AML’s Top 10 movies from 2007

It took me awhile, but I finally got through my list of 2007 movies that I wanted to see before I put together my own top 10 movies list from that year.

With the Oscars coming in under a week, that was my deadline for seeing all the Academy Award Best Picture nominated films, along with a bunch of others I felt probably constituted the best from 2007.

It’s hard to see everything you want to when you work full time and go to school on the side, so I try to pick the movies that I’ve heard good things about instead of wasting time with things that just aren’t going to make a top 10 list.

With that being said, here are a few movies that I wanted to see from last year but haven’t yet. They weren’t ones I wanted to watch before the Oscars, but all of them could have had the potential of making my Top 10 list I think:

The Brave One, American Gangster, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Eastern Promises, Into the Wild, The Savages.

I actually have The Brave One and Eastern Promises on my DVR right now thanks to HD PPV, but haven’t had a chance to get to them.

Mike’s Top 10 Movies from 2007

My top 10 list isn’t going to be in the style of Oscar, where I would choose the best made and highest quality films that might deserve a Best Picture win. Granted, I am choosing GREAT movies to list here, but mostly these films are also ones that touched me, meant a lot to me and really took my breath away.

For example, you wont find There Will Be Blood on my Top 10 list, mainly because when I thought about it, I’d rather see any one of my choices below a second time before Blood.

Here is the list, in reverse order as I’m fond of doing. The links in each description will take you to my review of the film, a few of them from awhile ago so I apologize for some of my early writing.

10. Zodiac

This scary little film called Zodiac starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey Jr. was long but never boring. Based on the true story of the Zodiac killer who terrorized Southern California, the film is freaky, well-acted and superbly cast.

9. Rescue Dawn

Christian Bale can do no wrong lately and Rescue Dawn was another feather in his cap. He plays a POW who is captured during the Vietnam war in Laos. Bale, along with Steve Zahn, give amazing performances as they try to figure out a way to escape.

8. Superbad

Another Judd Apatow gem with Michael Cera whom I love, and Jonah Hill who is catching fire. From Superbad we learn the phrase “I am McLovin” and also get a nice little story of friendship in the middle of it all.

I did like this better than Knocked Up, but both were awesome additions from Apatow.

7. No Country for Old Men

A fantastic movie with a western flavor and one of the baddest guys seen in awhile, No Country for Old Men really impressed me. It has a tricky ending that not all will get, understand or appreciate, but the acting, cinematography and writing was brilliant.

6. Michael Clayton

George Clooney knows how to pick ‘em, and Michael Clayton was no different. Aside from Syriana, this is probably my favorite Clooney movie ever. He stars as a “janitor” for a law firm who tries to clean up messes, but finds himself in the middle of something bad.

A fantastic script and amazing execution.

5. Gone Baby Gone

There was just something real about Gone Baby Gone. It had its own pace and made you feel like you were really somehow thrust into this Boston suburb looking for a lost girl. Casey Affleck is one of my favorite newcomers to the acting world (although he’s not really new, just becoming more popular) and he’s great here in his brother Ben’s directorial debut.

4. A Mighty Heart

Such an overlooked movie from last year, most people for some reason don’t want to give A Mighty Heart a chance, but I think it was the performance of Angelina Jolie’s career and the story it tells is chilling and sad.

A true take of a horrible moment in Afghanistan war in Iraq in 2002. Everyone should see this movie.

3. Once

I don’t know what it is about Once and what it did to me, but it will always be one of my favorites of all-time. A simple film, with beautiful music made between two people who find each other but aren’t quite sure what to do about it.

Few movies strike an emotional chord with me that lasts for a long time, yet here I am still loving Once like I did the first time I saw it.

2. Bourne Ultimatum

The Bourne Ultimatum was simply the best action film of 2007 and that’s saying a lot in a year that was filled with blockbuster movies like Spiderman 3, Pirates 3, Transformers, Live Free or Die Hard and on and on.

There is no comparison to the Bourne Trilogy in recent years. They are smart films, with such quick and amazing action sequences that it just blows your mind. Matt Damon helped create almost a perfect trilogy that hopefully is left alone.

(Although a fourth would still probably be awesome. )

1. Juno

What can I say? When I saw Juno I just knew it would end up being my favorite movie of the year. It was sweet, cute, smart, hilarious, witty, moving and unique.

Ellen Page became a star in this film. Michael Cera continues his awkward but funny roles. Toss in a superb supporting cast with the likes of Allison Janney, Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner and more, and you have a real winner.

We’ll be seeing this again shortly and if it’s still out at a theater where you are, I’d suggest trying to see it before Oscar night. It’s worth it.

I’m secretly hoping it wins the Best Picture award, and I honestly think it might surprise us all and do it.

Honorable Mentions

Honorable mentions: Knocked Up, Order of the Phoenix, 3:10 to Yuma, Live Free or Die Hard, Breach, The Lookout, There Will Be Blood, The King of Kong and Seraphim Falls.

You can read all my movie reviews by visiting that section on this blog.