| Cover Story - Friday, January 4, 2008
Cinema '07
Weekly critics compile a wide range of picks for the year's best and worst films
When assembling their annual top-ten lists, three out of three Weekly critics usually agree on at least a couple of the previous year's top films. Not so for 2007: No one movie made it on all three lists. Instead, Jeanne Aufmuth, Tyler Hanley and Susan Tavernetti chose a wide field.
Two out of three concurred on some titles, such as the thinking viewer's action flick "The Bourne Ultimatum" and the quirky pregnant-teen tale "Juno." The critics went their own way on others; for example, Tavernetti alone singled out the wicked British comedy "Death at a Funeral," and Hanley couldn't resist "Ratatouille," saying it featured "phenomenal animation" and a "savory plot."
The trio have also listed their Worst Five films of 2007, and Aufmuth and Hanley have compiled their choices for the year's best cinematic villains and heroes.
Jeanne Aufmuth's top films
10. Bourne Ultimatum Never-say-die rogue agent Jason Bourne seeks to reclaim himself from himself as his recollections started a personal mission to atone for the past. The kinetic hyper-tension of umbrella programs, black ops, top-secret clearances and covert operations undermine a trained killing machine in critical need of a home.
9. Deep Water This film about a round-the-world boat race speaks volumes about human nature and the bottomless depth of a wanderlust that alters both conscious and subliminal thought. The tension and human folly is agonizing yet profoundly moving: man against nature.
8. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly Julian Schnabel's urgent and persistent take on Jean-Dominique Bauby's poignant memoir finds humor in tragedy as the protagonist struggles to reconcile with total paralysis and an uncertain future.
7. In the Shadow of the Moon Ten former astronauts personify the Right Stuff and lay claim to an intimate relationship with the moon as history unfurls onscreen. The film spotlights the Cold War-era mavericks who risked life and limb to travel a quarter of a million miles from Earth's surface to a shadowy, desolate place of eerie majesty.
6. 3:10 to Yuma Director James Mangold puts a fresh spin on a psychological cat-and-mouse game between outlaws on the brink of destruction.
5. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days Romania's virtuosic Cristian Mungiu has crafted the most unforgettable import of the year, training his cameras on an enterprising university student endeavoring to help a pregnant friend in her most desperate hour of need. The Palme d'Or winner utilizes draconian '80s-era politics to underscore the futility and fear of stepping outside the box.
4. The Orphanage Guillermo del Toro disciple Juan Antonio Bayona sets the traditionally grim ghost story on its ear by succinctly layering decades-old mystery, a missing child and mischievous dead folk into a nuanced and spine-tingling chiller redolent of sorrow and remorse.
3. Away From Her Director Sarah Polley devastates with an ardent adaptation of Alice Munro's short story about love and loss and the fine lines of aging. Julie Christie and Canadian treasure Gordon Pinsent give life to the toll that Alzheimer's takes on a gracefully enduring relationship.
2. Into the Wild From the mean streets of Los Angeles to the wheat fields of South Dakota, and completely off the grid in the isolated wilderness of Alaska, Chris McCandless seeks emancipation from a false sense of security in his quest for a meaningful existence. Sean Penn's self-assured and evocative mood piece is both painful and profound.
1. There Will Be Blood Paul Thomas Anderson plumbs cinematic riches to turn the tale of a tetchy western wildcatter with a thirst for oil into a strenuous turn-of-the-century masterpiece. Minimal scripting, blistering performances and a hauntingly discordant score combine to make this film my most memorable watch of 2007.
Jeanne Aufmuth's pans
Black Snake Moan Tawdry, B-movie melodrama eliciting a potent desire to sponge off the sleaze.
Lions for Lambs The sure-fire triple threat of Redford, Streep and Cruise misses by a country mile.
Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium Wacky, weird and stupidly stereotypical fantasy chock-full of banal bromides and narrative loose screws.
Sunshine An odyssey of stupidity with one bad decision piled on another, chief among them trying to remake "2001" for a modern audience.
Sweeney Todd Revenge is a dish best served cold; that's exactly how I was left after watching Helena Bonham Carter butcher a cheeky star turn in Tim Burton's cutthroat musical based on Stephen Sondheim's stage spectacular.
Tyler Hanley's top films
10. Knocked Up Top comedy honors go to this sweet tale of an unexpected pregnancy and the surprising relationship it gives birth to. Writer/director Judd Apatow ("The 40-Year-Old Virgin") is establishing himself as a comedic maestro along the lines of Rob Reiner and John Hughes. Seth Rogan and Katherine Heigl are a perfectly mismatched couple, and Apatow's script is sharp with wit and just the right pinch of jovial vulgarity.
