I don’t do this movie reviewing thing full time. In fact, I only saw a handful of movies for free in the theater. Everything on my list, I paid to see. Which means I sometimes don’t catch things like Harry Potter, Atonement, and Transformers that I have no interest in and haven’t been asked to review. If you think a movie should be on my list but isn’t, assume I didn’t see it.
I did see a pretty wide variety of movies, though, including several that are showing up regularly on “best-of” lists across the net. I have nothing against an arty film, although most of them looked a little tired this year. In my mind; however, this was the year of the fun movie. With the exception of No Country for Old Men, every movie in my top 10 was pretty damn fun to watch. In almost every case, I just felt better after leaving the theater than I did when I entered. I think that’s important. If you aren’t getting a little enjoyment from your entertainment, take up checkers.
1. The Bourne Ultimatum
Directed By: Paul Greengrass Written By: Tony Gilroy, Tom Stoppard, Scott Burns, Paul Attanasio Starring: Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, Joan Allen, David Strathairn, Scott Glenn, Paddy Considine, Edgar Ramirez
The Bourne Ultimatum is not only the most exciting action/thriller of the decade, it raises the bar in terms of non-CGI action set pieces. Director Paul Greengrass (United 93) has now made the best movie two years in a row and demonstrated that a trilogy ending movie doesn’t have to suck (I’m looking at you At World’s End). It starts off at a heart thumping pace and continues to tighten the tension like a drum. Watching it is a process of continually leaning forward and digging your nails into the arm of your seat, chair, or couch. Hand-to-hand combat takes on an almost ballet-like ferocity. Every scene in the actual place, not in front of some green screen and the reality is heightened by the big brother paranoia of our government at work. Matt Damon lets very few words convey his painful regret at the man he has been and his need to find out who or what created him. “Look at us,” he tells a fellow assassin, “look at what they make you give.” Damon doesn’t oversell any part of Bourne’s internal pain, but it’s obvious in every scene. I simply wished he had to go to Buenos Aires, Quebec, and Zimbabwe before making it home to New York, since I didn’t want the movie to end. Not the most important film of the year, but the most entertaining and fun to watch, and that’s not as easy it looks.
Best Moment: Jason Bourne attempting to find out what reporter Simon Ross knows at London’s Victoria Station while trying to keep them both alive.
Directed By: John Carney Written By: John Carney Starring: Glen Hansard, Marketa Irglova
A musical with no production numbers shot for $150,000 with two basically unknown leads, Once is a film of almost stunning beauty and heartfelt power. A man (never named and listed in the credits as “The Guy”)who busks on the streets of Dublin and works in his father’s vacuum repair shop meets a girl (“The Girl”) when she stops to tell him that his original song is wonderful. It’s the kind of connection that every romantic movie tries for with their $15 million stars and manipulative music cues, but it succeeds here beyond any expectation. Leads Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova have a natural chemistry and the songs, primarily supported just with Hansard on guitar and Irglova on piano, are integrated seamlessly into the stroyline They come off as natural as the relationship between the two musicians. Doesn’t even stoop to making it a common romance, as The Girl spends most of the film trying to get The Guy to head to London and see his ex-girlfriend who broke his heart. A wonderful antidote to anyone looking for a good musical but not willing to sit through over-hyped sledgehammer dreck like Chicago. It never appears to be trying very hard to pull you in, but it does it just the same. Should make stars out of its leads and director John Carney (not the placekicker) is one to watch in the future. This is the best movie you haven’t seen. Correct that, today.
Best Moment: The Guy leads his new band through their first song, winning over the jaded recording engineer.
3. No Country For Old Men
Directed By: Joel Coen & Ethan Coen Written By: Joel Coen & Ethan Coen Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Woody Harrelson, Kelly Macdonald
Let’s get this out of the way early. I didn’t like the ending. Call me stupid if you want, I’ll call you pretentious and we’ll be square. Fortunately, this violent and thoughtful look at good and evil by the Coen Brothers, is so good for the first two hours. Josh Brolin, who isn’t getting enough critical acclaim, is a star in the making as a man who sees a better life if he can just stay alive long enough to experience it. Javier Bardem gives the performance of his career, mostly because he has the role of his career. Kelly Macdonald and Tommy Lee Jones do that typical Southern thing but fit perfectly into a chase movie with bigger aspirations. When you aren’t laughing at lines like “If I don’t come back, tell my mother I love her,” “you’re mother’s dead,” “then I’ll tell her myself,” you’re thinking about issues like where does evil come from and what can we do about it. Nothing but get the hell out of the way, apparently. It doesn’t come across as bleak, though, just resigned. Movies with this much blood don’t typically evoke such a contemplative posture, but this isn’t a typical movie and deserves all of the praise currently raining down on it. Except for the ending, of course.
Best Moment: Anton Chigurh buys a package of peanuts and flips the uncomprehending store owner for his life.
Directed By: Judd Apatow Written By: Judd Apatow Starring: Katherine Heigl, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Martin Starr
The funniest movie of the year. Despite having all the trappings of a lame-brained raunch-comedy, Knocked Up rises above the clichéd premise thanks to more laughs than you will find in 50 Adam Sandler movies. Seth Rogen became the star he’s deserved to be ever since he first showed up in “Freaks and Geeks” as James Franco’s buddy. Director Judd Apatow presents Ben and his friends as real guys (real stoner/slacker guys, but still), so when he’s faced with how to handle the pregnancy of his one-night stand, it allows for some drama. Katherine Heigl is both great to look at and able to play right along with the guys in delivering hysterical lines. Apatow wisely resists cameos from the Ben Stillers and Will Ferrells of the world and lets people like Craig Robinson from The Office kill with lines about how Heigl’s sister is hot but too damn old to be let into the club. There are little bits about marrying for the right or wrong reasons, but the real point here is just to laugh your ass off. The drama is a decent counterpoint without weighing down the whole movie. This one edges Superbad as the best thing out of the Apatow machine in 2007.
