Top 10 of 2007

Ryan: I love going to the movies! Furthermore, I really love going to the movies and seeing something exceptional. Each year there are always a handful of movies that stick with you long after you have seen them - movies that are a cut above the rest. 2007 was blessed with some outstanding films in a couple of different genres. Below you will find my Top 10 Films of the past year. Alongside me during all of the movies that I see is a person with an amazing taste in cinema – Jennifer. Her opinion and insight into the movies….is…well…..ALLLMOST as good as mine. Jen? (Her Top 10 is included as well).

Jen: Oh, I see. Now that I have edited YOUR comments above for spelling and grammatical errors, I can get to the matter at hand. It was a pleasure to make countless trips to the movies in 2007, especially the latter part when most of the noteworthy films were released. I see that both of our lists included No Country, Blood, Juno, Once, Charlie Wilson, SuperBad, and Atonement even after being locked in separate rooms while we compiled our lists. I suppose that evidences that these seven flicks were at the top of their game in 2007. I am glad that you included Sicko which had me laughing and crying. Do you think it has a shot for best documentary? The Kite Runner was definitely one of the better films of the year, but it just didn't compare to the book. Bourne was a fun watch and was left nicely open-ended. I was surprised that you gave Mike C. the axe. I thought it was different than the typical thriller/lawyer films that we have seen in recent years and what great performances by Clooney and Wilkinson! Sweeney was dark while being humorous and Helena Bonham Carter almost stole the show from Johnny Depp. Finally, Waitress was so charming and unpretentious - what an original script that showed us quite a different side of pregnancy (Knocked Up did this as well). Thanks for inviting me to share my comments. I look forward to our next trip to the theatre!
Jen

Ryan's Top 10

10. Atonement

9. SuperBad

8. Sicko

7. The Kite Runner

6. Charlie Wilson's War

5. Bourne Ultimatum

4. Once

3. Juno

2. There Will Be Blood

1. No Country for Old Men

Jen's Top 10

10. Sweeney Todd

9. SuperBad

8. Atonement

7. No Country for Old Men

6. Charlie Wilson's War
5. Waitress

4. Michael Clayton

3. There Will Be Blood

2. Once

1. Juno

There Will Be Blood Review

There Will Be Blood: Fifteen minutes into Blood, without a single word yet spoken, you know you are in for a unique film experience. You instantly see that Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest offering is not just a wedge of entertainment, but a piece of art. When you want to be serious about “art” in the world of cinema, one actor’s name comes screaming to mind - Daniel Day-Lewis (DDL). DDL plays Daniel Plainview, an oil man in turn-of-the-century Texas. His greed leads him to any town or ranch where oil has been discovered. He eventually finds his way to the Sunday family ranch where oil is so plentiful that it has been spotted seeping out of the ground. Here Plainview meets Eli Sunday, a man who preaches the word of God. As the oil wells are constructed, the two of them slowly become adversaries. There Will Be Blood is a study of many things including greed, hatred, trust, jealously, and faith in God. Watching DDL deteriorate and transform his character because of greed is like spying on Dali while painting – a genius at work! Matching the exquisiteness of DDL’s performance is the powerful score supplied by Radiohead’s Johnny Greenwood (I know what you are thinking, this coming from a huge Radiohead fan). The music becomes another character in this sprawling epic while providing in depth foreshadowing. In my opinion, it was the innovative score that really put this film on a higher pedestal. I think it is very important to know that the runtime is roughly 3 hours. Also, the pace of the film is much slower than the norm, however I am not saying that is bad. In fact, in this case it is a good thing because it gives you time to cherish the detail and thought put into this tour de force.
Ry’s Rating: A-

If this movie had parents they would be: Wall Street & 2001 A Space Odyssey

With a runtime of 158 minutes
This film is rated R

Charlie Wilson's War Review

Charlie Wilson’s War: Tom Hanks, Phillip Seymour Hoffman (PSH), and Julia Roberts punctuate the big screen story of Texas congressman Charlie Wilson's covert dealings in Afghanistan. Charlie Wilson (Hanks) was an eccentric ladies' man allowing the movie to be furnished with plenty of humor based on that angle. Funny – yes, but the subject matter was quite serious. Wilson was the congressman behind supplying Afghan rebels with weaponry capable of combating the Soviet forces that had invaded their country. His mission had to be covert as any sign of U.S. involvement risked the dropping of the word “cold” from the term “cold war”. Aiding Wilson’s mission was CIA agent Gust Avrakotos (Hoffman). PSH is just about the best character actor working today and his performance is nothing short of amazing. Mixing humor with such an interesting topic made this one of the more enjoyable, entertaining, and informative movies this season. The way the film celebrates Charlie Wilson’s achievement is pitch perfect in that we are conscious that the long-term consequences of his actions turn out to be destructive. The movie's message is relevant to Afghanistan, but also the current happenings in Iraq. The final quote of the movie stings with fury: “These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we f**cked up the endgame." – Charlie Wilson
Ry’s Rating: B+

If this movie had parents they would be: Wag the Dog & Lord of War

With a runtime of 97 minutes
This film is rated R

Into the Wild movie review

Into the Wild: Sean Penn steps behind the camera to direct the real life adventure of Christopher McCandless. McCandless had some intriguing ideas about society and the way people should live their lives. After graduating from college at the top of his class, he decided to give away his entire savings ($24,000) to charity, dispose of all of his ID's and credit cards, and live off the land in Alaska. He was not running from some killer cyborg – he just wanted to live life his way. The movie tells the story of not only his time in Alaska, but of the people he met on his journey along the way. The film was beautifully shot and had a couple of good performances from Bill Hurt and Marcia Gay Harden who play Christopher’s parents. Playing the lead, McCandless – is Emile Hirsch. He did an adequate job, but failed to reel me in emotionally. I wanted to care more. I did like the way Mr. Penn decided to put the movie together – jumping between the time Christopher is in Alaska by himself and the voyage he took to get there. In addition, the use of voiceovers by the many people Christopher touched in his life brought some strong sentiment. I just felt the movie needed more of that. I think it was a case of too many people with not enough emotional ties between them to give me the payoff I wanted.
* * * or Grade: B-

If this movie had parents they would be: Grizzly Man & A River Runs Through It

With a running time of
This film is rated R