There Will Be Blood, Untraceable, Best of 2007 Revisions

There Will Be Blood - First of all, best title for a movie ever? I think so! It's a shame I didn't see this movie two weeks earlier because my Top 10 lists would have looked A LOT different! (See end of post). Anyway, the entire movie is almost like a canvas for Daniel Day-Lewis to do with whatever he wants. As much as the music, cinematography, directing and supporting acting is fantastic, it's HIS movie. A quick look at the dialogue will prove that. What are the first words spoken in the movie (after 20 minutes without dialouge - brillaint)? Daniel Plainview (Day-Lewis) says, "Ladies and gentleman..." He is welcoming the audience to HIS show. The final words spoken by Plainview again (after the over the top gem of a finale)? "I'm finished." And so essentially, I could write an entire review about the powerhouse that is Day-Lewis' performance. He pretty much puts other actors to shame. There is no other living actor that is on the same level. But, it is my pleasure to say that Paul Dano (who plays Paul Sunday and then Paul's slightly evil fire and brimstones preacher twin brother Eli Sunday) holds his own. That's difficult, I'm sure. I already more than loved Dano's performances in early films but he's really grown so much even since L.I.E. He can go head to head with Day-Lewis and that's worthy of praise. Especially in that final scene, where director Paul Thomas Anderson really lets Day-Lewis off the leash, so to speak. Because, let's face it, he was a sweet kitten until that point. But Dano holds his own and it's really a shame he's gotten so overlooked during the awards season (props to the BAFTA's for recognizing him!). Although, I can understand why he's getting so snubbed. Afterall, I'm sure the majority of people who come out of the theater only want to talk about Day-Lewis. I can't say I blame them. He's really that good. No, think about how good you think he is and then multiply that by 50. And he's still probably better than that. He has officially bumped Javier Bardem out of my Best Performance of 2007 award. Since I've already talked about Day-Lewis and Dano so much, I'll simply just say this - everything about this movie is fantastic. It's beautifully done and absolutely brilliant. You really just need to see it. I think this is the first time ever that I've given three films an A+ in one year, but 2007 was one good year for movies.
Grade: A+



Untraceable - So, the basic premise (about a serial killer who kidnaps victims and hooks them up to devices and then hooks that up to the internet so that the more people who view the site speed up the death of the victim) is kind of interesting. Diane Lane is always likeable and solid. Colin Hanks is always funny and charming. Billy Burke is always hot. And... that's pretty much the end of the good things I have to say about this movie. First of all, I don't really know a lot about computers. I bet that's what the people making the movie were betting on. Because it seems to me that the killer is doing things he probably wouldn't be able to do. I also think the FBI is probably a little bit more sophisticated than they are portrayed in the movie. I think they probably have a little more internet capacity than the killer. Also, I love that the FBI urge the general public not to tune into the website because they would be accomplises in murder... and then they all go and tune in as well! I understand, as part of their investigation, they would have to watch and try to decipher clues and blah blah blah. However, I think watching on one giant screen would be sufficient. I don't think they all need to individually watch it. The beginning is decent and then it just all goes downhill. The movie is about 30 minutes too long and by the time the big grand finale comes along (the ending, by the way, is one of the worst in recent memory), you are so bored that you just don't care anymore. This movie seemed more like a lame crime show than anything else. At least crime shows are shorter. And for attempting to be a mystery / thriller movie... well, there are few thrills and no mystery. They reveal the killer about halfway through and there are no twists or turns at all. It is formulaic and predictable. In the end, when Diane Lane's life was hanging in the balance, I was secretly hoping she would die just to spice things up a little. But, no such luck. It's not as bad as, say, Captivity, but it's forgettable at best.
Grade: D


REVISIONS!



Best Films of 2007
10. Zodiac
09. Grindhoues
08. Alpha Dog
07. Bug
06. Once
05. Eastern Promises
04. Atonement
03. No Country For Old Men
02. There Will Be Blood
01. Into the Wild



Best Performances of 2007
Javier Bardem in No Country For Old Men
Cate Blanchett in I'm Not There
Julie Christie in Away From Her
Paul Dano in There Will Be Blood
Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood
Emile Hirsch in Into the Wild
Tommy Lee Jones in No Country For Old Men and In the Valley of Elah
Viggo Mortensen in Eastern Promises
Ellen Page in Juno
Michael Shannon in Bug

Oscar Nominations, Cloverfield, 27 Dresses

Oscar Nominations were announced today -

Best Picture
Atonement
Juno
Michael Clayton
No Country For Old Men
There Will Be Blood
Thoughts - While I am glad that Atonement did not get snubbed, I am fuming mad about all the Into the Wild snubs!

Best Director
Paul Thomas Anderson - There Will Be Blood
Joel and Ethan Coen - No Country For Old Men
Tony Gilroy - Michael Clayton
Jason Reitman - Juno
Julian Schnabel - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Thoughts - People actually saw Into the Wild and it's brilliance, yes? Because these people obviously didn't actually watch Juno. I mean, the direction is nothing to write home about. Sean Penn's direction on the other hand...

Best Actor
George Clooney - Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
Johnny Depp - Sweeney Todd
Tommy Lee Jones - In the Valley of Elah
Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises
Thoughts - No Emile! Big surprise. However, I can't be that upset because Tommy Lee Jones was nominated instead and I loved his performance in that film!

Best Actress
Cate Blanchett - Elizabeth the Golden Age
Julie Christie - Away From Her
Marion Cotillard - La Vie En Rose
Laura Linney - The Savages
Ellen Page - Juno
Thoughts - Finally! A category I am happy about. No Angelina Jolie! Hooray!

Best Supporting Actor
Casey Affleck - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem - No Country For Old Men
Phillip Seymour Hoffman - Charlie Wilson's War
Hal Holbrook - Into the Wild
Tom Wilkinson - Michael Clayton
Thoughts - I can't complain too much here.

Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There
Ruby Dee - American Gangster
Saoirse Ronan - Atonement
Amy Ryan - Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton
Thoughts - Can't really complain much here either. Although I am a little upset that Kelly MacDonald didn't get any love but whatever. That pales in comparison to how pissed I am about the whole Into the Wild snubbing!


Cloverfield - For the most part, Cloverfield is a surprinsgly good little movie. I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I know a lot of people hated it, but I absolutely loved how it was filmed. The shaky camera lends to the realism. I didn't find it annoying in the least. It actually really feels like you are watching someone's home movie that was found after the fact. If it was all steady camera shots, then it just wouldn't be as effective. I thought the basic premise was pretty solid, although I have a few problems with the way things panned out ultimately. 1) While you did develop feelings for most of the characters, I didn't really care at all about the girl these people risked their lives for. There needed to be a little more development there. I needed to somehow see that this Rob fellow actually cared about her. I really don't think the movie delivered that. 2) It was your typical 'Stupid or Seemingly Smart People Doing Things that Are Ultimately Stupid.' I can let that slide, however, because, really, movies like this aren't really made about smart people. There would be no movie then. Smart people would get the hell out of dodge. They wouldn't risk their lives for some slutty girl (that's how I viewed her because, like I said, the movie gave me no reason to care about her at all). 3) The monster. My main problem with monster movies is always, always, always the monster. When we exited the theater, the people I went with said, and I quote, "Gee whiz! I'm so glad they actually showed the monster." I disagree. Actually, I couldn't disagree more. Bits and pieces of the monster would have been find but as soon as I see a monster, it completely takes me out of the moment. The film did a really great job of making everything feel as real as possible. But the whole monster thing just does nothing for me. As soon as I see a great, big, ole monster, anything immediately goes from being intense and realistic to just plain silly. (I had the same problem with The Mist a few months ago). No matter how well the CGI is done, monsters will always seem silly to me. There's something to be said for letting things to the imagination. If we didn't see the monster, we could have all created something in our minds that would have been more terrifying than anything J.J. Abrams and his pals could cook up. However, I don't want anyone to think I didn't like the movie because I mostly did. In fact, I recommend it. You should definitely check it out. And keep your eyes peeled for that last scene and look to the right of the screen (see if you can see something falling into the ocean). It is J.J. Abrams after all. Conspiracy theories must spread like wild fire!
Grade: B-

27 Dresses - And then there's this. First, let's talk about the good points. No movie ever suffered from having Judy Greer involved. In fact, it's really time for her to move on from the 'best friend / bitchy rival' thing she's been doing for, well, ever. Honestly, she should be getting every role that goes to Leslie Mann. If I ever write a script, I will make sure that it has roles for Judy Greer and Allison Janney! Also, James Marsden is really just crazy attractive. He's charming and, well, really sexy. What with those blue eyes, gorgeous smile and chiseled cheek bones. Well, I'll see anything that involves James Marsden. Another good point was that the usually annoying beyond all belief Katherine Heigl actually wasn't as bad as I imagined. I didn't completely hate her in this movie (although I still pretty much did). And that's where all the goodness stops. The movie is paint by numbers romantic comedy. You can see where it's going based soley on the previews. It's marginally funny and marginally interesting. Even the big 'Let's dance on a bar and sing Bennie and the Jets' scene (which is cute and funny, thanks to Marsden mostly) can't save this stinker. Every tired romantic comedy cliche is there and in full force. Also, there is a major lack of chemistry between Marsden and Heigl. Just because they are both pretty doesn't mean they are going to have chemistry (see also: The Nanny Diaries starring Scarlett Jo and Chris Evans). There are many scenes that should be edited down to be tighter and funnier. Instead they just drag on and on and become way too talky. Maybe I'm just a little too much of a modern woman or maybe I just completely missed the point but what I took away from the movie was this message - No matter how beautiful, intelligent or interesting you are, you are only really complete as a woman when you find a man who can take care of you and that makes you happy. As a feminist woman, I frankly find that offensive. (Believe me, I know this isn't the first romantic comedy to spout that message but it's the first in a long time where it comes across so heavy-handedly).
Grade: D+

Short reviews of other movies I saw recently...

The Bucket List - Basically, it's cliched and predictable. However, whatever part of this movie that works only does so because of the likeability and charm of Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. It can be argued that Jack is becoming like Diane Keaton and only playing versions of himself at this point. However, when anyone talks shit about Jack, I like to evoke the 'Chinatown Clause' which pretty much states he was so magnificent in that movie (along with tons of others) that we are never allowed to say a bad word about him ever. I love you Jack!
Grade: C+

Death Sentence - Ah, Kevin Bacon. I love you, I really do, but homeboy needs to start picking some better films that really showcase his talent and not just his ability to kick major ass. The director behind Saw directs this near-disaster. I don't know why he thought shooting in stairwells and parking garages was a good idea. It makes everything feel a little claustrophobic to be honest. Bonus points for giving the great and underrated Matt O'Leary something to do!
Grade: D+

Films of 2007

Here, if anyone cares, is a complete list of the films I saw in 2007 (alphabetical by grade):

A+
Into the Wild
No Country For Old Men
There Will Be Blood

A
Alpha Dog
Atonement
Bug
Eastern Promises
Once

A-
Black Snake Moan
Gone Baby Gone
Grindhouse
Superbad
Waitress
Zodiac

B+
Away From Her
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon
Hotel Chevalier / The Darjeeling Limited
I'm Not There
Juno
Live Free or Die Hard
The Lookout
Puccini For Beginners
Sicko

B
2 Days in Paris
3:10 to Yuma
30 Days of Night
300
Descent
Disturbia
Enchanted
Evening
Fay Grim
Fracture
Hairspray
Hot Rod
In the Valley of Elah
Interview
Margot at the Wedding
Michael Clayton
Paris, je t'aime
Stardust