Best Moment: Anytime Ben’s buddies make fun of Martin’s beard.
5. Juno
Directed By: Jason Reitman Written By: Diablo Cody Starring: Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Alison Janney, J.K. Simmons
Who would have thought there would be so many funny movies about unintended pregnancy in one year? Jason Reitman’s hilarious and sometimes tender offering thankfully didn’t get into the increasingly tiresome abortion debate. Instead, we get a wisecracking teen who meets her circumstances with lines like “I’m already pregnant, what other shenanigans could I get into?” Sure, the lines by newcomer Diablo Cody aren’t exactly realistic and are a little forced hip for everyone’s taste, but they are funny, which is the real point. Ellen Page’s Juno tosses off her quips with minimal effort but watching her face when she sees Michael Cera as her boyfriend, Bleeker, can almost break your heart. Add in Jennifer Garner as a career gal who wants Juno’s baby badly and Jason Bateman as her husband who doesn’t, and it’s not quite as funny as Knocked Up, but funnier than almost everything else.
Best Moment: When Juno and Bleeker have it out in the hallway about his prom date.
6. The Lookout
Directed By: Scott Frank Written By: Scott Frank Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jeff Daniels, Isla Fisher, Alex Borstein, Matthew Goode, Greg Dunham, Carla Gugino
Criminally missing from most critics top 10 lists because it came out in March and everyone forgot it existed, The Lookout should be in your DVD rental queue. It almost sounds like a Rob Schneider movie; mentally retarded man and his blind roommate outwit cold blooded thieves. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Jeff Daniels ignore the clichés in their characters and turn it into an exciting thriller/drama. I probably would have skipped this one if Josh Tyler hadn’t banged the drum so hard for it when it came out. I’m glad he did, you will be, too.
Best Moment: Chris and Lewis go to Chris’ family’s house for Thanksgiving dinner.
Directed By: Adam Shankman Written By: Leslie Dixon Starring: John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Amanda Bynes, James Marsden, Queen Latifah, Brittany Snow, Zac Efron, Nikki Blonsky
The funnest (not funniest) movie this year, Hairspray just puts a smile on my face that I can’t seem to remove. While big production numbers often lose something in their stage to screen transitions, these remain energetic and bright. The casting of John Travolta was a huge mistake but everyone else is perfect and newcomer Nikki Blonsky shines in the lead role of Tracy Turnblad. A nice message of racial and obesity tolerance doesn’t get in the way of the singing, dancing, and comedy that are the film’s highlights. Family-friendly with only a few innuendos that fly over most children’s heads, this is one film that everyone can and should enjoy.
Best Moment: Seaweed reminds Penny and her friends that once you have black you’ll never go back with the song “Run and Tell That.”
8. The Simpsons Movie
Directed By: David Silverman Written By: James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, Al Jean, Ian Maxtone-Graham, George Meyer, David Mirkin, Mike Reiss, Mike Scully, Matt Selman, John Swartzwelder, Jon Vitti Voices: Dan Catellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Harry Shearer, Hank Azaria, Marcia Wallace, Billie Joe Armstrong, Tom Hanks, Tre Cool, Mike Dirnt, Tress MacNeille, Pamela Hayden, Joe Mantegna, Albert Brooks
Let’s face it, we all thought this was going to be mediocre. Instead, very good comedy writers in the business reminded us why this used to be the best comedy on television. Ever. Of course, it could have easily done on the small screen, but it wasn’t, it was a movie and it was a good one. I laughed out loud every couple of minutes at jokes that were primarily written with fans of The Simpsons in mind. Since I am, it worked great and had that tenderness between the family members that make the show more than just a joke factory.
Best Moment: Two words: Spider Pig.
Directed By: Brad Bird Written By: Brad Bird Voices: Patton Oswalt, Lou Romano, Brian Dennehy, Peter Sohn, Brad Garrett, Janeane Garofalo, Ian Holm, Peter O’Toole, John Ratzenberger
Brad Bird is God. He’s animated director God, at the very least. Everything he touches turns to gold; including a movie about a rat in the kitchen. Thankfully eschewed the stunt voice casting that ruins so many animated films, Patton Oswalt and Lou Romano have a nice relationship as Remy and Linguini. The moral of following your dream wherever it takes you is well done without being heavy handed. Plus it’s gorgeous to look at and funny.
Best Moment:The health inspector walks into a kitchen full of Remy’s relatives.
Directed By: Kevin Lima Written By: Bill Kelly Starring: Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, Timothy Spall, Idina Menzel, Rachel Covey, Susan Sarandon
Amy Adams is destined to become the next superstar. She’s just too cute and winning in Enchanted not to be the biggest thing since sliced bread. In addition to her wonderful performance, <>Enchanted is a Disney fan’s wet dream, with references going back almost 70 years. The songs aren’t just toss-offs, they add to the enjoyment, as does the ability to see if a Disney sensibility will play in New York. It’s a spoof without being mean spirited and James Marsden is a hoot.
Best Moment: Giselle bursts into “How Will She Know?” in Central Park… everyone sings along.
Great films that didn't make the cut:
Superbad, Into the Wild, Ocean’s 13, 3:10 to Yuma, The Kingdom, Bridge to Terabithia, Breach, Waitress, Hot Fuzz
Just in case you were wondering:
If you include direct-to-DVD stuff then Farce of the Penguins may be the worst movie ever. Otherwise, Shrek 3 was the worst movie of the year.
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