Making a "Best Of" movie list is very difficult because many studios release potentially Oscar worthy films very late in the year in hopes that the Academy and its short attention span might remember only the most recent movie releases. I have dealt with this problem the same way as I did last year. First there's my Best Of 2007 list. It is a top ten list of movies that were released in 2007 that I actually got a chance to see in the calendar year. The second list is called Honorable Mention. This is a list of movies that were either not released in 2007, movies that were either leftovers from the previous year or movies that I got to see for the first time despite the movie's release year. This is followed by the Best Players category. This list comprises of actors, directors, animators or anyone else who I felt had a big impact on the world of movies in the past year. Finally there's the ever popular Worst Piece Of Junk Award. I think you can probably figure out what that's all about just from its title.
Well, 2007 was an interesting year. My wife and I sold our house, I quit my job and we moved to Florida from Massachusetts. It was an interesting transition that I still haven't quite made yet but it's getting better every day. With everything going on our movie watching took a major hit in 2007.
There were a lot of really good movies but only one I thought that was great. There were a couple that were very, very good that ended up pretty flat at the end. No Country For Old Men was so close but the artsy fartsy ending left me wanting more. People will argue and say that the book ended the same way. If I read the book and it ended like the movie I wouldn't have liked the book's ending either. I actually found the end of the film to be a little insulting. Yes the ending is different but you know what, it's still not a good ending. Make no mistake about it. I like endings to films where you have to use your imagination and are allowed to make up your own ending. In this case it just didn't work. I think the Cohen brothers need to watch more Peter Weir films.
My fvorite movie of the year was Ratatouille. From beginning to end it was solid. It had a great story, great writing and fantastic animation. Pixar has done it again. Every time you think they can't possibly get any better they keep surprising you. It's a shame Ratatouille didn't get nominated for Best Picture. Bravo Pixar! You keep making movies and I'll keep going to see them.
Had I seen Juno in the calendar year it would have been my choice. But, that's what happens when they jam all the good movies at the end of the calendar year.
Best Of 2007:
1. Ratatouille - Pixar can do no wrong. Fantastic movie. Should have been nominated for Best Picture.
2. Knocked Up - I had fun watching this quirky comedy.
3. 3:10 To Yuma - Nothing beats a good western. Go rent the original. It's just as good and it's a slightly different story.
4. Grindhouse - Guilty pleasure of the year. How much fun is this double feature masterpiece? You almost start to feel bad for Stuntman Mike towards the end...
5. 300 - Gore-fest! Fantastic looking film.
6. Sunshine - Very neat sci-fi from 28 Days Later director Danny Boyle.
7. Michael Clayton - Good political thriller. Either George Clooney is great or he gets stuck in a bomb such as Oceans 13. He's great here. Tilda Swinton is one of the
most underrated actors in Hollywood. She's even better in The Deep End.
8. The Bourne Ultimatum - From start to finish the three Bourne films make up one of the best movie trilogies ever made.
9. Zodiac - Another clever thriller.
10. No Country For Old Men - If you can get over the end and accept it for what it is you'll like it. It is not the best picture of the year.
Honorable Mention:
1. Letters From Iwo Jima - Clint Eastwood's film is absolutely fantastic.
2. Children Of Men - Underrated film. Keep your eyes on the background to check out the signs, newspapers articles and other nice details.
3. Lives Of Others - Fantastic movie! I was thrilled when it won last year's Best Foreign Film.
4. Pans Labyrinth - Amazing world with one of the best movie bad guys ever!
5. The Descent - As the immortal Steve Irwin would say, "Danger, danger, danger!"
6. Little Children - Another creepy bad guy who's just a cut above the rest.
7. Notes On A Scandal - Great acting from top to bottom.
8. Last King Of Scotland - Forrest Whittaker is amazing. Good film too.
9. The Last Man On Earth - The original I Am Legend featuring Vincent Price. It's a far better film than I Am Legend too.
10. 28 Weeks Later - Good sequel to 28 Days Later.
