Best of 2007

A shocking, bloody, relentless tale from the Coen Brothers. It never lets up and will not let you down.

Since 'Fargo,' the Coens have turned in some very good films ('The Man Who Wasn't There,' 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' 'The Big Lebowski') and a few disappointments -- which are too much fun to be duds ('Intolerable Cruelty,' 'The Ladykillers'). 'No Country for Old Men' marks the beginning of a whole new chapter in the Coen's colorful career. While I would not put it above 'Fargo,' it's safe to say that every film the brothers make from now on will have to be compared to this, as well.

In tone, it's probably more similar to 'Blood Simple' than anything else I've seen of theirs. But to say that undervalues the degree to which the Coens have reinvented their unique style of filmmaking while still managing to play into their strengths.

Roger Deakins' photography is gorgeous, the editing of Roderick Jaynes (the pseudonym the Coens don when they edit their own films) is sharp as a knife, and the acting is spot-on.

We see a whole new company of actors that doesn't include the usual suspects like John Turturro, Steve Buscemi, John Goodman, Frances McDormand, Holly Hunter, Peter Stormare, Billy Bob Thorton, George Clooney, etc.

There is a whole new cast of actors giving marvelous performances. To single out any would be unfair, however I must say that Javier Bardem's Anton Chigurh might have surpassed Anthony Hopkins' Hanibal Lecter as the scariest villain ever.

I haven't seen enough films in 2007 to say for sure, but I'll be hard pressed to find a better film this year. I hope to see it as a strong contender when awards season rolls around.

The long-awaited adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's stage musical makes for a deliciously bloody romp.

I have to admit that of the canon of Sondheim's masterworks, this is one I'm not very familiar with. Therefore, I have no basis for comparison, but I can also say that this is a film that works very well as a film. I seldom found myself wondering how certain moments work on stage and I was able to allow the film's performances to speak for themselves.

Some fuss was made over the casting of Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter with regards to their ability to sing this challenging score -- there's not much talking in this picture. Carter's singing is perfectly adequate, but her acting skills more than compensate for her adequate singing. Depp, on the other hand, takes what is intended to be sung by an operatic voice and sings it with a kind of raw power that you'd expect from a vengeful killer.

Some excellent work is also turned in by Timothy Spall and Sacha Baron Cohen. And Alan Rickman (seriously, has he ever disappointed?) shows some remarkable singing ability especially in his scenes in the barber shop -- those might be my favorite scenes of the film.

Tim Burton's direction exceeded my expectations. Transferring a successful stage musical to screen is a tough job, and few in recent years have done it well. Burton stands among those few. He ensures that the film never holds back, even after gallons upon gallons of blood. Now this is my kind of musical!

Brad Bird is a true revolutionary in is field.

As far as computer-animated films go, Mr. Bird's last venture, 'The Incredibles,' is one of a small number of films made in the last 12 or so years that really set the standard in the genre.

I thought it would be difficult to find another film to equal it for quite some time, especially from the same director. To my pleasant surprise, 'Ratatouille' is every bit as good.

Such charm, such originality, such imagination. I love every minute of it.

I can't wait to see the next thing to come from the imagination of Brad Bird.

In terms of writing, acting, and direction, this very well could be the best American comedy of its kind since 'Dumb and Dumber.'

It's genuine, it never panders, and it refuses to give into the typical conventions that have defined American low-brow comedy for far too long.

What a refreshing, deliciously raunchy romp of a film. I look forward to watching this again and again.

It might be a long shot, but at the very list, this script deserves serious Oscar consideration.

Well done to Judd Apatow and this uniquely talented company of actors who have managed to create a modern classic.

I can't wait to see 'Superbad'!

What easily could have been cheap Oscar bait with a shiny veneer reveals itself to be something very rewarding.

I shouldn't be surprised. Director Joe Wright earned his stripes in my book with his marvelous adaptation of 'Pride and Prejudice.' 'Atonement' is just a continuation of the quality work we should expect from this young director for several more films.

To discuss the plot would really give away all of the twists and turns and the payoff at the end. So I won't bother.

With the exception of one scene, the the beautiful camerawork that made 'Pride and Prejudice' so enjoyable is less present here, but Wright still manages to dance with the camera from time to time.

