NWI Awards: Worst Film

I think that the average good films vs bad films ratio is probably 4:1 to the negative. Such us the studio's need to bring in the dollar. Anyways here are the worst films of 2008 to my mind, and never mind why I was watching them in the first place.




Worst Film




6) Jumper

Because I've never known a film to create such a dick of a leading man without realising it. Framing a guy for robbing a bank simply because he made a pass at your dream girl who isnt actually youre girlfriend yet. And were supposed to like this guy?




5) Leatherheads

George Clooney's Sophomore directorial effort is smothered in its own self-superiority. Yes screwball comedies were good, but you know what they were more interested in being funny then showing how smart they were. If not by much




4) AVP 2

This idea never really should have made it past the super-nintendo. Yet there are two movies based on alien vs Predator. This is the latter, and its one of those cash-ins that ignores all franchise history just because it CBA.




3) Pride and Glory

This movie tries to hide its ridiculousness behind a sheen of emotional blockheadedness. It Can't. My favourite bit is when Ed Norton arrives to arrest Colin Farrell only put his gun down to have a bar fight with him instead. That makes it sound much more unintentionally awesome then it is.




2) Righteous Kill

Terrible movie. Will be deservedly forgotten. Next.

1) High School Musical 3

It seems almost pointless naming this film as the worst of 2008, because its producers know this all to well and could give a rats ass. They still have their 100 million dollar ticket sales plus whatever billions of dollars in merchandise. They know its terrible and so do we, yet we all went to see it anyway. Much like Mamma Mia actually, which I never saw.

NWI Awards: Best Comedy

This was a rough year for comedy, but In fairness most years are rough years for comedy so it least this one graciously refuses to break the pattern. Essentially this is a list of comedies that were the least shit, with a couple of exceptions.




Best Comedy




6) Baby Mama

Highly flawed star vehicle for 30 Rock's Tina Fey, its occassionally funny and keeps the mawkishness to a minimum. Features a good Steve Martin performance, something which is a collector's item of late.




5) Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Hardly original, but it has some moments of laughing matter. Mostly thanks to Russell Brand who takes to the Apatow improve-centric style much better then expected. A film for TV nerds to see, with Veronica Mars' Kristen Bell and Family Guy's Mila Kunis filling out the cast.




4) Juno

It sure tries hard to be quirky, and thankfully a good 65% of it lands. In terms of the funnies, they mostly come from the soon to be huge Ellen Page and The always awesome JK Simmons, who can add this film to the list of ones he has stolen.




3) Burn After Reading

It amazes me how many times I'm listing this film, because it is such sub-par Coen. But, sub-par Coen is still better then most, and two hilarious performances from Brad Pitt and John Malkovich keep one smiling.




2) Pineapple Express

The Seth Rogen machine may be just about losing steam now, but 2008 he had one hyped up year. Ironically he gives himself the unrewarding straight man role, and is duly out-hilarioused by James Franco and Danny McBride.




1) The Savages

Only a half comedy really, but I wanted a film I actually thought was good to win so sue me.

NWI Awards: Best Scene

When a single scene leaps from the film you're watching and grabs you by the the throat is a great thing to experience. Even if it may not sound like it due to my choice of a particularly violent metaphor, the best individual scenes of 2008 then...




Best Scene




7) Gommora - Lady gets Whacked

Reasonably innocent kid delivers a neighbour lady's shopping to her weekly, only when she supposedly ratted out a member of his newfound gang he participates in her assassination. Brutal in its realism.




6) There Will Be Blood - Exploding Oil

After one of his Oil wells unexpectedly explodes, Plainview is ecstatic at what this means, so much so that it dwarfs his concern for his adopted son who was badly wounded in the explosion. Visually breathtaking and emotional devastating.




5) The Dark Knight - Dent's transferred to holding

The Dark Knight has plenty of scenes that leave you gasping, but the one that most definitely does it for me is a big action centrepiece. Whilst this may point to my dramatic ignorance, its such a well done scene its hard to not be impressed by it. Beginning with a Car chase through a tunnel, continuing with Batman K.Oing the Joker's 18 wheeler in what must be the stand up and scream 'Yeah' moment of the year, and ending with Ledger standing down Bale in what must be he single most character defining moment he has. Breathtaking cinema.




4) REC- Night Vision

It is tradition to end a hand-held DV horror movie with a sequence in green night vision, but REC takes this cliche and reinvigorates it in one of the single most scary scenes in the entire history of horror movies.




3) Waltz With Bashir - The Dream


Throughout its investigative narrative, we keep returning to this same scene of soldiers rising from the sea as flares and explosions smother the city around them. Expressionistic and beautiful.




2) The Orphanage - Knocking game

Its a completely cynical and thought out horror movie moment, but it works like a charm. As our plucky protagonist dares creepy kid ghosts to come out, she plays the game that they so loved when they were alive to get them to reveal themselves. Be prepared to scream like a girl.




