As usual, it's late in coming, but here at last is my list for the best films of 2007. I thought it appropriate to put this list up today not only because it's the Oscars tonight, but also because I needed to set my mind on some good movies after sitting through Witless Protection. As an average paying filmgoer, I have to wait and see movies that come to my area, so that also adds to why this list is late every year, as I have to wait for certain films to widen their release before they'll come closer to me.

The movies will be ranked just like last year. I start off with what I felt was the best film of 2007, then I list my choices for the great movies of the year, followed by the honorable mentions, and then close things up with my favorite performances. I want to stress that aside from the best film of 2007, none of these movies are ranked in any particular order. I don't like trying to rank all of the movies I enjoyed during the year, so I try to view them as equals in whatever category they fall under. Now that I've got that out of the way, let's get on with the important stuff.


THE BEST FILM OF 2007

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN - It was tough to decide the best film of 2007, as so many great films came out during the fall and winter months. After much soul searching, I chose No Country For Old Men, simply because it was probably the most emotionally effective film I saw last year, and it stuck with me the longest. Like a lot of the movies by the filmmaking duo, the Coen Brothers, this is a movie I appreciated the more I thought back on it. This is a tense and gripping slow-burn thriller that is more frightening than any horror film released in the past couple years. Nothing has been left to chance here, and everything comes together to create the most satisfying thriller I saw in 2007. More than that, this is just a great movie by itself.


THE GREAT FILMS OF 2007 (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER)

INTO THE WILD - Here is a movie that should have been more recognized by the Oscar voters this year, especially for Best Picture. Sean Penn directed this quiet but engaging true story of a young man turning his back on human society, and going to live on his own in the natural regions of the U.S. Hal Holbrook has been rightfully recognized for his performance as an elderly man who befriends him at one point, but the entire cast is wonderful, particularly Emile Hirsch in the lead role, and William Hurt and Marcia Gay Harden as his emotionally distant parents who play a big part in the young man's decision to leave everything behind. This is a movie that never quite found an audience, but it should have, and hopefully will be discovered on DVD.

ZODIAC - Filmmaker David Fincher has always been known for his violent and sensory films like Fight Club and Seven. With Zodiac, he tackles one of the most infamous unsolved serial murder cases in recent memory, and does so with considerable skill and a strong sense for detail and realism. A strong, talented cast have been gathered including Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr, and Mark Ruffalo - all of whom give noteworthy performances. More than that, the film is a gripping and historically accurate recount of the case. The movie creates a great atmosphere that transports the viewer back to the time of the murders, and it doesn't take long until the audience is hooked. One of the best ensemble dramas of the year.

CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR - This is a movie that divided many of its viewers. Some thought the movie tried too hard to be cute and funny. I personally found it to be a hilarious, informative, and fascinating look at an important time in recent history. This bittersweet comedy-drama focuses on Texas Congressman, Charlie Wilson, and his personal efforts to arm Afghanistan against the invading Soviet Union. Tom Hanks is a notable stand out as the womanizing Congressman who couldn't have realized what his actions would ultimately lead to. Equally noteworthy is Philip Seymour Hoffman, who continues to prove that he's one of the best actors of the current generation with his take as a sharp-tongued CIA officer who becomes Wilson's right-hand man in the operation. This is one of the most entertaining films I saw in 2007, and I think it was highly underrated by a lot of people.

WAITRESS - It may seem strange to put this movie on the list, but this was truly one of the most pleasant surprises of last year. This is a movie that could have gone wrong in so many ways or drowned itself in corny cuteness, but writer-director Adrienne Shelly draws us into this simple but effective story of a small town pie shop waitress (Keri Russell) who finds her plans for escaping her small town life and her abusive husband interrupted with the arrival of an unplanned pregnancy. The movie is smart, very funny, and often bittersweet as we follow her attempts to build a better life for herself and her unborn child, and the different paths she's faced with along the way. It's a true shame that filmmaker and co-star Shelly was murdered before the film's release, and never got to enjoy her film becoming a sleeper hit. If Waitress proves anything, we lost a talented and budding filmmaker much too soon.

GONE, BABY, GONE - Actor Ben Affleck made one of the strongest directorial debuts of last year in this adaptation of the novel by Dennis Lahane (Mystic River). What starts as a mystery of a young child being abducted from her bed late one night grows even bigger as a private investigator (Casey Affleck) discovers that there's much more going on here than just a simple kidnapping. The movie is not just an engaging mystery story, but it's also a fascinating look at the effect the ensuing media circus created by the kidnapping has on the people of Boston community. The movie has a great eye for detail, creating some realistic characters and a real sense of transporting the audience into the middle of the action. A completely effective and fascinating piece of work.

BREACH - This film was released back in February, and didn't get quite the attention it deserved. I am especially saddened that star Chris Cooper wasn't recognized for an award, as his performance here is one of my favorite of the year. He plays Robert Hanssen, a government agent who was found guilty of selling US secrets to foreign enemies back in 2001. The movie is not a mystery or a who done it. Rather it is a psychological thriller as a rookie agent (Ryan Phillippe) is intentionally placed under Hanssen's guidance so that he can spy on Robert's actions, and get some real evidence against him. A relationship between the two grows as they work together, and it quickly turns into a control for power as the two men play mind games with each other, struggling for dominance. A rare early year release that truly stood out.

