Milk – Rachel Getting Married – Trouble the Water – The Dark Knight – A Christmas Tale – The Fall – WALL•E

2008: World Premieres
2008: U.S. Releases
2008: Cannes Festival
2008: Chicago Festival
2008: Still Left to See

Looking Back



Moving Ahead



Browse Films by
Title / Year / Reviews

Home / E-Mail
The Movies of 2008: World Premieres
 By Title // By Grade // By VOR // Last update: September 5, 2025

Full Listing of Films Screened
= Full Review   /   = Capsule   /   = Feature or Blog Post   /   = Grain of Salt

35 Shots of Rum Dir. Claire Denis. Mati Diop, Alex Descas, Nicole Dogue B+

 Adoration Dir. Atom Egoyan. Devon Bostick, Scott Speedman, Arsinée Khanjian B–
American Violet Dir. Tim Disney. Nicole Beharie, Will Patton, Alfre Woodard D+
Appaloosa Dir. Ed Harris. Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, Renée Zellweger D+
Ask Not Dir. Johnny Symons. Documentary about "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy C+
Australia Dir. Baz Luhrmann. Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Brandon Walters C

 Ballast Dir. Lance Hammer. JimMyron Ross, Micheal J. Smith Sr., Tarra Riggs B+
The Bank Job Dir. Roger Donaldson. Jason Statham, Saffron Burrows B–
Before Tomorrow Dir. Marie-Hélène Cousineau, Madeline Ivalu. Madeline Ivalu B–
Blind Date Dir. Stanley Tucci. Stanley Tucci, Patricia Clarkson, Thijs Römer D
Blindness Dir. Fernando Meirelles. Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Alice Braga B–
Brideshead Revisited Dir. Julian Jarrold. Matthew Goode, Hayley Atwell D+
Bronson Dir. Nicolas Winding Refn. Tom Hardy, Matt King, Amanda Burton C+
The Brothers Bloom Dir. Rian Johnson. Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel Weisz C
Burn After Reading Dir. Joel and Ethan Coen. George Clooney B+
The Burning Plain Dir. Guillermo Arriaga. Charlize Theron, Jennifer Lawrence D+

Cadillac Records Dir. Darnell Martin. Jeffrey Wright, Adrien Brody C+
 Changeling Dir. Clint Eastwood. Angelina Jolie, Jeffrey Donovan, Michael Kelly C–
Che Dir. Steven Soderbergh. Benicio Del Toro, Demián Bichir B
A Christmas Tale Dir. Arnaud Desplechin. Catherine Deneuve B+
Chronic Town Dir. Tom Hines. JR Bourne, Emily Wagner, Dan Butler B
The Class Dir. Laurent Cantet. François Bégaudeau, Rachel Régulier B+
Cloverfield Dir. Matt Reeves. Michael Stahl-David, Jessica Lucas, T.J. Miller C+
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Dir. David Fincher. Brad Pitt D–

The Dark Knight Dir. Christopher Nolan. Christian Bale, Heath Ledger B
The Day the Earth Stood Still Dir. Scott Derrickson. Jennifer Connelly F
 Delta Dir. Kornél Mundruczó. Félix Lajkó, Orsolya Tóth, Lili Monori C+
Disgrace Dir. Steve Jacobs. John Malkovich, Jessica Haines, Eriq Ebouaney D
Il Divo Dir. Paolo Sorrentino. Toni Servillo, Giulio Bosetti, Carlo Buccirossi B–
Doubt Dir. John Patrick Shanley. Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman C+
 The Duchess Dir. Saul Dibb. Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes, Hayley Atwell C

Elegy Dir. Isabel Coixet. Ben Kingsley, Penélope Cruz, Dennis Hopper B
Encounters at the End of the World Dir. Werner Herzog. Documentary C
Everlasting Moments Dir. Jan Troell. Maria Heiskanen, Mikael Persbrandt B

Food, Inc. Dir. Robert Kenner. Documentary about U.S. food production B–
Frost/Nixon Dir. Ron Howard. Michael Sheen, Frank Langella, Sam Rockwell C
Frozen River Dir. Courtney Hunt. Melissa Leo, Misty Upham, Charlie McDermott B–