9. Hairspray Hollywood has been hit-or-miss at adapting Broadway musicals. But this creative team succeeds with the help of an unknown lead (Nikki Blonsky) and a chorus of harmonic co-stars (John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken and Queen Latifah, to name a few). Spirited tunes, excellent costuming and set design, and an earnest message about racial equality help elevate the best big-screen musical since "Chicago."
8. Juno The indie gem of 2007 features a charming performance by leading lady Ellen Page and one of the year's most intelligent screenplays. Humor intertwines with real-life issues as a 16-year-old girl deals with the prospect of childbirth. Creative direction care of Jason Reitman (son to director Ivan Reitman) gives "Juno" an unconventional feel a la "Napoleon Dynamite," except with much more heart.
7. Ratatouille Pixar continues to impress. Phenomenal animation, colorful characters and a savory plot make this cinematic feast a treat for adults and kids alike. Remy, the aspiring "little chef" at the movie's nucleus, is a lovable protagonist with impressive culinary expertise. Remy's unique relationship with an awkward but earnest human is both heart-warming and sparkling with humor.
6. Atonement Regret and integrity pierce this period drama about a devastating lie and the lives it tears asunder. James McAvoy ("The Last King of Scotland") and the radiant Keira Knightley ("Love Actually") are perfectly cast as lovers divided by a child's deception, while British director Joe Wright ("Pride & Prejudice") helms with thoughtful aptitude. The denouement featuring Vanessa Redgrave consummates a story that's guaranteed to draw a tear from even the most callous viewer.
5. No Country for Old Men Ethan and Joel Coen ("Fargo") have crafted a taut, breathtaking thriller based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy. Sparse, thoughtful and thick with tension, "No Country" features a triumvirate of Oscar-worthy performances (by Javier Bardem, Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin). An aging sheriff's sense of mortality while investigating a case riddled with violence and greed is the soulful core of this year's Oscar front-runner.
4. The Lives of Others The 2007 Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film opened in the states in February to deafening critical praise. The German masterpiece from director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck shines a light on the paranoia and duplicity prevalent in 1984 East Berlin, five years before the collapse of the Berlin Wall. Compelling performances by Martina Gedeck, Sebastian Koch and especially Ulrich Muhe — who succumbed to cancer in July — humanize the victims of a tragic time.
3. Zodiac David Fincher ("Fight Club") is adept at dark subject matter, and "Zodiac" is his best yet. Recreating a bone-chilling chapter in Bay Area history, Fincher and stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo serve up the year's most frightening film. The production values, acting and screenplay are meticulous while mystery and suspense stir the plot. Killer.
2. Into the Wild Director Sean Penn's powerful exploration into the nature of free will is planted upon the tragic true story of Christopher McCandless and a strong portrayal by Emile Hirsch ("Imaginary Heroes"). Penn masterfully presents a soul-searching story that is at once inspirational and heartbreaking. The effortlessly likable McCandless questioned conventional living and set off on a journey that teaches vigilance and self-reflection.
1. 3:10 to Yuma Rancher Dan Evans (Christian Bale) and outlaw Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) discover an unanticipated mutual respect on the long road to redemption, leading the audience on their perilous sojourn. James Mangold's tremendous adaptation of the short story by acclaimed author Elmore Leonard is loaded with adventure and virtue. Standout performances by Bale and Crowe complement masterful direction and a riveting plot. A western worthy of the same accolades awarded to Clint Eastwood's "Unforgiven."
Tyler Hanley's pans
Transformers More noise and product placement than an Iron Maiden concert on the shopping network.
Alpha Dog Spending two hours alongside sleazy characters in the throes of a despicable act is guaranteed to make you feel terrible.
Because I Said So Any movie that can turn the often endearing Diane Keaton into a manic, irritating mess deserves a little ignominious recognition.
The Number 23 A numbingly convoluted and contrived thriller — there are at least 23 better ways to spend your free time.
Hostel Part II Eli Roth's tasteless sequel features the year's most absurd screenplay and a plethora of revolting scenarios: as nauseating as riding a roller coaster after chugging a bottle of bad tequila.
Susan Tavernetti's top films
10. Death at a Funeral Frank Oz's wickedly funny comedy unspools visual and verbal gags with clockwork precision to puncture British propriety. The sitcom of social embarrassment offers an embarrassment of comic riches dealing with family dynamics. Its silliness softens the stiffest of upper lips.
