Adam's Cinematic Top 25

Once is the most entertaining, charming and heart-affecting film of the year. Simply perfect. Once is the only movie I've seen Twice (this year). The Boneman.

THE BEST IN MOVIES 2007! By Adam Mast

It's that time of year again. That time when insignificant film fanatics, such as myself, put together our lists of the year's best movies. Personally, I don't like to do a mere top ten, because I think it sort of discredits all the other great films that came out during the year. Therefore, I've done a larger list. On a final note, there were plenty of movies I didn't have a chance to see. Sweeney Todd, There Will Be Blood, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, and Persepolis have yet to open nation wide, so unfortunately, I'm playing the waiting game where those particular titles are concerned. I will update this list in the next few weeks. In the meantime, the following collection of titles simply represents the best experiences I had in theaters during 2007.

1. ONCE (R)
Not all movies affect all people in the same way. That's just the way it is. But then that's the beauty of cinema isn't it? For me, Once is the best film of 2007 and further proof that a movie doesn't have to have a massive budget to work it's magic. This is a very small picture but what it lacks in scope it more than makes up for in heart. Featuring haunting and heartfelt songs and wonderful performances, this bittersweet love story/musical about an affable Irish street musician (The Frames' Glen Hansard) and the endearing songwriter (lovable Marketa Irglova) who inspires him, is an absolute gem. A moving cinematic experience that stays with you like a catchy melody.

2. ZODIAC (R)
David Fincher's underappreciated Zodiac is more of a procedural drama than a straight up serial killer thriller. Zodiac displays nearly every facet of this famed case in painstaking detail. The film does offer up thrills and tension but it's more interested in deftly showing how the infamous bay area serial killer eluded authorities. Fincher's meticulous eye for detail is a marvel to behold. The fashion in which he and his crew have re-created 70's San Francisco is simply breathtaking. What's more, the film features stunning performances all around. Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., and Jake Gyllenhaal in particular give award worthy turns.

3. SUPERBAD/KNOCKED UP/WALK HARD: THE DEWEY COX STORY (R)
2007 was the year of Judd Apatow (Freaks and Geeks, The 40 Year Old Virgin). He was heavily involved in three of the year's very best comedies. All three of these movies were so entertaining that I had a hard time picking one over the other, so I decided to slap them all together. In terms of straight up laughs, I give the edge to Superbad. While the laughs are of the raunchy variety, there is an endearing tale of friendship at the heart of the film. Knocked Up is equally raunchy, but beneath the dirty, frat boy humor, is an observant look at pregnancy and relationships. Knocked Up and Superbad feature new comedy king Seth Rogan. In Superbad, he plays a goofy cop out to give a teenager the time of his life and in Knocked Up, he's the slacker twinkle in gorgeous Katherine Heigl's eye. Walk Hard is, perhaps, the best example of parody since the original Naked Gun. This hilarious send up of music bio pics features an outstanding turn by John C. Reilly as an iconic musician who, through the course of several years, faces just about every music bio pic cliche you can possibly imagine. Superbad, Knocked Up, and Walk Hard represent the very best in adult oriented comedy. Crude but heartfelt.

4. 3:10 TO YUMA (R)
James Mangold's stunning remake is a vibrant, character driven piece that also happens to be one hell of an action film. With stellar work by Christian Bale as a poor farmer and a cock sure Russell Crowe as the career criminal who Bale hopes to bring to justice, 3:10 to Yuma is an exciting western with an anti violence message that never feels preachy. There is a bond of sorts that develops between Crowe and Bale and even though these men appear to be polar opposites at the surface, they actually have quite a bit in common. Special kudos to Ben Foster who brings swagger and sheer terror to his role as Crowe's pit bull of an accomplice.

5. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (R)
The latest effort from the Coen Brothers (based on a novel by Cormac McCarthy) is a dark, gritty, and cynical return to the genre that put these film making siblings on the map. While this film has moments of the Coens' trademark humor, it is easily their darkest work to date. With a tone akin to Blood Simple and Fargo, this unpredictable tale features a gripping game of cat and mouse between a small town Texan (well played by Goonie Josh Brolin) and a fierce killer for hire (played with ferocious glee, dry wit, and absolute terror by Javier Bardem). You may think you know where this picture is headed, but then it takes an abrupt left turn. Tommy Lee Jones also appears as an old school Sheriff picking up the clues Brolin and Bardem leave behind. No Country For Old Men is a movie in which badness triumphs, and not in the way you might be expecting. This film is challenging and even a bit frustrating, but I was compelled by it every step of the way.

