Top/Bottom films of 2007?
Well, we're over a week into 2008 now, which means it's about time to look back at the films of 2007. I think top/bottom 10 lists are always interesting. I'll get the ball rolling.
My top 10 films of 2007:
10. We Own the Night - A great throwback to the crime films of the 1970s, this also featured one of the most thrilling car chases of recent memory.
9. Ratatouille - Pixar. Brad Bird.
8. Michael Clayton - A smart drama anchored by a great performance from George Clooney.
7. Gone Baby Gone - Ben Affleck proves that he belongs behind the camera, not in front of it.
6. Vacancy - A lean, tense and highly effective thriller. Hitchcock would be proud.
5. No Country for Old Men - The Coen brothers remind us that they are two of the greatest American directors working today.
4. Black Book - This has more in common with Paul Verhoeven's earlier, pre-American films such as Soldier of Orange. It also features a star-making performance from Carice van Houten.
3. Persepolis - Featuring simple but beautiful black and white animation, this is a funny/thrilling/heartbreaking film.
2. The Darjeeling Limited - I guess Wes Anderson is a love him or hate him type of director. Personally, I love him.
1. There Will be Blood - Wow. Go see this. Now.
Bottom 10
The worst films of 2007 (and I get the feeling that some of my picks may be a bit controversial):
10. The Hitcher - Boring, silly and over-the-top.
9. Hannibal Rising - Terrible. One of the film's many problems is the guy who plays Hannibal, who sneers his way through the entire film and doesn't even hint at the depth Hopkins brought to the role.
8. The Kingdom - Paper-thin characters and a surfeit of the incoherent shaky-cam/quick-cut style of direction that's ruining most contemporary action films.
7. Transformers - This was bad, even by Michael Bay's standards.
6. Lions for Lambs - An hour-and-a-half political treatise disguised as a piece of entertainment.
5. 300 - Over-the-top, bland visuals, and seemingly edited by an ADD-afflicted chimp. It's like a commercial for a music video.
4. 28 Weeks Later - More of the shaky-cam/quick-cut crap, taken to such a ridiculous extreme that some of the action scenes are literally incoherent.
3. License to Wed - Stupid, stupid, stupid. This is a bad movie. That's not my opinion; that's a fact. If you like this you then have bad taste. Again -- a fact, not an opinion.
2. Sicko - Important? Probably. Entertaining? No. Michael Moore is so intent on making sure that every single person in the theatre gets it, he makes the exact same point over and over and over and over. And over. And over. And then... he does it a few more times. Calling this film repetitive is like calling being punched in the crotch somewhat painful. It's a bit of an understatement.
1. Redacted - Brian de Palma directed this? Really?? Featuring absolutely none of the style he's become famous for, this was badly written, badly acted and, yes, badly directed. There isn't a single frame of this film that doesn't look artificial. I didn't think he'd be able to get any worse than the Black Dahlia, but that's looking pretty damn good right about now.
So, there you go. What about everyone else?
My top 10 films of 2007:
10. We Own the Night - A great throwback to the crime films of the 1970s, this also featured one of the most thrilling car chases of recent memory.
9. Ratatouille - Pixar. Brad Bird.
8. Michael Clayton - A smart drama anchored by a great performance from George Clooney.
7. Gone Baby Gone - Ben Affleck proves that he belongs behind the camera, not in front of it.
6. Vacancy - A lean, tense and highly effective thriller. Hitchcock would be proud.
5. No Country for Old Men - The Coen brothers remind us that they are two of the greatest American directors working today.
4. Black Book - This has more in common with Paul Verhoeven's earlier, pre-American films such as Soldier of Orange. It also features a star-making performance from Carice van Houten.
3. Persepolis - Featuring simple but beautiful black and white animation, this is a funny/thrilling/heartbreaking film.
2. The Darjeeling Limited - I guess Wes Anderson is a love him or hate him type of director. Personally, I love him.
1. There Will be Blood - Wow. Go see this. Now.
Bottom 10
The worst films of 2007 (and I get the feeling that some of my picks may be a bit controversial):
10. The Hitcher - Boring, silly and over-the-top.
9. Hannibal Rising - Terrible. One of the film's many problems is the guy who plays Hannibal, who sneers his way through the entire film and doesn't even hint at the depth Hopkins brought to the role.