B-
American Gangster
Blades of Glory
Breach
Broken English
Dedication
Feast of Love
Freedom Writers
The Hoax
Hostel: Part II
I Am Legend
The Jane Austen Book Club
The Mist
No Reservations
Starter For Ten
Sunshine
The TV Set
Year of the Dog

C+
1408
The Bucket List
Gracie
The Hills Have Eyes II
The Hitcher
Hot Fuzz
Knocked Up
National Treasure: Book of Secrets
Pride
Saw IV
Sex and Breakfast
Smokin' Aces
Stomp the Yard
The Tripper
We Own the Night

C
In the Land of Women
Joshua
The Kingdom
Music and Lyrics
Rescue Dawn
Vacancy

C-
28 Weeks Later
Across the Universe
Becoming Jane
Catch and Release
The Heartbreak Kid
King of California
Shoot Em' Up

D+
A Mighty Heart
The Abandoned
The Brave One
Death Sentence
Factory Girl
The Game Plan
Hannibal Rising
Home of the Brave
I'm Reed Fish
La Vie En Rose
Lucky You
The Nanny Diaries
Ocean's Thirteen
Premonition
Reign Over Me
Shooter
Spiderman 3

D
The Astronaut Farmer
Because I Said So
The Brothers Solomon
Dead Silence
The Ex
Halloween
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
The Messengers
Mr. Brooks
Perfect Stranger
The Ten
Transformers
Wind Chill

D-
Blood and Chocolate
The Condemned
Evan Almighty
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Flight of the Living Dead
Ghost Rider
The Number 23
Primeval

F
Aliens Vs. Predator: Requiem
Captivity
Good Luck Chuck
I Know Who Killed Me
The Invisible
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Three

Best of 2007 - Ten (Fifteen) Best Films of 2007

Wow! 2007 was a great year for movies!! I tried my best to make this a top ten list. However, I just had to break down and extend it to fifteen (plus, there is a tie so I guess, technically, it's sixteen). I know there are a few strange choices on here but guess what? I love strange movies. So, here's my list...

15. Away From Her
What a lovely, beautiful, pleasure of a movie! Actress turned director Sarah Polley shows wonderful restraint and promise as a director. There are great supporting performances from Olympia Dukakis and Gordon Pinsent. Of course, it's the beautiful Julie Christie who steals the entire show. She's just breathless to watch. This film is a little bit tragic, a lot heartbreaking, but ultimately beautiful.

14. I'm Not There
This film is downright amazing. It's a vision in black and white and color and drenched with Bob Dylan music. The movie is like a dream, lots of random images and scenes that all are somehow cohesive in a way that is impossible to explain. The movie surely isn't for everyone but there wasn't a movie all year that was more unique, more stylish, more ballsy than I'm Not There. Cate Blanchett is perfection times ten.

13. TIE: Waitress and Juno
Two of the sweetest movies of the year - without being corny or cheesy in the least. Waitress is a little more romantic and old school. Juno is a little more hilarious and hipster cool. Both feature fantastic performances from young women - Keri Russell knocks it out of the park as a small town Southern waitress at a pie shop who gets pregnant and isn't so happy about it. Ellen Page is the titular Juno, a smart ass fast talking hilarious sixteen year old who finds herself with child. Both come to the perfect conclusions - neither of which are cheesy in the least. These movies don't settle. In the end, you can't resist their unique charm.

12. Superbad
Superbad is, for sure, the funniest movie of the year. The cast is perfect - Michael Cera (who had a GREAT year), Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse (no one will forget McLovin for a long time), Bill Hader and Seth Rogen. It's not the best directed film. It's not particularly ground-breaking or thought provoking or whatever. But, it is a cult classic. It's hilarious and enjoyable. It's bonafide bad ass.

11. Black Snake Moan
Craig Brewer was responsible for my absolute favorite movie of 2005 (Hustle and Flow - HOLLA!) but this year he just missed the top 10. Still, Black Snake Moan is terribly original and terribly interesting. Where else can you see Christina Ricci chained to a radiator for most of the movie wearing little more than a half shirt and a pair of undies? If that doesn't strike your interest, I'm not sure what else will. Ricci and Samuel L. Jackson are fearless in their roles. In an industry where everything is predictable, this movie is a breath of fresh air.

10. Zodiac
When this David Fincher helmed film is at its best, it's reminscent of The Silence of the Lambs and other classic thrillers. When it's at it's worst, it's still interesting, well acted, well directed and better than half the stuff that came out this year. Sure it's long but it's worth the journey. There's really not much that could have been cut from the story. So the long running time is justified (plus, I just love a good three hour + film). Zodiac is really the kind of movie that sticks with you. It has the perfect combination of police procedural and nerve-racking suspense.

09. Gone Baby Gone
Attention Ben Affleck - All is forgiven! I forgive you for all the brainless action films you've done. I forgive you for the whole JLo debacle. He's created a really solid, well done film with performances that are simply great. Ben's little brother Casey (who is a better actor - I've always liked him more anyway) stars and we more or less watch him grow up in front of our eyes. At the beginning, he's all baby faced and pure. By the end, he seems harder. Amy Ryan is, of course, getting all the praise and awards. I loved her performance - but really not THAT much. Still, this movie is emotional, heart wrenching, haunting and intense.

