The Best Films & Filmmakers of 2007

ijaffery

ijaffery

2007 will go down as the year American cinema stormed back to the fore. As foreign films saw a steep decline in quality, getting mired in commercial fare and artistic misfires (particularly in the world of Asian cinema), Hollywood finally dragged its seat back to the table and served cinema a hearty meal the likes of which hasn't been seen since perhaps 1999. Titans like Burton, the Coens, PTA, Cronenberg, and Lumet flexed their muscles in shining displays of cinematic excellence. The art of the big performance made a comeback reminding us all of the raging '70's when actors were ACTORS and not just subtle conjurers of the human condition. Tarantino and Rodriguaz brought us to the Grindhouse in all of its glory (and non-mass-audience appeal). Fresh voices from every corner of the world stood up and said me too. Rarely have we had the pleasure of such a wide array of quality cinema. Of course not all was right with the world. Masters like Wong Kar-Wai, Wes Anderson, Ridley Scott, and Danny Boyle missed the gravy train with middling efforts at best. But one can't complain when the highs of 2007 far outweighed the lows! On to the big list...

Top 15 Films of 2007 (in alphabetical order)
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
Eastern Promises
Grindhouse
Hot Fuzz
I’m Not There
Lust, Caution
No Country For Old Men
Once
Ploy
Secret Sunshine
Sweeney Todd
There Will Be Blood
This World of Ours
Zodiac

Winner: No Country For Old Men
Why: There were only two contenders in my mind for the very best film of 2007: No Country For Old Men and There Will Be Blood. Such is my admiration for each that I even contemplated just calling it a tie. What finally tipped the scale towards the Coens' masterpiece was the audacity of its narrative. The brothers C took some big chances in telling this tale, especially a climax that is about as unconventional as they get. There Will Be Blood is no doubt a masterpiece in its own right, but No Country just had that little something extra. Having said that, I could easily change my mind tomorrow.

Best Director
Todd Haynes, I’m Not There
Joel & Ethan Coen, No Country For Old Men
Tim Burton, Sweeney Todd
Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood
David Fincher, Zodiac

Winner: Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood
Why: Five strong contenders, all with career defining efforts. Todd Haynes took on the most difficult subject in the mercurial Bob Dylan, crafting a film the is pure art. Fincher continues to evolve as a provocateur of the dark edges of humanity without compromise. Burton found the perfect story for his macabre sensibilities in easily his most affective film in years. The Coen brothers continue to prove they are perhaps the best filmmakers alive anywhere (and maybe anytime). Anderson, however, trumped them all by completely redefining himself as a filmmaker. Gone is his Altman fetishism that has informed his sprawling multi-character epics. With Blood PTA took on the giants of 20th century cinema: Huston, Leone, Ford, Welles, Kubrick - and had the audacity to say me too. That takes serious balls and boy does he deliver!


The Performances:

Best Actor
Sam Riley, Control
Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises
Christian Bale, Rescue Dawn
Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood

Winner: Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
Why: There were four great performances and then there was Daniel-Day Lewis.

Best Actress
Julie Christie, Away From Her
Marion Cotillard, La Vie En Rose
Ellen Page, Juno
Wei Tang, Lust, Caution
Do-yeon Jeon, Secret Sunshine

Winner: Do-yeon Jeon, Secret Sunshine
Why: This really wasn't even close for me. Do-yeon Jeon delivered the most emotionally devastating performance of the year and one of the great female performances since...Lee's last film Oasis. That she took home the best actress award at Cannes is no surprise - there is no equal.

Best Supporting Actor
Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson’s War
Javier Bardem, No Country For Old Men
Paul Dano, There Will Be Blood
Robert Downey Jr., Zodiac

Winner: Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Why: Bardem would have been the easy choice here, his Anton Chigurh already reaching an iconic status with cinephiles the world over. When it came down to it, I simply couldn't shake the younger Affleck's eerie performance as the wretched Robert Ford. I expect greatness from Bardem, but I doubt anyone expected Casey Affleck to reach such heights. The way he straddles the line between villan and tragic hero had me mesmerized from beginning to end.

Best Supporting Actress
Saoirse Ronan, Atonement
Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone
Cate Blanchett, I’m Not There
Kelly Macdonald, No Country For Old Men
Helena Bonham Carter, Sweeney Todd

Winner: Cate Blanchett, I’m Not There
Why: No contest - Blanchett had my vote from the very first frame. I do want to highlight Kelly Macdonald's performance as Carla Jean Moss in No Country For Old Men. Her name gets lost amongst giants like Brolin, Bardem, and Jones but she was a revelation.


