Five best films of 2008

Dec 28 2008 By Mickey Mcmonagle

MICKEY MCMONAGLE gives us the rundown of his top five films from the past 12 months. And here they are:

1. The Dark Knight (12A)

The greatest film of the year - this stunning movie is every bit as good as fans hoped, exceeding the high standards set by predecessor Batman Begins.

The hype centred around the tragic Heath Ledger, whose performance as the Joker is a truly fitting tribute to his great talent. He portrays a genuinely terrifying villain, a man who has no interest in money, only in causing mayhem for the sake of his own entertainment.

On the other hand, Batman (Christian Bale) is a troubled soul who is torn by his morals, which the Joker gleefully plays on whenever possible by setting him up with impossible dilemmas.

Many viewers found the second villain, Two-Face, an unnecessary distraction but I felt he worked well, adding a different element and setting up the big climax perfectly. This is a film everyone should see, comic book fan or not.

2. In Bruges (18)

This darkly comic gangster thriller about a couple of hitmen hiding out in the Belgian city is sharply written, brilliantly acted and simply unmissable.

Colin Farrell shows he can act after all with a believable turn as Ray, a hitman trying to cope with a terrible mistake.

You get the impression his lighter side is not unlike Farrell's own personality, while his displays of anguish are worthy of the rave reviews lavished on them.

Brendan Gleeson is his mentor and babysitter, the bickering between the pair elevating the movie above the usual crime buddy stuff.

Ralph Fiennes is the crime boss pulling the strings, playing a role blatantly inspired by Ben Kingsley in Sexy Beast.

A movie you will want to watch again and again - buy the DVD.

3. Iron Man (12A)

Another great comic book adaptation. Robert Downey Junior was born to play the wealthy playboy arms dealer turned do-gooding superhero, battling against bad guys using weapons his company built.

One for the boys, as the gadget-packed, car-crammed world of Iron Man comes vividly to life. Great fun.

4. Hellboy 2: The Golden Army (15)

A second outing for the demonic anti-hero - played by Ron Perlman - and again the real star is the lavish, fantastical world envisioned and perfectly realised by director Guillermo Del Toro.

With a nice love interest for sidekick Abe Sapien - leading to a hilarious, drunken serenade - and a great plot with amazing special effects, this proves Del Toro is the ultimate fantasy film visionary.

5. Sex And The City (15)

Much as I would have liked to ignore it, it's impossible to leave out the movie event of the year for the fairer sex.

While the boys went bats, the girls were sipping cosmos and crying into their overpriced handbags as Carrie and co. made their cinema debut.