Top Ten Films of 2007
This year’s selection process has occupied in my mind real estate equal to that of a small duplex or a middling condominium for the better part of the last month. Last year, it felt as if my list just fell together easily in the course of a single afternoon, as I turned in my chair and crossed off choices until ten remained. I could, of course now, looking in on that same list from the space of one year, two months, and two days later, point out certain peculiarities; the list abruptly divides into exact halves of comedy and drama, I would now, having seen it, add Pan’s Labyrinth to the list somewhere, and I still have yet to see three of my “2006 Movies I haven’t yet seen but want to.”
If last year’s list were a one-night-stand, swooning easily into my arms for the comfort of a lost afternoon, intoxicating me with the peace that comes from knowing things have been arranged, classified, ordered, and confined to history, this year’s list has been my femme fatale, resisting and pulling me with that winsome intelligence and ambition so often mistaken by men for complication when manifest in the objects of their attraction. As usual, the end of the year bulged with the abscess and melodrama of the new studio system, wherein I found myself more than usually hard-pressed to do my cinephiliac duties as stated in the pretense of even calling myself a cinephile. To my recollection (admittedly handicapped), I saw but one non-English movie this year. Over the past month or so since I began this entry, however, I have added to my list-at least one of my recent additions making the final cut.
My list of candidates stood finally at twenty-nine movies. Those are twenty-nine movies released in 2007 that I saw, remembered, and deemed worthy of my consideration for the top ten films of the year. Early eliminations came easily, even among this generally good crop. I didn’t like Sunshine’s third act chase. I forgot that I had even seen an Ocean’s movie this year. The Darjeeling Limited featured one incredible cut, and a bunch of soporific banter between lazy characters in bright scenery. Not gonna be top ten material, folks. So where’s the problem? My top fifteen had to lose a few pounds to make weight, and for the better part of a month, I returned intermittently to the list, only to find my pretension arguing against films like The Bourne Ultimatum, while I couldn’t honestly find any fewer flaws in films like Michael Clayton. In short, I liked all the films that rode that line.
So, why not have a Top Fifteen? Gasp. You must be a fucking lunatic! Yes! You! You crazy asshole! I hold the top ten list most holy, being no doubt at least as ancient and awful as those slabs brought down that one mountain by that one guy with the white beard in that one book. How did I finally decide? Well, which movies would I recommend most? In other words, if you can see but two films from 2007 (because there’s a crazy man with a gun to your head), you should see the number one and two films on my list. If you can see only five, see the top five…and so on. YOU WILL READ THE LIST. YOU WILL AGREE WITH ME. BEHOLD. THE TOP TEN FILMS OF 2007:
10. Juno - Having seen Juno a few times now, the initial shock and charm has faded, and I am left staring at a screen full of imaginative-if unrealistic-characters and dialogue that has more backbone than its snappy uniqueness would have you realize. The younger Reitman has proven over the course of just two feature films that he is a premier comedy director, and unless he slips up soon, is already destined to be a far more interesting filmmaker than his father. I can’t really say anything more except that Juno is funny, and contains a few surprises in the characters that make it all hold together.
9. Black Snake Moan - I liked Hustle and Flow, so I came into this one with expectations. Luckily, Craig Brewer decided not to dash them. Instead I was held in much the same spellbound, semi-literate state in which his first feature grabbed me. The premise may be silly, but like all high concept ideas, the true test came in the execution, and that’s where having great dialogue and delivery by Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci really helped. I could recommend this movie solely on the strength of the performances. Christina Ricci defies typecasting and gets to play something very different than her usual art house depressed role. She’s an oversexed (is that an oxymoron?) white trash vixen, while Samuel L. Jackson’s character is more human and humane than the trailers would lead you to believe as well. Bonus: Christina Ricci has some nice boobs. With a script that meanders through the wasteland of Southern ideals, race, religion, class, and music; and consistently interesting cinematography, for what more could you ask?
8. Stardust - I found myself not alone in comparing this film to The Princess Bride when I left the theater. I saw this picture mostly on the strength of Neil Gaiman’s name, and I could not have been more pleasantly surprised. Stardust is one of those rare films that manage to somehow remain perfect examples of the genres that they spoof. A few weak moments prevent this film from elevating to the status of classic, but it comes so close I’m sure to be pleased watching it with my grandchildren many Earth years from now.
7. Michael Clayton - Does George Clooney need some Ambien? Seriously, the guy has bags under his eyes that look like he cries ungraded petroleum. Like he needs to be worth more money. Anyway, distracting dark circles aside, Clooney does a fantastic job portraying a high powered law firm fixer in this alternative look at the class-action law suit. The film seems very by-the-numbers, but not in that derivative way that bores the shit out of me, more in that film classics way, wherein I can sort of see some things coming, but I so thoroughly enjoy the atmosphere and execution that transport me out of my life completely for the duration of the experience. The script is taut, bringing many elements together after coming full circle in twists that seem simple in retrospect. The direction is flawless as a pearl, eliciting some great performances and weaving the images and music together in ways that seem so natural, the screen disappears. I also enjoyed the order in which the information flowed, letting me figure out what people were talking about based on context, not based on previous information. Seriously worth your time, though possibly forgettable five or ten years from now.