08. Grindhouse
Seeing Grindhouse in theaters was like attending an event. It wasn't just a movie. There was so much more to the experience. I hated that they released them seperately on DVD but whatever. Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez have created the perfect double feature. Rodriguez' Planet Terror is typical Rodriguez: Explosions and sex, tons of humor and men (and women) jumping over things while shooting multiple guns at bad guys. Rose McGowan has a machine gun for a leg!!! (Brilliant). But it's Marley Shelton and, especially, Freddy Rodriguez who steal the show with their ultra bad ass coolness! Planet Terror was my personal favorite of the two. However, Death Proof was great as well! Sure, the first half hour or so is completely indulgent. (And Tarantino is an IDIOT for deleting the lap dance scene with Vanessa Ferlito and Kurt Russell from the theatrical version). But once Tracie Thoms, Zoe Bell and Rosario Dawson take the screen, the movie becomes downright awesome. Even if you didn't see it in theaters, netflix both and watch it as a double feature!

07. Alpha Dog
There's a mood and energy that director Nick Cassavettes easily captures and portrays that makes this movie so far removed from any cliched studio product geared toward the teenybopper set. The film is honest and genuine and has a lot of unexpected heart and soul. To say these kids (a great young cast including Emile Hirsch, Ben Foster, Anton Yelchin, Justin Timberlake, Shawn Hatosy, Christopher Marquette etc) are stupid is a huge understatement. But that's the point. This is a story about a bunch of people who make one bad decision after another until it spirals so far out of control that these kids have no idea how to get out of the mess they created. It's really the kind of movie that sucks you in, entrances you and then hits you over the head with a baseball bat.

06. Bug
Bug is a slow-burning, calculating, deliberate movie that sets a steady pace and includes wonderful dialogue and performances from Ashley Judd and, especially, Michael Shannon. The final act is intense and creepy and really makes you think. This movie definitely isn't for everyone and it's hard to talk about without giving something away (which I refuse to do), but Bug is totally worth the crazy, tripped out journey.

05. Once
This film is honest and beautiful, spectacular and full of great, great music! It's really just a simply and lovely little film that is impossible, yes, IMPOSSIBLE to not love! It doesn't disappoint in any way, shape or form. Glen Hansard and Marketa Iraglova are ADORABLE, talented, lovely people. The movie is filmed beautifully and it's just a feel-good movie that is not mushy in any way. The comedic moments are realistic and relatable. It's not too sentimental but it is simply a great story about unconsummated love and a beautiful friendship.

04. Eastern Promises
David Cronenberg's work always makes you feel uncomfortable. It's that thin line between what is the necessary amount of violence and what is just a bit too much that he walks perfectly. Eastern Promises is subtle, almost subliminal, so you find yourself thinking about it months later without even realizing it. Cronenberg's storytelling technique is clinical, almost. Nothing in a Cronenberg film appears on-screen without a reason. He's the film equivalent to Hemingway - his stories are deceptively simple with an unflinching eye. They have a calm surface that hints at the labyrinth that rests beneath the surface. And Viggo Mortensen! My Lord. What a fantastic performance. He's a bad ass if there ever was one. That naked knife fight just seals the deal.

03. Atonement
Atonement is really a film that begins only after it ends. So, after you finish watching it, you sort of have to relive it all over again and replay everything to understand exactly what just happened. I'm not sure the storytelling is completely coherent (I had some minor problems with the ending) but it almost doesn't even matter. It's an epic, beautiful, well told love story. The music is fantastic (pianos and typewriters). The plot is so perfectly mapped out. The story is based on a perfect, masterpiece of a book and the script doesn't stray too far from that basic outline. The direction is great. The performances are all top notch - Knightley, the three Briony's, and, especially, James McAvoy. But, really, what makes this film, for me, is that 5 minute shot. That perfect, beautiful, mesmerizing, jaw dropping shot that roams and searches the Dunkirk beach. In those 5 minutes this film goes from being solid and great to becoming a masterpiece.

02. No Country For Old Men
Joel and Ethan Coen have crafted a masterpiece. It's almost more than a movie. It's more like art work. It's a beautiful and violent western drama. It's slow-moving and character driven. It's violent and bloody and absolutely beautiful. There's humor aplenty but it's tough and gritty, for sure. This is a thriller that doesn't skimp on the thrills. The three leads are all perfect - Josh Brolin, Tommy Lee Jones and Javier Bardem. Bardem steals every single second of the movie. He has created one of the best villains ever put on the screen and he gives the best performance of his career and of the year. His portrayal is one of unrelenting evil. There are moments in this film that are so perfect. The film as a whole, as well, is close to perfection. One of the two films I gave an A+ to this year.

01. Into the Wild
This was the other. It was difficult deciding between the two. Like No Country, Into the Wild is a beatuifully shot film with stunning performances (Emile Hirsch, Hal Holbrook, Catherine Keener). Like No Country, I call it a masterpiece. Unlike No Country, Into the Wild INSPIRES ME! This is the absolute rarest of films - it burrows into your soul. This is the kind of film that you just know will live with you forever. There is no forgetting this story, this film. The film is almost beyond words for me. There is almost too much beauty, too much tragedy, too much unexplainable perfection to try to capture in a paragraph or two of clumsy words. Hirsch's performance is so powerful and astonishing and all encompassing that I will be PISSED OFF if he isn't at least nominated for an Oscar. To look at him in his final few moments on screen is painful. This story is inspirational and the movie is perfection. Thank you, Sean Penn.

Worst of 2007 - Ten Worst Movies

10. The Number 23
Really, you should just go read my original review of this movie to see why I hate it so much. There is no fact or formula to anything written in the damn script. A mess if there ever was one.

09. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
This movie is just a great, big, giant bore of a movie. I wasn't interested in any aspect of it. The plot was stupid. The Silver Surfer shows up to destroy Earth and it's the Fantastic Four's job to stop them. The surfer was pretty cool... until it talked. Then it just became silly like the entire movie. The only good thing about the movie is Chris Evans shirtless. You could just google that...

