The Best Films of 2007

A few months ago someone asked me why the scores on this site seemed to be skewing so high. Obviously they hadn't tried going to the movies in '07, or they would've realized that it was almost impossible NOT to see something spectacular onscreen. But while 2007 was a great year, it wasn't just movies that had a strong showing.

Videogames also saw perhaps their best year since 1998. Last year saw the release of Bioshock, Portal and Super Mario Galaxy, all genre-defining games in their own way. In the gaming circles, discussion rages on whether 2007 was the best year in gaming, period. Similarly, music may not have had a banner year, but it was a pretty good one, with exceptional offerings from the Foo Fighters, Radiohead, and the much-delayed US release of Amy Winehouse's debut album Frank. In books, we had the final Harry Potter book, which is pretty much the first and final word on successful franchises in that realm.

But what about film? If you ask a movie lover, they'll likely say it was the best year since 1999, which saw the action genre defined by The Matrix, suburbia done superbly by American Beauty, and the brilliantly twisted The Sixth Sense, alongside such films as Being John Malkovich, Fight Club, Magnolia, The Iron Giant, Toy Story 2, the first new Star Wars film in 15 years, the surprisingly great South Park: Bigger Longer and Uncut, and the American release of my personal favorite film Princess Mononoke. Any year that is capable of standing next to such an onslaught of greatness must have been something indeed. All told, no matter what you enjoy spending your time on, it was difficult not to be nearly flogged to death by quality.

Frankly, I had a hell of a time narrowing my list down to what you see here, and even then I had to start making serious decisions to whether to include movies based on how good they were, or how much I enjoyed them. Do I side with a deliriously fun popcorn muncher, or a deeply touching drama? Ultimately, I split the difference. To give you some idea, I meant for this to be a top 10! What you see here is a list of what left the biggest impression on me, sorted by how much I enjoyed watching them. I hope this spurs some of you out there to give the films on this list a peek.

Oh, two quick things! This list is based on movies released in theaters somewhere in America for a general audience at any point in 2007. And you can click on the titles or artwork to take you to the review of that film.


one
Eastern Promises
It takes a lot for me to think a mob movie is approaching Godfather status, but this complex tale of trust and betrayal in the Russian mafia is at least knocking on the door. David Cronenburg paints his film with a master's hand, and the result is a bloody game of intimidation that I simply couldn't look away from.

two

Juno

Screenwriter Diablo Cody's debut effort is as effortlessly wistful and as amusingly portrayed as I could have possibly hoped for. Every bit of this film drips quirky charm and wit, but at its core is a sweet story of puppy-dog love that, despite its plot's central premise, is delightfully young at heart.


three
There Will Be Blood
I enjoy a good challenge, and few things in '07 were as challenging as this. While the intensely focused style of the film is sometimes at odds with the overarching narrative, the result is the kind of movie that I may have a hard time liking, but still couldn't get out of my head.

four

The Lookout

Joseph-Gordon Levitt's strong-willed performance in this smartly intricate heist drama shows a sense of craft and presence unusual in actors his age. Couple that with an exceptional performance by Jeff Daniels as his blind roommate, as well as the absolutely brilliant last act, and you come out with something altogether unique and utterly compelling. Side note: if you want to do a great double-feature, rent Brick, watch it first, then see this.


five
Knocked Up & Superbad (TIE)
I don't like ties, but these two films deserve to be taken together as solid proof that director/writer/producer Judd Apatow knows what he's doing. Both of these movies are foulmouthed comedies that are so honest they're sometimes hard to watch. But at their core are real characters in real situations that people can relate to. It's this honesty and heart that makes them great.

six
No Country For Old Men

By now it's getting old hat to call this a great film, but it really is. The Coen Brothers have crafted a tightly paced thriller that I found absolutely hypnotizing and darkly funny . Every minute of its slow-burn chase kept me at the edge of my seat, while Javier Bardem and Tommy Lee Jones put up two of the best performances of the year.


seven
Hot Fuzz

A totally over-the-top action spoof with a superbly deadpan and ironic sense of humor that throws jokes, puns, visual gags, and sly turns of phrase at you so often and so subtly that it'd take several viewings to catch them all? Sign me up!

eight

Perseoplis

I was totally bowled over by this film's true tale of tragedy and isolation, told through humor and self-parody. Add in the whimsical and utterly unique animation style, and you get something that isn't just genuinely touching but important as well.

nine

Zodiac

David Fincher said he set out to make the final word in procedural cop dramas. He succeeded. There's a sense of craft and methodical thinking here that is just breathtaking, and it's real-life trappings help eke out every single detail. It's a ballet of red herrings and red tape that is simply superb.

ten

The Great Debaters

The fiercely intelligent approach this film takes made it an exceptionally compelling watch. Director and star Denzel Washington manages to make an allegory for racial inequality without being preachy or condescending, and the debate angle gave the film a refreshing feeling of good sportsmanship.

eleven
The Diving Bell & the Butterfly

Sometimes the story alone is enough to make a great film, but the avant-garde style on display in this French import only enhanced its merit. This is the kind of true story that made me think the impossible is possible, but also makes me ask “what would I do in that situation?”

twelve

Ratatouille

Seeing something that is almost entirely a kid's film targeted directly at adults is truly unique (at least in America...). It's not at all the outright juvenile comedy I expected it to be, instead it's a comic drama about following one's passions and embracing change. I found it beautifully poignant.


thirteen

The Bourne Ultimatum

Usually over the course of a film series, the entries get progressively worse. Here, the final entry is one of the tightest, most intense action films I've ever seen! Not that any of the Bourne films are bad, but to end on such a strong note in this manner isn't just rare, but almost unheard of.

fourteen
Stardust

Once it sunk in, this film offered up such superb, pure entertainment that it had me smiling for days. Everything here is deliriously fun, though a good friend of mine rightfully pointed out that Robert De Niro pretty much makes this movie.

fifteen
The Mist
I'm horribly biased toward this movie, but I honestly think it's a fun exercise in claustrophobia, paranoia, and really scary monsters. Sure the "villian" lays it on thick (no pun intended), some of the effects sequences look less than stellar, and the ending leaves a lot to be desired, but for guilty pleasure fright-fests, this is the good stuff.

A fistful of Honorable Mentions: A Mighty Heart, Charlie Wilson's War, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Transformers, The Host (Gwoemul), The King of Kong: A Fistfull of Quarters, Fido, Randy & the Mob, Death at a Funeral, 3:10 to Yuma, The Simpsons Movie, Enchanted, Sicko, Into the Wild, and Michael Clayton.


Here's hoping 2008 even comes close. Though frankly with the writer's strike, I doubt it.