Flicks (and ticks) of 2007
My husband LOVES lists. It’s his way of organizing this thoughts. He took his Best of 2007 Movie List very seriously. He should. It’s part of his job.
However, my list is a bit different. Matt and I will have some of the same movies on our 2007 lists, but he’s a certified critic. He watches a lot of movies whether he thinks he’ll like them or not. He grades the movies based on the quality of the filmaking.
I don’t have time to watch a lot of movies. I saw some movies that were obviously good, but I didn’t like them. Sorry, movies. My list is a popularity contest. Just like the adorable pup at the pound — you may not be the best in show, but I like you anyway.
These are the movies that I found the most enjoyable of 2007.
1. The King of Kong — This documentary follows the saga of a man attempting to break the all-time high score in the Donkey Kong arcade game. Over-the-top, yet honest, this film provides a peek into the inner cliques of adult video game nerds.
2. Juno — Since I was pregnant for most of 2007, it’s amazing I saw any movies at all. Maybe that’s why I liked Juno so much. This movie is really about how hard it is to decide what one wants out of life.
3. Hot Fuzz — An overachieving British police officer is transferred to a seemingly quiet town with a high number of fatal accidents. This outrageous mystery was the funniest of the year.
4. Eagle vs. Shark — Again, nerds and video games. This movie follows Lily, a toned-down Napoleon Dynamite in New Zealand looking for love.
5. Knocked Up — Again, pregnant. A one-night stand turns into a nine-month journey for a couple who is ultimately unprepared. It’s tough to be fair and honest about men and women and babies and hormones. This movie pulls it off.
6. Atonement — A young girl misinterprets the relationship between her sister and her suitor, and tells a lie that affects the rest of their lives. This movie was shot beautifully and carefully explores the essence of guilt and consequences.
7. Spider-Man 3 — Lots of characters, lots of action, lots of villains. But when the dust (and black goo) settles, this movie reveals the Spidey saga isn’t about costumed characters at all. Concentrate on the three main characters to get the most out of director Sam Raimi’s trilogy: Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson and Harry Osborn.
8. Disturbia — This movie made me jump. out. of. my. chair. A teenager under house arrest finds himself in a Rear Window situation.
9. 300 — A beautiful cinematic reproduction of Frank Miller’s comic-book series was fun to watch and a unique movie experience.
10. Ghost Rider — This movie had problems (notably Eva Mendes), but it was so much better than I expected, the pleasant surprise of not being horrible pushes it into my top ten.
And here are the real dogs — the movies I thought were inviting enough to scratch behind the ears, but showed fangs instead.
1. Underdog — Shoeshine, a mild-mannered stray, gains super powers after a freak lab experiment. I saw the preview. I was sold. I was eager to accept a lot of flaws in exchange for a superhero dog movie. I was not prepared for this level of awful. The jokes were dumb. The dog unheroic. By the end, I didn’t care about this movie, even though I wanted to more than anyone of a right mind should.
2. The Last Sin-Eater — This movie played out like a Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation. A town full of Welsh immigrants let superstitions control their lives. An annoying little girl is also involved. I’ve blocked out the rest.
3. Lady Chatterley — Nature reawakens a woman’s sexual desire, causing her to turn from her paralyzed husband to have an affair with their gamekeeper. Despite it being filmed in French and based on D.H. Lawrence’s book known for its erotic content, there was nothing interesting about this movie. The nudity and sex scenes were unflinchingly boring. The close-ups of daisies blowing in the wind were one of the reasons this movie was over three hours long.
4. Broken English — Parker Posey is usually awesome. She plays Nora, an unlucky-in-love thirtysomething who falls for a Frenchman. He’s mad about her, but she can’t admit she feels the same way. After finding herself alone again, she decides to fly to Paris to reclaim love. Too bad she didn’t bring along his address or phone number. It’s at this point, I can no longer sympathize with Nora or her movie.
5. The Brave One — Jodie Foster is also usually a sure bet. When a gang assaults her and kills her fiancé during a nighttime stroll in the park, she wigs out. Packing a gun and playing vigilante could make for an awesome movie, bu
t Jodie’s character makes one stupid decision after another, making this one difficult to watch.
Honorable Mention: Fred Claus — Vince Vaughn as Santa Claus’ bitter brother? Such potential! But this movie goes nowhere fast. This was a good idea that never developed. And its philosophy that there are no naughy kids, just “misunderstood” kids, doesn’t make it likely a choice for my children either.