 Give Me Your Hand Dir. Pascal-Alex Vincent. Alexandre Carril, Victor Carril C–
Gomorrah Dir. Matteo Garrone. Gianfelice Imparato, Salvatore Abruzzese B+
Goodbye Solo Dir. Ramin Bahrani. Souleymane Sy Savané, Red West B
Gospel Hill Dir. Giancarlo Esposito. Taylor Kitsch, Danny Glover, Angela Bassett C–
Gran Torino Dir. Clint Eastwood. Clint Eastwood, Bee Vang, Ahney Her C–

Hamlet 2 Dir. Andrew Fleming. Steve Coogan, Skylar Astin, Phoebe Strole D–
Happy-Go-Lucky Dir. Mike Leigh. Sally Hawkins, Eddie Marsan, Alexis Zegerman B
The Headless Woman Dir. Lucrecia Martel. María Onetto, Claudia Cantero B
 Home Dir. Ursula Meier. Isabelle Huppert, Olivier Gourmet, Kacey Mottet Klein B
 Hunger Dir. Steve McQueen. Michael Fassbender, Brian Milligan, Liam McMahon A–
The Hurt Locker Dir. Kathryn Bigelow. Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie A–

In Bruges Dir. Martin McDonagh. Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Ralph Fiennes C–
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Dir. Steven Spielberg D–
Iron Man Dir. Jon Favreau. Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges C+
 I've Loved You So Long Dir. Philippe Claudel. Kristin Scott Thomas D+

Jerichow Dir. Christian Petzold. Benno Fürmann, Hilmi Sözer, Nina Hoss C+
Johnny Mad Dog Dir. Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire. Christophe Minie A–
 Julia Dir. Erick Zonca. Tilda Swinton, Aidan Gould, Saul Rubinek, Kate del Castillo A–
 Julia Dir. Erick Zonca. Tilda Swinton, Aidan Gould, Saul Rubinek, Kate del Castillo A–

Kit Kittredge: An American Girl Dir. Patricia Rozema. Abigail Breslin C+

Lake Tahoe Dir. Fernando Eimbcke. Diego Cataño, Juan Carlos Lara II B–
Last Chance Harvey Dir. Joel Hopkins. Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson B
Lemon Tree Dir. Eran Riklis. Hiam Abbass, Ali Suliman, Rona Lipaz-Michael B–
 Let It Rain Dir. Agnès Jaoui. Jean-Pierre Bacri, Agnès Jaoui, Jamel Debbouze C+
Let the Right One In Dir. Tomas Alfredson. Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson B
Lorna's Silence Dir. Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne. Arta Dobroshi A–
 Lovely, Still Dir. Nicholas Fackler. Martin Landau, Ellen Burstyn, Adam Scott D

 Make-Out with Violence Dir. The Deagol Brothers. Eric Lehning, Cody DeVos B
 Mamma Mia! Dir. Phyllida Lloyd. Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan D+
Man on Wire Dir. James Marsh. Documentary about a notorious tightrope walker B+
May the Best Man Win Dir. Adam Fleischhacker. Adam Fleischhacker B–
Me and Orson Welles Dir. Richard Linklater. Zac Efron, Christian McKay D+
Medicine for Melancholy Dir. Barry Jenkins. Wyatt Cenac, Tracey Heggins B
Milk Dir. Gus Van Sant. Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin, James Franco B+
Miracle at St. Anna Dir. Spike Lee. Derek Luke, Laz Alonso, Michael Ealy C–

A Necessary Death Dir. Daniel Stamm. G.J. Echternkamp, Matthew Tilley C
Nights in Rodanthe Dir. George C. Wolfe. Diane Lane, Richard Gere D+
Nothing But the Truth Dir. Rod Lurie. Kate Beckinsale, Matt Dillon, Alan Alda C

Of Time and the City Dir. Terence Davies. Personal essay film about Liverpool B–

The Poker House Dir. Lori Petty. Jennifer Lawrence, Sophi Bairley D+
Ponyo Dir. Hayao Miyazaki. Animated. Voices of Frankie Jonas, Noah Cyrus C+
 The Possibility of an Island Dir. Michel Houellebecq. Benoît Magimel D
Poundcake Dir. Rafael Monserrate. Troy Hall, Jay O. Sanders, Kathleen Quinlan D+
Prodigal Sons Dir. Kimberly Reed. Documentary about gender and family A