The Scribes:

Best Original Screenplay
Kelly Masterson, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
Steven Knight, Eastern Promises
Edgar Wright & Simon Pegg, Hot Fuzz
Diablo Cody, Juno
Chang-dong Lee, Secret Sunshine

Winner: Chang-dong Lee, Secret Sunshine
Why: An eclectic mix indeed. 2007 was the year of the adaptation which led to some interesting choices here. Diablo Cody has major heat right now and while I thought she did excellent work here, the dialogue was a bit too unnatural for me. Chang-dong Lee took on some really tough issues with his Secret Sunshine, primarily religion and the complex dynamics or faith. The film never goes in the expected direction and is filled with ideas without being pretentious or preachy.

Best Adapted Screenplay
Andrew Dominik, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
James Schamus & Hui-Ling Wang, Lust, Caution
Joel & Ethan Coen, No Country For Old Men
Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood
James Vanderbilt, Zodiac

Winner: Joel & Ethan Coen, No Country For Old Men
Why: There Will Be Blood almost has no resemblance to the novel which it is based so adaptation hardly describes PTA script (which is great). The Coens truly captured McCarthy's unique literary voice and translated it faithfully to the screen. Not to mention it has easily the best dialogue of any film this year.


The Technicians:

Best Cinematography
Roger Deakins, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Roger Deakins, No Country For Old Men
Dariusa Wolski, Sweeney Todd
Robert Elswit, There Will Be Blood
Harris Savides, Zodiac

Winner: Roger Deakins, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Why: He shot two of the best films of the year. Could it be anyone else?

Best Editing
Paul Tothill, Atonement
Tom Swartwout, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
Jay Rabinowitz, I’m Not There
Roderick Jaynes, No Country For Old Men
Angus Wall, Zodiac

Winner: Jay Rabinowitz, I’m Not There
Why: The movie was truly made in the editing room.

Best Sound
No Country For Old Men
Sunshine
Sweeney Todd
There Will Be Blood
Zodiac

Winner: No Country For Old Men
Why: By boldly deciding not to have a score in the film, the Coens took on the challenge of creating mood with natural sound alone...bravo.

Best Costume Design
Atonement
Sakuran
Stardust
Sweeney Todd
The Warlords

Winner: Sweeney Todd

Best Special Effects
300
Big Man Japan
Sunshine
Sweeney Todd
Zodiac

Winner: 300
Why: Quite a strange mix of films indeed. 300 was the obvious choice, but I have a real soft spot for the unique imagery in Big Man Japan.

Best Art Direction
300
Across the Universe
Sakuran
Stardust
Sweeney Todd

Winner: Sweeney Todd

Best Production Design
I Am Legend
Lust, Caution
Sweeney Todd
There Will Be Blood
Zodiac

Winner: There Will Be Blood

Best Make-Up
La Vie En Rose
Sakuran
Sweeney Todd

Winner: La Vie En Rose
Why: Marion Cotillard is an attractive woman...Edith Piaf is not.


The Tunes:

Best Score
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Dario Marianelli, Atonement
Alexandre Desplat, Lust, Caution
John Murphy, Sunshine
Jonny Greenwood, There Will Be Blood

Winner: Nick Cave & Warren Ellis, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Why: These are some incredible scores which made the decision very difficult. It ultimately came down to Nick Cave/Warren Ellis and Jonny Greenwood. The score for There Will Be Blood is the most ambitious of the lot and perhaps the best constructed. I just couldn't get the themes Cave & Ellis created for Jesse James out of my head and that made the difference.

Best Soundtrack
Black Snake Moan
Control
The Darjeeling Limited
Death Proof
Hot Fuzz
I’m Not There
My Blueberry Nights
Once
Sweeney Todd
Zodiac

Winner: Once
Why: See the film and you'll know why.


The Genres:

Best Foreign Film
Lust, Caution, Taiwan
Once, Ireland
Ploy, Thailand
Secret Sunshine, South Korea
This World of Ours, Japan

Winner: Secret Sunshine
Why: Did I mention how great this movie is?

Best Animated Feature
5 Centimeters Per Second
Beowulf
Persepolis
Ratatouille
Tekkon Kinkreet

Winner: Persepolis
Why: All very different films. Persepolis had the most unique look and a surprising mature story.

