‘T is the season of unsolicited fruit cakes, four-page Christmas card letters documenting (in 10-point font) what the cousins in Tupelo have been up to, and the onset of winter couch potatoism. Can’t remember what was out last year worth putting in your Netflix queue? Well, this is by no means a comprehensive list of the best of 2008 but here are a few that may have slipped off the radar. Many of them actually came to Sonoma.
“Burn After Reading”
The film chronicles a downward spiraling chain of events inaugurated by a love-starved and borderline sociopathic gym employee played by Francis McDormand (“Fargo,” “Mrs. Pettigrew Lives for a Day”) whose singular desire is to raise enough money for a few simple plastic surgery “enhancements.” What’s interesting about the story is how human hierarchy breaks down under the supreme and random rule of the fates. Brad Pitt revises his “12 Monkeys” persona for the role into a gum-snapping and hilarious dolt. “Burn After Reading” stars Tilda Swinton, George Clooney, Richard Jenkins and John Malkovich.
“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”
Critic Cosmo Landesman said, “Julian Schnabel has taken the hoary old hospital/disabled drama and given it an art-house makeover, producing something moving and visually stunning.” Indeed. “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” should, however, carry a health warning for claustrophobes.
“In Bruges”
A dark twist on the Christmas story, “In Bruges” takes place in the medieval city of Bruges where two hit men find themselves waiting for word from the head boss after a job goes bad in a London church. The film stars Brendon Gleeson as the fatherly, seasoned Ken and Colin Farrell as the rambunctious and green recruit Ray. A surreal chase scene through a medieval carnival puts the intense action sequences at the finale in this otherwise dialogue-heavy film and it’s worth the wait.
“The Visitor”
This is a character-driven film that manages to dramatize the ethics of post-911 immigration and deportation policies within the intimate confines of a New York City apartment. The film stars Richard Jenkins as Walter Vale, a widowed and slightly petty economics professor who returns to his New York apartment for a conference only to discover it occupied by two refugees – a young, Syrian musician named Tarek (Haaz Sleiman) and his Senegalese girlfriend (Danai Gurira). An unlikely friendship develops between Tarek and Vale as Vale rediscovers his love of music through drumming. It all comes crashing to a halt when Tarek is arrested by U.S. immigration authorities and subsequently disappears. “The Visitor,” written and directed by Thomas McCarthy (“The Station Agent”) is a must see.
“Persepolis”
Based on Marjane Satrapi’s beautiful graphic novel, “Persepolis” is a coming-of-age story told through the eyes of the book’s author as a precious and rebellious teenager during the Islamic Revolution in Iran. Good girl-power movie.
“Man on Wire”
French tightrope walker Philippe Petit’s daredevil hijinks take on particular emotional resonance in this well-wrought documentary recount of his 1974 journey across the chasm between New York City’s World Trade Center’s twin towers. Dubbed “the artistic crime of the century,” Petit’s feat was transformative to both the city and the man in ways that seem both sublime and tragic 35 years later. Interestingly, no reference is made to the events of 9/11. The film is focused instead on the impact Petit’s stunt had on the man and his immediate relationships while showcasing the towers in their staggering architectural beauty and as such is a profoundly inspiring film.
