The Top Ten Best Films of 2007

The final few days of the year are always my personal favorites-it is the time where I get the chance to reflect on the tons and tons of films I seen in the last 365 days and compile them into a list of ten of the best ones. It is a hard task, and one that I sometimes labor over to ensure that I don't miss out on any great picks-but things always get eliminated. This year was even worse-I saw more movies in the last year than I probably did in the last two years combined, and that is only theatrically viewings (which is a little over 400). Special events like the Toronto Film Festival and the Tribeca Film Festival, as well as screenings of classic old movies at Film Forum and Brooklyn Academy of Music and Walter Reade all tended to add up. And I will not lie-I saw some duds, but I also saw some amazing works and was introduced to all kinds of new directors, actors, etc. Before getting into what I settled to be my ten best movies of the year, I'll talk about some of the honorable mentions and a year end review.

All critics are taking note of the fact that there were so many great films this year-especially tossed into the final four months-that it's really impossible to make an actual 10 best of the year-there could be a list of twenty or thirty, and they would all end up being somewhat equal. Sadly I also had to omit some films this years that I really enjoyed, and for that I'm going to have to call special attention to (in no particular order): Zodiac, Reign Over Me, Hot Fuzz, The Hawk Is Dying, The TV Set, Red Road, Snow Cake, Jindabyne, L' Iceberg, The Boss Of It All, Mr. Brooks, Eagle vs Shark, Ratatouille, Breach, Waitress, Angel-A, Joshua, Stardust, The Bothersome Man, The Nines, In the Shadow of the Moon, 3:10 to Yuma, Superbad, Eastern Promises, The Savages, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, Lars and the Real Girl, Lady Chatterley, The Ten, Fay Grim, Vitus, Gone Baby Gone, In the Valley of Elah, Slipstream, Juno, The Mist, Grace Is Gone, Persepolis, and Charlie Wilson's War. These are all fine films-some of them great even!-but are completely overshadowed by the ten I wish to offer you. If you click on each title, you will be transported to the review I wrote on each film.

This is probably the section that I will have the most problems in, but so be it. The next four movies I do like, but not on the same level that many others seem to like them. All four of these films can be found on various critics top ten lists, but I am still a little puzzled over their appearance on them. These films on not on my top ten list-they are mediocre to good, and nothing more. I am talking (of course) about: Once, Knocked Up, I'm Not There, Atonement, and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

The next three movies are films that are garnering several awards and accolades, while meanwhile I just scratch my head-a mixture of confusion of even a bit of anger. I did not enjoy these movies despite the acclaim-La Vie en Rose, American Gangster, and Lust, Caution.

And now my personal favorite section-the worst movies of 2007. By clicking on the title of each entry, you will be able to read my full review of it.

10. Margot at the Wedding-Noah Baumbach's follow up to the great 2005 indie flick "The Squid and the Whale" is a forced attempt to recapture the natural atmosphere that made his last film so good. The film is a muddled mess, and we follow these characters during some of their darkest moments-nothing enjoyable for the audience, the actors, or pretty much anybody involved with the making of this. I more or less felt that Baumbach was throwing in our faces the type of style that he wanted to do in his films, as opposed to Wes Anderson who is perfecting a style all on his own.

9. The Number 23-Jim Carrey continues his dry spell with this rather awful and illogical thriller about a man who becomes obsessed with the number 23 when he begins to see it everywhere, all related to a book he is reading that seems to be about his own life. Completely contrived twist at the end spoils what could have been a full one star movie!

8. Lucky You-probably the dullest romantic comedy of the year, which is saying quite a bit. "Lucky You" is made by a talented director named Curtis Hanson, who basically directs an extended version of a poker show on ESPN. Minutes drag by while we watch our hero (Eric Bana) play the game against his father, and when we aren't wishing we were dead watching that, we get to watch a lame love story between him and Drew Barrymore. It's a wonder this was released the same weekend as Spider-Man 3.

7. Across the Universe-The movie that divides everyone-you either loved it or hated it, and I found it unreleasable. "Across the Universe" manages to destroy every single wonderful Beatles song, and with sly in jokes that don't even make you grin a little bit, manages to destroy the ones they don't even sing. Filled with awful visuals, a scattered tone (sometimes it's a love story, at times its psychedelic, than it's a war statement) and never finding it's own voice, "Across the Universe" was literally a brutal experience.