6. HOT FUZZ (R)
2007 was a great year to be a movie geek as the next two films on this list clearly illustrate. Hot Fuzz does for action films what Shaun of the Dead did for zombie pictures, and it's no wonder. Both movies were created by the same team. Director Edgar Wright and stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost obviously had a blast making Hot Fuzz and it shows in every frame of this wildly entertaining film. To call Hot Fuzz mere parody though seems entirely unfair. This is a new kind of sub- genre. Sure, it pays homage to the action films of yesteryear winking at the likes of nearly every action movie you can possibly think of, but it also manages to be an entry in the very same genre it's having fun with. And that's the neatest trick Hot Fuzz pulls off. It isn't laughing at old school action films. It's embracing them with open arms. Grand entertainment at it's finest.

7. GRINDHOUSE (R)
Do you remember the double feature? Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino sure do. Grindhouse is a tour de force of exploitation goodness and while I suppose these maverick film makers have certain luxuries the exploitation directors of the 70's didn't have (this film had a decidedly larger budget), there's no denying the love and care that went into the creation of this go for broke B-movie extravaganza. In Robert Rodriguez's segment Planet Terror, the director turns the zombie genre on it's ear. What's more, his flesh eating opus has a John Carpenter ring to it that had me grinning from ear to ear. In Quentin Tarantino's offering Death Proof, a crazed stunt man murders women with his car. Kurt Russell is the stunt man in question, and this is one of the most entertaining performances of his career. Capping it all of is one of the greatest car chases in the history of film. Oh, and did I mention the fake movie trailers that run in between the feature presentations? They come courtesy of Robert Rodriguez (Machete), Rob Zombie (Werewolf Women of the S.S.), Edgar Wright (Don't), and Eli Roth (Thanksgiving). They're worth the price of admission alone.

8. RATATOUILLE (G)
It seems all too pretentious to throw a Pixar film into the mix, but I'll be darned if Ratatouille isn't one of the very best movies of the year. A stunning visual achievement with a CREATIVE screenplay to boot. This lively computer animated feature takes an idea that shouldn't work (a rat cooking in the kitchen) and turns it into an endearing, sweet natured tale about friendship and following your dream. Ratatouille has it all. Comedy, action, drama, and romance. Pixar scores yet again.

9. HAIRSPRAY (PG)
When I heard that John Waters' wonderful 80's film was being transformed into a Broadway musical, I nearly fainted. When I heard that a new film version based on the Broadway show would be made and that it would be directed by the man who brought us The Pacifier, I did faint! There was no way this movie could actually be good, right? Wrong! As it turns out, this take on Hairspray contains all the odd, eccentric quirks that made Waters' original film so entertaining, and fuses it with unlimited energy and perfectly fitting tunes (reminiscent of the songs in Frank Oz's Little Shop of Horrors). Plus it has John Travolta in a fat suit. What more could you ask for? As I watched this wonderfully entertaining film, I was instantly reminded of watching Grease for the first time. 2007 was a great year for musically driven films. Hairspray (and Once) represent the best.

10. INTO THE WILD (R)
This haunting, poetic road movie from director Sean Penn is an American masterpiece. Penn's free style direction approach perfectly suits the material and Emile Hirsch delivers a breakout performance as Christopher McCandless, a young man who would ultimately lose himself in the Alaskan wilderness all in a bid to buck conformity. Peppered by extraordinary supporting turns (Hal Holdbrook is gives a masterful, heartbreaking turn), breathtaking cinematography, and unforgettable songs by Eddie Vedder, Into The Wild is as memorable as they come.

11. AMERICAN GANGSTER (R)
American Gangster treads ground we've seen in movies before, but in the hands of the extraordinarily gifted Ridley Scott, the film still feels exciting. Fueled by outstanding performances by Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington, American Gangster traces the life of drug lord Frank Lucas and Richie Roberts-the obsessed cop hot on Lucas' trail. The real star of the show however, is Scott who, after all these years, remains one of our great directors. He directs this epic gangster movie with absolute precision and the utmost detail.

12. JUNO (PG-13)
For all those out there who felt Knocked Up was all about the male perspective, I highly recommend Juno. Written by first time screenwriter Diablo Cody and directed by the gifted Jason Reitman (Thank You For Smoking), Juno features and incredibly winning performance by Ellen Page as the title character, a spunky sixteen year old who suddenly finds herself pregnant after spending a naughty evening with her high school sweetheart (Michael Cera of Arrested Development and Superbad fame). The cast, which includes J.K. Simmons, Allison Janney, Jason Bateman, and Jennifer Garner, is picture perfect and the film earns bonus points for avoiding many of the cliches you might be expecting. Quirky, heartfelt, and surprisingly edgy.