Best Comedy
Hot Fuzz
The Insects Unlisted in the Encyclopedia
Juno
Knocked Up
Superbad

Winner: Hot Fuzz
Why: Sure this was the year of Apatow & Co. and Juno is all the rage, but give me the Wright/Pegg/Frost team any day!

Best Documentary
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
No End in Sight
Sicko

Winner: Sicko
Why: I'm shocked at how this film has been dismissed. All of the problems most have with Moore's films are absent from Sicko, presenting a surprisingly even-handed dissection of health care in America and the politics that are effectively killing thousands.

Best Short Film
Key to Reserva, Martin Scorsese
One Fine Day, Takeshi Kitano
There is Only One Sun, Wong Kar-Wai

Winner: One Fine Day
Why: Three great filmmakers...Kitano's film just tickles me!

Best Action Sequence
Last Stand, 300
Bourne vs. Desh, The Bourne Ultimatum
Bath House Fight, Eastern Promises
Lleweyln Moss Meets Anton Chigurh, No Country For Old Men
Special Delivery, Shoot ‘Em Up

Winner: Bourne vs. Desh, The Bourne Ultimatum

The David Lynch “Bat-shit Crazy” Award
Ex Drummer
Glory to the Filmmaker!
The Insects Unlisted in the Encyclopedia
The Ten
You, The Living

Winner: Ex Drummer
Why: Flemmish metal bands. Ultra-violence. A guy walking on ceilings. Rape. Extreme anti-social behavior. Hardcore Porn. 15 inches of manhood. Why not?


Last and Certainly Least...

Biggest Disappointments
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
American Gangster
Blood Brothers (Tian Tang Kou)
The Darjeeling Limited
Dororo
Mongol
My Blueberry Nights
Smokin’ Aces
Sunshine
Triangle

Why: These are 10 movies that are good but could have been so much more. I either had higher expectations of the filmmakers (Kar-Wai, Anderson, Scott, Boyle) or the premise. Consider these films that had every reason to be great yet failed. At least for me.

The Worst Films of 2007
The Bucket List
Freesia: Icy Tears
Halloween
I Am Legend
Lions For Lambs
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
Redacted
Spiderman 3
Transformers
Whispers and Moans

Why: My criteria for the worst films is a bit different than most. Since I don't bother seeing the Norbits of the world I'm there were far worse movies than some of the films I've listed here. These films are either outright bad or unforgivably flawed.
 
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Given my proclivity for Asian cinema, here are some breakdowns of what I thought were the region’s best from 2007 (by country):

Best of Japan
5 Centimeters Per Second (Byosoku 5 Senchimetoru)
A Gentle Breeze in the Village (Tennen Kokekko)
Big Man Japan (Dai-Nipponjin)
Glory to the Filmmaker!! (Kantonku Banzai!)
The Graduates (Lemon no Koro)
How to Become Myself (Ashita no Watashi no Tsukurikata)
The Insects Unlisted in the Encyclopedia (Zukan ni Nottenai Mushi)
Sakuran
Tekkon Kinkreet
Talk, Talk, Talk (Shaberdomo Shaberdomo)
This World of Ours (Oretachi no Sekai)

Best of South Korea
Breath
The Railroad
Secret Sunshine (Milyang)

Best of China / Taiwan / Hong Kong
Getting Home (Luo Ye Gui Gen)
Lost in Beijing (Ping Guo)
Lust, Caution (Se, Jie)
The Warlords (Tau Ming Chong)

Best of Thailand
Alone
Ploy
 
biggest flaw in the awards for indie talk

i would say that THE biggest mistake that was made for indie talk is the fact that you said that american gangster was the biggest disappointment of 2007: NOT RIGHT!!

american gangster is an american classic in film and in film making. it's gritty, real and one of the last great true stories to be produced and made well for film.

easily.

if you said that american gangster was anything other than great AND you are a film site, then you need to do some more research, and go to film school, no offense.

and it's ridley scott, hard to go wrong with him at the helm.


sorry but just about all of what was said about 2007 was correct, EXCEPT the american gangster.

SORRY.
 
