So I like to do an annual top ten movie list, since I typically see a lot of movies. Unfortunately with all the movies that come out at the end of the year that are supposed to be great, I am always quite behind. I have been planning to do a little catch up on dvds but as my dvd player just broke, with ‘The Assassination of Jesse James’ in it (I only caught the first ten minutes). I took that as a sign of the official end of my 2007 movie watching.
- 3:10 to Yuma – I love Christian Bale and this movie worked for me as he played a simple rancher just trying to keep his family afloat and he, and his son, get drawn into the transport and life of robber Russell Crowe.
- The Lookout – Joseph Gordon-Levitt does a great job as a guy who survived a car accident with memory issues and gets caught up in a bank robbery.
- Michael Clayton – George Clooney plays a lawyer who ‘fixes things’ and gets caught up in a case that he might not be able to, or want to fix, Clooney and the supporting cast are excellent as the tension builds.
- Atonement – I actually read this book and though I liked it I was a little thrown by the three separate pieces which this movie was able to meld together in a lovely sweeping war/romance/period piece.
- Gone Baby Gone – The Affleck’s are doing well as Ben directs Casey in this Lehane novel adaptation of Boston detectives working a kidnapping.
- Eastern Promises – I was expecting to hate this latest Cronenberg from the previews, why is this idiotic woman Naomi Watts getting involved with the Russian mob and attractive but dangerous Viggo Mortenson? But the mafia life and Watt’s involvement are compelling, and Viggo is crazy good, or good at crazy.
- Into the Wild – Another movie I expected to not love as we watch this young guy go… into the wild… knowing he won’t come out. And though I thought the ending could have been handled a little better, they did a great job wrapping a story around this character and his journey.
- No Country for Old Men – I will admit that I didn’t love this Coen brother’s movie, but I did think it was really well done as small town folks follow the money or the bodies.
- Lars and the Real Girl/Waitress/Juno – Of these Lars was my favorite with real originality and heart but they got some similar indie buzz so I thought I’d address them together. They did some great things as films free from big studio restraint can and I love that people loved their simple characters and stories and writing, they’re such an important part of the annual film options.
I have noted to date what movies I’ve seen so you’ll know I didn’t official hate ‘The Diving Bell and the Butterfly’ for example, though I may have (I mean really, the guy just blinks), but I just haven’t seen it yet. And I should caveat although this list is in a loose order, I would potentially put them in a different order each time I tried to make a list. I also sadly didn’t have a great cheesy movie this year, teen film, action or otherwise, good thing the next Bat Man is coming out soon.
For a full list of 2007 movies I was referring to the 2007 Academy Eligible list.