08. Evan Almighty
This movie was not only not funny but also not entertaining in any way, shape or form. The only redeeming factors, for me, were Ed Helms and Jonah Hill who did their best to make the very lacking script work for them. Still, these two alone cannot save this tired, heavy-handed, preachy, down-right boring movie. Carell just completely loses all of his sparkle and charm in this movie. And what a way to underuse the absolutely brilliant Lauren Graham. Not even underuse. How can you underuse something that you don't use at all? She's relegated to playing the dumb wife, a secondary, non-descript background character. How can anyone who has seen her work on Gilmore Girls not give her more to work with? Everything was rushed, the dialogue was laughably bad and the humor just wasn't funny at all.

07. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
My mamma always told me, "If you don't have anything nice to say then don't say anything at all."

06. Good Luck Chuck
When you say to yourself, "Wow. This movie is a waste of Jessica Alba's talent," you know there is something wrong in the world. Some ideas are good and the execution is so bad that the movie becomes bad as well. This movie is just a bad idea. It's got bad execution, bad script, bad performances, bad EVERYTHING. I think I would find a root canal funnier and more entertaining than this movie. This movie is literally one of the worst romantic comedies I have ever seen. It is neither romantic nor funny in any remote way. Do yourself a favor and see any movie other than this. Even if the movie is not a comedy, it will still surely be funnier than Good Luck Chuck.

05. The Invisible
The absolute only good thing about this movie was the Death Cab song they played near the end. It is almost unbelievable to me that, in 2007, a film this horrendous could be released. If this movie was released in, say, 1985, I would probably have netflixed it and enjoyed it because it would have been one of those movies that are so bad they are good. But, you can't really have fun with movies that way these days because movies take themselves too seriously these days. In the 80s, there were movies that, I think, the filmmakers knew were bad. They were fun. I'm pretty positive that the people making this movie actually thought it was good! What were they thinking? The directing, the acting, the writing... it was all weak. The characters are especially stupid. You would think that the "dead guy" would realize after a while that he can scream and throw things all he wants but no one can see him or hear him! The Annie character could almost be considered interesting... until she pulls off her beanie cap and does some sort of interpretive dance at a rave club. Like, what the hell? I would only be impressed by this movie if I found out a non-English speaking 7-year-old wrote and directed it. Then I would only be impressed because of the decent sentence structure.

04. Three
Thr3e is actually ridiculous in the worst way possible. The plot has something to do with a serial killer called the Riddle Killer (rip off of saw number one) who tortures his victims by telling them riddles and then blowing stuff up. The characters are not developed in the least. The acting is atrocious. The person who wrote the script makes me very confident that I will be able to sell my script when I move to Hollywood because it seems they just take scripts from anybody who walks in off the street. The movie is practically the same thing over and over and over again: dude gets phone call, something blows up... dude gets phone call, something blows up. Here's the thing, every time something blows up... he acts shocked! You think you'd catch on after a while, yeah?

03. Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem
It's one thing to be gory and disgusting. It's another to be completely without any class or taste. Aliens Vs. Predator: Requiem falls into the latter category. I'm not exactly who thought making this lousy movie was a good idea in the first place. Anyway, a bunch of aliens crash a spaceship into their idyllic community and soon Predator is on the way to kill the aliens. These two battle it out and the aliens manage to kill just about everyone in the town in the process - which is a good thing since not one of them can act. This movie is just plain lousy and ridiculous - bad acting and worse dialogue. The plot is awful and most of the alien / predator fights are filmed in such dark lighting that you can barely tell what's happening. Here's hoping there is no Aliens Vs. Predator 3 in our future.

02. I Know Who Killed Me
Where to start when ripping this movie to shreds? Let's start broad: horrible acting, terrible script, bad camera work, ridiculous plot. Specifically: Lohan works at a strip club where numerous women are topless and yet she never takes her bra off (at one point she is even wearing a sheer bar with pasties ON THE TOP OF IT. Seriously). I mean, I could care less about seeing her naked (because, really, we've all seen it before, more or less), but if you are playing a stripper and you don't want to do nudity, you might at least have to imply nudity with some well placed hands or helpful camera angles. The twists in the movie are ridiculous. It takes every bad cliche about thrillers and uses them to the point where this whole big mess of a movie becomes comical. Characters come and go for no reason. Scenes cut away to some other random scene that doesn't really follow any sort of logical thinking. If you have half of a brain, you can probably predict the killer. The final thirty minutes are just plain hilarious! Laugh out loud funny, for sure! I don't think I laughed this much since Superbad. But, you know, Superbad is supposed to be funny.

01. Captivity
Elisha Cuthbert plays a model who is suddenly abducted from a club and thrown into a dungeon sort of room in the basement of a house in Jersey. She is supposedly tortured but the tortures are definitely not frightening. I mean, these people obviously watched Saw and Hostel, you think they could have at least ripped them off a little more and came up with something scarier. These supposed tortures border on comical when she's stuck in an hourglass type situation with sand falling on her. Sure the idea is cool but I could think of a million ways I'd rather torture the people who made this movie. But, hey, for being held captive for four days, the girl sure does get a lot of wardrobe changes so life can't really be all that bad, right? There is absolutely no character development at all. Actually Cuthbert's character (whose name I really don't care about) is sort of a brainless blonde bimbo type and there's really no reason at all to like her. She's stupid too. Her preferred way to try to escape from a car is to pound on the windows instead of trying the door handle. I cared more about her character's dog who may or may not have been shot then I did about her. Every "twist" these people cooked up was apparent at least an hour before it actually happened. Everything about this movie is just so contrived and fake. And there are so many mistakes in this movie that I wouldn't even begin to be able to count them all. This is, almost definitely, the single worst movie I have ever seen in my entire life.

Best of 2007 - Top 10 Best Performances

Javier Bardem in No Country For Old Men
I'm doing this list in alphabetical order to be fair. However, if I was going to start with the best performance of the year, Bardem would still be first. [Granted I haven't had the chance to see Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood.] Bardem gives a truly deliciously evil performance. He is a pleasure to watch. Every time he enters the scene, you are excited and sort of terrified to see what he'll do next. From the opening scene right up until his last, he's just simply perfect.

