Going to the movies this year meant the usual mix of wide-release blockbusters and smaller indie flicks. Out of the 21 movies I saw this year in the theater, I’ve narrowed them down to a list of my 10 favorite movies of 2007.
10. Superbad
Was there any other movie character name that got more play outside of a film than McLovin? Heck, when they released Superbad on DVD, they included a fake Hawaii drivers’ license belonging to him! At the heart of the cult phenomenon is a story about two friends trying to wring out a little more fun from high school before going their separate ways for college. It’s a Judd Apatow-produced film so you know what to expect - a mixture of raunchy and heartfelt moments that oddly work together.
9. The Bourne Ultimatum
The Bourne Ultimatum is what it is - a top-notch action-adventure thriller with no pretense of being any more than that. I’ll give it a little more credit than that as the third film in the Bourne series boasts some great camera work, especially during the fight scenes, and the limited use of special effects keeps the film somewhat grounded in reality. Matt Damon continues to show that he is the epitome of a 21st-century action star - good in a fight but can also think his way out of a problem.
8. Enchanted
Leave it to Disney to do with Enchanted what Dreamworks couldn’t do with the Shrek series - poke fun at the fairy tale animation genre without having to resort to toilet humor. As the chief progenitor of the genre, Disney is able to take a look at their past works and skewer some of the more ridiculous conventions associated with the genre. That, combined with some classic Disney animation and the amazing work from Amy Adams, makes for one of the best films of the year.
7. Juno
Juno is probably the funniest and smartest film I’ve seen since Little Miss Sunshine. The problem with the film is that it can be a little too smart at times as the dialogue tends to be punched up more than it needs to be. Still, the acting from the superb cast makes the script work and keeps it from being too over-reaching.
6. Knocked Up
The Judd Apatow repertory returns in Knocked Up that manages to be heartwarming as much as it is raunchy. At its very core, it’s just another story about a man-boy growing up and owning up to his responsibility as an expectant father. What makes the movie work is that it doesn’t simply sugarcoat the process - knocking up a woman, on a first date no less, sucks. Seth Rogen turns in a fine performance as said man-boy but it’s Paul Rudd who steals the show as the example of what years of domestication will do to a guy.
5. Gone Baby Gone
After seeing Gone Baby Gone, all I can say to Ben Affleck is that he should really consider directing another film instead of taking yet another awful star role in an awful film. Sure, he had good source material to work with but that shouldn’t detract from his work behind the camera. Casey Affleck, a much better actor than his brother, does a good job as a PI who, asked to take on a missing child case, gets into more than he expected.
4. American Gangster
American Gangster, besides a typically great Denzel Washington turn, has another thing going for it - it didn’t make me dislike Russell Crowe. That might have to do with director Ridley Scott, who seems to be able to get the most and best out of Crowe. Kudos to the design crew as they managed to turn 2007 Harlem into one resembling the 70s era the movie is set in.
3. Ratatouille
There’s been some buzz that Disney and Pixar may consider submitting Ratatouille as a Best Picture entry for the Academy Awards. If I were them, I’d push real hard for this to happen because this movie shouldn’t settle for the Best Animated Feature Oscar that it’ll surely get. The animation is gorgeous, as to be expected from Pixar, but the real beauty lies in the amazing heart the movie has - never has a rat ever been so endearing as Rémy.
2. Eastern Promises
Eastern Promises is the latest collaboration between director David Cronenberg and star Viggo Mortensen and if you thought it couldn’t get any better than their work together in A History of Violence, you were wrong. The story is top-notch and it’s fairly evident that Viggo invested a lot of work in getting himself in character for his role - hopefully, he won’t be overlooked for an Oscar nomination this time.
1. Michael Clayton
I’ll get right to the one gripe I had with the film - please, no more with starting a movie media in res when it’s not really necessary, ok? With that said, Michael Clayton is a nearly flawless film with a script that relies on solid story-telling to build to a proper conclusion. Though the movie is George Clooney-driven, Tom Wilkinson does an amazing job as a bipolar lawyer who has suddenly found a moral center.
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