10) The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Don't be confused. While this did star Brad Pitt, it falls somewhere between the traditional Hollywood offering and the small independent film. It was backed by a big studio's main production arm, but the budget was only $30 million, which is relatively tiny for a vehicle starring one of the most famous movie stars on the planet. I don't even think it was distributed much outside of the major markets, which is a shame. This is just a beautifully shot movie. The title is pretty self-explanatory. It follows the final days of Jesse James and develops the characters and relationships that led to his death. While Brad Pitt was pretty darn good in his role, the revelation of this film was Casey Affleck (Ben's little bro). He was amazing, and I won't be surprised to see him take home the Oscar for Supporting Actor. Now, if you don't appreciate the art of scenery and character development, then you will probably find it to be kinda slow. But if you have any appreciation for the art of film, you will not be disappointed.
9) Zodiac. Zodiac is the first traditional Hollywood film to make my list. I believe this was a wide release, but pretty much bombed at the box office. Its failure makes me sad because it is indicative of the dumbing down of films for mainstream acceptance. Most of America just won't sit through a film and watch a story unfold unless things are being blown up in the process. Zodiac is a fictionalized account of a real life serial killer that terrorized the San Francisco area during the '70s. It's not a scary movie, but rather a drama about the individuals whose lives became consumed with tracking him down. This is another beautifully shot movie that crafts what I would classify as the most engaging story of the year.
8) Ratatouille. Ah, Pixar! How you are able to suck me in with your wacky animation despite my increasing age, I will never understand. All I know is I'll be there opening weekend any time you release a new one. You all know what Ratatouille is about unless you've been living under a rock. I don't have much to say about this other than it was fun, clever, and heartfelt. Pixar's stories and animation just keep getting better, and I'm looking forward to WALL-E this summer.
7) The Bourne Ultimatum. Bourne is an example of how Hollywood can still produce well-made movies that appeal to the masses. It had action, drama, suspense, sharp dialogue and by golly gee a narrative that required you to be halfway intelligent to follow. After first being introduced to him in Good Will Hunting, I would have never imagined in a million years that Matt Damon would become my favorite action hero!
6) Lars and the Real Girl. If you don't know who Ryan Gosling is outside of The Notebook, then you need to step away from the computer and go to your local video store right now. Rent Half Nelson, Fracture, The United States of Leland, and The Believer. He is, in my opinion, the greatest actor of my generation. His performance in Lars was my favorite male performance of the year. His ability to get lost in a role and be somebody completely different from film to film is utterly amazing. I'm going to guess that most of you have never even heard of this movie because it barely played here in LA. Lars tells the story of an emotionally awkward man who purchases a blow-up doll and introduces her to his family and friends as his girlfriend. I know it sounds bizarre, but it is a poignant story of how emotional scars can haunt you into adulthood and how far we will go to help/accommodate our loved ones.
5) Waitress. Waitress was one of the films I had anticipated the most because I am a huge Keri Russell fan. I was obsessed with The Mickey Mouse Club in junior high and thought she was without a doubt the coolest mousketeer. Then she did Felicity, which is one of my all-time favorite TV shows. Why she isn't a huge star yet is beyond me. I thought M:I III was going to be her big breakout only to find her killed 20 minutes into the film (oops, sorry if I spoiled that for you). Waitress is about a small-town girl stuck in a crappy marriage who finds herself pregnant and falling for her doctor. It's sweet and funny and well-acted - everything you can ask from a small independent comedy. Plus, you'll walk away craving some delicious pie!
4) The Nines. I dedicated a whole post to The Nines after I saw it, so I'm just going to refer you to that rather than write it again here. I know, I know...I'm requiring you to do a little bit of work by scrolling through my past posts, but I have confidence that you can do it! And just in case you're too lazy, I'll go ahead and tell you briefly that it's a well-written, well-acted, thought provoking allegory about the relationship between the creator and his creation.
3) Once. Once has got to be the biggest surprise of 2007 for me. This is the most independent of independent movies that made my list. It's an independent Irish musical that was shot for $150,000 starring two musicians who had never acted before and likely never will again. I heard about it from a friend, and we decided to go on a road trip down to Irvine (Orange County) to eat at Chick-fil-A and see this movie (there are no Chick-fil-A's in LA, in case you were wondering why we did this). I was absolutely blown away! It tells the story of a musician in Dublin who meets a Czech immigrant while playing on the street corner one evening. More than the dialogue, the songs are what drive the story and highlight their burgeoning friendship and attempt to write songs and record them over the course of the next week. This is another movie that I'm going to have a hard time recommending. You have to like music to like this movie. And you have to listen to the lyrics because they encompass the heart and soul of the movie. But if you like music, then please check out this flick. You will not regret it!
2) Hairspray. It's no secret...I love musicals! On the stage, on the screen, I don't care. If there's singing and dancing, I'm probably going to enjoy it. I often wish we could spontaneously break out into song and dance in real life, but alas, I have to keep these desires locked up in my mind. You all know the story of Hairspray, so I'm going to bypass the summary. This movie was just pure fun! I saw it in the theater twice, bought it the day it came out on DVD, and have watched it three more times since. If you like Grease, Moulin Rouge, Chicago, etc. or even if you're just nostalgic for the '60s, then you're going to love this film.
1) Juno. Now we've arrived at what is my hands-down favorite movie of the year. This movie just came out and since it's a littly indie film, I'm going to assume it's playing absolutely nowhere in middle America except in maybe some of the bigger cities. But it's getting great word of mouth, and I'm hoping it'll become the little engine that could and make its way to some of the smaller markets. Juno is about a 16 year old girl who gets pregnant and searches for adoptive parents in the local Pennysaver ads. The tagline says it all, "A comedy about growing up...and the bumps along the way." What I loved about this story is how it recognizes we're going to make mistakes, but it's how we handle those mistakes that makes us who we are. Ellen Page plays Juno and gives my favorite female performance of the year. Don't be surprised to hear her name called at the Oscars - she was that good! Juno is fresh, smart, witty, and absolutely worth checking out if you get the chance.