 Quantum of Solace Dir. Marc Forster. Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Judi Dench B
Quid Pro Quo Dir. Carlos Brooks. Nick Stahl, Vera Farmiga, Jessica Hecht C–
A Quiet Little Marriage Dir. Mo Perkins. Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Cy Carter C–

Rachel Getting Married Dir. Jonathan Demme. Anne Hathaway B+
The Reader Dir. Stephen Daldry. David Kross, Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes B–
Recount Dir. Jay Roach. TV Movie. Kevin Spacey, Tom Wilkinson, Bob Balaban B
Revanche Dir. Götz Spielmann. Johannes Krisch, Irina Potapenko, Ursula Strauss B
Revolutionary Road Dir. Sam Mendes. Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet C–

Serbis Dir. Brillante Mendoza. Jacklyn Jose, Julio Diaz, Mercedes Cabral B
Sex and the City Dir. Michael Patrick King. Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall C–
Shakespeare and Victor Hugo's Intimacies Dir. Yulene Olaizola. Documentary B–
Skin Dir. Anthony Fabian. Sophie Okonedo, Alice Krige, Sam Neill, Tony Kgoroge C–
Sleep Furiously Dir. Gideon Koppel. Documentary about Welsh village life B
Slumdog Millionaire Dir. Danny Boyle. Dev Patel, Madhur Mittal, Freida Pinto D+
 Smart People Dir. Noam Murro. Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ellen Page C+
Speed Racer Dir. Lana and Lilly Wachowski. Emile Hirsch, John Goodman C+
Splinter Dir. Toby Wilkins. Shea Whigham, Jill Wagner, Paulo Costanzo B
 The Square Dir. Nash Edgerton. David Roberts, Claire van der Boom C
Standard Operating Procedure Dir. Errol Morris. Documentary C–
Stop-Loss Dir. Kimberly Peirce. Ryan Phillippe, Channing Tatum, Abbie Cornish B
The Strangers Dir. Bryan Bertino. Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman, Glenn Howerton B–
Sugar Dir. Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck. Algenis Pérez Soto, Rayniel Rufino B
Summer Hours Dir. Olivier Assayas. Charles Berling, Juliette Binoche B+
 Summer in Genoa [Genova] Dir. Michael Winterbottom. Colin Firth C
Sunshine Cleaning Dir. Christine Jeffs. Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Jason Spevack C–
 Synecdoche, New York Dir. Charlie Kaufman. Philip Seymour Hoffman A
 Synecdoche, New York Dir. Charlie Kaufman. Philip Seymour Hoffman A

 Three Monkeys Dir. Nuri Bilge Ceylan. Hatice Aslan, Ahmet Rifar Şungar C+
Tokyo! Dir. Michel Gondry, Leos Carax, and Bong Joon-ho. Ayako Fujitani C–
Transsiberian Dir. Brad Anderson. Emily Mortimer, Woody Harrelson C+
Treeless Mountain Dir. So Yong Kim. Hee-yeon Kim, Song-hee Kim, Mi-hyang Kim B
 Tropic Thunder Dir. Ben Stiller. Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black D
Trouble the Water Dir. Tia Lessin, Carl Deal. Documentary about Katrina A
 Twilight Dir. Catherine Hardwicke. Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Billy Burke C–
 Two Lovers Dir. James Gray. Joaquin Phoenix, Gwyneth Paltrow, Vinessa Shaw C
Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys Dir. Tyler Perry. Alfre Woodard, Kathy Bates B
Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns Dir. Tyler Perry. Angela Bassett, Rick Fox C–
Tyson Dir. James Toback. Documentary about former heavyweight boxing champ C+

 Vicky Cristina Barcelona Dir. Woody Allen. Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson C

W. Dir. Oliver Stone. Josh Brolin, James Cromwell, Elizabeth Banks B–
WALL•E Dir. Andrew Stanton. Animated. Voices of Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight B+
 Waltz with Bashir Dir. Ari Folman. Animated. Voices of Ari Folman, Mickey Leon B
Wendy and Lucy Dir. Kelly Reichardt. Michelle Williams, Walter Dalton B
A Woman in Berlin Dir. Max Färberböck. Nina Hoss, Yevgeni Sidikhin B–
The Wrestler Dir. Darren Aronofsky. Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei B+