13. BLACK SNAKE MOAN (R)
Craig Brewer's follow-up to the outstanding Hustle and Flow is an odd gem of a movie about sin and redemption. Samuel L. Jackson (turning in his best work since Pulp Fiction) stars as an old time, God-fearing southerner who nurses a sick Christina Ricci back to health after the sultry little vixen is beaten within an inch of her life. This offbeat fusion of comedy, drama, romance, musical, and exploitation, benefits from dynamic performances by Jackson and a fiercely uninhibited Ricci. Brewer perfectly captures the sights and sounds of the south in this strangely beautiful (and sexy) film. Everything is hotter down south indeed.

14. THE ORPHANAGE (R)
The Orphanage is being referred to as a horror movie and while it certainly is atmospheric and brimming with some of the best scares of the year, this beautiful Spanish import transcends this particular genre label. In some regards, it reminded me of Sixth Sense. It has a completely different rhythm, but it's comparable in that you think you have an idea of what kind of movie The Orphanage is, but then director Juan Antonio Bayona and screenwriter Sergio G. Sanchez completely flip the story on you. When I say "flip it on you" I don't mean through a twist ending or some grand "what the f***!" moment. In The Orphanage, subtlety rules. This is a film about tone. With shades of Spielberg (see Poltergeist and Close Encounters) and Guillermo del Toro (see Devil's Backbone and Pan's Labyrinth), director Bayona has fashioned a poetic ghost story–one that I have know doubt will provide deeper meaning with repeated viewings.

15. BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD (R)
At 81 years old, legendary director Sidney Lumet (Dog Day Afternoon) shows that he's still got plenty of gas left in the tank. With Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, he paints a compelling portrait of family dysfunction. The film features Ethan Hawke and Philip Seymour Hoffman as financially strapped siblings who decide to rob a jewelry store. Following the robbery, a chain reaction is set off. A chain reaction that takes this tale of dysfunction and transforms it into an emotionally devastating tragedy. This is a bleak but spellbinding effort featuring outstanding performances (a brilliant Albert Finney deserves all the award recognition that comes his way) and taut direction from a veteran film maker who shows no signs of slowing down.

16. THE SAVAGES (R)
Philip Seymour Hoffman was all over the place this year (see his amazing work in Before the Devil Know's You're Dead and Charlie Wilson's War), but I think it was his subtle turn in The Savages that I liked most. If Before the Devil Knows You're Dead represents the dark side of family dysfunction, I suppose this winning independent gem shows the hopeful side. Hoffman and Laura Linney play siblings who must provide for their father (an outstanding Philip Bosco) after the elderly man begins exhibiting signs of dementia. The Savages has a fair share of emotionally brutal moments, but in the end, it's a surprisingly uplifting tale of a family who comes together just as their essentially being ripped apart. Writer/director Tamara Jenkins has fashioned a poignant, complex, unpredictable film with richly drawn characters and wonderful performances.

17. LARS AND THE REAL GIRL (PG-13)
Lars and the Real Girl is an offbeat little movie to be sure, but this story of a socially withdrawn man who engages in a relationship with a life size doll is one of the most charming films of the year. Ryan Gosling is shaping up to be the finest actor of his generation and his endearing turn in this film will only cement his already sterling reputation. Given the subject matter, you'd think this movie couldn't possibly work as a feature. Because of the cast's commitment to the material (written by Nancy Oliver), and the subtle direction by Craig Gillespie, it works with flying colors. In a year that saw a lot of dark subject matter at the movies, Lars and the Real Girl is a refreshing alternative. A movie brimming with love and compassion.

18. GONE BABY GONE (R)
The days of ridiculing Ben Affleck are over. His striking directorial debut Gone Baby Gone re-establishes him as the major talent we caught a glimpse of in his glorious Good Will Hunting days. This story of a private investigator (played by Ben's younger brother Casey) who returns to Dorchester--the seedy Boston neighborhood of his youth-- to find a missing child, is as gritty as they come. The moral ambiguity at the heart of the movie is the key to it's overall success. Sometimes the legal or expected choice in a given situation isn't necessarily the correct choice, and this is a lesson the lead character in Gone Baby Gone learns more than once. Ben Affleck doesn't sugar coat the proceedings. What's more, the Boston location isn't merely a setting–it's a character in the film. Casey Affleck soars in the lead and between his terrific work here and in The Assassination of Jesse James By That Coward Robert Ford, I suspect we'll be seeing a lot more of him in the near future.

19. THE DEVIL CAME ON HORSEBACK (R)
This astonishing documentary follows former Marine Brian Steidle into the heart of Darfur where he attempts to make a difference in a land plagued by genocide. A thought provoking movie that dares to make a difference. I was profoundly moved by this film. Many movies simply set out to entertain and I'm all for that. Sometimes though, it's nice be educated, and The Devil Came on Horseback was certainly an eye opening experience. Steidle is a hero in my book.

