The Best Movies of 2007: Part II (The Real Best Movies)

I’m going to make a bold statement and say that 2007 was the best year for movies of this new century. While Oscar viewership may have been down, this year’s crop of Best Picture nominees were a cut above (In my opinion, the best since 1994 when Forrest Gump faced off against Shawshank Redemption, Pulp Fiction, Quiz Show, and Four Weddings and a Funeral).

Sadly, the most surprising part of my top 10 list will be how much similarity it bears to P’s picks. I shudder to think that 60% of my favorite 10 films of 2007 can also be found sharing space with Hostel 2 on Peanut’s slightly misguided list.

Starting off with some great flicks that didn’t quite break the top 10 but certainly deserve a rental:

The Namesake – Can you imagine Van Wilder’s Taj or Harold and Kumar’s Kumar holding down a heavy role in a serious drama? I couldn’t, but The Namesake proved me wrong. Kal Penn is surprisingly excellent in a dramatic turn as Gogol, the son of Indian immigrants seeking to preserve their culture and traditions while assimilating into life in America. The rest of the cast is terrific as well, particularly Irfan Khan as Gogol’s father.

Waitress – A film as delicious as the pies Keri Russell’s main character bakes. Funny and heartwarming, with enough weight to make it stick, Waitress is supremely enjoyable. Plus, a friend of P’s and mine worked as a production assistant on this flick, so show him some love.

My 10 through 6 can all be found on P’s list, but here are some additional thoughts:

10. American Gangster – Who was better, Denzel or Russell? Debate.

9. No Country For Old Men – Loved Stephen Root’s bit part. Made me wonder what would happen if Office Space’s Milton confronted Anton Chigurh over a Swingline stapler.

8. Bourne Ultimatum – The best blockbuster of the year surely deserves a spot on any top 10 list.

7. Michael Clayton –Clooney, Swinton, and Wilkinson all deliver pitch perfect performances in one of the more intelligent lawyer films to be made in a while.

6. Superbad – Funniest movie of the year. Break yoself foo!

Now for the really good stuff:

5. Once – If you haven’t discovered this Irish gem, go out and rent it tonight. It is a modern musical of sorts, but don’t worry, the characters don’t break into song for no reason. Plus, with real musicians playing the lead roles, this is as authentic as a musical gets. The best song in the film, “Falling Slowly,” won this year’s Best Song Oscar, and is hauntingly addictive. I’ve been listening to it daily since I saw the film over a month ago.

4. Juno – Hilarious and original. I’m surprised Juno didn’t make it on to P’s list, but then again P picked Hostel 2. He clearly has some issues. On a side note – was anyone else eerily transfixed on the ridiculously high slit of Diablo Cody’s Oscar dress as she made her way onstage to accept her Juno Screenplay award? That was one wardrobe malfunction I was not particularly looking forward to.

3. Ratatouille – Best animated movie of the Pixar age. That’s right, Ratatouille was better than Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Monsters Inc., The Incredibles, Cars, and even Finding Nemo.

2. There Will Be Blood – Wow. Amazing. P and B’s consensus pick for Movie of the Year. But, not quite as amazing as B’s individual pick for Movie of the Year…

1. The Lives of Others – The Lives of Others was the best movie I have seen in many years. The story, which revolves around an East German secret police officer spying on and then becoming wrapped up in the lives of a playwright and his girlfriend, is captivating. The acting is spot on. The ending packs a huge punch. All around, this was a perfect film. It deservingly won last year’s Best Foreign Film Oscar, but it was released in the U.S. last spring. Since it is in German, be prepared for subtitles, but frankly, you’ll hardly notice them once the story gets going.

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...