as you know, i devour films like mamaT devours books. since smockdaddy and i insist on having date nights at least two or three times a month, we see a lot of movies. here are my thoughts on the flicks i've seen in 2007. i'm pretty sure that this list is exhaustive -- if i've missed anything surely it is because it was excruciatingly unremarkable.
there are several 2007 films that i still want to see that either (a) have yet to be released in my area, namely there will be blood, before the devil knows you're dead, margot at the wedding, the savages, and the diving bell and the butterfly, or (b) i just haven't made time to see, namelly into the wild and the great debaters.
movies in bold are my top picks. movies in italics are either already on my DVD shelves or they will be.
(The Number) 23 - An interesting flick that ran off the rails. Sadly predictable. DVD worthy iffin you're a Carrey fan.
28 Weeks Later - Proof that sequels can be better than an already incredible original. Dare I say that this is a horror flick with heart? Robert Carlyle is in rare form. smockwarning: Ubergory but remarkable! If the horror genre holds any appeal whatsoever for you, you must see this movie.
30 Days of Night - Proof that ubergore can be uberirritating and uberstupid. Possibly the absolute worst horror flick of our time.
300 - Incredible eye candy in every possible sense of the word.
3.10 to Yuma - Sexy and moral. What a combination! Proof that Christian Bale is one of my top 10 actors with good reason.
Alvin and the Chipmunks - Cuter and less annoying than expected.
American Gangster – Denzel being Denzel as a gangster. DVD worthy iffin you’re a Washington fan.
Beowulf – The definitive “Please don’t judge a book by it’s movie” flick. Sucked on so many levels I don’t know where to begin…
Blades of Glory – Laugh-out-loud guilty pleasure.
Bourne Ultimatum – A great guy flick. Further proof that sequels can surpass originals.
The Brave One – A deep and beautiful moral dilemma. Super intense.
Breach - For a film that is based on a true story, this was surprisingly powerful.
Bridge to Terabithia – Smockdaddy wept. Need I say more?
Bug – This year’s most underrated nail-biter. Very moving and heartbreaking, not to mention terribly disconcerting.
Charlie Wilson's War – Hilarious! Who cares about historical accuracy when you have Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts and Philip Seymore Hoffman on the same screen? Southern-fried and very tasty.
Dan in Real Life – I love Steve Carrell, but … yawn.
Disturbia – I loved this movie – but only as Rear Window.
Enchanted – Delightful fun for the wee ones.
Fracture – Even the smock missed this plot twist, which is saying much. Superb acting, but if you really want to see Ryan Gosling give the performance of his career, see him in Lars and the Real Girl.
Evan Almighty – Endearing little flick. Another sequel that works.
Hairspray – Better, cuter and funnier than the original. A ton of fun (pun intended) and clever. John Waters on happy pills.
I Am Legend – I already treasured this movie as the Charlton Heston B-movie, Omega Man, so I was biased going in to the movie. I do not care for how “un-human” the zombies are in this version, but Will Smith gives a superior performance.
Juno – I laughed through tears almost the entire time. My #3 pick of 2007. The wit in this movie is outstanding. Accidentally moral, yet intellectually honest. (smockspoiler: smockdaddy saw it coming from a mile away while smockmomma was in total denial. Jason Bateman fans beware!)
The Kingdom – Three words: intense, intense, intense. Not for the faint of heart. Bateman steals this movie.
Knocked Up – The “grown-up” version of Juno but far less intelligent and much more crass. Wait, maybe it’s more like a fraternity version of Juno. Another guilty pleasure.
Lars and the Real Girl – Hands down the #1 movie of 2007. No, of the new millennium. And, yes, it is that fabulous. This screenplay is nothing short of genius and the acting is gi-normously moving. Ryan Gosling received a Golden Globe nod for his poignant performance, but I suspect that the Academy would never advertise a movie this catholic in nature. Tender and marvelous on so many levels, words fail.
Live Free or Die Hard – smockdaddy fell asleep, but as far as testosterone flicks go, it kept me awake.
The Lives of Others - Stasi spy becomes voyeur becomes human. One of the best foreign flicks I've seen in a very long time. smockwarning: mature content.
Love in the Time of Cholera – A beautiful love story that is almost as long as the book. I’m just grateful that I saw Javier Bardem as the lover in this film before I saw him as the eerily believable psychopathic killer in No Country. I wouldn’t have been able to stomach it otherwise.
Meet the Robinsons – I fell asleep but the kids enjoyed it.
Michael Clayton -- Wonderful. Tom Wilkinson remains one of my all time favorites. Tilda Swindon at her chilliest. Morality tale extraordinaire.
Mr. Brooks – What the hell happened here?
No Country for Old Men – My #2 choice of 2007. A very nihilistic snapshot of life in America – probably McCarthy’s [their screenplay is based on his book] – regardless, the Coen brother’s are back to their roots with this one (think Blood Simple, not O Brother Where Art Thou?). For a couple of Yankee boys they sure have Southern down pat. Tommy Lee Jones is brilliant as always. Javier Bardem portrays his character so well; he played a recurring role in my nightmares for almost a week. A very visceral and exceptionally intelligent film. Kudos to the boys for not succumbing to a typical Hollywood ending. Smockwarning: Even more graphic than Sweeney Todd. Shiver.
Ratatouille – Not bad. Overrated, but not bad.
Rescue Dawn – This movie didn’t have the backing it deserved. Shockingly a-political for a Vietnam bio-pic. Yet again, our Christian Bale is grossly underrated as an actor. His performance in Dawn is second only to his tour de force, The Machinist.
Shrek the Third – Um, no. Even the kids lost interest in this one.
Simpson's Movie – HA! HA!
Stardust - Heavy sigh. There’s an hour and a half of my life that I’ll never get back.
Surf's Up – Kids enjoyed it.
Sweeney Todd – Three words: Fab. You. Lust. Very bloody, but a real toe-tapper, nonetheless. Tim Burton is brilliant. He takes great pains to make his blood palatable [read, it's not really blood-red blood; it actually looks fake -- on purpose i'm guessing -- it was less painful to watch than the bodies dropping down to the boiler room]. Burton and his cast deserve Oscar nods at the very least. Try the priest.
Underdog - Silly. Fun for kids.
Waitress – Hmmm … I remember thinking that I liked this picture when I saw it, but it’s sadly forgettable. The curmudgeon at the diner is the only character of note.
Love your first pick! You knew I would, huh?
Thank you for this fabulous list.
Cannot agree with you about Beowulf. We had a date night to see it and both of us enjoyed it. It is off the epic poem but close to the culture and feel of the time.
It made me go back to read the poem
you are much more generous than i, my friend. i'm happy to know that someone enjoyed it! by the by, did you see it in 3-D?