Cate Blanchett in I'm Not There
Again, I'm doing this alphabetically. Still, Cate would be second. She disappears into the character of Jude Quinn (Bob Dylan) and all the ticks and stutters. It's actually almost a little creepy to see this gorgeous Australian woman become a man and make it look so effortless. I'm not one of those people who are in love with everything Blanchett does. But I am in love with this performance.

Josh Brolin in No Country For Old Men
If Javier Bardem didn't steal this movie in every single way imaginable, you would definitely leave the theater talking about how great Brolin is. Brolin is essentially carrying the bulk of the film on his shoulders and he's more than up for the challenge. This year he's finally been given roles that let his talent shine through.

Julie Christie in Away From Her
Is it wrong to say that Christie's performance is just unforgettable? It's been months and months and everything about her performance is still burned firmly into my mind. Christie gives a performance even better than her Oscar winning role in Afterglow. She has the vibrancy of a young woman and is sexier than most women half her age. Her performance is perfect and I, for one, will be very disappointed if she loses the Oscar.

Emile Hirsch in Into the Wild
Hirsch's career is one I've been following for a while now. Watch films like Imaginary Heroes and The Mudge Boy and you'll see what a great actor he really is. Still, Into the Wild is the sort of movie that lets his real talent come out in full force. Hirsch has charm to spare and uses tha to help build this supertramp character who doesn't think he needs human contact for happiness. Plus, his final moments on screen are guaranteed to break your heart.

Tommy Lee Jones in No Country For Old Men and In the Valley of Elah
Jones is doing better work this year, at the age of 50-something, than ever before. His performances this year were both spot-on. His performance in In the Valley of Elah would fall to number three on this list if it was from very best to still great. What kills me most? He's not even getting a lot of attention for these great roles! Sure, he's not used a lot in No Country For Old Men and he's showed up a bit by Bardem who has the flashier role. But there's something to be said about restraint and reserve. There's something to say about being the strong, silent type. Jones is just doing better work now than ever before.

James McAvoy in Atonement
There's a lot of great women in this film but McAvoy steals the show. His performance is really a masterclass in the act of subtlety. He makes sure Robbie keeps his basic goodness and never resorts to histronics. There is a particular scene between Robbie and Briony as a teenager, that is just perfection.

Viggo Mortensen in Eastern Promises
I just have to respect and admire anyone who has the guts to film a scene that includes a naked knife fight. I mean, come on. He manages to make Nikolai both enigmatic and mesmerizing. He is seemingly rough and tough and yet we are somehow drawn to the goodness in him even as we are not quite sure we should be. It's a skillful and understated performance that quietly but effectively blows you away.

Ellen Page in Juno
I think it's safe to say this: Ellen Page is the best actress under 25 working today. First there was her acting masterclass of a performance in Hard Candy. Now with Juno she even bests that. She does something I think Diablo Cody should be grateful for: makes her highly / overly WRITTEN dialogue just flow and come off the page beautifully (which must have been a DIFFICULT challenge). Thanks to Page's perfection of a performance, it becomes almost impossible to not love this movie and especially the main character.

Michael Shannon in Bug
This movie is definitely not for everyone. Still, months and months later, it's Shannon's intense work that sticks so firmly in my mind. He takes this outlandish performance and is really just fearless. His chemistry with Ashley Judd (who slipped to number 11 on this list) is so intense that these two actors carry this film. Shannon, especially, is perfect and draws you in to this strange, psychological little story.

Best and Worst of 2007 - Performances and Moments

Best Actor
Viggo Mortensen in Eastern Promises

Best Actress
Julie Christie in Away From Her

Best Supporting Actor
Javier Bardem in No Country For Old Men

Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett in I'm Not There

Best Body of Work
Ben Foster in Alpha Dog, 3:10 to Yuma, 30 Days of Night

Best Death Scene
Zachary Knighton's body gets ripped in half in The Hitcher

Best Fight Scene
Viggo Mortensen's naked knife fight in a sauna in Eastern Promises

Best Action Scene
Maggie Q vs Bruce Willis includes punches, kicks and a car chase into an elevator shaft in Live Free or Die Hard

Best Movie Poster
Rose McGowan with a machine gun leg for Planet Terror

Best Quote
"I will take you down to hell with me!" - Ben Foster in Alpha Dog

Best Body Part
Nicolas Cage's abs in Ghost Rider

Best Opening Scene
A perfect introduction to the evil of Javier Bardem's character in No Country For Old Men

Best Ending
TIE - Gun shots in the mist / someone survives / everything changes in The Mist ... and No Country For Old Men... just ends.

Best Male Performance in a Bad Movie
Shia LaBeouf in Transformers

Best Female Performance in a Bad Movie
Laura Linney in The Nanny Diaries

Best Line Reading
"I thought I was good looking." -Joseph Gordon-Levitt tries to pick up girls in The Lookout

Best Musical Moment in a Non-Musical Film
Michael Cera sings These Eyes to a bunch of coke heads in Superbad

Best Musical Moment in a Musical Film
"Falling Slowly" performed in the piano shop by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova in Once

Best Scene Stealer
Marcia Gay Harden in The Mist

Best Bad Ass - Male
Freddy Rodriguez in Planet Terror

Best Bad Ass - Female
Zoe Bell, Rosario Dawson, Tracie Thoms in Death Proof

Best Car Chase
The last 20 minutes of Death Proof

Best On-Screen Chemistry
Ashley Judd and Michael Shannon in Bug

Best Horror Movie Trend
Mass murder via helicopter blades in Planet Terror and 28 Weeks Later

Best Opening Credits
The retro dance sequence opening of Superbad

Best End Credits
The credits of Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon ("He's just a man..." or is he? All set to Psycho Killer by The Talking Heads)

