Movies On My List to See for 2007

I'm really hoping that this film will be great. Alan Arkin, right after his Oscar-winning role in Little Miss Sunshine, plus the phenominal Meryl Streep! That's enough right there, but add Reese Witherspoon (in her first role since winning her Oscar) and Jake Gyllenhaal and you have one promising film.

While I'm not a huge fan of Cruise and Redford the 1st trailer looks promising. It also looks like it's Meryl's movie to steal, once again.

The trailer looks hilarious. Philip Seymour is great at both comedy and drama, and after winning the Oscar for Capote a comedy will be very refreashing. Laura Linney is also always good.

Rarely does a film come along that combines the best qualities of directors, actors, and screenwriters. Very few films show a perception of the world as it appears today. So far this year only one film has met both these tasks: No Country for Old Men.


A brilliant piece of art, No Country for Old Men marks the return of Joel and Ethan Coen. After producing two flops (The Ladykillers and Intolerable Cruelty), the two are back at the top of their game. With No Country for Old Men, the Coens remind us why they are the most unique voices in Hollywood. It should be remembered that the Coens were the force behind such memorable films as Raising Arizona, Miller's Crossing, Barton Fink, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, and O Brother Where Art Thou?. Reminiscent of their 1984 debut Blood Simple, No Country for Old Men seethes with bloody delight.


The story centers around a hunter who stumbles upon some dead bodies, a stash of heroin and more than $2 million in cash near the Rio Grande. Here enters the Coen's best story telling element. Much like Fargo, ordinary people are thrown into extraordinary circumstances. By doing so, the film creates an other worldly effect and ends up fabricating a story that could possibly happen. Set in 1980, the film somehow transcends its time period and becomes much more a commentary on our society today. By displaying the violence of man, No Country for Old Men forces its audience to realize the increasingly violent nature of the world.


Helping to add to the moral story are a handful of stunning performances. First is Josh Brolin playing Llewelyn Moss, the man around which most of the story centers. Earlier this year, Brolin stared in American Gangster, and his work in that film as well as in No Country for Old Men provides for a great year. The conflicted ideals he helps bring to the main character is something to behold, and the overall performance is a victory. Tommy Lee Jones also, like Brolin, turns in his second award-worthy performance of the year. In In the Valley of Elah, Jones played a father trying to come to terms with the Iraq War. As Ed Tom Bell in No Country for Old Men, Jones is largely the same character, except this time trying to come to terms with the increasingly violent nature of man. The title, no doubt, refers to Jones' character. The world we live in now isn't one for those who still hold older, most distant views. Jones' narration is highly effective, and he deserves any attention he receives. The man who steals the show, though, is Javier Bardem. Bardem plays the psychopath villain Anton Chigurh. His chilling performance is the best villain since Silence of the Lambs' Hannibal Lector. Chigurh is brutal, but yet the viewer feels for him at times. He's by no means a good man, but the nature of his character is something for any moviegoer to enjoy. He's not a clichéd character, by no stretch of the imagination a cookie-cutter version of every other screen menace. While Brolin, Jones, and Bardem are the heart and soul of the film, the supporting performances are also fantastic. Kelly Macdonald is perfectly cast as Llewelyn's wife, Carla Jean. A Scottish actress, Macdonald nails the southern accent and her character serves as an anchor for some parts of the film. Woody Harrelson has a nice cameo, and although his character serves little purpose to the overall story, he is still quite enjoyable to watch.


To touch more on the Coen's direction could take some time. In short though, they have created arguably their best film. Surely their best film since the Oscar-winning Fargo in 1996, No Country for Old Men serves as a stunning testament as to what filmmakers can do. There's no fancy special effects and no distractive camera work, just pure brilliance. For years, the Coens have been allowed to make the films they want with little, or no, studio interference. With a film like No Country for Old Men it shows. Along with directing, the Coens also wrote the script, something they do for each of their films. What's unique about No Country for Old Men is that it is the Coen's first literary adaptation. The screenplay is based on the novel of the same name by Cormac McCarthy, a recent Pulitzer Prize winner. Nearly a word-for-word adaptation, the Coen?s script is extremely loyal to the original source.


The rest of the film fits together beautifully. The editing is quick and exquisitely done. That's also the doing of the Coen brothers. Using the name Roderick Jaynes, they have edited all of their films. The overall look of the film is perfect. The dusty rolling plains serve as a perfect contrast from the snowy white landscape of that in Fargo. The pacing is just perfect. Never is there a dull moment. The film allows you to catch your breath, but then builds the suspense again. All of it builds to...well the ending, an ending which will undoubtedly have lots of people up in arms. While the ending can't be spoiled here, it will be argued for some time as to the real meaning. Yet, when the screen fades to black it is evident that the ending is actually rather profound, a pitch-perfect note to end the film on.