DARKBLU said:
american gangster is an american classic in film and in film making. it's gritty, real and one of the last great true stories to be produced and made well for film.
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1. If I made a movie that had the word "american" in the title, can I expect it to be labeled an "american classic" as well?
2. I would hesitate calling ANYTHING a "classic" before it's even hit the shelves on DVD.
3. "one of the last great true stories".... so what, we're all done? Pack up the great story section! There will be no more! Obviously nothing else great, gritty or REAL will EVER HAPPEN AGAIN.
4. It's a matter of opinion- these awards are obviously one person's opinion. You have a different one. I have an even more different one.
5. Can't go wrong with Ridley Scott???? ---> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0212985/
6. I haven't seen America Gangster.
7. I don't really want to RIGHT NOW.
8. Fine, so I won't... what do you care? Stop staring at me.... Denzel? Is that you?
 
DARKBLU said:
i would say that THE biggest mistake that was made for indie talk is the fact that you said that american gangster was the biggest disappointment of 2007: NOT RIGHT!!

american gangster is an american classic in film and in film making. it's gritty, real and one of the last great true stories to be produced and made well for film.

easily.

if you said that american gangster was anything other than great AND you are a film site, then you need to do some more research, and go to film school, no offense.

and it's ridley scott, hard to go wrong with him at the helm.


sorry but just about all of what was said about 2007 was correct, EXCEPT the american gangster.

SORRY.
Click to expand...

Let me start off by saying that these "awards" are the opinions of one reviewer, that being myself, and not of IndieTalk as a whole or the Review Crew as a collective. For me American Gangster was a strictly by-the-numbers crime film. Ridley Scott merely shot the film without lending and style or perspective to the piece - it came of as being lazy. Considering all of the talent involved, the fascinating history from which to mine, and the extravagant budget there simply should have been a much better final product than was produced. The film looked drab and lacked a sense of scope. It's very simple to dismiss someone's opinion when it doesn't jibe with your own, but if you're going to go that route at least try to offer some valid insight on why you think the film is great. Ridley Scott is far from infallible, no filmmaker is. I honestly believe that any number of directors could have done a much better job with this material than Scott was able to. He ultimately couldn't choose whether to make a character piece or a police procedural and the films suffers because of that. Russel Crowe is completely wasted as is Josh Brolin who is merely a caricature here, though he does bring a bit more to the role. I could go on but I' think I've more than made my case.
 
I thought American Gangster was okay...but certainly nothing special.

I just kind dug the performances (which is impressive for me, as dislike Crowe quite a bit) and that was enough to carry me through to the end.

American classic is a little reaching though.

And honestly, I really enjoyed some of the films that made your worst picks. But I realize that opinions are opinions, and eh, with most films I can generally understand why some people may not dig it. There's a small handful of films that I have a difficult time processing someone hating/disliking it, but those are pretty rare.

Also, I would have liked to see Tommy Lee Jones pick up something in one of your acting categories. I think he turned in two of the best performances of his career with No Country and Ellah (though that movie overall was not particularly signifcant).

But that's just me.
 
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Jones was just one casualty in a year of exceptionally strong male performances. He was the heart of No Country. When it came down to it, I couldn't see a list without those 5 names. On the other hand, as per usual, the actress categories were a stretch to pad out. Filmmakers just aren't giving women enough quality roles - especially in the US.

As for In the Valley of Elah, I have a personal policy to avoid anything Paul Haggis.
 
Yeah, it is a damn shame. To me, Best Supporting Actress is easy to come up with. I can usually pick five women from the year pretty easily on that note. It's the Best Actress one that's more of a struggle. And when I do think of some, it's usually after I've decided to walk the line between a lead role and a supporting one.

As for Ellah, well, I would agree with you, but I'm a big enough fan of Jones' work that I just went ahead and told myself that a drunken monkey on a heroin binge directed the movie instead.

Between that and Haggis, you get roughly the same film.

Seriously though, it is worth watching for Jones. I would put it in the top-five performances of his career, and he definitely earned that Oscar nom for it. Without him though, it would have been the same nonsense as with Crash (though I did like Matt Dillon in that).

And good call on Kitano, by the way.

I just love anything that guy does.
 
