In no particular order, some movies I saw during my Christmas vacation:
Paranoid Park - Apparently high school is just as boring and arbitrary as I remember it, even if you've killed someone and are trying to evade the police.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Probably didn't need to be as long as it was, but it was far better than what the preview lead me to believe. On the other hand, it's not something I can picture myself watching over and over again like I can with some of Fincher's other films. Will probably earn a top 10 slot whenever I get around to compiling such a list for 2008.
Milk - I guess I'm the only person in the world to think that it's possible that Milk doesn't do a body good. I just couldn't connect with this movie. While it's well made and Penn's performance is great, I can't get over the usual biopic lameness. I guess I just don't like biopics in general, and this one is no different. It seems to me that this subject is much more ideally suited to a documentary (which was already made 25 years ago).
Valkyrie - Not nearly as bad as I thought it would be, but not particularly good either. It's a perfectly serviceable thriller and there is some tension despite the fact that everyone knows how it will turn out. However, like Milk, I think I might have rather watched a documentary on the subject.
Man on Wire - Finally caught up with this documentary and wasn't disappointed. Perhaps not as great as the reviews would have you believe, but still interesting and entertaining doc about a high wire walker who did a daring show between the two towers in NY. Plays out a little like a heist film, but without the blatant theft. Also refreshing to see a movie about the WTC without having the filmmakers make some sort of tired political statement.
Frost/Nixon - A bit meandering, but the whole thing builds to a climax that delivers. I kinda wish more attention was paid to the preparation and the actual mechanics of the interview, rather than constantly harping on the fact that the interview didn't have solid financial backing. I realize that the financial situation was probably foremost on Frost's mind during the interviews, but while it needs to be part of the story, I thought it took up too much time and brought down an otherwise pretty good film. It also makes the last interview session come off more as luck than anything else... but then, perhaps that's actually true... I know, perhaps a documen... alright, fine, I'll stop with that particular refrain.