1) No Country For Old men - Gas Station

Chigurh has a conversation with a gas station attendent. Best scene of the year hands down. I refuse to spoil it.

NWI Awards: Best Screenplay

Writing is often the unsung hero of cinema, The foundation keeping things together so well no one even knows that its there. The best films of 2008 in the own way relied on quality scripting, and here is a selection of the best the year had to offer.




Best Screenplay




7) I'm Not There - Todd Haynes and Oren Moverman

Given the high concept nature of this films pitch, if hadn't been for the quality script it may have imploded into a pretentious victim of its own experimentation. But luckily the writing keeps it for the most part on the right side of smug, showing a care for its characters as well as its philosophies.




6) The Visitor - Todd McCarthy

Both this and McCarthy's previous film The Station Agent rely somewhat heavily on quiet introspection. But with the Visitor, perhaps also due to the performances, one is not kept at arm's length from the characters and it becomes much more nuanced because of it. A masterclass in low-key scripting.




5) Persepolis - Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi

Animated films depend on good writing much more then you might think. This film is a proper example of that, with the consistently witty yet moving script lends a real ground for its visual quirkiness.




4) The Savages - Tamara Jenkins


Whilst upon first glance it may seem like another entry to the indie conveyor belt of middle-class alienation and crises, It is actually much more self-deprecating and funny then I expected. A very literate and heartfelt script.




3) Before The Devil Knows You're Dead - Kelly Masterson

In what was a first screenplay for theatre alumni Masterson, this very impressive, dark-toned family melodrama skew crime movie is the kind of script that sets itself up for great acting. He's quietly done Ethan Hawke and Philip Seymour Hoffman a huge favour.




2) The Dark Knight - Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan

Think what you want, but its much, much harder to write a populist masterpiece than an independant one, and The Nolan brothers did a a near herculean job in creating a moving, intelligent and above all entertaining modern classic.




1) There Will Be Blood - Paul Thomas Anderson

In a very loose adaptation of Upton Sinclair's novel Oil!, Anderson creates a brilliant portrait of turn of the century greed and a terrific characterization of that flaw personified in Daniel Plainview.

NWI Awards: Best Genre film

I probably should clarify this one. Films considered to be gerne, such as sci-fi or horror tend to get ignored for award attentions simply because of their subject matter. So essentially this is the sci-fi/horror/action award, but genre sounds much swisher if I say so myself.



Best genre

6) Hancock

About two thirds of a good movie, before it completely jumps the shark in its final scenes. For the most part Smith it the least pious he's been since Men in Black and is visibly having much more fun. Also seeing Arrested Development's Jason Bateman in a giant blockbuster was pretty cool.

5) Iron Man

A functional enough comic book movie with a ridiculous climax and a very suave leading man. I wouldn't rag on it so much if everyone else didn't praise it all the time.

4) Wanted

This bonkers, bullet curving crazy ass movie brought back the days of the Matrix with its bullet-time and ultra slo-mo in permanent overdrive. Became a nice starring vehicle for James McAvoy

3) Pineapple Express

Soon to be seen in the comedy run down too, this genre crossing stoner action comedy was a fun but in the end very simple film. Slightly too much broad humour. James Franco and Danny McBride are terrific though.

2) The Mist

Giant monsters from another dimension can't quite figure out how to break a single glazed supermarket window. But they will eat you if you come outside

1) REC

So good it was remade in America within a year of its release. This further entry into the increasingly popular handheld genre makes Cloverfield look like Its a wonderful life. Jarring.

NWI Awards: Best Supporting Actor

Man was this tough. So many great male supporting performances and so little space. I've tried my hardest to whittle it down, but its still at 10 god darn it.





Best Supporting Actor





10) Haaz Sleiman, The Visitor

Sleiman did very well to even stay in this movie, so good is Richard Jenkins performance, but he did and his optimistic, fun loving illegal immigrant is great fun to watch.




9) Ralph Fiennes, In Bruges

Fiennes isn't even in the film until the last 20 minutes, but upon his arrival everything becomes about 15 times more awesome. A proper showreel performance.





8) James Franco, Pineapple Express

So who saw this coming? Franco, so repeatedly awful as Harry Osborn in the Spiderman franchise puts in a performance so iconic and hilarious it probably will be considered the 2nd greatest stoner ever, behind the Dude.





7) Brad Pitt, Burn After Reading

" I thought you might be worried.....about the security.....of your shit." Plus he gets shot in the face.





6) Paul Dano, There Will Be Blood
It maybe Daniel Day Lewis' movie, but Dano's adolescent preacher is one creepy motherfucker. It would seem impossible to stay on the same plain as Day Lewis, but Dano just about manages it. And that is a huge compliment.



5) Ralph Fiennes, The Duchess

Nomination number two for Mr Fiennes. What can I say he's had a great year, and for all the deserved acclaim Kightley gets for this film, the best performance is certainly Fiennes'.




