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.

Grindhouse

Grindhouse is a throw back to seventies exploitation films with a back to back premise and as much violence and gore as you can stomach. These two films, Robert Rodriguez' Planet Terror and Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof, together give you 3 hours of action packed fun. The two directors have updated the sleazy grindhouse movie experience and bring it to a new generation. Rodriguez and Tarantino are easily the two hardest working and most innovative directors in Hollywood. They compliment each other well and you can tell they are having the time of their lives making these films (which shines through in most films they make).

First we are presented with a mock trailer for a movie called Machete which stars Danny Trejo. This was supposed to be one of the four fake trailers but rumor has it they are actually making it into a movie. Maybe they'll do the same with Thanksgiving. Planet Terror opens with Rose McGowan doing a sexy dance set to the wonderful theme music written by Rodriguez. Planet Terror is a gross out zombie flick that has appropriate amounts of gore and guts. If you like Rodriguez, then you'll love this movie. It's typical Rodriguez: explosions and sex, tons of humor and men (and women) jumping over things while shooting two guns at bad guys. This movie is pure fun, fun, fun. No one does action quite like Rodriguez. Much ado has been made about Rose McGowan's go-go dancer character and her machine gun leg. My one tiny little problem with the movie is that what you see in the previews of the machine gun is pretty much all there is of the machine gun leg. But that doesn't even matter because she's not the coolest character in the movie. That prize goes to Freddy Rodriguez and his wonderful El Wray, a guy who never misses with a gun and who kills people with ease and style. Marley Shelton also adds to the fun as a slightly crazy and kooky doctor who is terrified of her doctor husband (Josh Brolin) and for good reason. Oh! And don't miss Robert Rodriguez' son who has a small part and ends up getting his head blown off. Best. Dad. Ever.

Planet Terror is typical Rodriguez and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that at all. The thing Grindhouse proved to me (and I have been debating this with myself for months) is that Rodriguez is the better director in this match up. Planet Terror is endlessly entertaining. You'll spend the hour and a half running time laughing hysterically, being grossed out and engrossed in the constant action and hijinx. While Planet Terror is typical Rodriguez, Death Proof is typical Tarantino. And again, there's nothing wrong with that... except for the fact that it follows Planet Terror. After you've sat through all the fun and action of Planet Terror (and three more faux trailers including one for Thanksgiving which would be the coolest movie ever if Eli Roth actually made it), you go into Death Proof which is typical Tarantino: lots of talking followed by some action, followed by more talking, followed by the coolest car chase scene ever. There's nothing wrong with the fact that it's a typical talky Tarantino flick except that it all seems sort of dull after Planet Terror. Still, the dialogue is rich and wonderful (as you would expect from Tarantino) and most of the girls he employs kick ass (Vanessa Ferlito, Rose McGowan again, Rosario Dawson, Zoe Bell and Tracie Thoms are stand outs). Of course there's Kurt Russell as the crazy Stuntman Mike. He's wonderful and easily the best part about the film (although Freddy Rodriguez' character in Planet Terror is still cooler). Death Proof is a little on the dull side... until the last 20 minutes or so. The finale brings it all home. I don't want to spoil anything but it involves Zoe Bell (who did Uma Thurman's stunt work in the Kill Bill movies) being crazy awesome and a huge elaborate car chase scene that is unlike anything you've seen in recent movie history. It even trumps some of the greatest car chases in movie history (and, being that I go to the movies with my Dad a lot and I grew up liking boy movies, I've seen my fair share of car chases).

Both movies are well executed, well scored, well written and well delivered. The extra fake trailers add to the ambience and the wonderful camoes are icing on the cake. Grindhouse is surely the most fun experience you'll have at the movies all year long.

Planet Terror - A
Death Proof - B
Grindhouse - A-

10 Best Rodriguez/Tarantino Movies

In anticipation of Friday's release of the Robert Rodriguez / Quentin Tarantino double feature Grindhouse, here is my personal list of the top 10 films by the directors. While Tarantino is infinitely more popular, keep in mind that I personally prefer Rodriguez in all of his infinite coolness.

10. The Faculty (1998) - This film could easily have been a typical high school slasher flick. It could have been... except Robert Rodriguez is endlessly entertaining and consistently makes entertaining films. Instead of his ususal formula of large guns and spectacular stunt choreography, Rodriguez makes a classy ensemble picture with awesome special effects. Like all of his films, The Faculty never loses its sense of humor and pulls off its own absurdity with artful visualization and a tight, driving pace.

09. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) - One thing is for sure: Quentin Tarantino loves movies. This movie showcases his love for the 70s over-dramatized Kung-Fu movie era and the story of revenge with rich dialogue. Tarantino may be (very) extreme but in the loveliest way (and he isn't the one who wrote a character with a machine gun for Grindhouse). People expect Tarantino to present a mind-blowing, adrenaline-pumping film and that's what he always, always delivers.

08. Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) - Complex script? Sure. But who cares? There are action sequences in this film that will blow your mind. As the third part of Rodriguez' Mexico trilogy, it's not stale or tired in the list. Rodriguez has impeccable style. It's just not a Robert Rodriguez movie until someone jumps off a Church balcony shooting two guns! Plus, with the Johnny Depp character, you could see what was to come with the machine gun leg character. His character had no eyes for the last act, for god's sake. Brilliant!

07. Pulp Fiction (1994) - I won't argue that Pulp Fiction is brilliant and probably Tarantino's best project. Still, it's not my favorite and so don't argue with me about it's ranking seventh. I always got the feeling that Tarantino put into this film whatever struck his fancy at the time. It's not a totally cohesive film but it's still wonderfully textured enough that it doesn't really matter. This film is so intricately structured, with so many astonishing details. It really has all the characteristics we associate with great movies: fine writing, first rate acting, unforgettable characters, one of the most well-constructed narratives in years. Wonderful movie, for sure. Just not my favorite.

06. Desperado (1995) - The second part of Rodriguez' Mexico trilogy, it was the first with a budget to speak of and Rodriguez used it to build a wonderful roller coaster of a film. He takes all the best elements of El Mariachi and expands them to new levels. He is simply a genius behind the camera - giving the audience the right amount of action, drama, and comedy. He gives us a deeply rooted character hell bent on destroying a drug lord, but lets imagination run wild with cartoonish action sequences. The scenes of men flying through the air after being shot are somewhat comical, yet completely Rodriguez. Time and time and time again he successfully creates a world that is uniquely and entirely his own.

05. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004) - It will probably always be a debate about which volume of Kill Bill is better. Let's end it right here: David Carradine doesn't even appear in Volume 1. This is a departure from Volume 1 based solely on tone and style. He pulls back and lets the plot breathe, rather than filling every second with a homage-cum-parody that maybe a dozen lucky fans will even get. Throughout Volume 2, the emphasis is on storytelling and Tarantino is one hell of a storyteller when he wants to be. Volume 1 is great for what it is but its flash and action are no match for the depth and nuance of Volume 2.

04. Sin City (2005) - Some people give Rodriguez a hard time for his taking such total control of his films. I heard someone reference his editing and cinematography of Once Upon a Time in Mexico to a hack job. Whatever, man. This movie has seamless editing, cinematography and directing from Rodriguez. This is what you associate with Rodriguez: smart, stylish, sexy and sick. It's violent and funny... sometimes at the same time. This is the kind of visually stunning storytelling that filmmakers will strive to duplicate for years to come.

03. El Mariachi (1992) - Robert Rodriguez made this movie, his debut, for $7,000. And it's one of the most enjoyable action movies of the last few decades. Time and time again, Rodriguez proves that creativity and imagination beat million dollar budgets every time. He takes every resource he can and rebuilds the classic concept of mistaken identity. With the fast-framed photography and interesting choice of camera angles, he takes a straightforward story and builds a legend.

02. Reservoir Dogs (1992) - I don't even know where to start. It's Tarantino's first and his best. Even in his first film, this is a stylish film full of cool dialogue, cinematography, editing and music. The whole story comes together perfectly. The plot is excellently written and told. I seriously couldn't think of better casting in a movie ever. (Mr. Blonde is the most believable total psycho in recent film). All of his visceral film-making ingredients are here - suit and tie baddies argue regulary in expletive-laden conversations with sudden outbursts of violence in between. Even in the resulting bloody mess of gunshot wounds and mutilation, they still have to keep talking. It's pretty much - talk, shoot, talk, kill, talk, shoot. This kind of existence becomes an art form in Tarantino's hands.

01. From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) - Quentin Tarantino writes the script (and acts but we just won't talk about that) and Robert Rodriguez directs the movie... sounds pretty perfect to me! Foul-mouthed, hot tempered criminals and sexy strippers in a phenomenally seedy and sleazy bar (called The Titty Twister, of course) full of vampires. The excesses of this movie are probably too much for conservative folk, this is action-packed and spectacularly gory the way you would expect a Tarantino or Rodriguez movie to be. It's like being in an intense and gruesome haunted house ride. What sets Rodriguez apart from every other filmmaker (Tarantino included) is that his films always look like he's having a great time. His lack of pretensions and his dedication to film seems to transmit the fun he has making movies to the audience. The other thing about Rodriguez is that he is always just plain cool. Everything he does is cool. He even makes the undead look cool. From Dusk Till Dawn is one big bloody action extravaganza.