When all is said and done, No Country for Old Men stands as a masterpiece, a stunning achievement in any year. The film is one of the best crafted suspense stories of all time. The Oscar buzz already surrounding the film is deafening. It's the first thriller to generate such talk since The Silence of the Lambs swept the awards circuit in 1991. As of now, the film is largely being considered to be in the #1 spot for Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actor, and Adapted Screenplay. The National Board of Review just awarded the film three major awards: Best Picture of the Year, Best Ensemble, and Best Adapted Screenplay. All the praise is more than deserved. Come Oscar time, the film will be one of the only true contenders, and years from now it will still be viewed as a violent and profound piece of cinematic genius.

It's got my two favorite actors in one movie. Talk about the best casting choice of the year. It's Nicholson and Freeman's 1st time together, and even if the reviews aren't so steller I guarentee I will love this movie. My most anticipated movie of 2007.

I really knew nothing about this movie, that is until I saw the trailer when it first came out about 5 months ago. I was instantly drawn to it, and now having had the chance to see it I can firmly say that it's one of the best films of 2007. Ben Affleck's career is no longer the source of jokes. This, combined with his should-have been Oscar-nominated work Hollywoodland, establishes Ben as one of the most versatile figures in Hollywood. It's evident that he has enormous talent as a director/screenwriter, and I really hope he continues to add to his list, because this is one of the finest directoral debuts in recent memory. Affleck puts together the best ensemble of the year. Brother Casey Affleck proves his talent as a leading man, and newcomer Amy Ryan is stunning. Michelle Monaghan is a great supporting player, along with Amy Madigan. Hollywood veterans Ed Harris and Morgan Freeman argueable steal the whole show. Both actor should get supporting actor recognition come Oscar time.


Everything about this film works. The casting, the direction, the script...everything is so good. The film also looks beautiful. Come time to make my yearly "should have been nominated" list, Gone Baby Gone will hold at least 8 nominations.


The film's subject matter is of course, at times, very unsettling, hitting very close to what is happening in the world now. That's part of the film's power. It's ability to make the audience think about the world that we live in today is simply genius. Plus, rarely does a movie have you thinking "what would I have done in that situation?"


Gone Baby Gone does run parallels between the other Dennis Lehane-based film Mystic River, but in my opinion this is a much stronger film on all levels. Do yourself a favor and go see this film. It's great.

Michael Clayton is easily one of the best films of 2007. Director Tony Gilroy turns in the best directoral debuts in recent memory. There should be more praise for this directoral debut than there was for Sam Mendes' American Beauty. Pure genius! The cast is also just pitch perfect. George Clooney turns in the best performance of his career. He's so natural and so effective here that he deserves a Best Actor nomination and, at this point, the win. Tom Wilkinson is also phenominal in his role. He should be considered very seriously for an Oscar nomination. Tilda Swinton and Sydney Pollack are the minor cast members, but both turn in sublime supporting work. In addition to a great directing job, Gilroy also writes a wonderfully crafted script. The script should also be nominated. It's one of the best of the year. The thing about the film is that everything works so well. The cast, the direction, the script....everything is just right, not to mention how beautiful the film looks. Many people have complained about how slow this film is. I personally don't see where they're coming from. Sure there's some down time between vital scenes, but court-related dramas always have it. Plus, the filler in this movie works, and really adds to the film. Make sure you catch this one. You won't be sorry!

Another stunning film from master filmmaker Paul Haggis. A follow-up to Crash, one of the finest dramas ever, would be hard for anyone to muster. While Haggis' follow-up isn't as good as Crash, In the Valley of Elah is still a powerful, effective, and deeply moving film that is easily the best of 2007 as of October. The performances are stunning. Paul Haggis has a relationship with his actors that few directors do, and it's more than evident here. Tommy Lee Jones turns in one of the top performances of his career, while Charlize Theron also adds to her list of hits. Susan Sarandon, though, is almost the most effective of the bunch. She has a mere 10 minutes onscreen, but with that time she crafts a highly moving performance. All three should, but won't, receive Oscar nominations. Haggis' script is also the best of the year so far, and it's made evident that Haggis' yearly nomination in the screenplay categories should be secured. I suggest that everyone see this movie. Haggis provides a powerful vision of the state of the union and in the process creates another phenominal movie. To say it's just an anti-war film is to miss the whole point of the movie. Go see this!