Now that I’ve finally seen enough movies, I’m finally able to do an entire Top 10 list of 2007. And as is true of most Top lists, this is a mix of the movies I thought were the best technically, and the ones I simply enjoyed the most.
[b]Russ’s Top 10 Movies of 2007[/b]
[i]10: The Bourne Ultimatum: [/i]My favorite of the Bourne movies, this one has some intense action sequences, while wrapping up the trilogy. Even for a movie like this it loses a little in the credibility factor-Now that I’ve finally seen enough movies, I’m finally able to do an entire Top 10 list of 2007. And as is true of most Top lists, this is a mix of the movies I thought were the best technically, and the ones I simply enjoyed the most.
[b]Russ’s Top 10 Movies of 2007[/b]
[i]10: The Bourne Ultimatum: [/i]My favorite of the Bourne movies, this one has some intense action sequences, while wrapping up the trilogy. Even for a movie like this it loses a little in the credibility factor–Bourne takes just too much of a beating to keep on trucking–but it was a kick-butt way to spend two hours. The on location shoots help sell the film, as does it’s no-nonense approach. There’s one sequence in the London subway station that’s especially intense and very, very cool. If you liked Casino Royale, you’ll like this.
[i]9: 3:10 to Yuma: [/i]This is just a good ole’ rootin’ tootin’ western with good performances, tense action and a moral fable mixed in there somewhere. Christian Bale as the reluctant hero and Russell Crowe as the man in black give their usual good performances, but Ben Foster as one of Crowe’s cronies steals every scene he’s in. It feels a little long in places, but it was tense and twisty with lots of guns a’ blazin’. Two hours well spent.
[i]8. Juno: [/i]This indie darling has a lot of great performances and a fairly simple plot?a teenage girl with an unwanted pregnancy gives the baby up for adoption?that could have gotten predictable, but didn?t. The script is almost a little bit too quirky for it?s own good with the lead character a bit too wise and together for her age, but it held me throughout and will likely hold up on multiple viewings.
[i]7. Dan in Real Life: [/i]For reasons I?m not quite sure about, Dan in Real Life didn?t connect with viewers the way Juno did, but it?s just as good, and had me feeling good. Dan Carrell scores again as a 40-ish widow with three girls who meets a new love during one weekend visiting his goofy family. Nothing fancy, just a quality, down-to-earth comedy that hits the right chords.
[i]6. The Lookout: [/i]Intense heist movie about a young 20-ish hotshot in the Midwest whose life goes terribly wrong. And then he gets mixed up with the very worst people. Had my heart pounding from beginning to end. Not to be missed.
[i]5. Gone Baby, Gone[/i]: The brothers Affleck Ben (directing/writing) and Casey (acting) both suprised me quite a bit, delivering a gritty crime story that had me sucked in from the very first frame. While by no means a fun movie, Casey Affleck is a young private investigator trying to track down a 5-year-old girl who was kidnapped, and is presumed dead. The characters are real, the twists are good, and though I never thought he had it in him, Casey Affleck really carried the lead of this movie which also had Ed Harris, Morgan Freeman and Amy Adams, who got an Academy Award nomination. Impressive across the board.
[i]4: The King of Kong: A Fistfull of Quarters: [/i]Who would have thought that a movie about Donkey Kong would be so fascinating? Well, it is. This documentary examines the best Donkey Kong players in the world, including the 25-year high score champion, and a newbie who claims to have the new high score ever. But is his score real? Is the fix in? This documentary has characters to care about, heroes and villains, and all the folks who fall on either side of the coin. The King of Kong might take place in the world of competive video gaming–in this case, Donkey Kong–but it’s about so much more.
[i]3. Michael Clayton: [/i]George Clooney hits another winner as a corporate fixer who has pangs of morality after decades of being morally and ethically questionable, if not bankrupt. Intense and complex, I?m not sure if I totally bought the ending, but it?s well worth the effort.
[i]2. Knocked Up:[/i] Laugh-out-loud funny from beginning to end that had me smiling the whole way through. The most fun I?ve had at the movies since 40-Year-Old Virgin.
[i]1. Zodiac: [/i]Often overlooked, this detailed retelling of the search for the Zodiac serial killer in San Francisco back in the 1970s just draws you in deeper and deeper and deeper. Thorough and compelling, you feel like you were the ones with many sleepless nights trying to put together a puzzle with very few clues, driving you to obsession. If you missed this one, go rent it. Now.
[b]Worth Noting:[/b]
[i]No Country for Old Men: [/i]I know this has been the critical darling, but it has one fatal flaw. The first 90 minutes are brilliant. Absolutely stunning. The last 20 minutes are flat out ridiculous, ruining an otherwise tremendous movie. And for any critic who says that the non-traditional ending is just the work of a creative mind and that I need to be more open to things, they can stick it in their ears. Should have been the year?s best movie. And it almost was. I?m not saying you shouldn?t see it, but that ending is a head-scratcher.
[i]There Will Be Blood: [/i]There’s a very good movie in here, and Daniel Day-Lewis is incredible, as always, and would be quite deserving of an Academy Award for Best Actor. But this movies was simply too long, and too slow too often. The critical acclaim is overblown. This could have been very, very good–and it is, in places–but they should have cut 45 minutes out of it. There’s just not enough meat at two and a half hours. Be prepared for some general disappointment.
[b]2007 Movies I still hope to see:[/b]
The Savages
The Assassination of Jesse James
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