The Ten Best Films I Saw In 2007

This was a tougher list than usual because I managed to see more films this year after a drought the last couple of years. There are other ones that are supposed to be good that I have not seen, although most of them simply do not appeal to me at this time. Some of them might swap places around after further reflection, although the top one is in no danger of moving down. Yes I know, I'm doing this a week or so early, but I am not aware of any films that will be out by the end of the year that look like they might crack this list. If it turns out otherwise, I'll update it.

1. Juno

This was a delightful film, carried by Ellen Page's great performance (Best Actress in my book, as well as making the longer term list of great performances), a wonderful script, and good work all around. It avoided a lot of stereotypes, and didn't rely on cliches for its humor. I won't go into details, as I do not want to spoil any part of this gem. Let's just say that while there are good lines in the trailer, there are many more that are not revealed, which is not the case for some movies trying to sneak money out of our wallets.

I went opening night here in Portland, aiming for a 10:00 PM showing to avoid the crowds at the earlier showings around 7:00 PM or so. It was playing on three screens at our arthouse complex, and I ended up having to wait until the 10:30 PM showing because the 10:00 was sold out like all of the earlier showings had been. The one I went to sold out also, to the extent that there were people sitting in the empty floor "seats" normally available for wheelchair users. Laughter burst out over and over during the film from the whole theater. After the movie, there was applause from the audience, which I haven't heard in years. It was well deserved praise.

2. Dan in Real Life

This was a fun movie, with relationships, family, kids and real life flowing through it. A lot of perfectly meshed performances that fed the story, and it was very well done.

3. Enchanted

An amusing twist on the usual Disney story, mixing animation and live action, as well as some nice twists on fairy tale conventions. Amy Adams simply makes this movie work, and would have been the Best Actress favorite for me if Juno hadn't come along as well this year.

4. Charlie Wilson's War

This was a enjoyable mix of drama and comedy about a true story. Good performances from Tom Hanks, Amy Adams, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Julia Roberts simply make the movie work. The senator was a twist on Hanks' usual characters, and as well-played as usual, and the performances meshed together well, with none of them needing to steal scenes from each other. While there were some outdated attitudes displayed by the imperfect characters, they did seem to be in character, and some of the minor characters could have been stereotypes to fit that attitude, but they were not.

5. Waitress

This was an original pie of a movie, and I am sad that Adrienne Shelly is no longer around to make more good films like this. Keri Russell gave a very good performance at the core of the movie, and it all worked well.

6. Michael Clayton

Good work by George Clooney and others in this time-twisting drama kept me on the proverbial edge of my seat through the entire movie, with nary a glance at the time.

7. Atonement

This was a very well done movie, with excellent performances and a virtuoso tracking shot that seemed seamless to the point that I didn't notice it until it was done and there was another cut. Despite reading that there was an unexpected ending before seeing the film, the form of the twist was both logical and caught me by surprise.

8. Eastern Promises

Another well done drama, with good work all around, particularly from Naomi Watts and Viggo Mortensen.

9. The Brave One

A brave film, both in terms of a brave performance by Jodie Foster and a brave script. I am still trying to decide if the ending was a bow to Hollywood convention, or just the natural extension of the brave choices by the characters. I'm leaning towards the latter at this point.

10. Music and Lyrics

This movie was fun. A bit corny perhaps in parts, but still fun. Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore were wonderful, and the movie simply worked well. They even saved some amusing moments for the credits. My favorite moment is actually there, and it works because the actors played the main section so well and earned it.



Honorable Mentions that I either enjoyed or thought were well done, or both:
Catch and Release
Black Book (Zwartboek)
Avenue Montaigne (Fauteuils d'orchestre)
The Bourne Ultimatum
2 Days in Paris
Lust, Caution
No Reservations
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix