Introduction
I hope you enjoy the 4th
installment of my top ten movie list. After a flurry of strong movies at the end of the year, I believe this list contains many great movies - and even a few truly exceptional ones at the top. I hope you find something that you can enjoy.
Top 10 2007
#10 The King of Kong PG-13
A rare documentary to make the list, the
only way to describe this movie is oddly compelling. It is about a man who tries to
break the world record for Donkey Kong set in the 1980s. It takes you into a parallel universe of
video gaming – a lot of man children hanging out in arcades trying to break 20
year old records on old favorites like Pac Man, Centipede, and Galaga. The most interesting part is the contrast
between the challenger and the world record holder – one a high school teacher,
and the other, a reclusive narcissist who gets more odd as the film goes
on. This is a very different movie, but
totally interesting and worth your time.
#9 Lars and The Real Girl PG-13
Another
very off beat movie. Once you get past
the premise (a man thinks his blow up sex doll is his real life girlfriend), the movie
has quite a lot to offer. It has some
great performances and is very well done.
Pleasantly surprising and touching.
#8 I am Legend PG-13
Probably
everyone reading this saw this movie. I
saw it over Christmas in theatres and it was excellent. I thought Will Smith did a great job of
portraying a scientist trying to survive an unexplained end of the world
scenario. The story is told well and
the pacing is not what the previews imply.
It is a much quieter, thoughtful movie and worth checking out.
#7 The Lives of Others R
This movie won the Best Foreign Film Academy Award. It is set in East Germany in 1985 then the government made it their point to know everything about the lives of its citizens. It follows the life of an writer and his actress girlfriend and explores the consequences for them, and surprisingly, for those who watch the intimate details of their lives.
#6 Michael Clayton R
I
haven’t thought much of George Clooney as an actor for quite a while. But this movie, and his performance, is
impressive. It tells the story of a
fixer in a law firm and explores the consequences of large legal battles on the
individuals within and outside of the corporations. It is well done and smart. Tom Wilkinsen and Tilda Swinton give solid
supporting performances.
#5 Into The Wild R
Sean
Penn directed this movie about a boy who sells all he has, burns his money, and
goes on a quest to Alaska to discover meaning and purpose in life. Emile Hirsch gives a great performance as the
main character and there a lot of great supporting performances. But the real key is the directing which is a
straightforward telling of a true story based on John Krakauer’s book. You won’t be disappointed.
#4 The Darjeeling Limited R
After
the Life Aquatic, I thought Wes Anderson had run out of ideas and he needed to
direct someone else’s scripts. He came
back strong with the Darjeeling Limited.
It has more depth than his other movies with the same style that he is
known for. Adrian Brody is a great
addition to his normal cast. Owen Wilson
is also very good as the oldest brother trying to get them to connect on their
spiritual journey in India. The movie
has more to offer than you would think – particularly about the depth of
connection through relationships. I was
pleasantly surprised.
This
movie was the companion to Flags of Our Fathers which made my list last
year. The movie is in Japanese
subtitles. It tells the story of the
battle of Iwo Jima from the perspective of the Japanese soldiers who were on
the island. Clint Eastwood has done
something impressive here by helping the audience see the horror of war by
letting us see the enemy as individuals, husbands, fathers, and sons who are
fighting to bring honor to their country and return home to their
families.
#2 The Namesake PG-13
A thoughtful and touching movie that tells the story of an Indian family immigrating to America. The beauty of this movie is its ability to tell the story from three perspective – the father, the mother, and the son without making a point to do so. This is a wonderful exploration of cultural identity and love of family. The performances are true to life. The father/son relationship is the heart of the movie. I loved this movie from beginning to end.
#1 There Will Be Blood R
This
movie rocketed up the list after I watched it Daniel Day Lewis gives one of the
most memorable performances I have seen as Daniel Plainview – an oil prospector
in the early 1900s. The first 15 minutes
of the movie has no dialogue and its sets the tone for the rest of the
film. The movie chronicles this man’s
rise to power during California’s oil boom.
To me, the main characters symbolize the struggle between capitalism,
religion, and power during America’s early 20th century. Watching the continually shift of power
between the two main characters is unlike anything I have ever seen in a
movie. The direction by Paul Thomas Anderson
in incredible. Amazing.
No comments:
Post a Comment