6. The Bourne Ultimatum - As stated above, I could not ultimately strike this film from my list. While I had my misgivings about flashback scenes that bordered on parody, and an ending that followed suit, many of the scenes would have been worth watching even completely out of context of the film. Waterloo comes to mind. Many people don’t understand what true skill, planning, and hard work it takes to pull off complicated action scenes that don’t condescend to the intelligence of the viewer while at the same time pumping the adrenaline and providing the right spatial information to cut down on confusion. Spielberg is the modern master of such skilled direction, but Paul Greengrass in The Bourne Ultimatum proves every bit as capable, doing so with a style distinctly his own. What flaws the film may have are more than made up for by the spectacle of its chases, fights, and series signature cat-mouse games. Finally, it all wears a veneer of realism that make what otherwise could be a cheesy action film into a delicious gourmet of clashes and gunfire.
5. Into the Wild - I had reservations. I skipped the theatrical run because Sean Penn does the sort of douchebaggy self-important things for which Hollywood is often despised, and this movie seemed like the perfect outlet for said convictions. Not that actors can’t have opinions, and yes, people do often ask for those opinions. However, passionately defending Jude Law from the harmless witticisms of Chris Rock in such an inappropriate venue as the Oscars…come on, can we say lame? In the grand tradition of formalism, I can obviously separate the artist from the art, as Into the Wild sits in my top five films of the year. I recommend this film to anyone at all who considers himself an avid filmgoer, and I can even extend that recommendation to any mature audience with a penchant for exploration and a willingness to indulge in characters whose flaws lie just under the surface of the film. This movie does not concentrate on Chris “Supertramp” McCandless’s obvious shortcomings not because it want to glorify him, but because this is his story and is told mostly from his own perspective, save for the intermittent narrations Marcia Jena Malone, who plays Chris’s sister, Billie, and who does provide the contrasting perspective necessary for a somewhat fair assessment of the man. Gorgeous cinematography rounds out this memorable romp through the landscape and ethos of that great Union of States I call home.
4. There Will Be Blood - Can I really say anything about this film except to recommend it wholeheartedly to any literate person? Even if you don’t like it, or don’t ever watch it again, it will leave you with images and thoughts you will never forget, like any great and powerful work of fiction. D-Day Lewie projects the sort of unique character that will certainly repulse some, capture others, and enthrall everyone-and not because he’s a typical anti-hero. In fact, through most of the picture, he does very little that we could call evil. Instead, it is the character; that H.W. Plainview becomes enough of a real person to elicit the complicated feelings of a human relationship from the viewer cannot be ignored. That is cinematically the film’s great achievement, and it uses that relationship in an unforgettable ways.
3. Ratatouille - I finally saw Ratatouille last week. Something about the premise and the trailer left me less than enthralled such that I declined an initial theatrical viewing. So Pixar lately has gone from fish to cars to French rats. Look, I’m sure it’s good, it’s just, can I keep watching more and more of these things? Well, I guess I should check it out on DVD at the very least…Oh. It’s delightful. Somehow, the CG looks even more impressive than I would have guessed. Somehow, this film keeps surprising me not so much with the overall direction of the plot (it’s ultimately a kids’ movie after all), but certainly with character interactions and the decisions in each individual scene. The story is not only very clever and quite fresh; every aspect of the film expertly executes a singular vision to my constant delight. Comparison with Toy Story is inevitable. In fact, I had sort of forgotten the amazing wonder, power, and freshness of that film until I saw Ratatouille. I can’t imagine anyone being disappointed by this film, even after reading this.
2. Zodiac - Forgotten. Why? I would say because it came out this summer, and by awards season, it had faded into the retirement home of cinematic hopes. While perhaps not a destined to be of the grande dames of motion pictures, spending their twilight years in revered spots in the collections of aspiring filmmakers, film teachers, art house retrospectives, and spoofs of all sorts, Zodiac nonetheless remains an intense, solid, and ultimately insatiable journey through curiosities we didn’t even know we had.
1. No Country for Old Men - Yes! I follow the masses. I went with the masses and ate all the coy cinematic tomfoolery and the decadent tension right up. I can’t help it, I’m (like most people weaned on movies) used to being able to predict the ending of most movies halfway through the first act. Not only could I not quite make out the bottom of the murky lake with this movie, I couldn’t even predict the next scene. It builds on what we all know about caper-gone-awry movies, about chase movies, and about Coen movies, sloshes it around for the first two thirds of the picture, and then spits it out. Moments will wash over you with the cavalier grimace of a distant war. This movie is number one because I quite simply cannot recommend any movie more than this one this year. That’s a record-breaking two years in a row that Oscar and I have agreed on best picture. Somehow, I don’t think it’ll be a habit.