Best Hero
Bruce Willis in Live Free or Die Hard

Best Kiss
Viggo Mortensen and Naomi Watts in Eastern Promises

Best Love Scene
Keira Knightley and James McAvoy get it on against some bookshelves in a library in Atonement

Best Casting
Robert Englund takes on the Doctor Loomis-esque role in Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

Best Cameo
Bill Murray in The Darjeeling Limited

Best Villain
Javier Bardem in No Country For Old Men

Best Unconsummated Romance
Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova in Once

Best Prop
Juno's hamburger phone in Juno

Best Single Shot
The roaming, beautiful 4.5 minute shot through the Dunkirk beach in Atonement

Best Single Scene
The convenience store scene in No Country For Old Men

Best Horror Film
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

Best Comedy
Superbad

Best Romantic Comedy
Waitress

Best Action Film
Live Free or Die Hard

Best Remake
3:10 to Yuma

Best Short Film
Hotel Chevalier


Worst Actor
Justin Chatwin in The Invisibe

Worst Actress
Elisha Cuthbert in Captivity [NOTE: I am giving Lindsey Lohan a bi here because I'm pretty sure she was so drugged up while making I Know Who Killed Me and I don't think Elisha can use the same excuse. Frankly, I'm surprised Lindsey could stand up straight.]

Worst Supporting Actor
John Turturro in Transformers

Worst Supporting Actress
Scout Taylor-Compton in Halloween

Worst Chemistry
Brooke Langton and Dominic Purcell in Primeval

Worst Plot
Killer dolls come to life in Dead Silence

Worst Mother
Marley Shelton gives her 5 year old a gun in Planet Terror

Worst Sequel
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

Worst Dance Sequence
Tobey Maguire imitates John Travolta in Spiderman 3

Worst Plot Sequence
Johnny Depp has hallucinations in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

Most Overrated
Knocked Up

Worst Way to Waste a Whole Lot of Money (yours, mine and the studios)
Every single thing about Evan Almighty

Worst Way to Waste the Talents of Jonah Hill, Ed Helms and Lauren Graham
Not writing them a single funny piece of dialogue in Evan Almighty

Worst Way for Matt Damon to Prove He's Funnier Than Brad Pitt and George Clooney
By appearing in the convoluted mess known as Ocean's 13

Worst Overindulgence
The first half hour of Death Proof

Worst Decision
Quentin Tarantino decided to cut the lap dance from the theatrical version of Death Proof

Worst Chemistry From Two Very, Very HOT People
Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans in The Nanny Diaries

Worst Casting
Casting a 7 foot tall wrestler / amazon warrior / superhuman as Michael Meyers in Halloween

Worst Homage to Jamie Lee Curtis
Scout Taylor-Compton destroys the role of Laurie in Halloween

Biggest Disappointment
Across the Universe

Worst Ending
The Brave One

Worst Car Chase
The terrible editing of the London car chase in National Treasure: Book of Secrets

Worst Cameo
Rainn Wilson in Juno

Worst Character
Olivia Thirbly as Leah in Juno

Worst Horror Movie
Aliens Vs. Predator: Requiem

Worst Comedy
Evan Almighty

Worst Romantic Comedy
Good Luck Chuck

Worst Action Film
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

Worst Remake
Halloween


Tomorrow: 10 Best Performances of the Year!

Best and Worst of 2007 - Acting Nominees

Best Actor
Emile Hirsch in Into the Wild
Tommy Lee Jones in In the Valley of Elah
James McAvoy in Atonement
Viggo Mortensen in Eastern Promises
Michael Shannon in Bug
Honorable Mention: Casey Affleck in Gone Baby Gone, Christian Bale in Rescue Dawn, Josh Brolin in No Country For Old Men, George Clooney in Michael Clayton, Gordon Pinsent in Away From Her.

Best Actress
Amy Adams in Enchanted
Julie Christie in Away From Her
Ashley Judd in Bug
Ellen Page in Juno
Christina Ricci in Black Snake Moan
Honorable Mention: Jodie Foster in The Brave One, Keira Knightley in Atonement, Sienna Miller in Interview, Keri Russell in Waitress, Molly Shannon in Year of the Dog.

Best Supporting Actor
Javier Bardem in No Country For Old Men
Ben Foster in Alpha Dog
Hal Holbrook in Into the Wild
Tommy Lee Jones in No Country For Old Men
Tom Wilkinson in Michael Clayton
Honorable Mention: Michael Cera in Juno, Jeff Daniels in The Lookout, Andy Griffith in Waitress, James Marsden in Enchanted, Steve Zahn in Rescue Dawn.

Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett in I'm Not There
Romola Garai in Atonement
Kelly MacDonald in No Country For Old Men
Amy Ryan in Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton in Michael Clayton
Honorable Mention: Jennifer Garner in Juno, Marcia Gay Harden in The Mist, Catherine Keener in Into the Wild, Vanessa Redgrave in Atonement, Saoirse Ronan in Atonement.


Worst Actor
Nicolas Cage in Ghost Rider
Justin Chatwin in The Invisible
Dane Cook in Good Luck Chuck
Daniel Gillies in Captivity
Ryan Kwanten in Dead Silence

Worst Actress
Jessica Alba in Good Luck Chuck
Halle Berry in Perfect Stranger
Elisha Cuthbert in Captivity
Claire Danes in Stardust
Lindsey Lohan in I Know Who Killed Me

Worst Supporting Actor
Laurence Fishburn in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (voice only)
Dan Fogler in Good Luck Chuck
Danny Glover in Shooter
Christopher Marquette in The Invisible
John Turturro in Transformers

Worst Supporting Actress
Jessica Alba in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Eva Mendes in Ghost Rider
Julia Ormond in I Know Who Killed Me
Scout Taylor-Compton in Halloween
Amber Valletta in Dead Silence


Coming Tomorrow: Best and Worst Single Performances and Moments!

