There were a surprising number of noteworthy movies out last year (both good and bad) and there are still a few I missed in theaters (I'm Not There, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, Diving Bell and the Butterfly...) to keep busy with on DVD while waiting for Indiana Jones and The Dark Knight this summer. However, serious complications arose while compiling this list. While choosing my favorite films of the past year I realized that some foreign films that were released in US theaters in 2007 had international release dates in the fall of 2006. Films like Black Book, The History Boys, and my runaway favorite The Lives of Others, were technically 2006 films despite being released here in 2007. Ultimately, I decided to remove them from consideration since there were plenty of deserving “pure ’07” films to choose from. List position is based on how much I enjoyed a film, not the film’s historical or artistic importance and there are ‘better’ movies that were bumped down or off the list by personal preference– for example, I liked Atonement more than the clearly superior No Country for Old Men, and I know 2 Days in Paris isn’t as well made and acted as Michael Clayton but when I’m honest with myself I had a better time watching them. Out of the 50+ 2007 releases I saw, these are the ten I am most glad I took the time to see. Most Enjoyed of 2007
1. Atonement – I sat next to an old woman who cried steadily through the last third of the film, pausing only to throw a look of stern disapproval at me when I opened a package of peanut butter crackers. How could I eat while true love suffered?
2. Rescue Dawn – reminded me how wonderful Herzog is; he simultaneously has the most discomfiting and most beautiful style of any director out there.
3. No Country for Old Men – There was nothing I didn’t like about this movie. Loved the soundtrack.
4. Eastern Promises – Say what you want about the Daniel Day Lewis squint and glower-a-thon in There Will be Blood, Mortensen’s terrifyingly charismatic gangster was the best performance this year.
5. Lars and the Real Girl – You have to be a cold, cynical S.O.B not to think this is charming.
6. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street – I realized while watching this that – aside from Trey Parker and Matt Stone movies – I’ve never seen a musical in theaters. Maybe I enjoyed this just because it was different and fun.
7.The Bourne Ultimatum – Bourne action films have never let me down. Teaches other franchises important lessons about consistent character development as a means of obscuring the fact that you’re making shit up as you go along (Pirates and Spiderman take note)
8. There Will Be Blood – This needed another hour’s worth of movie in the middle to really be amazing. I was frustrated and annoyed by a lot of this movie, but it stuck with me in a good way.
9. 2 Days in Paris – this isn’t a great movie, but as far as comedy/romances go it was one of the better ones I’ve seen in quite a while.
10. Grindhouse – going to the movies should be fun! Watching these two films separately at home in their uncut versions isn’t an especially enticing prospect, but the entire experience was one of the most enjoyable nights I’ve spent at the movies in a long time.
ALSO (ALMOST) GREAT: Live Free or Die Hard; Lust, Caution; Michael Clayton; Hot Fuzz; 3:10 to Yuma; Zodiac
SURPRISE ENJOYMENTS: Black Snake Moan, Waitress, Hot Fuzz
DISAPPOINTING FINALES TO PREVIOUSLY ENJOYABLE SERIES: Pirates of the Caribbean 3; Spiderman 3
DIDN'T GET THE JOKE: Superbad; Knocked-Up
THE WORST: Agnew and I walked out of Halloween and demanded our money back (free passes were given – I spent mine on the marginally more watchable American Gangster) but the disgust I felt that night pales in comparison to the emotions stirred up by another ill-fated cinema excursion. Dave, Nate, and I snuck into Juno one night and were immediately punished with a 90 minute onslaught of sickening Gilmore Girls meets Pulp Fiction hipster palaver. From the second Dwight from the Office refers to Juno as “home skillet” to the soul-crushing moment when 16 yr old Juno’s water breaks and she yells “Thundercats, GO!!” each line of dialogue made me physically flinch in discomfort. I would rather be water boarded than go through that again. I’m already bracing myself for next year’s entry in the big studio formula comedy with clever marketing scheme disguised as critically acclaimed witty and honest independent flick with endearing soundtrack genre.
3 comments:
Well done, sir. I suspect I need to see Atonement, as I have not, yet.
Any thoughts on Gone Baby Gone? I've read nothing but good things.
Great idea, and great first post, Joshua.
I just saw Atonement last night and enjoyed it thoroughly, but I enjoyed Lust, Caution more. Maybe I have a thing for Tony Leung and Chinese cinema.
In response to Juno:
I have to admit, I found it funny, but probably for the wrong reasons: I watched it in a theatre and before I knew it was written by a former stripper.
I thought the cringingly-bad dialogue and self-awareness was a conscious choice by the director to bring you back to your awkward teenage years. I squirmed, I laughed out loud at the stupidity of some of the exchanges, but I thought I was supposed to.
Then, I found out about the stripper thing and realized she thought she was being indie and hip, not making fun of a whole time period in life.
Oops.
Matt - I had mixed feelings about Gone Baby Gone, but would definitely recommend seeing it. I thought it got a little heavy handed at times but overall it was enjoyable.
Maureen - I thought Lust, Caution was solid but it just didn't hit me as hard as some of the other movies on the list. Ever since I saw In the Mood for Love I think I'm bound to be slightly let down by any subsequent Tony Leung effort
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