James McAvoy provides the emotional center of the film as Robbie, the young servant with great aspirations whose dreams are shattered when he is falsely accused of a crime. His work here rivals what he did on 'The Last King of Scotland' last year, and it's fair to say that an Oscar nomination looks to be in the cards for him this year.

Keira Knightley does some nice work, but nothing really Oscar-worthy. Her role is limited to images -- I must say she looks stunning in this period -- with a few very nice scenes placed sporadically throughout the film.

I hope to see more good stuff from Mr. Wright in the future.

Spider-Pig, Spider-Pig. / Does whatever a Spider-Pig does. / Can he swing / from a web? / No he *can't*, / cause he's a pig. / Look out! / He is the Spider-Pig!


Exactly what I expected it to be and more; my favorite episode from my favorite show. Is it as good as it was when Conan O'Brien was writing? Does it match some favorite episodes like the Monorail, or Homer's Bowling League, or when the Olympics come to Springfield, or Who Shot Mr. Burns? I say it does. So prepare to hear me quoting this film for months!

Hysterically funny. Judd Apatow and company has done it twice in one year, creating two incredibly sharp, vulgar, and absolutely hilarious comedies.

While I would say the overall quality of the film is slightly under the standard set by 'Knocked Up,' I would call this the funnier of the two.

I hope this group can continue to create quality comedies of equal caliber of the two released this year.

I didn't get a chance to see this in the theater as part of the 'Grindhouse' double feature. I had heard this was the better of the two films. It has much to offer in the way of camp and cheap thrills, and the car scenes are both hilarious and intense.

I would consider this somewhat frivolous Tarentino fare, but deliciously so. The nearly two hour DVD could use some cutting of dialogue, but nothing can beat the way this film ends.

If only this guy would pump films out more often...

Mike Nichols assembles a very nice film about an obscure bit of history that has managed to bite us in the ass nearly 20 years later.

Aaron Sorkin's script is wordy, witty, sharp, provocative, and funny -- much like his writing of 'The West Wing.'

Tom Hanks handles the title role of a larger-than-life maverick congressman the way a true veteran should. He manages to have fun while avoiding going to excess with any of his choices. He and Amy Adams share nice chemistry, and the Hanks/Hoffman team might be the best on-screen duo of 2007 with Hoffman doing the majority of the scenery chewing as the Western-Pennsylvania native CIA operative and the brains of the outfit. His is the kind of role that has Oscar written all over it -- and deservedly so.

A delicious film such as this offers few disappointments, but sadly, Julia Roberts is one of them. It's not that she's bad. She's just distracting. The idea of Julia Roberts as a southern belle is appealing, but a star of her caliber shouldn't be playing a supporting role in a smart political comedy such as this. It's just not her genre.

Finally a 'Harry Potter' film that exists on its own without leaning on the book! And if you think this is another kid's adventure story like the previous 4 segments, this is much darker.

David Yates takes a turn at directing this segment of the 7 part series, and he does a hell of a job keeping the story trim and tidy without overloading us with things from the book that just won't work in the film. The special effects are overall quite good, and don't distract us from the overall story.

The adult members of the cast have always been good. In this film, they've basically been relegated to cameo appearances, but there's still some very fine work from Michael Gambon, Gary Oldman, Emma Thompson, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, Alan Rickman, and especially Imelda Staunton. What's nice to see is that this film has been handed off to the young talents of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson -- whose talents are growing with each film, and they are all developing into very fine actors. I can't wait to see more of them in the next two films.

The very definition of an awesome movie. Zach Snyder and Frank Miller collaborate on this epic project with spears, sandles, shields, and big bare chests. It makes for a bloody feast for the eyes with stunning visuals, great performances, and incredible action. I can't wait to watch it again!

Very entertaining, but falls short of any aspirations of greatness that the trailers made it appear to be.

There's nothing really bad about it. Daniel Craig and Nicle Kidman are passable. Dakota Blue Richards appears wooden in some scenes, but really cracks out of her shell and shows her skills in others. Sam Elliott and Eva Green do well in small roles (I would have liked to see more of both). And Ian McKellen turns out one of the best vocal performances I've seen in a while.

