Josh's Top 10 Movies of 2007

Here we go:

1- 300

It says a lot that a digitally-enhanced film gets my vote as the top movie of 2007. But this wasn't a great year for cinema, particularly in the first six months of the calendar, so I'm giving my top nod to the story of the Spartans in Ancient Greece. A group of noble, high energy warriors fight to the death to keep their city alive against barbarous intruders. The visuals in this one are stunning, the plot is easy to follow and I have no qualms about calling it the most well-done film of the year.

2- American Gangster

Ridley Scott gets the director's dream cast and keeps it punchy. Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe square off on opposite sides of the law: Denzel plays longtime drug dealer Frank Lucas while Crowe is the ethical cop on the heat of his trail. The two actors share only a brief scene near the end of the movie, but watching them take their turns in method is good enough for me. Strong soundtrack, historical basis, and a job well done by a big money team in making this one.

3- Darjeeling Limited

Ultra-talented director Wes Anderson returns with this tale of three brothers on a spirtual odyssey in India. Owen Wilson (in easily the best performance of his career), Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman play the siblings who ride the train Darjeeling through the hills and valleys of India. It's the death of their father that brings them together initially, while the tragedy that unites them on a treacherous riverbend solidifies the bond. The film has hilarious dialogue that keeps it together despite some slight structural flaws. Brody's resigned "I'm just gonna hold this one in for a while" is the best line in American cinema this year.

4- Knocked Up

The only film I saw this year that had me laughing all the way through. A slacker (played by Seth Rogen) impregnates a high-achieving entertainment reporter. Most of the jokes come from the circle of friends the slacker hangs around with, but Catherine Heigl is both funny and believeable as the leading lady. As with all of director Judd Apatow's flicks, this movie does a deft job of balancing great humor and the heartfelt nature of decent drama. Probably the most fun of any movie this year.

5- Superbad

A knockoff of Knocked Up, this comedy still stands on its own. Written by Seth Rogen, a couple of "loser" high schoolers do their best to get booze, get laid, and keep their friendship while running from the clueless cops. Chistopher Mintz's Mclovin is already one of the great film geeks of all time, and his performance in this one steals the show. Judd Apatow's crew is offically dominating Hollywood.

6- No Country for Old Men

Cormac McCarthy's novel is brought to the big screen by the Coen brothers. The book is fantastic (most of McCarthy's stuff is), while the Coens get themselves out of the hibernation forced by duds like Intolerable Cruelty. Josh Brolin and Tommy Lee Jones give strong performances as the man who stumbles on $2 million and the sherriff who's trying to help him, while Javier Bardem should win an Oscar for his demonic interpretation of badass killer Anton Chigurh. The shootout in the middle of the book is wasted on film, but the story is so good that the move can't help but hold your attention all the way through.

7- Reign Over Me

Am I the only one who really liked this movie? Don Cheadle---a tremendous talent---is the dentist friend of Adam Sandler, a man who's entire family perished in the tragedy of 9/11. Sandler can only relate to the world through his IPod and video game system, while Cheadle tries to break down his walls. An emotional film that hits hard. The use of "Drive All Night" by Bruce Springsteen might be the best placement of a song in a movie this year.

8- The Lives of Others

A foreign language film (German with subtitles) that shows life in East Germany under the watchful eye of the secret police. A famed writer tries to sort out the details of his existence while everything he says or does is known in advance. A warning against Big Brother is a warning for citizens everywhere, regardless of country of origin.

9- Rescue Dawn

Most folks probably didn't take the time to see this Werner Herzog effort, and while it's not on par with a Herzog film like Wrath of God, it's still definitely a quality production. Christian Bale is a Vietnamese POW who leads a group of hostages on their way out of a camp in the middle of a jungle. Bale has emerged as a superstar.

10- Borat

Sacha Baron Cohen takes his Ali G character to the big screen, with largely funny results. I'm still not sure what exactly Cohen is trying to achieve---with all of his anti-semitic and straight racist language. He's Jewish himself, but that doesn't justify keeping your own people down. Or is he just poking fun at the ignorance of others? This movie made a big splash. You decide.

-JAB