For me, 2007 was truly an impressive year at the cinema. Gems of every genre seemed to come out of the woodwork and find their niche among the commercial debris that tends to overshadow anything of palpable substance and worth. Whether it was John Carney’s endearing dissection of the creative process in “Once” or Ellen Page’s saucy, star-making turn in “Juno,” this past year seemed to offer something for everyone to pensively indulge in.
The astonishing quality of pictures released from February on is, in my mind, one of the strongest outputs of the decade and should be a promising indication of where Hollywood is headed in the future.Of course, we had the annual onslaught of tedious Summer blockbusters and paltry sequels, but the foreign and independent circuits continued to flourish in ways that many experts never thought possible.
Sarah Polley’s “Away From Her,” Oliver Dahan’s “La Vie en Rose,” and Julian Schnabel’s “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” are just a few of the films that wowed both critics and audiences with their fearless performances and meticulously precise direction, but I assure you, the pot was essentially overflowing with quietly composed excellence. Although they can be difficult to find, these lesser-known works are usually the ones that stick with you long after the year has come to a close.
On that note, I have meditated considerably over the last few weeks to assemble what I believe is an eclectic and well-rounded list of the best films from the last twelve months. As critic David Edelstein says, “So many movies, so little time,” so without further adieu, I present my top ten films of 2007:
1. “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead” - Sidney Lumet’s searing tragedy of two bumbling brothers who hatch a half-baked plot to rob their parents’ jewelry store left me stunned with its affinity for wickedness and gut-wrenching emotion. Every scene oozed with Lumet’s fiery brand of excruciating tension and the entire cast was given a chance to act up a storm during some unsettling scenes of dysfunctional family interaction. Even though this was one of the last films I experienced this year, I immediately felt that I hadn’t seen anything that could top its callously unsentimental vibe.
2. “I’m Not There” - If I wasn’t a big Dylan fan before, Todd Haynes’s dazzlingly audacious glimpse into the various facades of one of modern music’s most enigmatic figures certainly did its job to persuade me. The music, the trends, and the politics are brought to life in such a way that standard biopics ought to be ashamed of their run-of-the-mill storylines and unwillingness to take chances. By using six unique actors, Haynes is able to tell Dylan’s story without ever directly including him in the proceedings, which to me, is an extraordinary artistic achievement.
3. “Into the Wild” - Probably the most beautifully constructed film on the list due to Eric Gautier’s awe-inspiring cinematography and director Sean Penn’s intimate connection with the source material. Even if you detested the character of Christopher McCandless, Emile Hirsch’s breakout performance is undeniably terrific considering that he shed forty pounds and used no doubles or stunt-men at any point in the shoot. If that’s not enough, a classic performance from Hal Holbrook and a pungent soundtrack by Eddie Vedder should be more than enough to put it over the top.
4. “Zodiac” - 1970’s San Francisco is the sight for David Fincher’s spellbinding police procedural that takes the viewer deep inside the mania experienced by three men obsessed with cracking America’s most notoriously unsolved serial murder case. First-rate performances from Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey Jr. crackle with energy and sarcasm as each actor allows himself to get totally swept up in the chaos that eventually unfolds. The 2-hour 37-minute running time seems to fly by as the anxiety builds and the possibility that he may still be on the loose can be both frustrating and unnerving to those unfamiliar with the real police files.
5. “No Country For Old Men” - The Coen Brothers took a major leap by adapting Cormac McCarthy’s best-selling novel, but their courage has paid off in the form of a chilling contemporary western that delves into the pit of human indecency and comes up with a sobering reality in which the decay of moral standards is commonplace. Javier Bardem gives one of the craziest performances of the year as Anton Chigurh and subsequently steals the movie with his menacing idiosyncrasies. Sure, a lot of people had complaints about the dismal ending, but this is filmmaking at its best and the Coens’ greatest work since “Fargo.”
6. “Eastern Promises” - Violent, cruel, and uncontrollably raw, but I loved every minute of it. No one has ever accused David Cronenberg of being subtle, so the first ten blood-spattered minutes of this film should come as no surprise to those familiar with his grisly approach to creating entertainment. He has turned violence into a gruesome art form by eliminating any remnants of Hollywood pizzazz and simply throwing his actors into the fire to see what they can create. Viggo Mortensen spearheads this madness with his usual brutality and poignant distance and Naomi Watts tries to find her place among the predominantly male environment.
7. “There Will Be Blood” - Paul Thomas Anderson’s ardently naturalistic meditation on the savagery of greed and capitalism is an enlightened work of fine art that never ceases to astonish. Every frame invites the viewer into the abrasive psyche of cutthroat oilman Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis is phenomenal) and illustrates how such a pitilessly bleak individual can finagle his way to the top without ever adhering to any particular code of ethics. Regardless of what people think about the wildly inflated final act, I found the entire picture to be one of the most extraordinarily crafted I’ve experienced in quite some time.
8. “Knocked Up” - I usually find it difficult to include a comedy on this list, but with Judd Apatow’s hysterical stoner meets girl raunch fest, the decision was basically made for me. Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl are both in fine comedic form as an unlikely couple expecting a baby, but the supporting cast are the ones who really churn out the laughs. Watching Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann engage in bitter verbal encounters is priceless, because they provide a mirror into what married life might consist of if the main characters choose to take their relationship to the next level. Rarely does a comedy this dirty have this much heart and I think that’s a quality worth acknowledging.
9. “Grindhouse” - For those of you who didn’t have the chance to see this three-hour celebration of schlock and debauchery at the theatre, you missed one helluva great time. Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino serve up a powerhouse double feature full of zombies, lap dances, and car chases that seldom has a dull moment. Their appreciation for the low-budget cult films of the 1970’s is vivid inspiration throughout and although Tarantino’s half is slightly better, they’ve both done their part to reinvigorate the movie-going experience.
10. “The Bourne Ultimatum” - The addition of Paul Greengrass to the Bourne franchise is one of the best executive decisions in recent memory. His rapid camerawork and breakneck pacing have elevated what was already an interesting setup to another plane of technological intensity. Combine that with the brilliant emotional stillness of Matt Damon and you have one of the finest trilogies of all time.
Honorable Mention -
"Michael Clayton"
“American Gangster”
“Charlie Wilson’s War”
“Breach”
“Hot Fuzz”
“Stephen King’s The Mist"
“The Simpsons Movie”
“Superbad”
"3:10 to Yuma"
"Rescue Dawn"
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