6. Southland Tales-Richard Kelly's sophomore film after his extremely well received 'Donnie Darko," which I still kind of don't understand why, is the awful and extremely messy "Southland Tales." Cut from an original 160 minute cut to about 140, Kelly's movie tries to be everything, and ends up being nothing. You could try to defend it by looking for meaning to give it, but you just don't care enough to even attempt. Might contain the worst cast of the year-The Rock, Sean William Scott, Mandy Moore, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jon Lovitz, Amy Poehlar, Cheri Otari, among others. . .

5. Primeval-a laughably bad creature film that, among all awful special effects and gore, tries to throw in a political message about Rwanda. Probably the only entry here I'd recommend if you just want to watch an unintentional comedy.

4. Norbit-the reason that Eddie Murphy lost the Oscar last year (and then stormed out of the ceremony) is because of his work in "Norbit," where he plays three characters, none of them funny, and all of them embarrassing.

3. Epic Movie-a spoof of so called epic movies-although I don't know how "Nacho Libre" or "Snakes on a Plane" ended up there-ends up being the shortest film of the year. About 65 minutes long with twenty minutes of credits, "Epic Movie" doesn't have a single funny joke in it's short time span. You're grateful that it's short. The guys who made this directed one of last year's worst films of the year "Date Movie,' and next year are directing what might be on next year's worst of list, "Meet the Spartans." But maybe I'll just learn my lesson and completely pass on that.

2. Captivity-the only movie this year that I actually wanted to walk out on, but continued to stay just so I could include it on this list. This is snuff/torture at its very worst, with Elisha Cuthbert trying to act serious as he is put into a holding cell in a madman's basement.

and the worst film of 2007 is. . .

1. Descent-Not the very good horror film of the same name from 2006. This is a film about a woman (played by Rosario Dawson), who ends up getting raped on a date in college. Months later she decided to get revenge on the guy who did him wrong. This is a completely unpleasant experience, especially what occurs in the final five minutes. The beginning is grim, the middle is dull, and the end is just so disgusting that you sit and wonder why this movie was even made, why anybody wanted to act in it, and how it even ended up in release. I never saw so many walk outs in any movie that I've ever watched, and never heard so many complaints as I left the theatre. "Descent" is the worst film of the year, by far.

Just for fun, here are a few other "winners" that you can see from the last twelve months, in order of release, more or less:

The Hitcher, Blood and Chocolate, The Messengers, Puccini for Beginners, Factory Girl, Because I Said So, Hannibal Rising, The Abandoned, Gray Matters, Wild Tigers I Have Known, The Ultimate Gift, Memory, Perfect Stranger, Year of the Dog, The Tripper, Poison Friends, Zoo, The Treatment, Georgia Rule, Hostel; Part Two, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Transformers, License to Wed, Goya's Ghosts, Arctic Tale, I Know Who Killed Me, Hot Rod, Rush Hour 3, El Cantante, Becoming Jane, Dedication, Mr. Bean's Holiday, Halloween, Self-Medicated, Ira & Abby, Silk, Fierce People, Good Luck Chuck, Reservation Road, Lions for Lambs, Love in the Time of Cholera, and August Rush.

And lastly, before I move on to the big list, some movies I've seen from 2008 that you should give a look-see when they arrive.

Nobel Son (sometime in March), The Poughkeepsie Tapes (Feb.), Taxidermia (TBA), Watching the Detectives (Feb.), The Killing of John Lennon (Jan 2), Snow Angels (March 7), You, the Living (TBA), Under the Same Moon (March 19), Nothing Is Private (TBA), With Your Permission (TBA), Gone with the Woman (TBA), Dr. Plonk (TBA), Married Life (TBA), Son of Rambow (May), and The Visitor (April).

And now, without much furthur adue, the long awaited list of The Top Ten Best Films of 2007.

Once again, it was a tough year, but I managed to lock ten movies that I don't think I could have lived without for the year. Once again, clicking on the movie title will shoot you to my review of the movie after I saw it-they are more detailed than the small little paragraph I am writing about them.

