Jackassalope

Best Movies of '07: Part I
Part II is below

It’s only fair to mention that I’m not a huge fan of making “best of” lists mainly because it’s impossible for me to see all of the movies released in a certain period of time. Whether it’s a month, six months, or a year, it’s difficult for a nonpaid critic to watch the multitude of releases that filter in and out of the theaters on a weekly basis. I do, however, pride myself in watching more movies than the average Joe (or the average Susan). My rental history with Blockbuster Online shows that I received over 100 rentals by mail last year and each of those was also swapped for another in the store, which means I have a decent breadth of films to pick from.
So let me start off by mentioning a handful of movies I didn’t get to see, but feel they may have found a spot somewhere on my list. They are as follows: There Will Be Blood, No Country for Old Men, I am Legend, and Juno.

With that being said let me give you my top five movies of the year in no particular order.

Zodiac: David Fincher added to his resume of brilliant films (Fight Club and Seven) with this gritty procedural. It’s hard to make a methodical movie about newspaper journalists and serial killers with a unique perspective, but he did just that. Mark Ruffalo never disappoints me, and Robert Downey Jr. gives another great performance as one of the obsessive sleuths. He is by far the best coke addicted actor out there. The movie is moody but not too moody, long but not too long, and leads you to a conclusion without giving you the answer.

300: This movie is made for men and women alike. With a thin plot line this epic blood bath is carried solely on chiseled half naked men, sexy mostly naked women, and violence. I looked past what it lacked purely by what it didn’t. The graphic novelesk scenery created an amazing visceral experience, while the performances, at the very least, didn’t hold the movie back. How can you honestly find fault in lines like, “Our arrows will block out the sun.” The retort, “Then we will fight in the shade.”

The Assassination of Jessie James by the Coward Robert Ford: This movie was well received by the critics, but shunned by general audiences. The main reason for this is because the expectation of a movie about Jesse James inspires visions of train robberies and gun fights. This film was more introspective and realistic to the true nature of the times as apposed to Hollywood’s version. The performances were outstanding. Casey Affleck was phenomenal as Robert Ford. He portrayed his insecurities to perfection and definitely deserved his Oscar bid. If you don’t expect an action western then this drama truly delivers.

Knocked Up: This was one of the funniest comedies of the year. The Apatow crew turned out some great material over the course of the summer, but I’m giving the edge to this odd-ball couple that gets pregnant after a drunken one night stand. The humor is even more poignant if you have a kid. Dialogue exchanges like when Debbie’s daughter informs Alison (Katherine Heigl) that she googled murder brought unexpected laughs when I was only expecting jokes about sex. Seth Rogen also gives a fresh performance that doesn’t rely on over-the-top shtick, but rather, good comedic timing.

The Bourne Ultimatum: The third installment of the Bourne series succeeded where the Bourne Supremacy failed. The action and editing moved the story forward without hindering the visual experience. The camera movements were planned out and deliberate and the stunts were realistic; especially when compared to the action thrill ride “Live Free or Die Hard.” Even though movies can’t avoid going over the top, it’s fun to see some one actually get hurt when they get in a car wreck or becoming winded after jumping from rooftop to rooftop.