8. The Kingdom - Paper-thin characters and a surfeit of the incoherent shaky-cam/quick-cut style of direction that's ruining most contemporary action films.
7. Transformers - This was bad, even by Michael Bay's standards.
6. Lions for Lambs - An hour-and-a-half political treatise disguised as a piece of entertainment.
5. 300 - Over-the-top, bland visuals, and seemingly edited by an ADD-afflicted chimp. It's like a commercial for a music video.
4. 28 Weeks Later - More of the shaky-cam/quick-cut crap, taken to such a ridiculous extreme that some of the action scenes are literally incoherent.
3. License to Wed - Stupid, stupid, stupid. This is a bad movie. That's not my opinion; that's a fact. If you like this you then have bad taste. Again -- a fact, not an opinion.
2. Sicko - Important? Probably. Entertaining? No. Michael Moore is so intent on making sure that every single person in the theatre gets it, he makes the exact same point over and over and over and over. And over. And over. And then... he does it a few more times. Calling this film repetitive is like calling being punched in the crotch somewhat painful. It's a bit of an understatement.
1. Redacted - Brian de Palma directed this? Really?? Featuring absolutely none of the style he's become famous for, this was badly written, badly acted and, yes, badly directed. There isn't a single frame of this film that doesn't look artificial. I didn't think he'd be able to get any worse than the Black Dahlia, but that's looking pretty damn good right about now.
So, there you go. What about everyone else?
11 Comments
kronosposeidonBest film of 2007? Hands down, "2 Girls 1 Cup".
SarzyI refuse to watch that for fear that it will burn into my brain and never leave. I accidentally stumbled onto the goatse.cx picture a few years back and it took a good couple of years for it to stop haunting my dreams. But seriously now, favourite theatrical film of 2007?
MarineGunrockI don't get it: You both praise and hate movies in that list... Is it a top liked or disliked?
And 300 blew donkey nuts.
SarzyThe first 10 are the top 10, and the second 10 are the bottom 10. I just edited the list to make that a bit more clear...
And 300 indeed did blow donkey nuts.
CaptWillardI was so pumped to see "300", and when I finally watched it I was pissed at my friend who strongly recommended it to me.
I haven't seen a whole lot of movies this year, including many on both of your lists. But one that I think belongs in the Bottom 10 for sure is "Underdog". I got conned into taking my little cousin to that one, and afterwards I felt like offering assisted suicide to Jim Belushi for having his career go so far down the toilet that he had to take that piece of shit role. Maybe I read too much into his performance, but to me it looked like he did NOT want to be in that celluloid disgrace for the entire time he was on film. And who could blame him?
kronosposeidonI took my son to see 'Alvin & The Chipmunks', and it was the first time I wanted to murder cute little fauna. I also wanted to spit roast Jason Lee and David Cross, and I normally find those guys entertaining, especially David Cross.
The story was lame and the acting was weak in 'Transformers'. Even John Turturro's performance was lacking, and he's one of the better thespians in film these days. But Megan Fox clearly stole the show, and by "stole the show" I mean "gave me an erection". Same difference, right?
SarzyI (thankfully) haven't seen Underdog or Alvin and the Chipmunks. Funnily enough, David Cross recently posted a fairly long article on his blog justifying his appearance in Alvin and the Chipmunks. The gist of it being that, as much as he'd like to, he can't pay for stuff with his artistic integrity.
Farhad2000My favorite movies of this year would have to be The Lives of Others, Mon Colonel and The Black Book.
ravenWow... apparently I need to get out more, I've only seen two of those! And in regards to those two, Yes Ratatouille was adorable/funny/very well crafted as all Pixar films should be...
and Yes 300 was horrible in every way possible, achieving not only the complete destruction of one of my favorite graphic novels, but also managing to not so subtly beat the war drums for a future conflict with Iran... good job Hollywood, good freakin' job... I am glad this film is pretty universally recognized as crap, except of course among the young male demographic I go to school with, they're still all like, "Yeah Bro! It it was fucking swweeeeeet!" The warhawks will be happy to know that their propaganda was received well by their target demographic.
gorgonheapI'm surprised Enchanted didn't make the list. It's was the funniest one I watched all year.
(Edit): Transformers for me was surprisingly good, considering that I was expecting the worst.
eric3579No End In Sight is a top 10. Best documentary.
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