As 2006 was the year for drama, 2007 was the year for comedy. Rarely does there come 12 months when so many fantastic comedies are given to us the loyal film viewers. However it must be noted that most of these great comedies came from only a few people. Judd Apatow delivered us Knocked Up, Superbad and Walk Hard (which as of writing this I haven’t yet seen) and the crew from The State gave us Reno 911!: Maimi, The Ten and Balls Of Fury (haven’t seen this yet either). There were some good dramas this year, including the best film of they year, but as a whole the dramatic form was sorely lacking. There were some stand out performances to be sure but very few films will go down in the film archives as “classics.”
Best film of ’06 seen in ’07:
Children Of Men: This was a film I was dying to see in the theater but never had the chance. After watching it on DVD I kicked myself for missing it. One of the top five films of 2006. A crowning achievement of acting, storytelling and film style. Alfonso Cuaron is a magical filmmaker and I can’t wait to see what he bring us next.
Blood Diamond: I used to hate DiCaprio, I really did. With films like Titanic and Gangs Of New York it was easy cause he was awful in them. I gave him Gilbert Grape and Basketball Diaries, he was young. But The Aviator made me look at him in a whole new light and The Departed cemented him as one of our greatest actors. And after those two if there was any doubt to his prowess, Blood Diamond should shatter the argument of all naysayers.
The Proposition: When I heard that the musical master of the macabre, Nick Cave had written a screenplay and it was western of sorts taking place in the Australian outback I knew I was going to love it. But nothing could prepare me for the wonderfully beautiful yet horrifically violent film that I saw.
Worst Film of the Year:: Inland Empire / Aqua Teen Hunger Force – This year we have a tie. David Lynch somehow out-stranged himself with this three hours snooze fest. I generally like Lynch films but Inland Empire was a joke. I’ve seen crappy student films that were better then that and those were only five minutes long so at least they didn’t waste my whole evening. Lynch can be a good film maker but the man needs boundaries.
Who the hell thought that a 15 minute no plot all joke (and bad ones at that!) cartoon would be a good idea for a feature length film? The only funny part of this film was the first five minutes. They blew their whole wad right away then wasted everyone’s times for an hour. At least it was short. Lynch could have taken a clue from them on that one.
Most Disappointing Film of 2007: Spider-Man 3: Spider-Man 2 was so good. Alfred Molina was the perfect Doc Oc and not only were the action sequences leagues above the first film, but the special effects and story were better two. Then Sam Raimi had to go and not only drop the ball, but completely fumble it with 3. The only good part of 3 was Thomas Hayden Church as Sandman. Everything else was just laughably bad. I can’t even get into it right now. It’s making me too upset. On to the next category.
Honorable Mention:
The Ten: This hilarious take on the Ten Commandments is as irreverent as it is funny. It is as sure to offend, as it is to entertain. Still, it lacked just enough to keep it off the top ten list.
Black Snake Moan: Easily one of the best dramas of the year (not that it had much competition) Samuel Jackson was superb and Christina Ricci proved that she still has it. Wonderfully written and directed by Craig Brewer. Can’t wait to see what he has in store for us next.
Talk To Me: This film went relatively unnoticed, but Don Cheadle shines as always as this rough around the edges radio DJ in the 60’s. It’s both funny and has something to say.
Charlie Wilson’s War: Tom Hanks and Philip Seymour Hoffman make this film what it is. What could potentially have been a bogged down political drama is made comical by these two stars. Even Julia Roberts didn’t suck which is a lot coming from me.
Sicko: Michael Moore delivers his best documentary thus far by avoiding the attack approach and focusing on the heart breaking stories of those affected by this countries shitty health care system. This film is a must see by everyone!
Top 10 of 2007 – 10 Best films of the year:
10. Reno 911!: Miami: Perhaps this film is only for fans of the TV show but as I am one of those I LOVED this film and laughed uproariously throughout the whole film. I really felt they utilized they feature film vehicle well while still maintaining the constraints of the TV show.
9. The Simpsons Movie: Yet another TV to big screen film and another success. Sure it feels like one long episode of the show, but it’s the best damn episode I’ve seen in ten years and was completely worthy of gracing the silver screen.
8. Harry Potter & The Order Of The Phoenix: Not the best film of the series and a little choppy at points I commend the film makers for pushing this to a PG-13 rating and taking it to the dark places it needed to go. These aren’t kids films anymore people.
7. Superbad: One of Two Apatow Productions to make it to this years list. Superbad is pure gold. A raunchy teen sex comedy with heart and memorable characters to elevate it above the limited genre.
6. Knocked Up: Not as funny as Superbad, but all around a better film this is easily the best romantic comedy in eons. Seth Rogan is hilarious and I hope to see him in more leading rolls in the future.
5. Hot Fuzz: Part comedy, part action all amazing, Hot Fuzz was nearly a perfect film. Edgar Wright and crew have delivered us two amazing films now. What genre will he give homage to next?
4. Grindhouse: This was, hands down, the greatest theatrical experience I had all year. A sold out theater full of excited rowdy people. Fake trailers, double feature, over the top gore and cheesiness. This film was made for the big screen. On TV it’s good. It’s entertaining and fun, but it does not recapture that magical moment in the theaters. If you didn’t see it in the theaters you missed out. What else can I say?
3. The Darjeeling Limited: Wes Anderson delivers another pitch perfect quirky comedy. He won’t win any new fans with this film but those who love his style will have nothing to complain about. Sheer joy from beginning to end.
2. Sweeney Todd: When I hear Burton and Depp I always smile. They’ve never failed to entertain (let’s not talk about Corpse Bride, shall we?). This wasn’t a perfect film, but it was damn near close. Burton managed to bring this stage musical to life in only a way that he could. Sure the actors aren’t the best singers, but they do a good job and if nothing else the film is beautiful to look at.
1. No Country For Old Men: What makes the Coen Brothers so great is that they can make a timeless comedy like THE Big Lebowski then they can make one of the greatest dramas in the past ten years. Not many filmmakers can do that. Josh Brolin (who is in two films on this list) is make himself a nice comeback and Javier Bardem plays the most terrifiying villain I’ve seen in years. This is the only film of the 2007 to get a perfect 10 in my book.