Best Players:
Rush Hour 3 - As a huge Jackie Chan fan I found this to be one of if not the worst sequels Jackie has ever made. The gimmick of Rush Hour is old and needs to be let go as quickly as humanly possible.
The Movies I Saw In 2007:
5 - Excellent
4 - Good
3 - Fair
2- Poor
1 - Terrible
0 - What In God's Name Were They Thinking? - (No longer used. Created and used in 2001 only for A.I.)
Volver (2006) - 3
Happy Endings (2005) - 2
Notes On A Scandal (2006) - 4
Children Of Men (2006) - 4
A Scanner Darkly (2006) - 2
This Is Spinal Tap (1984) - 3
Little Children (2006) - 4
Night At The Museum (2006) - 3
The Lake House (2006) - 3
Letters From Iwo Jima (2006) - 5
World Trade Center (2006) - 3
Last King Of Scotland (2006) - 4
Fearless (2006) - 4
Radio (2003) - 4
Dreamgirls (2006) - 3
Devil Wears Prada (2006) - 3
Pans Labyrinth (2006) - 5
The Black Dahlia (2006) - 3
Venus (2006) - 3
United 93 (2006) - 4
Superman Returns (2006) - 3
Click (2006) - 3
Ice Age The Meltdown (2006) - 3
New Police Story (2004) - 4
Crank (2006) - 3
Catch A Fire (2006) - 3
Hard Candy (2005) - 4
Fistful Of Dollars (1964) - 3
For A Few Dollars More (1965) - 3
The Descent (2005) - 4
Half Nelson (2006) - 2
Marie Antoinette (2006) - 3
Elektra (Elektra) - 3
Final Destination 3 (2006) - 3
Breach (2007) - 4
The Lives Of Others (2006) - 5
Layer Cake (2004) - 4
Jesus Camp (2006) - 4
Water (2005) - 3
Saw III (2006) - 3
On A Clear Day (2005) - 4
Zodiac (2007) - 4
The Dying Gaul (2005) - 3
Kings Of South Beach (2007) - 2
300 (2006) - 4
The Notorious Life Of Bettie Page (2005) - 3
Snakes On A Plane (2006) - 2
Hollywoodland (2006) - 3
Grindhouse (2007) - 5
Baby Doll (1956)- 3
Rocky Balboa (2006) - 4
Cronicas (2004) - 3
A Murder Of Crows (1999) - 3
28 Weeks Later (2007) - 4
Spider-Man 3 (2007) - 3
My Life As A Dog (1985) - 3
Underworld Evolution (2006) - 3
Pirates Of The Caribbean At World's End (2007) - 3
Flushed Away (2006) - 3
1408 (2007) - 4
Over The Hedge (2006) - 4
The Proposition (2005) - 4
Oceans 13 (2007) - 2
Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee (2007) - 3
Live Free Or Die Hard (2007) - 3
Talladega Nights (2006) - 2
Invincable (2006) - 4
Transformers (2007) - 4
Ratatouille (2007) - 5
Pulse (2006) - 3
The Giant Gila Monster (1959) - 2
Gammera The Invincible (1966) - 2
Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix (2007) - 4
The Hills Have Eyes (2006) - 3
The Simpsons Movie (2007) - 4
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) - 5
The Grudge 2 (2006) - 3
Attack Of The Giant Leeches (1959) - 2
Monster From A Prehistoric Planet (1967) - 2
Knocked Up (2007) - 4
Sunshine (2007) - 4
The Terror (1963) - 2
House On Haunted Hill (1959) - 4
Crimson Rivers 2 (2004) - 3
Rush Hour 3 (2007) - 2
The Last Man On Earth (1964) - 4
Devil Girl From Mars (1954) - 2
Halloween (2007) - 4
3:10 To Yuma (2007) - 5
The Brave One (2007) - 3
War (2007) - 3
Michael Clayton (2007) - 5
I Am Legend (2007) - 3
No Country For Old Men (2007) - 4
The Mist (2007) - 4
Home Of The Brave (2006) - 3
A Mighty Heart (2007) - 3
AVP-R (2007) - 3