Jane Black,
Dec 31, 2007
2007... it was a very good year. As New York Times writer A.O. Scott lamented, it's hard to keep it to just ten. In fact, I couldn't. So here are eleven picks:
10) Knocked Up/Juno
So yeah, I'll admit it: I think unintentional pregnancy is a situation ripe for comedy, which both of these movies delivered. Even more interesting is how, beneath the yucks, lie two rather conservative films, both of which took anti-abortion tacks on the subject, without being repellently preachy.
9) Year Of The Dog
Not having been much of a Molly Shannon fan (or foe, just indifferent), I'm not sure what drew me to this odd little movie. Maybe it was the Mike White connection. At any rate, it's a surprisingly earnest comedy about a woman who discovers a passion in life, and it sticks with you.
8) Persepolis
Ever since I stumbled onto this autobiographical graphic novel, I have been a Marjane Satrapi fan. I couldn't wait for this movie, and I'm pleased to say it did not disappoint, probably because Satrapi was one of the directors. And if you're finding it hard not to see metaphors in any movie that has anything to do with the Middle East, well you'll have plenty of food for thought here.
7) The Hoax
From the note-perfect period setting to Richard Gere's sympathetic slime ball performance, this movie was a blast.
6) Michael Clayton
Yes, there have been stories like this before -- the sleazy fixer has a moment of clarity and seeks redemption -- but this one was just plain good storytelling, and further evidence that George Clooney is the new Cary Grant.
5) 3:10 To Yuma
Hooray for the return of the Western!
4) No Country For Old Men
I've gotta be honest: I find Cormac McCarthy's stuff unreadable, and I still can't fathom why Llewelyn Moss took the actions that started this whole mess. But the Coen Brothers made one great movie and Tommy Lee Jones gave the performance of his life.
3) Eastern Promises
Viggo Mortensen has managed to be several very different kinds of on-screen badasses (Lord Of The Rings, A History Of Violence). He's about as interesting an actor as they come.
2)
The King Of Kong: A Fistful Of Quarters
This documentary about one man's quest to become the reigning champion of Donkey Kong has it all: triumph and defeat, comedy and tragedy, heroes and villains. And just so you know, I don't give two hoots in hell for Donkey Kong.
1) The Lives Of Others
Not only did it richly deserve its best foreign language film Oscar award, it could easily have been a best picture. Yes, better even than The Departed, and I was rooting for Martin Scorsese all the way.
