Re: Time to Thrown Down! 2007 Top Ten Lists
My list, which is possible to change later.
1. Juno - You know, I really debated this. I kept wanting to put a more drama-y oriented film at the top, but I watched this film just last week and I keep thinking it is easily the most enjoyable experience I had at the theater this year. I don't know how I could say more about a film.
2. No Country for Old Men - Brilliant. The direction, the plot, the acting.. the characters.. this is a film that isn't plagued with an attempt at a parable but rather exists in such a way that it can make you feel sick at your stomach for how ominous it is. I loved it.
3. Ratatouille - You know, the boys at Pixar really have this figured out. This story is of course, partly about incredible animation, but what makes this film work is that even in it's goofier moments, I wanted to root for all of the characters and I loved and cared for all the characters. I think it's possible for everyone to look at yourself in a lot of the characters and that's what I want in this kind of film.
4. The Bourne Ultimatum. The best pure action movie I've seen in a very long time. I enjoyed it on almost every level. The film moved in a fast paced way that didn't resort to really goofy stunt storytelling and like all my central films this year.. it had a character you wanted to root for. Matt Damon turned in a really great performance in this film.
5. There Will Be Blood - I am so divided on this. There are a lot of people who keep proclaiming this to me as the greatest film they've seen. I've seen it only once, maybe I need to watch it again. I greatly admire the craft; and there are some incredible performances in this film.. but at times, the storytelling seemed "too cute by half"; the characters didn't grip me the way that I thought they should and I kept feeling as though there was another shoe to drop. Still, this is a film easily one of the top two crafted films I've seen this year, along with "No Country For Old Men" I just didn't feel it resonated as well as that film.
6. Once - I didn't get a chance to see this in a first-run theater, unfortunately. But this is a film that has a kind of joy to it I wish more films had this year.
7. Hot Fuzz - You know, this is one of those films that I know will get overlooked. Yes, it's not Sean of the Dead. But this wry, cute tell of a town of virtual "Children of the Corn" is one of the funnier, off-kilter films I've seen in a while, and it's light hearted lampooning and crafty direction made it a fun two hours.
8. Gone Baby, Gone. You know what really stunned me about this film? How good the direction and cinematography are. Knowing this is Affleck's first film in the directors chair, I kind of dismissed this film, but I was really impressed. What put the film on this list though is an involving story that made me want to watch and find out what happened.
9. King Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. You ever see a film and find yourself laughing not with it but at it? This is a film like that. It's not a bad film - it's a truly GREAT documentary. And it knows you're going to want to laugh at the characters in it. The quest of quarters; who is the greatest Donkey Kong player in the world, is humorous, and surprisingly involving.
10. Knocked Up. You know, if you would have told me a "gross out" comedy would end up so high on my list at the beginning of the year I would have looked sideways at you. The thing about this film though is that even though it's definitely "R" the message is so damn wholesome and good-hearted that you feel for all of the characters. There are moments where things are stretched, but the heart of the film is so endearing it deserves your money. Haven't seen the unrated edition, but the theatrical cut is the way I'd prefer to remember it
As a counterpoint, my TEN WORST as of right now:
1. Alien V. Predator 2-R: The "R" should have stood for: "we just raped you for money". This is one of the most offensive, terrible things I've ever sat through. Outside of a truly heinous and not needed sequence (you'll know if you don't heed my warning and watch this steaming pile of crap), the acting is terrible, the story makes no sense, it destroys all the continuity of the "Aliens" series, and the special effects aren't very special. What more can you say? Let's put it this way, "Feast" the project greenlight horror film is INFINITELY more fun and entertaining then this POC.
2. I Know Who Killed Me. I'll admit it. I went because I figured, at worst, plenty of naked Lindsey Lohan. There isn't even that. This film is so bad that even the "sex" moments are enough to bore you to tears.. and that's saying a lot. I left with a friend who turned to me and said "A Lapdance is Much Better when the Stripper is Crying" (A Blood Hound Gang tune) never have more words been true. I would have preferred a bawling coked out stripper beg me for money then sit through this crap again.
3. The Number 23. Ok, was I alone seeing the idea and thinking this could be interesting? Wow, maybe the most dissappointing. I mean I knew 'I Know Who Killed Me' would be shit, but figured it'd be entertaining while sucking.. but I honestly thought, based on the concept, this could be good.. and the concept is "Outer Limits" type interesting.. but talk about the worst execution of an idea of anything.
4. Norbit. You know, I remember when Eddy Murphy was funny.
5. Epic Movie - even on cable or as a rental, this film is one you should go out of your way to NOT watch.
6. Dragon Wars. You know, I still haven't figured out WTF this film was about. But it seemed like everyone in the film knew absolutely everything, and the existance of dragons that pop out of rocks to engage in war shocked no one from construction workers to school marms, it was very "eh" to them, kind of expected. Which was... odd.
7 & 8: "Seeker: Dark is Rising" and "The Golden Compass" .. I've now read "The Golden Compass" and let me say, the film is one of the worst bastardizations of any book in a while.. it squashes the book in such a way that it's confusing and baffling to the viewer and it is impossible to care about any character.. but next to "Seeker" it appears brilliant, as that film is COMPLETELY unwatchable and not only makes no sense, but wow.
[b]9. Wild Hogs.[/]b Let's put it this way.. when a film is systematically comically destroyed in a TV show like "Weeds" and you realize how much funnier that five minute lampooning is then the entire contents of a film, you know something sucked. This film smelled bad from the get go.
10. Love in the time of Cholera - This is one of those books that just shouldn't have been made into a film. Dreary, at times long pauses that didn't add anything to the film, and characters you just couldn't deal with. The acting in this film was off putting and the film was made in such a way that it just felt like watching wallpaper dry.
