Saltzman Sees...Defiance (2008)

Defiance is the true story of three brothers who tried to survive despite Nazi Germany's takeover during World War II.  Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber and Jamie Bell are all masterful as they bring to life a story that very few people knew about the survival stories of a thousand Jews.   In one of the darkest times in history, these men and women fought to protect themselves and survive despite brutal winter, little food and less hope.

Despite the tremendous acting, incredible screenplay and amazing direction by Edward Zwick, only James Newton Howard was nominated for any major award for his score of the film.

For one of the strongest years in movie history, with movies like Slumdog Millionaire, Milk, Gran Torino, The Reader, Revolutionary Road, The Wrestler and Frost/Nixon, Defiance was clearly forgotten by the critics.  Like Crash is 2004, who won the Best Picture award the following year, Defiance's lone nomination came in 2009.  For that reason alone, it is certainly worthy of my vote for Most Underrated Movie of 2008.

Saltzman Sees...2008 Top 10 List

2008

1. Slumdog Millionaire


2. Milk


3. Gran Torino


4. The Reader


5. The Hurt Locker**


6. Defiance


7. Changeling


8. WALL E


9. The Wrestler


10. Frost/Nixon

Honorable Mentioned: 21, Baby Mama, Body of Lies, Bolt, Doubt, Flash of Genius, Horton Hears a Who!, Iron Man, Kung Fu Panda, Marley & Me, Recount, Revolutionary Road, Seven Pounds, Sugar, Sunshine Cleaning, The Bank Job, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Express, The Secret Life of Bees, Traitor and Tropic Thunder

** Hurt Locker won the 2009 Academy Award despite being a 2008 movie.

For all the movies I have seen in 2008, Go to: http://saltinuts40.tripod.com/movies2008.html%20