Number 5: Rachel Getting Married
Jonathan Demme's best film since Silence of the Lambs is one of his most personal. Surrounded by musicians, multi-cultural artists, and good friends, Rachel Getting Married is like Demme's dream wedding. How better for a filmmaker to capture what thematically needs to be an overwhelming declaration of love than to do so with music he loves （it's no coincidence that the groom sings Neil Young） and people he honestly cares about? Into this atmosphere of overpowering warmth comes a woman who can no longer feel love. She doesn't even think she's worthy of God's love. Hathaway's award-winning portrayal of Kym, the deeply damaged sister of the titular Rachel, provides the perfect counter-balance to the cinematic wedding of the decade, but the entire ensemble excels in Demme's creatively rewarding environment. Rachel Getting Married is one of the most unique movies of 2008 because it's filled with dichotomies. Slowly paced yet riveting. Painfully emotional yet not melodramatic. Loving and filled with self-loathing. And brilliant in every scene.
Jonathan Demme's best film since Silence of the Lambs is one of his most personal. Surrounded by musicians, multi-cultural artists, and good friends, Rachel Getting Married is like Demme's dream wedding. How better for a filmmaker to capture what thematically needs to be an overwhelming declaration of love than to do so with music he loves （it's no coincidence that the groom sings Neil Young） and people he honestly cares about? Into this atmosphere of overpowering warmth comes a woman who can no longer feel love. She doesn't even think she's worthy of God's love. Hathaway's award-winning portrayal of Kym, the deeply damaged sister of the titular Rachel, provides the perfect counter-balance to the cinematic wedding of the decade, but the entire ensemble excels in Demme's creatively rewarding environment. Rachel Getting Married is one of the most unique movies of 2008 because it's filled with dichotomies. Slowly paced yet riveting. Painfully emotional yet not melodramatic. Loving and filled with self-loathing. And brilliant in every scene.