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Must See Movies for 2007List updates as the season progresses
Every site does it and everyone expects it. So here's our list of the best movies of 2007. While these are not necessarily our picks for Oscar consideration, we do think you could do worse seeing anything else. Movies listed are in no particular order.
Into the Wild – Forget what you think about Sean Penn and go see this one. Outstanding performances by everyone involved, especially Emile Hirsch and Hal Holbrook. Great Eddie Vedder soundtrack as well. Line up the Oscars, it's that good! Hairspray – A great movie that features career performances from a diverse cast of newcomers and veterans. But there's no doubt the whole thing belongs to Blonsky. Her infectious smile and big voice do as much for the film as her physique will most assuredly do for raising the confidence of pleasantly plump young girls everywhere. No Country For Old Men – As with almost every Coen Brothers film – The Ladykillers and Intolerable Cruelty excluded – there's more happening in the story than meets the eye. Sure, the thrill-seekers, gore-hounds and gun-nuts will find plenty to like, but there's also tons of juicy undertones and subjective creativity in there as well
3:10 to Yuma – Surely it seemed like casting an Aussie and a Welshman as leads in a drama about settling the American Wild West was taking a significant risk, but director James Mangold's selection of Bale and Crowe paid off in a huge way. In the Valley of Elah – Jones nails his performance by giving a turn that's sure to be mentioned come Oscar time. Great actors can reveal with the eyes, every drop of what their character is feeling. Jones' Hank conveys truckloads of emotion without so much as a smile or frown. Gone Baby Gone – An entertaining watch, but a heartbreakingly difficult one if we try to take it to heart and put ourselves in Patrick Kenzie's shoes. Standing by innocently without thought is not an option Michael Clayton – Strong characters, brilliant performances, and an airtight script add up to a nearly perfect specimen of the courtroom drama. Sure to be mentioned come award time. Waitress – Adrienne Shelly has left us with a beautiful little slice of life film full of charm, wit, sass and humor. Though the adorable Kerri Russell knocks it out of the park with her performance and Andy Griffith gives a memorable turn as well, it's Shelley's pen and deft director's hand that makes this a must-see for 2007.
Bug – I'm not sure if schizophrenia is contagious, but if it is, I just witnessed one frightening scenario of how it might spread. And it ain't a pretty sight! 1408 – Undoubtedly, one-hour martinizers and upholstery cleaning companies around the country will make a fortune in the coming weeks laundering soiled trousers and wet theater seats. Transformers – While most summer action movies fail to entertain AND fulfill, Transformers does both. For flat-out action movie appeal, you'll be hard-pressed to find anything that compares. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead – Sydney Lumet pulls his camera from the mothballs and brings us a brilliant character drama wrapped in the skin of a heist flick. He mesmerizes the audience with no trickery, and no special effects.... just good old-fashioned storytelling and superb acting. The fun of watching it comes from seeing top-notch actors wallow in the wretched despicability of their characters. Mr. Brooks – Displays the occasional flash of greatness with true moments of powerful drama and discomforting moral ambiguity. And you can't say that about most of the films out there right now.
Grindhouse – A kick-ass, explosive, rabble-rousing double-feature sure to please the fanboys as well as those looking for a refreshing bit of nostalgia. Knocked Up – Smart yet brainless, Knocked Up is as surprisingly affecting as it is amusing in its free-fall into unplanned parenthood. With its no-holds-barred approach to courtship and child-rearing (and not necessarily in that order), it shoves the harsh and humorous realities of adulthood in our faces. Day Watch – For those who relish in a good action romp, with breathtaking effects, Day Watch delivers and then some. In addition, it’s a good film to get those a bit iffy about watching subtitled movies sucked in, and show them it doesn’t necessarily mean an hour and a half of romance with two people you can’t understand, or samurai swords flailing about – those talented Russians can deliver carnage as good as anyone.
Sicko – Moore deftly handles a very serious matter, with shrewd accuracy, sensitivity, and humor. The balance was needed, or the film could have been too depressing to view. The Bourne Ultimatum – May well become recognized as one of the best spy thrillers ever. It's that good. Even when taken out of context of the three part series. With Ultimatum, Damon's Bourne just chopped a fairly sizable chunk of pedestal out from under the Bond franchise. Now if we can only convince Greengrass and company to continue the momentum. Reign Over Me – The whole thing wouldn’t work if we didn't believe in the buddy relationship between Charlie and Alan... Sandler and Cheadle truly create magic.
Black Snake Moan – The closest you'll ever come to seeing what the blues actually looks like. It's dirty, and it's stinky, but most of all, it's something that comes from within a person's soul. 300 – An extremely ambitious film that takes bold chances but scores big on the visual and visceral meter. Normally that's not enough to strike a chord. But Snyder and Miller have clearly reinvented the swords-and-sandals pic and put a fresh new coat of blood, er, paint on a reeling genre. The Wind That Shakes the Barley – Cillian Murphy is exceptional as the determined Damien, and carries the film for much of the way. The Lookout – Blends nail-biting action with heartbreaking human insight into what happens to people when things don't quite work out like we imagined. King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters – Never thought "geek" could be so entertaining. Once – Brilliant! What it lacks in production value and glossy polish, it makes up more than ten times in heart, charm and genuine human emotion. I can only hope that somewhere, in some giant Hollywood studio, a meeting of suits is taking place wondering how on Earth a film of such low budget can have this much emotional impact. And let's hope these same suits begin to understand it's not about the big stuff, but rather the little things like story, connection, and human chemistry.
Breach – The character complexities and interactions are some of the best you'll ever see on screen, and the performances turned in by Chris Cooper, Ryan Phillipe and Laura Linney are absolutely top notch. Hot Fuzz – A reminder of the strengths the trio of Wright, Pegg, and Frost bring to the cinematic table. They revel in a simple but well-told yarn that never descends to the level of foolishly puerile or indecipherably abstract. Zodiac – you'll need to invest a lot of time and hard work in watching the film, but there's a rewarding payoff if you manage to endure its two hour forty-five minute runtime. Margot at the Wedding – Nicole Kidman does dysfunctional so well, but watching Jack Black cry nearly ruins the whole thing. The Kite Runner – In addition to just telling a flat-out powerful story, it also manages to impart a fairly insightful look at a pre-911 Afghanistan. It's not always pretty - in fact often times quite ugly - but the significance of the lessons learned can't be denied. Fathers, love your children. Children, never betray your friends. But most of all, always remember from whence you came. I Am Legend – masterfully blends traditional sci-fi allegory with current filmmaking techniques to create an updated amalgamation that will please both sci-fi purists as well as lovers of good Hollywood action ... The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Art film written all over it, but you'll be hard pressed to find such a moving film experience all year. Well acted, well written and well directed. There Will be Blood - Throws greed, capitalism, vengeance, evangelism and all things wrong with man into a deep, black, oil-filled pot of avarice and excessiveness. What emerges is an expertly acted, superbly directed drama that rivals any of the great American movie classics for impact and significance - Giant, Treasure of the Sierra Madre and others come to mind. Daniel Day-Lewis knocks it out of the park with his performance, but recognition must also go to Paul Dano (the silent kid in Little Miss Sunshine) who turns in his breakout role that will most assuredly vault him to the top of Hollywood's casting sheets. La Vie en Rose - Watch it and you'll not only be treated to one of the finest expositions of French cinema ever, but you'll also enjoy one of the best acting performances of the year in Marion Cotillard. © 2007, Reel Reviews. All rights reserved |
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