Top 15 of 2007

"La Mome" might just be the best musician based biopic released, as it doesn't even conjure up the idea of miming or impersonation... this is acting, full stop. This is Marion Cotillard's movie, as she portrays the tragic life of Edith Piaf with gusto, rising from the slums of Montmartre to the glittering lights of the stage with a full orchestra. Just from the synopsis itself, it may come off as a generic biopic but Dahan tries to take risks here: he knows that he is limited by the story so he compensates for it through his screenplay, cinematography and amazing long takes. Who could forget that scene when Piaf breaks down upon discovery that her true love is lost? Or that inspiring interview with a writer from Elle magazine? Or when we find out she died on an early age of 40-something? This film doesn't insult its audiences' intelligence, as it dares to jump in chronology, adding to the emphasis of Piaf's unstable reference for reality. A movie that lasts for about 2 hours, filled with heartache, tragedy and misery, the final scene elevates it all into a liminal moment one will be hard pressed to forget. Cotillard definitely deserved her Oscar, and everyone deserves to be treated with a movie like this that is not short of brilliance.

Roger Ebert once said that you know you're watching a favourite movie when every single time you see it, you discover something new. Although I have only seen "Once" twice, I think it perfectly fits that category. The first time I saw this film, I was pretty amazed about the sincerity it delivered. But after several months soaking in the soundtrack, I have now gained an even more intense appreciation for the movie as the songs *do* fit the movie quite well. The sincerity is still there however the tragedy (although, not a depressing one) has slowly emerged. The problems that I encountered the first time were still there though: the countless montages by the second half and its unsung interesting dialogue lacking in that area, too. However, the ending redeems it perfectly, as even if our protgonists (spoiler!) didn't end up together, who knows... they've still got time.