It's time for my year-end list of films -- the 15th year I've been keeping track-- and for a change, the number of films I saw trended upward to 72. The growth is partially atributable to my subscription to Netflix just a couple of months ago. This has given me the means to catch films that never get within 50 miles of our suburban cinema wasteland (albeit 2-4 months after they leave the theatres).
I'm still limiting this list to films released in 2007 (and films from 2006 viewed for the first time in 2007) so the actual number of films I watched during the year was of course, larger overall. Starting in 2008 - I'm going to track every film I see, and see what happens :-)
The first 10 months of this year were pretty barren, but there's been a bumper crop of good movies released in the awards-crazed last eight weeks, making this a more satisfying movie year than the last few. My real achievement for 2007 has been weaning myself from seeing formulaic crap (at least in theatres) which means you won't find fine cinematic works like I now pronounce you Chuck & Larry, Wild Hogs, Evan Almighty, Georgia Rules, and Norbit on this year's list. (I'll inevitably catch that stuff next year on a boring night when it inevitably appears on HBO or Cinemax).
Films released in 2007 but not seen till 2008 are marked in Gray and with an astericks and appended to the list.
So here we go:
Best of 2007:
1. There Will Be Blood - As 'epic' a character study as I can recall. Centered around Daniel Day Lewis' ferocious performance and a restless, unnerving score, it explores the American character, and the nature of determination in a relentless fashion. A long film that is never rushed, yet telling its story with surpising economy. Director Anderson fulfills all the promise hinted at in his earlier films by departing completely from them into a deeply focussed story. The story ignores the traditional need for "genre" and moves to its own inner agenda, thereby rendering it unpredictable while never enigmatic. This is one that will be viewed as a classic in future generations.
1a. No Country for Old Men - The Coen Brothers return to top form in the most engrossing movie of 2007. Beautiful to look at, with scene after scene of quiet intensity. Chilling, suspenseful, thoughtful and enigmatic. A prevailing sense of danger and the continued threat of an eruption of violence keeps you alert and atuned to every nuance, and though the film shifts point of view in its closing minutes and provokes more than a little head-scratching it keeps chewing on you long after its over. Every element of filmmaking come together in this one!
2. The Lookout - This well-reviewed little indy seems to have been completely forgotten by year's end but for my money it was one of the more rewarding gems of the year. A small-scale thriller that develops interesting characters and lets character drive the action rather than the other way around! It deals with people wrestling with life-altering disabilities without the usual sentimental sop and eschews the cliches associated with this sort of story. A great directorial debut for screenwriter Scott Frank.
3. Once - In the opening moments of this film you have to struggle to bypass the bare-bones production values and thick accents -- but this delicate romance shows what real chemistry between actors can do, and that singing on screen doesn't have to feel forced or theatrical. Nuanced and endearing, with music that touches and soars. A great little love story.
4. Michael Clayton - A thriller unafraid to rely on intelligence rather than action to thrill. A first-rate cast in service of a script reminiscent of the intelligent 'moral' films of the 70s. George Clooney tones down his polish and delivers a craggy, weary and weighty performance with a fine ensemble of top-flight actors including Tom Wilkinson and Tilda Swinton.
5. Breach - Another intelligent script with a quiet, powerful performance by Chris Cooper. Released early in the year in the dead of winter, it too has largely been forgotten by year's end. Audiences (and critics) seem far more interested in the non-stop pyrotechnics of the Bourne spy-stories, but this subtler, real-life espionage story rings far truer.
5A. The Lives of Others - touching character study of how the human spirit transcends politics and can be moved by art. Schindler's List crossed with The Conversation. A fascinating portrait of life behind the Berlin wall. In German, with subtitles.
6. Sweeney Todd - Given my great love of Sondheim's score here, I was thrilled to see this musical transferred to screen with its sensibility intact (even if the studios neglected to tell the audience the whole thing was going to be sung!) The tone is dead-right for the grand guignol material, and though it teetered at times to a Tim Burton/Johnny Depp retro vibe (Hey!?! Isn't that Edward Scissorhands holding those razors???) the aesthetics were dead on. Not the greatest singers in the world, Johnny Depp and Helen Bonham-Carter bring some much needed authenticity to these intense and eccentric characters, and help the material survive the challenging transitiion from stage to screen.
7. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead - The interesting and knotty script structure, adroitly directed by the still-vital Sidney Lumet gives this one the "mememto" award for interesting story well told. Also, one of the many films this year that showcased the actor-of-the-year Phillip Seymour Hoffman -- terrific here as he was in Charlie Wilson's War. Can't wait to see him in The Savages (not released here locally yet). Is there a better actor showing more range than him right now? Coupled with No Country for Old Men, The Lookout, Michael Clayton and Breach it's been a great year for distinctive thrillers.
What? No comedies this year? Wait -- here's the three best -- charmers all! Proof that the scripts the majors won't produce are for more interesting that formulaic hollywood laugh-fests. (And no, I've got nothing against Judd Apatow who DOES make comedy with heart, but appears a bit farther down the list)
8. Juno - Diablo Cody bursts onto the scene as a distinctive voice with heart. While she calls a bit too much attention to her own cleverness in dialog, the story ultimately wins out and leads to unexpected places. Charming performances across the board with a star-making turn from young Ellen Page.
9. Waitress - Quietly quirky, while sweetlty endearing. Touched with sadness by the untimely death of its writer/director/supporting actress Adrienne Shelly. And who knew Andy Griffith was still alive? A charmer.
10. Lars and the Real Girl - Some critics found this one too precious but if you accept its good-natured, warm-hearted spirit, this old-fashioned feel-good film gives you a warm-feeling. Some nice low-key visual humor, and Ryan Gosling again shows his ability to center any film. I'll take this quirky charmer over fartin' penis joke films any day of the week (sorry Superbad and Knocked Up -- otherwise interesting films)
10A Starting Out in the Evening - Great character drama with an outstanding performance by Frank Langella. An interesting depiction of a writer’s life and the changing literary world around him, as well as the relationship of fan and family. This film got little publicity and is likely to be under the radar of most. Well worth seeing!
10 More Solid Films from 2007 - (yes it was a good year!):
11. Into The Wild - great supporting performances all around. Beautiful scenery and quiet sadness.
12. Ratatouille - Brad Bird and Pixar again deliver animation and story-telling excellence.
12A. The Savages - touching and realistic character study of siblings coping with the aging of their father. Strong performances by Phillip Seymour Hoffman (again!), Laura Linney, and Phillip Boscoe. A great companion piece with "Away From Her" -- that touches much closer to home for its desperation.
12B. Venus - Wonderful performance by Peter O’Toole. A surprise sleeper! Great to see a non-sentimental movie about old people. A great testimony to the undying spirit of male sexuality. And friendship among men. Unfathomable that Peter O’Toole has never won an oscar. (He’s been nominated 8 times and never won - even losing once to Rex Harrison!!!)
13. Away from Her - Very honest portrait of aging and its affect on relationships. Lovely performances.
14A. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - - An amazing example of how film works as a visual medium. You would think the subject of a paralyzed man, trapped in a hospital (and in French no less) would be stupendously difficult to sit through. Instead it's fascinating and inventive in the way it presents its unblinking portrait (OK, scratch that, he DOES blink!), of life from within a body that no longer functions. Wonderful performances throughout. The antithesis of a "disease of the week" movie -- it speaks to the drama of the human spirit.
14. Eastern Promises - David Cronenberg and Viggo Mortensen continue on a roll together.
14A - 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days – Even in Romanian, this is quite devastating and gripping. Two difficult subjects — abortion and oppressive regimes. And yet a gripping and suspenseful film.
14 B - The Great World of Sound - Here’s a little indie that was virtually unheard of. Only via the independent spirit awards did I know this one existed. And what a little gem. It focuses on the self-delusions of would-be “record producers” who are conning both American Idol wanna-bes, but mostly themselves. Quite touching in its depiction of American dreams. Another “I hadn’t heard of that one” rental suggestion!
14C. Atonement - Interesting portrait of adolescent confusion and the ramifications of an impulsive act. I Found that part of the story far more interesting than the love story which I felt was unsubstantiated and too 'romance novel.' Film is wonderfully made, great screenplay, terrific look, great score.