The story might have been handled better in the hands of a stronger director, but Chris Weitz does an okay job while managing to not offend anyone with the overhyped "controversial material." If anything about this film should have been controversial, it's the well-deserved PG-13 rating for a kid's movie.

Even still, I was very impressed by the imagination that went into this story, and look forward to to seeing the next installment.

There's little to like in this self-indulgent romp assembled by Oscar-winning writer Diablo Cody and Oscar-nominated director Jason Reitman. There is little to like, but I didn't have to search too hard to find what I did like.

So I'll start with the positive. Jennifer Garner gives a career-best performance with earnestness and beauty, making her the best part of the film. Michael Cera has now turned out two very fine performances in one year (this and 'Superbad'), and JK Simmons -- well, when isn't he good? -- he manages to land every joke and took the lion's share of my laughs for this film.

As for what I didn't like -- pretty much everything else. Oscar-winning writer Diablo Cody manages to pack her screenplay with far too many nonsensical jokes and unsuccessful attempts at humor that rarely land. With the exception of the aformentioned actors, every character sounds the same. They all talk in some self-involved lingo that I grew tired of in -- oh, the first scene. My biggest issue with the film is that I found it teeth-grating, nails-on-a-chalkboard, child-screaming-in-your-ear obnoxious. Getting beyond that (which I hardly could), I swear I could actually hear Oscar-winning writer Diablo Cody typing that awful dialogue and congratulting her "uniqueness" at the same time. Oscar-nominated director Jason Reitman proves yet again after the disappointing 'Thank You For Smoking' that he is unable to create a coherent vision for his films. Yet again, his direction is far too timid, but he insists on hiding behind the "charming quirkiness" of the script and hopes that audiences will find depth in his non-choices.

As for the other performances, Olivia Thirlby was too obnoxious to listen to. Allison Janney puts her extraordinary talents to waste in a role she could do in her sleep -- in fact, she might as well have been sleeping in some of those scenes, and Ellen Page -- I don't doubt she has extraordinary talents, but I just found the writing too annoying, and I had to tune her out.

It seems as though many audience members have found something to like about 'Juno,' but I can't throw myself into that category.

If I could offer a word of advice to Oscar-winning writer Diablo Cody -- now that you have your Oscar, stop trying to be unique. Just tell a story. Don't try to make your characters "interesting." Just write characters. If you have any talents as a writer (which I really can't say for sure after this film), I promise it will be good. Just stop trying too hard and stop congratulating yourself throughout the process because the end product just isn't that good.

Oh, how I wanted it to be good. But alas, it disappoints -- and then some.

I'm not the biggest fan of the franchise, but I'll admit that 'Spider-Man 2' has some wonderful moments. The next installment begins with as much promise as the hype surrounding it.

Then that black alien goop grabs ahold of Spider-Man, and the film does a belly-flop off the cheese board.

For a film series that went to every effort to make the characters genuinely real, and make the world of Spider-Man feel like the world we live in -- why did it need to resort to the campy nonsense that poisons the last third of the film??

Thomas Haden Church's tragic Sandman survives as the most fully realized aspect of the film.

As for the rest, it's probably best to pull the plug after 3. It proved too much for the original 'Superman' series as well as the 'X-Men' series. I don't see any difference here -- nor do I see any need for a fourth installment, despite the whispers to the contrary.

Oh, no! The wheels fell off!! Wait...this ship has wheels??!!

Unfortunately, it probably does, but they've been erased by the CGI effects.

Oh, dear. It's the sad story of a film trilogy that really should have ended after one film. The first film is a complete package, highly entertaining, a career-defining performance by Johnny Depp, not too complicated, just right. It makes a ton of money, gets nominated for some Oscars, and producers get greedy and sign on two more films. The second showed promise for great things to come in the third, and the much-anticipated third film arrives DOA.

As much fun as it is to watch Johnny Depp reprise his role as Jack Sparrow and other great actors like Bill Nighy, Geoffrey Rush, and Chow Yun Fat put out admirable work, at some point I'm forced to face the fact that I just don't care about this story anymore.

I have nothing against Orlando Bloom, and I am quickly becoming a huge fan of Keira Knightley's, but this is just a bad movie that never should have been made. Shame, because it looks pretty expensive.