Juno, Atonement

Juno - The first 15 minutes or so of Juno are actually quite atrocious. I was almost ready to walk out of the theater, to be honest. Rainn Wilson, in a small cameo role, gives the most ridiculous performance saying the most ridiculous words. Olivia Thirbly as Juno's cheerleader best friend (I'm sorry but why would Juno be best friends with a cheerleader?) is quite possibly the most annoying character ever written in the history of movies. (No, no. There's that annoying guy in a wheelchair in Texas Chainsaw Massacre...). But, she's still uber annoying. Honest to blog. (Shoot me now!). Then there is the ultra hipster language. Screenwriter Diablo Cody has not seemingly written a cool movie. She is trying her absolute hardest to be perceived as cool. And the dialogue is a bit much at first. After 15 minutes, I thought I might be the only person on the planet who disliked Juno. Everyone seems to love it. But it was beginning to look like maybe I was on a different plain than everyone else. Maybe it was like a secret that only I understood. I was the only person in the planet smart enough to not fall under Juno's little spell. But guess what? All the kinks in the movie work themselves out and the other hour and fifteen minutes are hilarious, sweet and just plain great. (Although, I still could have done without the creepy Jason Bateman story line... but whatever). Juno is hilarious. Ellen Page is just perfect. The reason the movie suceeds is mostly because she works magic with the sometimes insane dialogue she is forced to say. But Page makes it work. She should be nominated for an Oscar, hands down. (Right now she is my runner up to win as well... after Julie Christie, of course). Michael Cera makes the world go round. He's responsible for all that is good and pure in the world. I just adore him. He is the teen king of the awkward pause. The best and funniest comic actor of his generation, bar none. Jason Bateman is hilarious as well although, again, he's too bogged down in a weird story line. Still, I love Jason Bateman and so I don't blame him. (I blame Diablo Cody who's script I most certainly did NOT love... although the great actors make it work). Jennifer Garner gives a shockingly beautiful performance. It wouldn't be upset if she somehow slipped into the Best Supporting Actress race (although I doubt it). She's seriously great in this movie. J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney should officially be in every movie. That's how pleasurable it is to watch them. The ending is just perfect as well. It's sweet but not cheesy or corny in the least. So, in the end, Juno is every bit as funny and loveable as everyone says it it. It's definitely worth checking out.

Grade: B+

Atonement - There is a scene in Atonement in which the movie goes from being solid and good to becoming a beautiful masterpiece. It is a single shot - no cuts, no edits - that lasts about 5 minutes and follows solider Robbie Turner (James McAvoy) and his two cohorts across a beach full of soldiers and ships and horses and amusement rides. It entertwines between the three and shows the desperation and hopefulness of the scene. More importantly, it shows that this movie is just simply wonderful. It is a love story of the most epic variety. It starts at a very rich house where a young Briony (Saoirse Ronan) reads a letter and sees something between her older sister Cecilia (Keira Knightley) and Robbie that she doesn't quite understand. She think she does, but she doesn't. She soon tells a lie that completely devastates the lives of all around her. Robbie gets sent to jail and eventually war. Cecilia spends her time as a sort of frozen version of herself, sad and angry. Four years later, Briony (now played by Romola Garai) is busy nursing wounded soldiers instead of serving her time at Oxford to be the writer she was always meant to be. It's her way of repentence. (There is a particularly telling scene with a dying French soldier who is so delirious, he insists that he knows her and she lies again. This time to comfort him.) Years and years later, Briony grows up to be a successful writer (this time Vanessa Redgrave steps in to do fill the role) and who still regrets the lies she tells. I'm not sure the ending is cohesive with the feel of the rest of the movie (I don't want to ruin anything but I will say that it probably works better on the page than the screen). But, except for the odd-feeling ending, Atonement is a masterpiece of filmmaking. It has exceptionally beautiful shots (like the one mentioned before, James McAvoy trekking through a field of red flowers, McAvoy stopping suddenly as the camera pulls back to reveal rows and rows of dead bodies). The images are like artwork, unforgettable and beautiful in its sadness. Is the movie depressing? Absolutely and I wouldn't have it any other way. I've only read about a third of the book so far (ha!) but as far as I can tell the adaptation is just excellent. Then there is the acting. It's just amazing. Knightley is an odd actress. She comes across wooden and frigid in movies like Pirates of the Caribbean. She proved she can really act in Pride and Prejudice and here she even bests that performance. The Briony's are all superb. It's almost difficult to pick a best Briony. The character is vital and so well written and so central to the story. Ronan is a young actress who delivers a performance that is chilling and brilliant. Redgrave is superb even if she only has about 5 minutes of screentime. My personal favorite Briony performance came from Garai. I found it interesting to see the characters transformation from lively, lying young woman to regretful, silent teenager. It may not be as memorable as Ronan's performance (her performance is crucial to the plot development) but I personally find it more effective. Then there is the single stand out of the film. James McAvoy is just excellent. I'm not just saying that because I love him and because his sadly overlooked performance in The Last King of Scotland still sticks firmly in my mind. His performance here is breathtaking. His performance on the beach in Dunkirk is riveting - and he doesn't even have any lines! His character is restrained yet passionate. The scene at Cecilia's flat between Robbie and Briony (Garai) is simply Oscar worthy. McAvoy succeeds in his making his character unambiguously heroic. He conveys his character's basic decency, achieving the difficult task of making him good without making him dull. It's the perfect blend and a simply wonderful performance. Overall, Atonement is just plain wonderful - the script, the storyline, the direction, the cinematography, the score (pianos mixed with the sound of a typewriter) and especially all of those performances.

Grade: A

Coming This Week - Best and Worst Performances, Moments, and Movies!