9. Juno First-time screenwriter Diablo Cody has a fresh, original voice. Her tender comedy features the incredible Ellen Page as pregnant teen Juno MacGuff, the whip-smart and self-described "cautionary whale" of her high school. No one, including director Jason Reitman, delivers what's expected.
8. No End in Sight A talking-heads documentary rarely ranks as Top-Ten fare. But director Charles Ferguson interviewed those with political cred to expose how the Bush administration bungled the Iraq War. They bear witness, providing an important counter-narrative for the historical record.
7. The Bourne Ultimatum As man-on-the-move Jason Bourne, Matt Damon has become the thinking person's action hero. His paranoia reflects a post-9/11 world shaped by lies and deceit, disappearances and misdeeds. Paul Greengrass's twitchy camera jangles nerves as Bourne uses his wiles to track those who stole his true identity and coerced him into becoming an amnesiac American assassin.
6. Persepolis Marjane Satrapi partnered with Vincent Paronnaud to adapt her pair of black-and-white graphic novels into an animated delight. The repressive regimes of the Shah and then Khomeini provide a dramatic backdrop for the antics of a spirited little girl. But the humor and heart of this coming-of-age tale reside in the universal experience of growing up and the poignancy of living in exile.
5. No Country For Old Men Joel and Ethan Coen's exemplary adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel gets under your skin. Despite a substance-lite second act that's little more than a chase scene splattered with blood, Javier Bardem's Chigurth earns a spot in Mephistophelean mythology. Seen-it-all sheriff Tommy Lee Jones functions as the film's moral center and singular grace note.
4. In the Valley of Elah Writer-director Paul Haggis has crafted a film of austere power. The deceptively simple story of a father's grief over the death of his Iraq-vet son slowly builds into a lacerating inquiry about the casualties of war. The political film never preaches but signals a nation in distress — like the iconic American flag that a sorrowful Tommy Lee Jones hoists upside down.
3. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke bite into their roles as brothers in octogenarian Sidney Lumet's searing take on a simple plan gone wrong. The heist caper hinges on family ties, but the greedy crime and gruesome carnage situate the film firmly in "No Country for Old Men" territory. The Irish blessing about getting to heaven a half hour before Satan knows you're dead won't help these characters. They're already in hell.
2. The Lives of Others Set in the Orwellian 1984 of East Berlin, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's tense drama of surveillance and spies deservingly snagged last year's Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. The treatise on Communist tyranny hinges on the unforgettable performance of the late Ulrich Muhe, whose Stasi officer decides the playwright he eavesdrops on deserves protection rather than persecution.
1. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly Imagine a man locked inside the diving bell of his body after suffering a paralyzing stroke. He can only blink his left eye — and dictates a best-selling memoir by doing so. Artist-filmmaker Julian Schnabel has transformed this seemingly unfilmable subject into a daringly original ode to imagination and life. A high-flying butterfly of creativity, the film presents the experiences of Jean-Dominique Bauby, the former editor of French Elle, primarily through actor Mathieu Amalric's eyes and voice. In more than 100 years of cinema, only a handful of feature filmmakers have attempted such a first-person point of view. Schnabel succeeds admirably and resuscitates the art film at its splendid best: humorous, heartrending, philosophical and brimming with humanity.
Susan Tavernetti's pans
Note: Tavernetti chose her five worst movies of the year from only the films she was assigned to review. (That meant she didn't have to sit through "Saw IV.")
What Would Jesus Buy? He wouldn't buy a ticket to Rob VanAlkemade's superficial and shoddily produced documentary featuring Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir. Faux preacher-performance artist Bill Talen embarks on a cross-country mission to save Christmas from over-consumption and overstays his 15 minutes of fame by 75 minutes.
Love in the Time of Cholera Some novels should never be filmed. If Mike Newell's tone-deaf direction of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's celebrated tome doesn't make you sick, John Leguizamo's cigar-chomping performance will.
I Think I Love My Wife Director Chris Rock stars as a respectable bourgeois bored with family life and his beautiful, intelligent wife. The comedy's tepid plot is one big tease with nothing but F-bombs to break the monotony.
El Cantante A music video in search of salsa legend Hector Lavoe. The Marc Anthony-Jennifer Lopez duet hits nothing but bad notes.
Elizabeth: The Golden Age Breasts heave and the seas storm in Shekhar Kapur's overwrought biopic of the Virgin Queen. Kudos to Cate Blanchett for not giggling while delivering pretentious lines in more wigs than Henry VIII had wives.
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