Better late then never is what I always say. Well I don't really always say that but whatever. My top ten list is finally showing its face so here you go. First though you need to keep in mind that these are my
FAVORITE movies of 2007, not necessarily what I consider to be the
best films of the year, although several would classify as both. That being said, here we are.....
1.
There Will Be Blood
Before this film there was still some question as to whether or not Paul Thomas Anderson was a truly skilled filmmaker, but this movie clearly answers those questions with an emphatic, "You bet your sweet ass I'm a good filmmaker!" The Director/DP combo of PTA and Robert Elswit has proven to be one of the most formidable in Hollywood, their stars shining most brightly in the scenes of the burning oil derrick. And of course there was the performance of Daniel Day Lewis who is acting on an entirely separate plain, far higher, then every other actor in the world. There is a mood creating in the opening sequence that leaves you captivated for the entire film.
2.
No Country for Old Men
I am itching to see this film again on a big screen because the cinematography is unreal. Like Robert Elswit(
TWBB &
Michael Clayton), Roger Deakins had the year of a lifetime showcasing his best work ever in this film but also DPing
In the Valley of Elah and
The Assassination of Jesse James. The cast was easily the best of any film in 2007 led by Javier Bardem. I think the reason this film won best picture, is because The Coens are slightly better than PTA at crafting a complete film from the actors, to the cinematic elements and the music(or lack there of).
3.
Grindhouse
It's no secret that I love Quentin Tarantino. That combined with the overall experience of going to see
Grindhouse made this the most pleasurable movie-going experience of the year. Upon repeated viewings, Tarantino's
Deathproof holds up much stronger than Robert Rodriguez's initially hilarious
Planet Terror. Ideally these movies should be released in the format they were show in theaters but
Deathproof's brilliance is worth buying it all by itself.
4.
Atonement
It surprised me so much how good this movie turned out to be, especially after learning that director Joe Wright used to be a totally tweaked out artist that created projected images to show during DJ sessions in the 90s when the rave scene was blowing up. The cast was really solid, but this film was ultimately aided by an excellent story and yet again another director/cinematographer combo that just blew the doors off audience expectations. The ending was a bit disappointing but the movie was so damn good I didn't even car.
5.
Superbad
Yes,
Superbad! Why? Because I laughed more during this film then I did during any other in a long freaking time. I could also relate to the whole, friendship storyline. That, combined with loads of teenage drunk humor and expletives galore!
6.
Eastern Promises
This movie is kinda like sex. It blows your mind when you first see it and it continues to be good each time thereafter, but nothing compares to that first time. Viggo is hands down the ultimate badass, and David Cronenberg is the master of posing questions of morality as well as internal conflict. Cronenberg is certainly the most genius filmmakers on this list, and this was an amazing continuation of the themes of the acceptability of violence that were first explored in
A History of Violence.
7.
Zodiac
Zodiac was the most technically perfect film of the year in my mind. Like PTA, David Fincher has officially crossed into the realm of the undoubtedly great filmmaker. Camera angle, framing, composition were all on point throughout this movie. It also helped that he worked with Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo and a Jake Gyllenhaal.
8.
Michael Clayton
Originally this movie did not make my list, but the longer I put off writing the list, the more i pondered this movie and the amazing emotion that grips you from the beginning. Tom Wilkinson's awesome opening monologue sets the tone and the film never really stops until it reaches the climax.
9.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
It's fitting that Andrew Dominik crafted this compelling tale of the violent legend from the American West because he did such a good job with his first film about a notorious Australian psychopath whom also became a media sensation. I like Brad Pitt, I don't care what anybody else says, and boy was he intimidating in this film. Sam Rockwell is one of the most underrated actors, Casey Affleck is an awesome actor who seems to be on a nice streak of good movies, and this movie also has my favorite character actor who was also in NCFOM, Garret Dillahunt.
10.
Once
This is another one of those movies where I was completely caught of guard by how good it was. The songs were great, but ever more so I am a sucker for love stories, and this one was great. If you aren't sentimental or particularly interested in music then you might have a hard time finding something to like about this movie. Polarizing as
Once may be, I loved it.
Honorable Mention( and really these film just missed the top ten): Black Book, In the Valley of Elah, The Lookout, Live Free or Die Hard, The Kingdom and so many more.
The Kite Runner is the story of two friends, who live mostly happy lives flying kites in Kabul. The rich friend witnesses a horrible attack on his poor, servant friend but lacks the courage to do or say anything to help him. Unable to live with the fact he is a coward, the rich boy sabotages his servant friend, making his father believe the servant boy is a thief. The servant boy and his father are forced to leave the estate of his friend, and as the Taliban move to control Afghanistan the boys are separated by even more distance as the rich boy and his father flee to America. Years later upon the publishing of his first novel, the rich friend learns that his friend has been murdered by the Taliban and must return to Afghanistan to retrieve the man's son.
That's pretty much all of it in a nut shell. No new bits of information about the war on terror or anything controversial at all. Just an uncompelling story and characters that you could care less about.
