A beautifully tragic portrait of a married couple simply trying to make things work, Sam Mendes' "Revolutionary Road" combines the fantastic acting of leads DiCaprio and Winslet with a heartwrenching and honest screenplay by Justin Haythe to form one of the most intensely-emotional pictures of the last 20 years. Superbly directed, acted, and written, this film is the Best of 2008 so far.
A dazzling throwback to the films that Hollywood was built upon, Baz Luhrman's superbly-directed epic romance "Australia" is a visual and spiritual cinematic treat. Perfect context performances from Kidman and Jackman, dazzling visuals and cinematography, lavish art direction and a powerful (albeit cliche) storyline are all directed with passion and finesse from the master reinvetor of genres that have fallen by the way. The Best of 2008 so far.
A modern masterpiece directed with intense passion and flair for the subject matter, Clint Eastwood (finally) shows us his feminine side and crafts one of the most beautiful, touching, and impactful tales of feminism and corruption ever put onto film. Angelina tops her widely-snubbed performance in "A Mighty Heart" here, turning out the best work she's ever put forth. A great supporting cast, beautiful cinematography, and a fantastic original score round out this (at least in my book) hugely-underrated masterpiece of modern storytelling, cinematic or otherwise.