The 10 Best Films of 2007

The 2007 movie year is complete and by all accounts it was a terrific year. In compiling my ten best list there were exactly 10 movies I found to be terrific while there were an additional 24 more that were well above average.

2007 confirmed that the movie musical is still going strong with the success of Once, an independent film that broke through to the mainstream, and Hairspray which grossed over $100 million. Sweeney Todd may be less successful but it has garnered critical acclaim and an Academy Award nomination for star Johnny Depp.

The western was re-born this year as well with the critical and box office hit 3:10 To Yuma which is the best film of the genre since Clint Eastwood's acclaimed Unforgiven.

Another piece of good news is that it appears the torture/horror film may have, at last, died a most deserved death. Hostel Part 2, Captivity and I Know Who Killed Me all bombed at the box office.

The king of Hollywood in 2007 was producer/director Judd Apatow who was responsible for three comedies, Knocked Up; Superbad; Walk Hard - The Dewey Cox Story. The first two films were runaway hits but, oddly, Dewey Cox was a Christmas flop. I imagine it will be discovered on DVD. It deserves to be. All three films are very funny though I thought the latter two both had drop offs in the second half. For me Knocked Up (the only of the three Apatow directed) was the most consistently funny but none of them should be missed if you want a good, raunchy laugh.

An odd trend at the movies this year was the utter failure of movies set in or revolving around Iraq and its war. In quick succession In The Valley of Elah, Rendition and Lions For Lambs disappeared quickly despite top actors including Tommy Lee Jones (who received a well deserved Oscar nomination for Best Actor for Elah), Reese Witherspoon, Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Redford, Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep (who actually appeared in both Rendition and Lions For Lambs). All three films were good though In The Valley of Elah was my favorite but the public apparently was in no mood for the subject matter.

While there were several films I missed this year I am quite content that my list is good enough to share with everyone. Hopefully you have seen all the films but if not you can't go wrong with any of them listed. Before listing my top 10 here are some of the better films you shouldn't miss but didn't quite make the list: Black Book; The Bourne Ultimatum; Charlie Wilson's War; Gone, Baby Gone; Into The Wild; Knocked Up; The Simpsons Movie; Sweeney Todd; 3:10 To Yuma.

Before starting here are two smaller lists that surprised me this year for the inclusion of more then just a few films in each category.

5 Films I Liked That You Didn't (or didn't even see) - Black Snake Moan; Grindhouse; In The Land of Women; In The Valley of Elah; Rendition.

5 Hit Films Everyone Seemed to Like But Me -Evan Almighty; I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry; Spiderman 3; Transformers; Wild Hogs.

Here are my picks for the 10 best films of 2007 by order of preference.

1) NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (Directors: Joel and Ethan Coen) - The best film of 2007 is Joel and Ethan Coen's No Country For Old Men, an intricate thriller that begins with a hunter (Josh Brolin) stumbling across the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong and then foolishly, compulsively taking the stash of money involved. Soon he is trailed by Anton Chigurh (Oscar nominee Javier Bardem) armed with an impressive air pressure gun-like device and no qualms about killing. Chigurh, as played by Bardem (who is certain to win the Oscar) is one of the most evil, cold blooded killers ever seen on film. Also into the fray is Tommy Lee Jones as a sheriff tracking both men while trying to make sense of the bloodshed he continuously stumbles upon. The film tells the stories of each man in a way that is interesting from start to finish and, interestingly, save for a brief moment during a gunfight on a street at night, not one of the three main characters shares a single scene with the other two. Many people feel the Coens have raised more questions then are answered but I disagree. Each moment, each line of dialogue is pitch perfect and has a specific meaning. It might not all be spelled out for you but its all there culminating in a final speech that is left open for interpretation. This is a brilliant movie.

2) ZODIAC (Director: David Fincher) What All The President's Men was to a journalistic procedural, Zodiac is to the police procedural. Based on the true events of a killer who terrorized communities near San Francisco in the late 1960's, director Fincher (Se7en; The Game; Fight Club) constructs both a fascinating who-done-it with an equally fascinating look at obsession and paranoia. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as a political cartoonist who eventually becomes obsessed with catching the killer. Robert Downey co-stars as a fellow reporter who soon becomes the apparent obsession of the killer and Mark Ruffalo plays the dedicated detective who spends decades trying to solve the mystery. In real life the Zodiac killer was never caught but there was deep suspicion as to who he was and Fincher makes an interesting choice by following along with this investigation possibly leading to that person. Whether or not it is true we will likely never know but Fincher draws his film out at almost 3 hours long and never bores and always fascinates. He knows how to build suspense to unbearable levels (see the scene when Gyllenhaal ends up in the basement of a man who soon realizes may be the killer) so that you want to scream at the screen.

