Alan Mäkinen's cinema list, 2007

CINEMA: 2008

A list of motion pictures that I saw (whether in film, video, DVD, or broadcast television format) in 2008, sorted according to letter grade. By recording these rankings I do not presume to reflect anything other than my personal taste and discernment. To formulate a grade, I evaluate various aspects of each movie -- the direction, screenplay, cinematography, acting, musical score -- and also factor in the degree of cinematic enjoyment (for lack of a better term) I derive when viewing each film.

My lists for other years: 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1994, 1993, 1992, 1991, 1990, 1989, 1988, 1987, 1986, 1985, 1984, 1983, 1982.

A-

Alphaville, une étrange aventure de Lemmy Caution: Jean-Luc Godard, dir. France, Italy, 1965.
Les quatre cents coups [The 400 Blows]: François Truffaut, dir. France, Italy, 1959.

B+

Mies vailla mennesyyttä [The Man without a Past]: Aki Kaurismä, dir. Finland, 2002.
Mouchette: Robert Bresson, dir. France, 1967.
XXY: Lucía Puenzo, dir. Argentina, France, Spain, 2007.

Les Invasions barbares [The Barbarian Invasions]: Denys Arcand, dir. Canada, France, 2003.
Ma vie en rose: Alain Berliner, dir. Belgium, France, UK, 1997.

B-

Czlowiek z marmuru [Man of Marble]: Andrzej Wajda, dir. Poland, 1977.
The Gold Rush: Charles Chaplin, dir. USA, 1942 (revised sound version of 1925 original).
Kanal: Andrzej Wajda, dir. Poland, 1957.
Konkurs [Audition]: Milos Forman, dir. Czechoslovakia, 1963.
Léolo: Jean-Claude Lauzon, dir. Canada, France, 1992.
O Céu de Suely [Love for Sale: Suely in the Sky]: Karim Aïnouz, dir. Brazil et al., 2006.
Pokolenie [A Generation]: Andrzej Wajda, dir. Poland, 1955.
Taiyo no hakaba [The Sun's Burial]: Oshima Nagisa, dir. Japan, 1960.
Tous les Matins du Monde: Alain Corneau, dir. France, 1991.

C+

Ai to kibo no machi [A Town of Love and Hope]: Oshima Nagisa, dir. Japan, 1959.
Billy Elliot: Stephen Daldry, dir. France, UK, 2000.
El Telón de Azúcar [The Sugar Curtain]: Camila Guzmán Urzúa, dir. Cuba, France, 2006. Documentary.
Goya's Ghosts: Milos Forman, dir. USA, 2007.
Kdyby ty muziky nebyly [If There Were No Music]: Milos Forman, dir. Czechoslovakia, 1963.
Lásky jedné plavovlásky [Loves of a Blonde]: Milos Forman, dir. Czechoslovakia, 1965.
Le Diable Problament: Robert Bresson, dir. France, 1977.
The Living End: Greg Araki, dir. USA, 1992.
Monde selon Monsanto, Le [The World According to Monsanto]: Marie-Monique Robin, dir. Canada, France, Germany, 2008. Documentary.
Pas douce [Parting Shot]: Jeanne Waltz, dir. France, Switzerland, 2006.
Popiól i diament [Ashes and Diamonds]: Andrzej Wajda, dir. Poland, 1958.
The Singing Revolution: James Tusty and Maureen Castle Tusty, dirs. Estonia, USA, 2006. Documentary.
The Third Man: Carol Reed, dir. UK, 1949.

Born in Flames: Lizzie Borden, dir. USA, 1983.
Cheucatown [Boystown]: Juan Flahn, dir. Spain, 2007.
Cirque du Soleil: Corteo: Jacques Méthé, dir. Canada, 2005.
Dark Passage: Delmar Daves, dir. USA, 1947.
Fahrenheit 451: François Truffaut, dir. UK, 1966.
Horí, má panenko [The Fireman's Ball]: Milos Forman, dir. Czechoslovakia, Italy, 1967.
Labyrinth: Jim Henson, dir. UK, USA, 1986.
L'armée des ombres [Army of Shadows]: Jean-Pierre Melville, dir. France, 1969.
Lost Highway: David Lynch, dir. USA, 1997.
Maurice Richard [The Rocket]: Charles Binamé, dir. Canada, 2005.
Pee-Wee's Big Adventure: Tim Burton, dir. USA, 1985.
Sharasojyu [Shara]: Kawase Naomi, dir. Japan, 2003.

C-

Better Than Chocolate: Anne Wheeler, dir. Canada, 1999.
Cerny Petr [Black Peter]: M ilos Forman, dir. Czechoslovakia, 1964.
Ceux qui m'aiment prendront le train [Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train]: Patrice Chéreau, dir. France, 1998.
Ichijiku no Kao [Faces of a Fig Tree]: Momoi Kaori, dir. Japan, 2006.
L'emploi du temps [Time Out]: Laurent Cantet, dir. France, 2001.
Mogari no mori [The Mourning Forest]: Kawase Naomi, dir. Japan, 2007.
Yunbogi no nikki [Diary of a Yunbogi Boy]: Oshima Nagisa, dir. Japan, 1965.