The Best & Worst Movies of 2007: Part I

Last year, we kicked off the PB & Movies blog with inaugural posts that featured our "Best of '06" lists. Although we didn't plan it this way, our lists had virtually no overlap - and consequently sparked a great deal of debate, name-calling, and tears (on B's part).

This year I predict there will be more P/B agreement. The main reason: I actually saw--and liked--all of the Best Picture nominees this year, whereas the previous year I only saw two (The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine, neither of which made my '06 list). Sure, it meant forsaking a few slasher flicks that had been on my to-do list. But have no fear: I'll still get around to watching Saw IV, Grindhouse, and The Mist someday soon. In the meantime, here is my list of the 10 movies that made 2007 a year to remember -- plus 5 movies that sucked.


The Best Movies of '07

10. Hostel 2 - Okay, it's not like I didn't see any horror movies this year.
9. Superbad - I make it a rule (well, maybe more of a guideline) not to waste money on seeing comedies in the theater. But my $11 was well spent on the latest hilarious entry in the Apatow ouevre.
8. Bourne Ultimatum - Second-best action movie of the year, and a great culmnation to the Bourne series.
7. Shoot 'Em Up - Best action movie of the year, bar none. Arguably one of the funniest movies, too, from Clive Owen's carrot munching to the sex-scene shootout. A brilliantly "bad" B movie.
6. Eastern Promises - Not sure if it's superior to A History of Violence, but the David Cronenberg-Viggo Mortensen tag team proves to be a winning one yet again.
5. Atonement - The first part of the movie, set on a bucolic English estate, hinges on an interesting development that I didn't see coming. The second part uses World War II as both a backdrop and a metaphor for the dissolution of hopes, dreams, and relationships. The satisfying coda brings it all together - a great film.
4. American Gangster - Did anyone notice that the last time Denzel and Russell faced off was in the 1995 sci-fi flick Virtuosity? Well, I did. I liked both, but this was better.
3. Michael Clayton - Michael Clayton's confrontation with Tilda Swinton's immoral lawyer reminded me of Dr. Doug Ross's confrontations with Laura Innes' Dr. Weaver. Yes, I am a diehard "ER" fan (still), and yes, I do have man-love for George Clooney.
2. No Country for Old Men - Anyone who thinks the horror genre suck should be reminded that this film is, at heart, a horror/suspense movie. I dare you not to have sweaty palms when you watch this movie.
1. There Will Be Blood - The last movie I saw before Oscar Night, and still the Best Picture in my eyes.


Honorable Mentions:

Knocked Up - I couldn't put two Apatow comedies in my Top 10, but Knocked Up was a close second to Superbad in the comedy department this year.
Dan in Real Life - Steve Carrell is so talented, he can even make a movie starring Dane Cook funny. I saw this on an airplane expecting a standard RomCom, but it was actually a lot deeper and sadder. Not a pick-me-up movie for sure, but I really enjoyed it nonetheless.


The Worst Movies of '07

5. Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem - Despite some decent action sequences, this movie fell flat because the acting was too awful for words (and the words in the screenplay had no hope of saving the actors). Fans of the series should see it anyway, but the disappointment factor was enough to convince me that AVP-R was one of the year's worst.
4. The Number 23 - If you want a good story about magical numbers, watch "Lost". Jim Carrey is batting about 0.167 right now in non-comedies.
3. Closure (UK: Straightheads) - Dubbed "one of the best movies of 2007" by England's "The Times", this film left me scratching my head. The promise of "copious foot-age of Gillian Anderson’s naked breasts" may have been enough for the critics across the pond, but even an unabashed X-Phile like myself found nothing redeeming in what the DVD description portrayed as "Deliverance meets Kill Bill". That comparison should have tipped me off right there.
2. The Hills Have Eyes 2 - I was deeply disturbed and entertained by the first movie, while the sequel evoked neither emotion. Maybe this film could have been more than Blockbuster shelf filler if Emilie de Ravin (Clare of "Lost") had reprised her role and (as was initially hinted) put an Ellen Ripley spin on it. Oh well.
1. Rescue Dawn - Biggest disappointment of '07. Christian Bale boasts an awful German accent. Steve Zahn fails to convince anyone (including his castmates) that he can be a convincing dramatic actor. The Vietnam War genre is a tired one by now, and Rescue Dawn does nothing to reinvent it. This movie was boring, predictable, and practically unwatchable. Worst. Bale movie. Ever.

Dishonorable Mention:

Spider-Man 3 - Definitely one of the most disappointing movies of the year, especially given my high praise for Spidey 2. Overall it was just mediocre and doesn't crack my Worsts list, but c'mon - it cost $200m t0 make this?

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UP NEXT: B's take on the Best and Worst of the year that was...