Favorite Films of 2007
Now this was a year to remember. I wish the movies were always this consistently interesting and thrilling, with talented filmmakers challenging themselves and their audiences with ambitious, compelling and thought-provoking efforts that genuinely push the medium forward. The quality films this year are a mighty example of how rich and rewarding and important this medium still is, and hopefully other writers, directors and actors will be inspired by this progression so the art can continue to survive and eventually defeat the mediocrity that plagues the theaters so often. There’s a lot to discuss from 2007, so I’m getting right to it.
Honorable Mentions:
I’m surprised a few of these films didn’t make my top 10 in the end. Where to begin? I’m extremely fond of Tim Burton’s bloody entertaining musical epic, Sweeney Todd, with excellent performances by Helena Bonham Carter and the great Johnny Depp. Sean Penn’s Into the Wild is arguably his most passionate and affecting work, beautifully photographed by Eric Gautier and featuring some tremendous work by a talented ensemble cast. Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead is a nasty little piece of business from Sidney Lumet - bleak, uncompromising and yet thoroughly entertaining. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke are excellent. Hou Hsiao-hsien's The Flight of the Red Balloon is another poetic and moving drama by one of the most singular filmmakers working today. Like his brilliant Cafe Lumiere, this film quietly impresses with subtle performances and graceful cinematography.
Satoshi Kon’s Paprika is a dazzling anime with a mind-bending narrative and spectacular imagery. Kon has now become the leading voice of adult animation. John Carney’s Once is one of the surprise sensations of the year. The music and performances by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova deserve all the praise. Beautiful stuff. Ridley Scott’s American Gangster is an entertaining and well-made mainstream Hollywood thriller with some great moments and strong performances by Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. Black Book is Paul Verhoeven’s best film in several years, a solid return to form for the madman behind Turkish Delight and The 4th Man. And finally there’s Paris Je T’Aime, a fantastic collective film with some incredible work by Tom Tykwer, the Coen Brothers, Sylvain Chomet, Olivier Schmitz and Alexander Payne.
Top Ten:
1. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - Andrew Dominik
And here we have the most underrated movie of the decade. All I have to do is think of the beautiful score by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis and I see the images and feel the emotion of Andrew Dominik’s masterful second film. This was the film experience of 2007. It unfolds as legend, it surprises you with its psychological complexity, it transports you with its impeccable craftsmanship, it thrills you with its sheer cinematic bravura, it moves you with its tragic grace. This is classical filmmaking worthy of Cimino or Malick, a story both intimate and epic. At moments it’s quiet and contemplative, at others it’s tense and violent. The way Dominik balances these different tones and moods is incredibly impressive for someone who had made only one previous film. After my first viewing I had some issues with the film’s voice-over, but after seeing it a second and third time I can’t imagine the story without it. I think Brad Pitt gives an iconic performance as the famous outlaw and Casey Affleck is something stunning as Robert Ford. The cinematography by Roger Deakins is breathtaking. Sam Rockwell and Paul Schneider are superb. The actual assassination sequence itself is so finely tuned it’s scary. This is one for the ages.
2. No Country For Old Men - Coen Brothers
There’s something about this pitch-perfect thriller by Joel and Ethan Coen that refuses to leave me alone. Roger Ebert described the film as a study of incomprehensible evil, and when discussing the character of Anton Chigurh, I think “incomprehensible” is the best way to put it. Javier Bardem is so convincingly real as this cold-blooded killer that it makes the film impossible to shake. Like Tommy Lee Jones’ Sheriff, you’re in awe and wonder and complete fright that something this cruel and reprehensible could exist in this world. It’s not just that the film is so expertly paced and well-written and beautifully shot (Roger Deakins, again) - it’s the idea behind it all that makes the film so unnerving. It makes you reflect on how fragile and unpredictable everything is. I know some people were expecting a more explosive conclusion, but this just isn’t that film. There’s something far more thematic and thought-provoking going on here, something that couldn’t possibly be conveyed by another shoot-down. No Country For Old Men is a daring film, one of the best by the Coen’s.
3. There Will Be Blood - Paul Thomas Anderson
I’m not sure what more I can say about this film. I’ve seen There Will Be Blood three times and I could easily go again. As I recently said, the final sequence is a classic piece of filmmaking all on its own, the score by Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood is intensely original, and the quote “I drink your milkshake” as delivered by Daniel Day-Lewis is my favorite of the year. I applaud everything about this film. Not one false note. Paul Thomas Anderson is a giant.
