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Danielle's Top
10 of 2007
While the films released in 2007 were disappointing at times, there
were also more five star films than in recent years, and several
really good films had to settle for honorable mention instead of
making the top ten. If there's a common thread among the best films
of the year, it's the number of outstanding acting performances in
them. Trying to list only five actors who gave great performances
would be a thankless task because of how many deserving candidates
would simply have to be omitted.
Honorable mention: Black
Snake Moan, Eastern
Promises, Halloween, The Kite Runner, Michael
Clayton
10. Zodiac: This is as close as you'll get to experiencing an investigation of
this magnitude without actually being a journalist or a detective,
and it's also a damned fine piece of dramatic filmmaking.
9. Sunshine: In an era where science fiction films too often mean mindless action
and visual eye candy substituting for an actual story, Danny Boyle's Sunshine
stands apart as a serious science fiction film, but doesn't skimp on the aspects that make modern sci-fi movies so visually stunning.
8. Before the Devil Knows You're
Dead: Iconic filmmaker
Sydney Lumet's Before the Devil Knows You're Dead dives
into the darker abysses of familial relationships and takes the
audience along for the ride, complete with thrilling plot twists
and the rush of watching a master storyteller and skilled actors do
what they do best.
7. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: This poetic film translates Jean-Dominique Bauby's remarkable memoir
into an equally remarkable film that achieves dramatic power and
emotional clarity without succumbing to the usual cliches of the
'sick person' genre.
6. No Country For Old Men: This cinema adaptation of
Cormac McCarthy's novel is proof once again that the Coen Brothers
are some of the most strikingly creative filmmakers of this or
any era.
5. 3:10 to Yuma: Although the heyday of the Western was decades ago, it's a genre that
still has a lot to say when done right. Not only is this year's remake of the classic 3:10 to Yuma an example of one done
right, it's a flawless film that instantly joins Clint Eastwood's
Unforgiven as one of the rare modern classics of the genre.
4. Across the Universe: It's not often that a piece of cinema raises itself to the sublime
level of a work of art, but this is one of those rare
examples. Julie Taymor's visionary Beatles-based musical Across the Universe is mind-blowing in all the right ways.
3. Into the Wild: Into the Wild is one of those rare films that works on every level. It's not
something that can merely be watched, instead it begs to be
experienced and even endured as an ordeal as emotionally draining as
it is life affirming.
2. The Wind That Shakes the
Barley: Ken
Loach's latest film is a work of art that does what art should
do, examines real life and shines a powerful light on the
human struggle for freedom.
1. There Will Be Blood: If you thought American filmmakers had nothing left to say, then this
film that will renew your faith that there are still inspired
American directors with quite a lot to say and who can say it
brilliantly. It's a stunning masterpiece, a label that should never
be tossed around carelessly, but one that it fully deserves.
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