each other’s side always. Leandersson delivers a performance that is haunting and unnerving in such a compelling way. The atmosphere that Alfredson and company creates is poignant and compelling. The stark, cold, and darkness of Sweden makes for the perfect setting for this film. The setting matches the correct tone needed for this haunting film about connection and vampirism. Alfredson might be creating a coming-of-age story, but he does not shy away from the more horrific moments of the story. Seeing blood cascaded across Leandersson’s innocent looking face is haunting. There is a brilliantly shot sequence at the end of the film involving a pool, blood, and human limbs. This is one of the most unique and haunting moments in any vampire film. There is a moment involving fire in a hospital bend that is haunting and will shake you to the core. On the surface, this film works so well as a coming-of-age tale but what Alfredson brings to the table makes it richer, deeper, and darker for sure. If you are looking to expand your cinematic perspective with some international horror, this Swedish film is an amazing place to start.