HOT FUZZ - This outrageously funny spoof of Hollywood action movie cliches gets my vote for the best comedy of 2007. The makers of the hit horror comedy, Shaun of the Dead, reunited for this story of a British supercop (Simon Pegg) who is so good, he makes the rest of the force look bad. Because of this, he's reassigned to a sleepy little community where nothing seemingly happens, until a serial killer starts dispatching the locals. No one in town believes him, as they keep on brushing the murders off as accidents. (Oddly enough, the town has the lowest murder rate anywhere, but the highest accident rate anywhere.) His decision to take the law into his own hands leads to one of the funniest moments of 2007, as the conclusion builds to one of the most elaborate and over the top violent shoot outs ever caught on film. A great comedy that makes me anxious to see what this creative team does next.

RATATOUILLE - Hands down, the best animated film I saw in 2007, this is a wonderful return to form for the venerable Pixar studio after 2006's highly disappointing Cars. Director Brad Bird (The Incredibles, The Iron Giant) continues to prove his skill in this simple and sweet tale of an unlikely friendship that grows between a wannabe chef and a rat with a keen sense of taste, smell, and food preparation. Sweet, heartfelt, and very charming, this was one of the most appealing films of last year.

AMERICAN GANGSTER - Ridley Scott's nearly 3 hour crime epic has been criticized about its historical accuracy by some people. I don't think that takes away from the fact that this is a highly entertaining and superbly crafted story that talks about the rise of a powerful drug kingpin in the late 60s and early 70s. Denzel Washington portrays the charismatic kingpin, Frank Lucas, while Russell Crowe is the police detective assigned to shut him down. Both of their performances are noteworthy in the way that they were able to completely transform themselves completely into their characters, making us forget we're watching performances, and to simply concentrate on the story at hand. And what an involving story it is. Despite it's lengthy running time, the movie almost never slows down or lags. A great movie all around.


HONORABLE MENTIONS

Catch and Release, Music and Lyrics, Bridge to Terabithia, The Astronaut Farmer, 300, I Think I Love My Wife, Reign Over Me, Year of the Dog, The Last Mimzy, Disturbia, Fracture, In the Land of Women, 1408, Live Free or Die Hard, Sicko, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Hairspray, The Simpsons Movie, No Reservations, The Bourne Ultimatum, Stardust, Superbad, Resurrecting the Champ, Balls of Fury, Arctic Tale, Away From Her, 3:10 to Yuma, Shoot 'em Up, Eastern Promises, Michael Clayton, 30 Days of Night, Things We Lost in the Fire, Rendition, Dan in Real Life, Bee Movie, The Darjeeling Limited, Enchanted, The Mist, Juno, The Savages, I Am Legend, Walk Hard, The Orphanage, Atonement, There Will Be Blood


THE STAND-OUT PERFORMANCES OF 2007

Amy Adams (Enchanted), Casey Affleck (Gone, Baby, Gone and The Assassination of Jesse James...), Javier Bardem (No County For Old Men), Jason Bateman (Juno), Halle Berry (Things We Lost in the Fire), Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth: The Golden Age), Nikki Blonsky (Hairspray), Adam Brody (In the Land of Women), Josh Brolin (No Country For Old Men), Steve Carell (Dan in Real Life), Don Cheadle (Reign Over Me), George Clooney (Michael Clayton), Chris Cooper (Breach), Russell Crowe (3:10 to Yuma and American Gangster), John Cusack (1408), Belnicio Del Toro (Things We Lost in the Fire), Johnny Depp (Sweeney Todd), Robert Downey Jr (Zodiac), Jennifer Garner (Juno), Jake Gyllenhaal (Zodiac), Tom Hanks (Charlie Wilson's War), Marcia Gay Harden (Into the Wild), Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Charlie Wilson's War and The Savages), Hal Holbrook (Into the Wild), William Hurt (Into the Wild), Josh Hutcherson (Bridge to Terabithia), Samuel L. Jackson (Resurrecting the Champ), Tommy Lee Jones (No Country For Old Men), Daniel Day Lewis (There Will Be Blood), Laura Linney (The Savages), Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises), Ellen Page (Juno), John C. Reilly (Walk Hard), Annasophia Robb (Bridge to Terabithia), Belen Rueda (The Orphanage), Keri Russell (Waitress), Amy Ryan (Gone, Baby, Gone), Adam Sandler (Reign Over Me), Molly Shannon (Year of the Dog) Will Smith (I Am Legend), Denzel Whitaker (The Great Debaters), Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton)

All in all, 2007 turned out to be a wonderful year for the movies. The later half of the year held so many great films, it was almost certain I saw something I liked just about every weekend. I can only hope 2008 ends up on an equally high note. I hope that you will join me for the year to come, and see what lies ahead. Happy filmgoing to you all, and enjoy the Oscars tonight!

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