Runners Up:
3:10 to Yuma - Great Characters, great script-for the first 2/3 of the picture. I seriously wanted the end of this film not to disappoint me so much, because I would love to have a western in my top ten. It’s not that I’m against certain kinds of endings, I just didn’t at all believe a certain character turn. The movie didn’t earn it. Also the direction on the action scenes was a little weak, but completely forgivable.
300 - There is no film that will make you feel manlier. Ripped out motherfuckers screaming and killing by the thousands in gritty, stylistic CG blood and dirt should be enough for any action fan. The movie also offers up a sufficient plot and memorable characters though, so much the better.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - Amazing performance from Casey Affleck really holds the film together. Brad Pitt is good too, and I always respect his choices of material. He does a good job staying aloof enough to be truly scary without chewing too much scenery. Lack of good focus leave the film without driving motivation though, which could make it a chore to sit through on anything but a lazy day. Worth the time, though.
Atonement - I was first struck by the wonderful cinematography of this film. I was a little confused by being thrown into the middle of things with these characters without much introduction. While I usually appreciate such things, I found by the end of the film that I wished I had gotten to know these characters before things started going haywire. I also loved the main point on which the entire plot hinges…so bold and unusual for this genre of film. An amazing WWII beach camp shot cements this as a film not to be missed, but the ending and the characters just didn’t grab me like I knew they were supposed to.
The Darjeeling Limited - Yawn. Wes Anderson grows tiresome. I love Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums, but this formula is played out. This movie is not entirely a waste of time, but if you’ve seen his other work you could skip it and not miss a single thing (besides one jump cut that floored me).
Eastern Promises - I respect Cronenberg’s commitment to what he perceives as realism and violence. And yes, the all-Viggo-nude fight scene sparkles with grit and danger and ball sweat, but I was never allowed to enter the lives of the characters. I was kept at an unsympathetic distance.
Grindhouse - While Death Proof probably would have made my top ten on its own, I saw Grindhouse as originally intended, as a double-feature, and decided to leave it that way for my list. College film nuts will go crazy over the exaggerated seventies flavor of this movie, right down to the CG film grain and missing reels, but there were ultimately better films released this year.
The Hoax - Very interestingly based on a true story about a writer who decides to take advantage of Howard Hughes’ famed reclusiveness and convince the world he is helping him write his autobiography. Go Gere!
I’m Not There - Another movie with Richard Gere! Of course, it also has Cate Blanchet, Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Ben Wishaw, and Marcus Carl Franklin all playing different characters who are all supposed to be Bob Dylan. Confused? Often fascinating, sometimes boring or discombobulated. An all-around wonderful effort.
Knocked Up - Hilarious. I was so bummed I couldn’t fit either this or Superbad on my top ten. Phoo.
Lars and the Real Girl - Strange, but funny movie about a reclusive person living in his brother’s garage who starts dating a sex doll. Ryan Gossling somehow pulls it off. It also avoids all the places you think it’s going. I never quite believed the conceit that the physiatrist could convince everyone to play along though.
The Lookout - I remember portions, and I remember that it was well-done, but I don’t remember much else.
Ocean’s Thirteen - Better than the second one. Not as good as the first. Al Pacino is cool.
Once - So glad this won best song at the Oscars. Easily the best musical since Moulin Rouge! Wholly Irish, and very unique and beautiful, if a tad repetitive.
Persepolis - Probably the most unique animated film I have seen in recent memory (which, for me extends halfway into last week). French/Iranian film about a girl growing up in Iran during the ‘80s juxtaposed against a very silly presentation style.
The Simpson’s Movie - Funnier than expected. Lagged a bit toward the end of the second act. Nonetheless I recommend it, even though I have not regularly watched the show since the beginning of high school.
Sunshine - I really enjoyed this stylistic, moody sci-fi film about a journey to the sun. The pseudo-science held together well enough to suspend disbelief at least, but the beginning of the third act had some silly moments.
Superbad - This was so close to beating out Juno, however, I cannot honestly say that it was more well-written or cinematically better or more recommendable. Alas, Judd Apatow and co. are shut out this year.
Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - I had never heard of the musical before I saw the movie, and I had never heard of the movie until about a week before its release. For shame, although it was entirely predictable, and the music wasn’t all too memorable, it was certainly unique, certainly perfectly suited to Tim Burton, and certainly entertaining. Don’t see it if you don’t like blood.
There you have it. Happy filmgoing in 2008! See you next year.