4. I’m Not There - Todd Haynes
I suppose it was only a matter of time before some talented filmmaker came up with a brilliant idea for how to reinvent the biopic. I’m Not There is one of the year’s most refreshing and singular films, so full of energy and originality and imagination. It’s one of the most experimental films of the year, which is why it divided viewers so strongly. I think it’s a glorious work of cinematic art by Todd Haynes, with an unforgettable performance by Cate Blanchett as Bob Dylan. Everyone is good (Bale, Ledger, Gere, Franklin), but Blanchett is really something else.
5. Zodiac - David Fincher
A procedural thriller of the highest order, David Fincher’s Zodiac is one of the most well-constructed and meticulously researched films to hit theaters in some time. Just because it came out in February doesn’t mean it’s any less important than the prestigious “awards season” offerings. Zodiac is far and away Fincher’s most accomplished work, a stylish and sophisticated drama with interesting characters and an exhausting amount of information. It’s all about the details of the Zodiac case, the investigation and obsession that drives everyone over the edge. Mark Ruffalo is especially good as Inspector Dave Toschi, Jake Gyllenhaal is a strong lead as Graysmith and Robert Downey Jr. is excellent as reporter Paul Avery. It’s a fascinating and haunting film that marks a significant evolution of Fincher’s craft.
6. Lust, Caution - Ang Lee
This eloquent and erotic psychological drama is Ang Lee’s most assured and complex film. The sexuality on display in Lust, Caution actually serves a thematic purpose; it reveals the nature of the characters and the tense, intricate and dangerous game they’re playing. It’s raw and explicit because it has to be, and the execution of these sequences is handled with the precision of a genuine master. Tang Wei and Tony Leung are astonishing in their respective roles and should be applauded for their fearlessness. Makes an interesting double-feature with Black Book.
7. Control - Anton Corbijn
Sam Riley gives an extraordinary performance as Joy Division’s Ian Curtis in another surprisingly powerful music biopic. Corbijn and cinematographer Martin Ruhe use crisp black and white photography to create an appropriately dark atmosphere for the story. The look and feel of this film is so ‘60s arthouse that I imagine it would make Godard blush. It’s sensantional work all around, not just from the technical side of things but also from the emotional supporting performances by Samantha Morton and Alexandra Maria Lara. It’s a tough film, but an essential one.
8. Eastern Promises - David Cronenberg
I still can’t believe how visceral the bathhouse sequence is. For the most part Eastern Promises is a very subtle thriller by the mastermind behind Videodrome and Crash, but in that one moment the film explodes into Scorsese. Viggo Mortensen’s performance as Nikolai is my favorite of his career, and while the film was advertised with him and Naomi Watts as the central characters, the real dynamic of the story is between Nikolai and Vincent Cassell’s brutal but tragic Kirill. It’s extremely subtle work and surprisingly affecting.
9. Ratatouille - Brad Bird
One of the most enjoyable mainstream family comedies I think I’ve ever seen. Is it possible to dislike Brad Bird’s movies? I don’t think so. His writing is too sharp, his direction is too confident, his sensibilities are too charming. Ratatouille is an exciting, hilarious and even touching film (Bird has a little Spielberg in him), and nothing beats the legendary Peter O’Toole as critic Anton Ego. Great film.
10. Youth Without Youth - Francis Ford Coppola
And lastly we come to Francis Ford Coppola’s ambitious return to filmmaking after a 10 year hiatus. Youth Without Youth is the least accessible film on this list, but it’s also the most conceptually intriguing and artistically personal. Some people despise Coppola’s post-Apocalypse Now filmography or too easily dismiss it. The Cotton Club, The Godfather Part III and Bram Stoker’s Dracula may not be on par with his ‘70s masterworks, but each of those films still has its strengths. Youth Without Youth, however, is unlike anything we’ve seen from the director. The film is a bizarre amalgam of European art films, philosophical speculation, "Twilight Zone" twists and spiritual contemplation. At some moments it’s like Raiders of the Lost Ark gone arthouse. At others it’s a quietly moving and beautifully performed romance. It’s too long and unevenly paced in the second half, but the passion and originality behind the film is enough to keep you compelled. Or at least it was for me. I was fortunate enough to see this a second time with a Q & A after the screening, and all I can say is that there are very few things as exciting as seeing Francis Ford Coppola this energized and reinvigorated as an artist.
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