3) MICHAEL CLAYTON (Director: Tony Gilroy) Screenwriter (The Bourne Trilogy) Gilroy wrote and makes his directorial debut with this utterly fascinating look at the intricacies of the legal system as seen through the eyes of the title character (Oscar nominee George Clooney), a fixer for a powerful law firm in New York. Having recently divorced, been through a failed business venture and losing grip on a gambling problem that has him deep in debt, Clayton faces the biggest challenge of his professional life at a point when he has come to understand he is nothing more then a "janitor" for people more powerful then him. A long battled out court case seems to be coming to an end when a top attorney (Oscar nominee Tom Wilkinson) seemingly sabotages the case with an unhealthy obsession towards a client in the lawsuit while losing his mind at the same time. Best Supporting Actress nominee Tilda Swinton plays the attorney for the other side who knows her career could be made or broken by this lawsuit. Clayton comes in to try and calm the waters and the troubled attorney and soon finds nothing is quite as it seems. Gilroy weaves a labyrinthine puzzle through his screenplay that is sometimes confusing until you realize that the pieces of the puzzle all come together beautifully by the end. This is a film that could frustrate less patient viewers but its rewards are great. All of the performances - including director Sydney Pollack - are terrific and the film is worthy of it nominations. This is a film to watch carefully and not be distracted. If you miss one small key moment you could easily be lost. This film exemplifies great writing.

4) BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD (Director: Sidney Lumet) At the age of 83 director Lumet has crafted one of his best films and certainly the best he has done since 1982's The Verdict. Lumet has created a seemingly minor film that explodes into major, unexpected themes right before our eyes as we watch with delight and relish. In the film Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke star as brothers, both of whom are on the down and out side of life. Hoffman has a good job but a drug problem and a wife (Marisa Tomei) who wants a better life then what she is getting. Hoffman devices a plan to have a jewelry store robbed and Hawke reluctantly joins in as he needs the money but the rub is that the jewelry store is owned by their parents. Hoffman is convinced it is an in and out job complete with money and no harm to anyone but naturally something goes wrong. Very wrong. And we spend the rest of the movie watching these mistakes balloon until everything has gone completely out of control. Lumet's gritty direction is the highlight of this taut adult drama with great performances by Hoffman, Hawke, Tomei (in a very brave role) and Albert Finney as the father. This is another film that begs to be paid attention to. Sadly the film didn't do well at the box office and likely knocked Lumet and Tomei and possibly the film out of Oscar contention. It should be discovered and savored.

5) JUNO (Director: Jason Reitman) One film that has been discovered and is savored is this wonderful comedy about a teenage girl (Oscar nominee Ellen Page) who gets pregnant and decides to give the baby up for adoption to a yuppie couple (Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner). The film explores each of its characters carefully and surprises us time and time again such as when she tells her father and stepmother (the wonderful JK Simmons and Allison Janney) of her pregnancy. Their reaction is original and real and unexpected. I also liked the unexpected direction the Garner/Bateman story took. The screenplay by 22 year old Diablo Cody, a former stripper, is wise and perceptive about its subject matter. Page is engaging in the lead role and the film feels truthful. This is a little picture that could and kudos to director Reitman for pulling it off. Talent runs in his family as his father is Ivan, director of such comedy hits as Stripes and Ghostbusters. Son Jason, though, has walked away with an Academy Award nomination thus surpassing his father's accomplishments Oscar-wise. He is an important director to watch.

6) WAITRESS (Director: Adrienne Shelly) Another wonderful slice of life comedy tells the story of a small town waitress (beautifully played by Keri Russell) trapped in an unhappy marriage who decides she has had enough. With the encouragement of her two best friends and co-workers (Curb Your Enthusiasm's Cheryl Hines and writer/director Shelly) she decides she is going to leave the louse only to discover that she is pregnant. To top things off she soon is falling in love with the town's handsome new (and married) doctor. The film is filled with terrific, accurate details about small town life and Shelly (an accomplished independent film actress) is dead on with her screenplay. Also appearing in a terrific supporting role is none other then Andy Griffith as the owner of the diner where the ladies work. Much like Juno the film deals seriously and realistically with unwanted pregnancy adding just the right amount of humor to the mix. Sadly Adrienne Shelly was murdered before the film premiered last January at the Sundance Film Festival and her all around talent, evidenced here, will be sorely missed.

7) ATONEMENT (Director: Joe Wright) The year's best love story takes place in the late 1930's just before World War II kicks in to full gear. A daughter of wealth (Keira Knightley) is the object of affection by the housekeeper's son (James McAvoy) while her 13 year old sister, a hopeful writer, harbors the same crush on the young man. Through a series of coincidences and innocent mistakes, the 13 year old accuses the young man of the rape of a female cousin, an accusation which will send everyone's life down a different path then anticipated and one that will haunt everyone for decades to come. This is a sweeping romantic drama of love, war and betrayal with great performances by the leads and even better performances by two actresses playing the same role of the 13 year old. Saoirse Ronan (Best Supporting Actress nominee) plays the part as a child and Vanessa Redgrave electrifies in a brief scene at the end as the adult version of the child. The highlight is an astounding 5 minute unbroken shot as we follow McAvoy and some fellow soldiers during the war on a beach from one end to another. This is a beautiful love story with a most unexpected twist at the end.

8) GRINDHOUSE (Directors: Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino) A true gift from two gifted filmmakers and film geeks to true film lovers and geeks, especially those that frequented movies in the 1970's. The grindhouse experience was like this: You go to your local neighborhood movie theater that was at least fifty years old at that time, run down but still surviving. You sit in your seat and spend the next three to four hours watching two B-movies sandwiching a series of coming attractions of upcoming grindhouse experiences. Rodriguez and Tarantino have gone back to that era and perfectly captured the experience complete with two movies and coming attractions for "movies coming soon" made by current directors such as Eli Roth and Rob Zombie. The films are scratched to simulate poor prints and there are even moments when a sign flashes on the screen: Missing Reel and when the film starts again the action has jumped well ahead. Rodriguez' story is Planet Terror which is nothing more then an ode to the zombie films of the last thirty years. Many of the few who saw it complained that the film was stupid and overly bloody. My take is that they missed the joke. It is supposed to be stupid, silly, far fetched or what have you. The over the top violence accentuates the joke. It can't be taken seriously for one second - The heroine (Rose McGowan) loses her leg and has a machine gun inserted as if it is a prosthetic. How can she fire the gun? These are not the type of questions you ask at a movie like this as she and her martial arts buddy take on the zombies. Tarantino's story, Death Proof, is the better of the two simply because it takes itself a little more seriously and provides more thrills and excitement then most movies. Kurt Russell plays Stuntman Mike, a psycho who hunts, terrorizes and kills women with his car. The film contains one long chase that has the best stunt work I have ever seen on film that absolutely takes your breath away. Tarantino then makes a left turn at the conclusion that is totally unexpected and completely satisfying. Unfortunately the film was a huge bomb at the box office when it was released early last year (some say it was because of its three-hour plus running time; some say it was because the term grindhouse was lost on today's viewers; some say, and I agree, that opening this film Easter weekend and not over the summer doomed its chances) and that has affected its DVD release. Instead of releasing the film as it was seen in theaters it has been released as two different movies with extended scenes not seen in theaters to make the running times more acceptable for single features. The coming attractions have been removed altogether thus removing the grindhouse experience altogether. Hopefully one day they will release it as it was seen in theaters. True movie lovers deserve it.

9) PARIS JE'TAIME (Director: Various) The most exciting and original film of the year is this lovely post card to Paris (which translates to Paris, I Love You) by 20 filmmakers. The film is 20 vignettes, each one unrelated to the others (in most cases), telling stories of life and love in Paris. Each vignette runs approximately 5-7 minutes in length and each story is directed by someone different. Each story begins with the title and its director and then simply ends making room for the next one. Some of the stories are funny, some are romantic, some are touching, some are dramatic and one is even a little chilling. It takes a few stories to get into the rhythm of the entire project but once you get a feel for it the film grabs hold and charms you. Some of the directors include The Coen Brothers, Alfonso (Children of Men) Cauron (whose delightful story stars Nick Nolte and is done in one long complete shot), Wes (Scream) Craven (whose story takes place in a cemetery but is very charming), Gerard Depardieu, Alexander (Sideways) Payne and Gus Van Sant. This is a jewel of a movie that should be found.

10) THERE WILL BE BLOOD (Director: Paul Thomas Anderson) Daniel Day-Lewis stars in this slow moving but ultimately compelling epic (2 hours, 40 minutes) as a prospector who hits upon oil and changes his life to top oil prospector. He moves from town to town with a boy not his own (passing him off as his son) until they are one day greeted by a young man who tells them where oil can be found. Soon enough the prospector and his men come to the town and the work begins. The film follows the events of the prospector, his son and the family of the young man who directs the prospector to the town. The family includes a brother who fancies himself a religious prophet and whose religious and personal will are tested by the money hungry, people hating prospector. Along the way a man appears claiming to be the prospector's step-brother but is it true or is he just trying to sponge off the man. Writer/director Anderson (Boogie Nights; Magnolia) has crafted yet another masterpiece of storytelling as we watch the prospector's lust for greed grow and grow to whatever costs possible. The film may be too deliberately paced but Day-Lewis gives the performance of the year and is the reason to see this film. From one scene to the next we are immersed in this bad man's life wanting to see what he will do next. If he doesn't win the Academy Award there will be an investigation and, perhaps, there will be a little blood too.