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Oddly enough, I agree with just about everything on this list. The only beef i have is the soundtrack winner--- I think that Jonny Greenwood's soundtrack for There Will Be Blood is probably the greatest movie soundtrack of the past decade. Its harsh, scathing, malevolent and uncompromising in its screech and moan. It gives me chills, and helps the movie reach its status of a true epic
 
The score for There Will Be Blood is incredible, especially the way it's utilized in the film. The film has no central musical theme which is very rare. While Greenwood no doubt crafted some amazing music, one must realize that the majority of the music in the film is not his -- hence the lack of an Oscar nomination this year. Brahms' "Concerto in D Major" is used throughout the film as are a slew of non-Greenwood musical cues. The Academy determined that the minutes of Greenwood-composed original work was less than the non-original pieces. None of this affected my ultimate choice but I figured it was worth mentioning.

barnaclelapse: As an unapologetic Kitano acolyte, I try to highlight his work as much as possible. Hell, I even loved his Takeshis'!
 
I just like the part where he's driving people in a cab.

I'd love to read some of his essays.

Are any of them in English?

The selection, by the way, for this year's Best Song category (for The Oscars) is a damn joke.
 
I finally got a chance to see Japan's submission for the Best Foreign Film I Just Didn't Do It (Soredemo Boku wa Yattenai). It's a serious eye-opener to the screwed up Japanese legal system. At 143 minutes the film certainly takes it's time, but it's well worth it. Ryo Kase is stellar.
 
barnaclelapse said:
I just like the part where he's driving people in a cab.

I'd love to read some of his essays.

Are any of them in English?
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Sorry I missed this. Vertical just recently published an English edition of one of Kitano's earlier works Boy, which is a collection of several short stories about youth. You can get it here (and at a great price I might add):

http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Takeshi-Kitano/dp/1932234357

It's an excellent read and makes a nice coffee table book.
 
A few more catch-ups from '07:

Michael Clayton: A solid legal thriller with outstanding performances by Clooney, Wilkinson, and Swinton. Tony Gilroy's script is crackling, but I'm not seeing what earned him a best director nomination at the Oscars.

Lars and the Real Girl: An odd little film that's a bit too quirky for it's own good. Gosling is quite good here, but the script is half-baked.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: A fascinating look at the sensation of physical paralysis. The audacity of the film's execution, putting us in the head of a man who can only communicate by blinking his left eye, is masterful. While not completely successful, it is always engaging and is a marvel of design. Janusz Kaminski was robbed of an Oscar nomination for his work here, not to mention Mathieu Amalric's incredible central performance that really has to be seen to be believed. Oh, and has there been a more beautiful collection of actresses in a film since Wong Kar-Wai's 2046?

Like a Dragon (Ryû ga Gotoku: Gekijô-ban): Takashi Miike's adaptation of the Sega video game "Yakuza", it's a enjoyable bit of hyper-violent cinema with a darkly comedic twist. Throw away logic and just enjoy!

Sukiyaki Western Django: Yet another Takashi Miike film, this time a riff on Sergio Corbucci's Shapghetti Western classic. Despite the all-Japanese cast, the movie is completely in English (or Engrish); ranging from good to nearly incomprehensible. I had no problem following along without the aid of subtitles so it isn't nearly as bad as it could have been, which is surprising. Being a genre mash-up, there's no surprise that Quentin Tarantino pops up in a cameo roll that's so bad it's good. How the only native speaking member of the cast can deliver the worst performance is mystifying...but QT does just that, and in glorious fashion! Being a Miike film, the action is furious and the violence humorously innovative. While not nearly as bloody as his more infamous films, there's still plenty of blood shed. The production design and cinematography are also top notch, which is rare for a Japanese film. A great treat for genre fans.
 
Eh...I'll probably still check out Lars.

The trailer made me giggle.

Heh.

Sad....but damn true.

And you know, I understand the Japanese have a high work ethic in their culture...but seriously...does Miike ever leave a film set? Does he just have a small tent that he brings with him whereever he goes?

I remember when I interviewed Lloyd Kaufman of Troma Films, and he brought up Miike like five times as a favorite filmmaker and high influence of the moment.

I always liked that.
 
Hey

I cant get over your passion and commitment for film! Do you enjoy any of the online web series? How long did it take you to learn everything about all of those movies? My name is Angie by the way I am new
 
angielovesyou said:
I cant get over your passion and commitment for film! Do you enjoy any of the online web series? How long did it take you to learn everything about all of those movies? My name is Angie by the way I am new
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Hi Angie, welcome!

Thank you for the kind words, though I wouldn't say I learned everything about all of those films...or any film for that matter. I did view them with an analytical eye but that's just a force of habit! What exactly do you mean by "web series"? Like that Quarterlife nonsense?
 
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