20. 1408 (PG-13)/THE MIST (R)
In a year void of exceptional horror films, the master of horror–Stephen King–provided theaters with two of the best. 1408 and The Mist are lesser known King works, but in the hands of capable film makers, they ended up being two really memorable movies. 1408 gets a lot of mileage out of star John Cusack. The underrated actor plays a non-believer out to debunk apparent supernatural incidents in various locations across the world. He meets his match when investigating mysterious happenings in a posh New York Hotel. Creepy and understated, 1408 is a glorious mind f***. The Mist marks the third collaboration between King and director Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile). The Mist doesn't aspire for the same sort of dramatic greatness of Shawshank or Green Mile, but it works splendidly as a balls to the wall creature feature. And when I say creature feature, I'm not only referring to the literal monsters in the movie. I'm also talking about the monsters in the human soul. It plays like a great big Twilight Zone episode. Add to that the most gut wrenching ending since David Fincher's Seven and you have one of the most memorable horror films of the year.

21. SICKO (PG-13)
Michael Moore's attack on the American healthcare system is an eye opening, heartbreaking, and immensely entertaining film, and it has the luxury of being far more effective than the overly hateful Fahrenheit 9/11. Throughout Sicko, Moore travels the world interviewing various members of the medical profession, citizens with and without health care, and folks who've been scorned by the system, all in an attempt to better the current health care situation. Along the way, he does take a few obvious pot shots at a few obvious high profile figures (he wouldn't be Michael Moore if he didn't), but for the most part, this is one of Moore's most unbiased and sympathetic efforts because it affects us all. A disease doesn't care if you're liberal or conservative. If you get sick, you get sick.

22. THE HOAX (R)
Richard Gere turns in one of his very best performances as Clifford Irving, a man whose little white lie would get him in all sorts of hot water. Based on a true story, The Hoax weaves it's tale around Irving, a down on his luck novelist who, in a desperate bid for exposure, tells a publishing company that he's been given the exclusive rights to Howard Hughes' biography by the reclusive man himself. Much to Irving's surprise, the publishing company buys into his story, and before he's written a single word, he's rolling in the dough. What follows, is a complex journey in which a man starts to buy into his own plethora of lies. This entertaining film from director Lasse Hallstrom is a little reminiscent of Steven Spielberg's Catch Me if You Can. The performances are stellar right across the board, but the standout is Alfred Molina as Irving's easily influenced lawyer.

23. IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH (R)
This quietly haunting portrait of war from director Paul Haggis (Crash) features a heartbreaking performance by Tommy Lee Jones as a career officer who teams with a police detective (a stoic Charlize Theron) to find his missing son when the soldier mysteriously vanishes after returning home from a tour of duty in Iraq. Soon, Jones discovers that the horrors of war don't simply stay in the battlefield. Jones is mesmerizing as a flawed man determined to find the truth. Some have dismissed this picture as liberal propaganda, but they're missing the point of this movie entirely. In the Valley of Elah does take a heavy handed stance in the final moment, but up until that point it is a fair look at an ugly situation.

24. KING OF KONG: A FISTFUL OF QUARTERS (PG-13)
While King of Kong isn't as relevant as The Devil Came on Horseback or Sicko, it is an extremely entertaining documentary with real life folk far more compelling then characters we see in many works of fiction. This look into competitive gaming follows mild mannered Steve Wiebe and his attempt at breaking iconic gamer Billy Mitchell's Donkey Kong record. Mitchell is quite simply one of the biggest deuche bags you'll ever see in a movie, non-fiction or otherwise. As he preaches the importance of playing in a public setting, he opts to not play Wiebe face to face. Why? If you ask me, it's out fear of being beaten. Still, Mitchell is a colorful character with swagger and enough talent to back up his big mouth. The sweet natured Wiebe by contrast, represents the underdog demographic. This is a very entertaining movie.

25. EASTERN PROMISES (R)
David Cronenberg's follow up to the gripping A History of Violence is a striking tale of organized crime in London. Viggo Mortensen is outstanding as a thug with a conscious. Strangely, this character has a lot in common with his character in A History of Violence even though they appear to be completely different men. In that picture, Mortensen played a good man with a bad past. Here, he's a bad man with a tender side waiting to bust out. Cronenberg directs in a slow, methodical pace and the film is punctuated by unexpected bursts of violence (the shower sequence is a doozy), but it's the characters and their motives that are really worth noting. The bond between Vincent Cassell and Mortensen in particular, is compelling and Armin Mueller-Stahl is positively chilling as the heavy. Another fascinating work from one of our most underrated film makers.

HONORABLE MENTION

I'M NOT THERE (R)
THE LOOKOUT (R)
CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR (R)
THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM (PG-13)
BUG (R)
THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD (R)
LOOK (R)
RETURN WITH HONOR (PG)