4) Eddie Marsan, Happy Go Lucky

If Sally Hawkins lead is happy for all situations, the Marsan is the miserable bastard for all situations. As Poppy's near psychopathic driving instructor, its a performance of great weakness and great power at the same time.




3) Javier Bardem, No Country for Old men

Breezing his way into the pantheon of all time badasses, Bardem's Anton Chigurh can only be described as a force of nature. Unquestionably, he will find you and he will kill you. It is only a matter of time.




2) Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

Shock horror! See how unpredictably awesome I am. Still, we all know how good he is, so this blurb is pretty much filler.




1) Tommy Lee Jones, No Country for Old Men

To defend myself, this performance is good because despite it seeming like a filler role, Jones and the Coens make it into an unbelievably sympathetic yet weak character. One of the best screen performances I have ever seen.

NWI Awards: Best Ensemble Cast

Acting is about reacting, or so I'm told. So then a movie to be judged as an example of good acting should have an entire cast workin well together. So, then here are 2008's best ensemble casts....

6) Margot at the Wedding - The extended family
Nicole Kidman's movie, but some good work from Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jack Black, as well as some above standard child-acting.

5) I'm Not There - The Dylan Collective

So we have 6 people playing Bob Dylan, plus the legendary Bruce Greenwood in like 3 roles. Everyone is good, Blanchett is the best.




4) Gomorrah - The Naples collective

This is a broad ensemble, with many actors given minimal time to make their roles land. Most succeed and there's good performances all round




3) The Dark Knight - The Batman collective

Comic-book movies often don't draw good performances, but this is the exception to the rule, Sure there's Ledger and Eckhart, but some great old guard turns from Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine add to the mix.




2) No Country for Old Men - The Texan collective.

Except for Javier Bardem who's from Spain. And Kelly MacDonald who's from Scotland.




1) Before The Devil Knows you're dead - The f*cked up family
Knock-out performances from everyone involved, but Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke in particular put in really great performances.

NWI Awards: Best Death

We love our movie deaths. We get to see overpaid famous people die in a thousand sadistic ways. It makes us Happy. Needless to say, HUGE SPOILER WARNING I'll give you a larger gap this time




Best Death






10) Carol - Female Cop, Pineapple Express
That's how she's billed on imdb, so can it. Anyway, Rosie Perez' shrieking, fast-talking dirty cop's evil deeds come to a true end when she's machined gunned by James Franco to 'Fuck the police' and then crushed by an exploding car. Pretty dead I would think.



9) Marlena, Cloverfield
You know you're screwed when your the second female lead in a horror film. Your ass is dying. Anyways Lizzy Caplan ( now of True Blood fame) gets infected by alien spawn and promptly explodes in silouhette behind a curtain.



8) Thief, Blindness
This dude got harshed. He gets his leg impaled by a high heel, his leg then decays pretty much to the point of falling off and then he gets shot in the head by guards in charge of herding the blind ito the wards. Apoligies for the terrible picture quality.



7) Abby, Grindhouse
Robert Rodriguez secion of this film is slightly better than Tarantino's and it has a single inspired moment. It is this. Naveen Andrews' scene stealing mad scientist, all set to save the day peaks his head round a corner only to have to completely blown off instantly. Shocking and even a little hilarious



6) Fox, Wanted
To give you some context, in Wanted super-skilled gunman can curve bullets. Ok, so all the evil gunmen are in a circle surounding James McAvoy. Angelina Jolie is amongst them and in a last minute change of heart decidesto save James, kills them all with a single 360 degree bullet, including herself. Because you've never seen suicide by boomerang bullet before



5) Eli Sunday, There will be Blood
Paul Dano's crazy and vindictive preacher arrives at nemesis Daniel Day Lewis' house begging for money. Danny duly humilates him, makes him say he is a false prophet and then beats him to death with a bowling pin. He drank his milkshake.



4) Ken, In Bruges
With Ralph Fiennes after Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson nobly sacrifices himself to save Farrell's jumpy Ray, by jumping of a 14th century church so he can get to Farrell before Fiennes to warn him. Oh yeah he'd already been shot twice. What a nice guy.



3) Rachel Dawes, The Dark Knight
Maggie Gyllenhaal's Rachel got Jokered. Placed in a room full of Oil drums set to a timer, The Joker forces Batman to choose between her life and DA Harvey Dent's. He chooses her, but the Joker gave him the wrong location for each and it turns out the person he wanted to save is the person he lets die. Impactful shit.



2) Chad, Burn After Reading
This is a flawed film, to be sure, but there's something to be said for having the world's biggest movie star Brad Pitt getting unexpectedly shot in the face in full frame close-up with a huge grin on his face.



1) Carson Wells, No Country for Old Men
I could have gone with several Chigurh deaths, but this is the most effective one. Woody Harrelson's kindly bounty hunter gets tracked to his room, and he and Bardem sit across from each other both knowing what's about to happen. Chigurh knows it to a certainty.