10. 12:08 East of Bucharest (Corneliu Porumboiu)-one of two Romanian entries on this year's list (hint, hint), "12:08 East of Bucharest" is an extremely funny comedy about three men that end up going on a talk show to discuss where they were during the onset of the Romanian Revolution. The first forty five minutes sets this premise up-and we get to see the men go through their daily lives. It's the final forty five minutes that's the real kicker-the actual television program where the three men, sitting side by side, discuss their positions, answer viewer phone calls, and fight among one another. You'll want to have three eyes while watching this movie-and its worth seeing three times just to focus your attention on one character during the second half. They always manage to stay in character, and they are always doing something interesting. There has been so much buzz about a revolution in Romanian cinema, and this, the other film on the list, a movie called "California Dreamin'" which I saw in Toronto, and even one of the best movies of last year "The Death of Mr. Lazarescu," all seem to prove the buzz that has been circling.

9. The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (Seth Gordon)-my absolute favorite documentary of the year is one that isn't about politics, nature, or some kind of historical event. Instead it is about the brutal world of video game competition. Featuring one of the most bastardly guys in film history, we follow Steve Webe's glorious attempt to beat the long running Donkey Kong high score king, and hot sauce rich boy, Billy Mitchell. In the next eighty minutes we have one of the most entertaining and endearing cat and mouse chases, where we root that the little guy will bring the big man down. More gripping than any thriller your likely to see in this or any year, and with a surprise twist ending, the audience I enjoyed "The King of Kong" with (at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival) all was united to their feet, with a round of applause at the end that I never heard to be so loud. It was just joyful watching this movie, and it's so much fun, and proves that a good doucmentary does not have to have a political agenda. It could just be a story well worth telling and showing.

8. King of California (Mike Cahill)-Michael Douglas' performance in the quirky indie comedy "King of California" goes alongside with John Cusack's work in "Grace Is Gone" as the overlooked performance of the year. While Cusack is subdued in his role, Douglas is charismatic and over the top, and sporting the best beard of the year. Getting out of the mental asylum and returning home with his daughter (played by the lovely Evan Rachael Wood, who also stars in one of the worst movies of the year, ironically), Charlie is convinced that he's found a map to treasure-the only problem is that times have changed and it looks like the treasure is buried under a Cost-Co. With a brillant musical score (that I listen to quite often), great performances, witty comic writing, and an ending of such deep poignancy that you might even shed a tear, "King of California" did not get the credit it deserved-and I blame faulty advertising, and a release during one of the busiest weekends of the year for art-house cinema. Both times I saw this movie it was a joy to watch-a playful look at what is missing from America-the innocence of exploration and of trying something new.

7. Grindhouse (Robert Rodriguez/Quentin Tarantino)-ever since the Evil Weinstein Brothers separated the two films that make up "Grindhouse"-"Planet Terror" and "Death Proof"-everybody seems so obsessed with comparing the two, forgetting the fact that last April was one of the best three hours spent in a theatre for this year. "Grindhouse" was plain fun, and I walked out of it more satisfied that I spent my eleven dollars at something grand. An epic in an odd sense of the word, it's two movies-one a zombie film and the other a slasher film with fake trailers in the middle-"Grindhouse" is a package deal, and one that I feel will be lost. There's a chance I might never see the version of "Grindhouse" that I fell in love with. I enjoyed both segments of the movie as a whole in their own way-the Robert Rodriguez film for the insane gore, bad edits, scratches, and over the top acting, and the Quentin Tarantino film for the well writting dialogue, the chemistry between the actors, Kurt Russell, and of the course, one of the best car chases ever put to film. Without comparing the two movies, "Grindhouse" was the movie experience of the year-not just a movie, but an actual event that joined my audience in joyful applause.

6. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Andrew Dominik)-2007 was the year of the return for westerns, and it proved that the genre is not dead. I had to see "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" twice-the first to see it, and the second to really appricate it. The second time I was prepared for the massively slow length, and instead of waiting for plot I looked at the other things-the stunning cinematography by Roger Deakins, the musical score by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, the narration by Hugh Ross (which is quite great), and the calm and childlike performance of Casey Affleck, who gave two great performances this year. It is a big thing to take in-at a massive 160 quite a bit happens in this movie-but slow on plot and heavy on character is what this film is about, and it's a damn great one.

5. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days (Cristian Mungiu)-the winner of the Golden Palm at this year's Cannes Film Festival, I wouldn't expect you to have seen "4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days" if only for the fact that it doesn't come out until January-but it was given a week long run in Los Angeles, and you can find it playing in Toronto right now, so this counts as a film from this year. Not a film about abortion, but a film about politics and friendship, and an intense one at that. I was lucky to have seen this at this year's New York Film Festival, and it continues the terrific trend that Romania has at the moment. And it's all led by a stunning lead performance by Anamaria Marinca, who can make walking down a street seem interesting. This is not a thriller in the normal sense of the word, but you are on the edge of your seat ninety percent of the time, but acting so natural and realistic that it is scary. It's naturalism is a way that Noah Baumbach wanted with "Margot at the Wedding," but failed to do so. That naturalism was forced. This naturalism is earned. "4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days" begins its run on January 25th, and I expect it to have a run as long as "The Lives of Others," which lasted for over twenty weeks here in New York City.

4. Michael Clayton (Tony Gilroy)-the year's "smart movie" is "Michael Clayton," with George Clooney giving yet another award worthy performance as the title character, a law firm fixer who has years and years of exhaustion and questionable ethics written on his face. He gets involved with a case involving a very famous lawyer that is questioning his own ethics in a case against a big company (played by Tom Wilkinson in one of the best performances of his career), The film is complex, but never complicated-many scenes go on with long fancy words and descriptions, but its easy to follow and get the main idea. And the script is magnificently written-hooking you into it from the very first few seconds, before we even get a glimpse at what any of the characters even look like-the opening monologue is some of the best writing this year. And the ending-the final shot especially-speaks more than any other scene this year, and it doesn't contain a single word.

3. No Country for Old Men (Joel and Ethan Coen)-the Coen Brothers have had a bit of a dry spell the last few years (not with me, but with most critics and box office), but have returned to the genres and motifs that made them famous. "No Country for Old Men" is a perfect thriller-intense all the way and featuring one of the most memorable bad guys ever put to film. I'm talking of course about Javier Bardem, whose look of evil malace in the first three minutes tells you that this is a guy you don't want to mess with. When he goes after Llewelyn Moss, who finds a satchel with a ton of money inside, it becomes a completely intense and edge of your seat thrill ride for the first two acts. No music is used, and yet the sound of a lightbulb screwing out of it's socket will give you chills. Then the third act takes a turn-a complete shift in tone and even character, but the title comes into play. The ending is abrupt, but fitting. I say that you should watch the movie again if you don't like the ending, knowing that its coming this time, and approach it differently. It's perfection.

2. There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson)-featuring my choice for Best Actor at the Oscars this year, "There Will Be Blood" is a sprawling epic in the vein of "Giant," and a character study in the vein of "Citizen Kane," "A Face in the Crowd," and "All the King's Men." Daniel Day Lewis is amazing as Daniel Plainview, a greedy oilman that will step on the face of anybody that gets in his way to riches. Anderson's film is just about flawless-with a great score, a great look, great acting, and an ending that certainly will divide everyone who watches it. Day Lewis is incredible here-you fear him, are compelled by him, and are repulsed by him all at the same time-similar to what made Forest Whitaker's work in last year's "The Last King of Scotland" so great. This is the best American movie this year, by far, and the sort of masterpiece we haven't seen in quite some years.

And now. . .without interruptions. . .the best movie of 2007. Diffcult, since in reality, the last four movies on this list could all be considered a tie. But there could only be one! The culmination of the most massive film watching year for me in my short time here on Earth is. . .

1. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Julian Schnabel)-Julian Schnabel's amazing film follows Jean-Dominique Bauby (played by Mathieu Amalric, who was in one of the best films of 2005 "King's and Queen"), a thirtysomething year old magazine editor who suffers a stroke that leaves him completely paralyzed. The only thing he could move is his left eye, and he uses this to communicate, and even write a short little book on his state of life. We follow Bauby mainly throw his left eye, and ninety percent of the movie takes places from his point of view-the screen is blurry, the camera shakes a lot, but it is the closest thing we get to being inside of a person's head than anything I've ever seen before. Characters come in and out, all people that he has wronged, including his ex-wife that still loves him despite him wanting to be with his lover at the time of the accident. We also get stunning work from Max von Sydow, as Bauby's tragic father, who cannot bear to watch his son in that condition, considering the fact that Bauby used to take care of him. All at once a horror movie, a love story, a gentle comedy, a inspriation, and a compelling drama, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" is the best movie of the year.