Here's some picks, stuff I liked from 2007. This is something of a brick-a-brack, a schmattering of titles in no particular order. Except the first two, which are my top two favorites:
1. 3:10 to Yuma
Loved it. This was a great Western, and a great movie all around. A man trying to be a man in the face of his family, bucking the system, lots of shootin' and fightin' - all the stuff you want from a Western. Great cast, great direction, script. GO SEE IT!
2. American Gangster
Denzel, you are the greatest. Russell Crowe, thank you for showing us it's okay for men to be men. Great crime movie, didn't miss a beat. Ridley Scott goes into Scorsese territory and doesn't disappoint.
3. 300
Fun. Liked it.
4. No Country for Old Men
Lots of anticipation over this one. We were all supposed to like it. I did like it. I'm not going to say it was perfect. I had a few problems with it (like that matters), but I did like it. The cast was terrific.
5. The Bourne Ultimatum
As far as the first two Bourne movies, I am like Jason Bourne himself: my memory is hazy at best. Not because they were bad. I saw the first one opening weekend when it was released. That was something like 22 years ago, it seems. I saw the second one on an airplane. Anyway, this movie was exciting, and brilliantly shot. I loved it.
6. Zodiac
The marketing tried to trick us into thinking this was a creep-out horror show ala Se7en, but it wasn't that. There were intense elements, "scary parts" if you will, but this was a very long, procedural drama. We walked through every element of the case with those guys, and by the end, felt like we were part of it. Great cast, good showings by all the leads. Some great supporting characters that the ads missed were played by Anthony Edwards, Dermot Mulroney, Chloe Sevigny, Elias Koteas, Donal Logue and most notably John Carroll Lynch. He's the guy that played Margie's husband in Fargo. Usually a jolly-type guy, but he played a major creep in this movie. Good fun.
7. The Hoax
What fun. Great showing from Richard Gere and Alfred Molina. They are philanderers, liars and thieves, yet you cheer for them the whole time. This movie was tight, fast paced, funny, sad and exciting. Great work by Swedish director Lasse Hallstrom.
8. Eastern Promises
You enter a David Cronenberg movie with certain expectations: hyper psycho sexuality and extreme violence. This one certainly delivered on the violence side, skipped the deviant sexuality for the most part. A little different from the other Cronenberg flicks I've seen - in short, this was an excellent European psychological drama set against the Russian underworld in present-day London (cosmopolitan, yes?). Viggo was terrific, my favorite role for him yet. Vincent Cassel shined as the spoiled and closeted crime boss's son. Armin Mueller-Stahl, also terrific.
That fight scene you've heard about - good grief. You have to see it to understand. Yikes.
9. Sunshine
This was easily the most suspenseful and most beautiful film of the year for me. Danny Boyle is a great director with an impressionistic style that is both mind warping and efficient at the same time - extraordinary visual sense coupled with terrific story telling. The music was haunting and beautiful, composed by John Murphy and Underworld. A must see.
Biggest Head Scratcher of 2007:
10. Cache
It came out in 2005, but I think it was just released here last year. I dunno, maybe I'm wrong. But anyway, of the movies that I personally watched in 2007, Cache takes the prize as the head scratcher of the year. In a good way. Just watch it. You'll see what I mean.
Okay, so it wasn't exactly a schmattering of titles. It was more like a top ten. Sorry about all the build up. I hope nobody's disappointed. There were some other movies that I liked, I'm sure. I just don't remember them off the top of my head. But these were my faves.
2007 turned out all right, overall.
You didn't ask, but here are some of my favorites from 2006: Children of Men, Babel, The Departed, Little Miss Sunshine, The Prestige, Little Children, Superman Returns.
If you're wondering why I put Superman Returns on the 2006 list, the answer is this: I liked the movie. There you go.
