Film Commentary

Favorite films of 2008 . . . .  I saw nearly 60 "first-run" movies in 2008, and these were my favorites: Wall-E, The Visitor, The Band's Visit, The Changeling, Man on Wire, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, and The Reader. (Okay, technically I saw The Reader in January 2009). I would ordinarily say that any list of my favorites will expose my preference for happy endings or for stories of transformation, but there are a few somber tales on this list. But other dark tales (like The Wrestler) are not.