Best of 2007

Best Films of 2007

(I have not seen Juno, There Will Be Blood, or Atonement, three movies that will be nominated for best picture. Therefore, these are, just to have some guidelines, the best movies I saw last year during 2007. Oh yeah, it took me a long time to write them so please read them. It won't take you that long.)

1. I’m Not There-Todd Haynes’s film is unabashedly enamored with the subject matter this film covers as his previous movie, Far From Heaven, was. The film explores the multiple phases of one of America’s greatest musician and definitely its greatest lyricist. In fact, the scope of the movie is so expansive that it briefly covers one of Dylan’s most traumatic experiences, his motorcycle accident. What truly makes this the best film of the year is a confluence of things: it is a biopic done in such an odd-ball way even David Lynch would be envious of it; it effortlessly moves from one phase to the next; it has great performances; lastly, it has a great soundtrack. Basically, it is everything Across the Universe was not, a true classic.
2. No Country for Old Men-This is one of those movies you leave the theater mostly enjoying it but you learn to appreciate the more you think about it. This is a modern day Western with the gore beginning in a horrific way at the start of the movie. The story is basically the same of A Simple Plan: a man unsatisfied with his life finds a bundle of money and then watches as everything goes horribly awry. What makes this movie stand out is Javier Bardem. He represents a powerful, omnipotent force of wind that will destroy anything and everything that stands in its path. The sheer pointlessness of the acts of violence Bardem inflicts on his victim and the hopelessness of both Josh Brolin’s character and Tommy Lee Jones’s character is the center conflict of the movie: left to their own devises, virtually existing in a lawless wasteland, men will inflict tremendous violence on each other for no particular reason.
3. Gone Baby Gone-Until recently this was my favorite movie of the year. It takes one of the main arguments that has shaped American history—the extent of government intervention—and runs with it. This is basically a sociologist’s wet dream: should seemingly worthless lives be able to have children, and should they be able to keep them if they have them? The outcome of the movie definitely makes the mind wonder about this.
4. American Gangster-It is truly surprising that this movie isn’t more liked by the critics. It is a fascinating story about the perils of drug dealing, while championing the “underdog” story of a drug dealing peon who went on to become a powerful drug lord. It has great performances by Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Josh Brolin and Dee Brown. It also has several highly stylized scenes that will remain burnt in your memory, such as the boxing scene that marks the decline of Washington’s character. Even if it continues to get the cold shoulder from most critics, this is a fun and engaging story.
5. Grindhouse-Sleazy, fun, brilliant! Perhaps you liked the perfect send up of zombie B movies or the exhilarating car chases, with witty girly talk in between, this movie was a blast. Oh yeah, I almost forgot the absolutely riotous fake previews for movies. One of those rare films that lives up to the hype.
6. Zodiac-I find serial killer’s obsessions interesting. Needless to say, I was captivated by this movie. The movie chronicles the Zodiac’s attacks with great precise detail. What makes the quality of the movie so incredible is that the Zodiac killed, comparatively speaking, few people. Yet the film makes the serial killer’s and the cartoonist obsession fascinating to watch, even if it has an inconclusive ending. All of this is scored with the vicious music of the late 60s, including Santana and Donovan.
7. Hairspray-I can still see Nikki Blonski’s chubby hips dancing all around the silver screen and can’t help but smile. This is truly pure joy. The only conflict of the movie is desegregation, and not even this gets in the way of the constant fun.
8. Knocked Up-Writer-director Judd Apatow has a formula for his projects: cram in as many dirty, funny, often related to pop culture, jokes as you can but then bringing it back with true poignancy. Most of the jokes are truly hilarious, such as the crowning scene, and the moments of growth are earned and not contrived at all.
9. Sweeney Todd-Johnny Depp! Tim Burton! Musical! What isn’t there to like?! This movie is exactly what I thought it was going to be: a dreary musical with Burton’s classic tone of quirk. It is more violent than I expected it to be, which is a good thing. The film’s twist ending is unexpected. The inverse Hamlet-like ending makes it abundantly clear that this movie is a reinterpretation of that play.
10. Michael Clayton-There are many reasons why I would dislike this movie: white collar crime, people exhibiting poor behavior, etc. However, it is absolutely engaging from the beginning of the movie. It is a cat and mouse game, with the ultra rich lawyer trying to bring down a corporation and its corporate greed.

--Luis A.