15. Grindhouse - More B-movie fun than audiences could take in one sitting. Me? Pure exploitation heaven!
16. American Gangster - Solid Hollywood film-making. Washington and Crowe continue to fill out their considerable charisma.
17. Rescue Dawn - Herzog continues his traditiion of gripping man against nature stories with great performances from Christian Bale and the suprising Steve Zahn. (Interesting to see in conjunction with Herzog's 1997 documentary, Little Dieter Needs to Fly, also viewed this year.
18. Year of the Dog - quirkiest film of the year. Poignant and a bit disquieting. Mike White continues to be one of the more interesting writers out there, fulfilling the promise shown in 2000's Chuck and Buck and redeeming his more commercial fare.
19. I'm Not There - I'm not enough of a Dylan fan to fully appreciate the density of this unconventional musical biography. But it's great to see an artist tackled from a fresh, complex perspective rather than the movie-of-the-week "Walk the Line", "Ray" screenplay so ruthlessly parodied in "Walk Hard"
20. The Darjeeling Limited - This is probably the least substantial Wes Anderson film to date, but I'm still a fan of his minimilistic, droll story-telling. I didn't remember much about it after the film was over, but I do recall smiling the whole time I was watching. Bonus: The accompanying short prequel film The Hotel Chevalier.
PASS THE POPCORN: (Not the year's best, but films I enjoyed just the same.
21. Hairspray
22. Enchanted
23. Crazy Love
23A. The King of Kong - A Fistful of Quarters -
25. Gone Baby Gone
26. The Namesake
27. Superbad
28. Helvetica
29. Knocked Up
30. Deep Water
31. A Mighty Heart
32. Spider Man 3
33. Bourne Ultimatum
34. Across The Universe
35. Charlie Wilson's War
36. Transformers
OK... BUT I WOULDN'T WANT TO SEE 'EM TWICE:
37. The Kite Runner
38. Zodiac
38A. Who the #$&% Is Jackson Pollock? - Interesting subject matter (the nature of "art" and its value - as well as class snobbery)... but the execution here is not terribly strongly. The filmmaker doesn't get below the surface to really probe his subjects.
39. Live Free or Die Hard
40. The Simpsons Movie
41. Shoot em up
42. Sign My Snarling Movie
43. Obsession
44. Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix
45. Music & Lyrics
46. Margot at the Wedding
47. Fantastic Four - Rise of Silver Surfer
48. Stardust
49. Walk Hard
50. Sicko
51. The Hoax
YAWNERS AND DISSAPOINTMENTS :
52. Lucky You
53. Beowulf 3D Imax - (low score for Beowulf... A better score for 3D experience)
53A Talk To Me
54. The Host
55. 310 to yuma
56. Oceans 13
57. 28 Weeks Later*
*57A.La Vie En Rose - Watched this for the academy nominated performance, but we all gave up 90 minutes in. Overwrought biopic. Perhaps you have to love and admire Edith Piaf to give a Rat's ass. The group I was with found it almost unwatchable. Admittedly - I've not seen the entire (extremelely long) picture -- so this is an asterick placement.
WORST OF THE YEAR:
58. The Golden Compass
59. Smoking Aces
2006 Films Seen in 2007 (star ratings from 4-1 indicate how good or bad these would have wound up in last year's list)
16 films from last year (they have been placed in the 2006 list in gray)
**** Children of Men
**** Little Children
**** Half Nelson
*** Infamous
*** Sweetland
*** Notes on a Scandal
**
A guide to recognizing your saints
** Wordplay
** The Illusionist
*
Slither
* This movie is not yet rated
* Letters From Iwo Jima
* Air Guitar Nation
* Beerfest
* Night at the Museum
* The O in Ohio
Films seen in 2008 and beyond are all now housed on TroutcoBlog.
The films I saw in 2006 Rated.
The films I saw in 2005 Rated
The films I saw in 2004 Rated.
The films I saw in 2003 Rated.
The
films I saw in 2002 Rated.
The films I saw in 2001 Rated.