Having finally seen The Dark Knight last weekend, I have no reservation in placing it alongside Pixar’s finest film to date Wall•E as the frontrunners for the number one and two spots on my 2008 film of the year list. Yes, there is a long way to go yet, and there are still plenty of exciting filmic prospects on the horizon, but at the moment it is difficult to see anything topping either of them.
I hope that Wall•E will be nominated not just for best animated film at this year’s Oscars (a genre Pixar has dominated and is sure to win again) but also for best film, proving the viability of the CGI film making technique in evoking much more than just lovable characters and quirky comedy. If anyone still somehow harbours doubts as to the promise of such technical wizardry, then they haven’t seen Wall•E. Simple as that.
As for The Dark Knight, which is busy massacring box-office records around the world as we speak, there is little I can say that hasn’t been said already. Check out the latest issue of LOAD for the review, and rest assured that my opinions on the film are only positive. It is as fitting a tribute to the late Heath Ledger as there possibly could have been, and Christopher Nolan has gone even further towards proving that he is one of the best directors currently working in Hollywood.
No matter what happens from now on, I would vouch for 2008 as a resounding success for film. It is impossible to imagine anything displacing these two films at the moment, but then again I haven’t seen Meet Dave yet…