film: commentary

> 2007: THE TEN BEST MOVIES OF 2007
Film Critic John C. Lyons tells us what films were great last year.

1. Into the Wild
   Sean Penn directs this masterpiece that follows Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch) as he abandons life as he knows it to seek meaning and adventure in the great outdoors. When I walked out of the theater I felt emotionally destroyed, but looking back ultimately inspired. McCandless wasn’t a perfect person. In fact he hurt a lot of people that loved him. For me the film doesn’t say to run away from everything (to think that, I believe, would be to completely miss the point) but to accomplish things in life without boundaries. This movie is perfection - from the direction, to the acting, the cinematography, and the music. I hope Penn’s extended cut is released some day.
   
2. Once
   This Sundance darling is a highlight reel for musicians (and first time actors) Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, and it’s the on screen chemistry, through their music, that pulls you in and makes this one a winner. Director John Carney knows he has gold here. His low budget, docu-musical is so focused on its leads and their musical magic that it’s clear he could give a damn about lighting, the shadows of cameramen, and other technical aspects that would normally lead to more takes. But somehow I just didn’t care because I was roped in so early on and the music is so great.
   
3. Juno
   Many words come to mind when describing this movie: original, cute, unique, quirky, and funny to name a few. The film is naturally fresh and indie without having to try so hard (like last year’s Little Miss Sunshine). Ellen Page, Michael Cerra, Jennifer Garner, and Jason Bateman play well with each other. And the younger actors actually feel like real, awkward, and oftentimes hip teens. This film owes a lot to the dialogue of first-time screenwriter Diablo Cody. She’s all the rage in Hollywood now and let’s hope she finds this magic again in her future works. Personally, I think the film wouldn’t have been the same without Ellen Page in the title role and J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney as her parents. If you haven’t seen Hard Candy yet (also with Page) you must. This little Canadian has spunk; I can’t wait to see where she goes from here!
   
4. The Bourne Ultimatum
   I listed The Bourne Identity on my 2002 list as a “Pleasant Surprise.” What a change of mind in the last five years for the series which was launched by Doug Liman as an action vehicle for Matt Damon (What? Really, Matt Damon?!) Liman made a great choice in enabling Paul Greengrass to take over the directing reins for the last two films. He grabbed the viewer by the collar and threw them into the middle of the fight in this new, fast-paced, in-your-face brand of action that we know today. Ultimatum was shot without a script most of the time, but could I tell? No way. Matt Damon’s now an action star and it’s clearer with each film that Greengrass (who also directed greats United 93 and Bloody Sunday) is a real talent.
   
5. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
   I’d been waiting to see this one but for some reason Warner Brothers buried it and it never came out in Erie theaters (or most theaters across the country for that matter). A western starring Brad Pitt (Jesse James) as a man looking over his shoulder, losing control of the paranoia that his fame has brought him. Aside from a great supporting cast the film co-stars Casey Affleck (Robert Ford) as the newest member of the James Gang who grew up idolizing Jesse. The title of the movie says it all, but you never really focus on that because Pitt and Affleck’s performances keep you interested as things continue to unravel. At least the Academy recognized Affleck’s performance here with a nomination. The cinematography is breathtaking. It’s a slow film, but I drank down every minute.
   
6. Zodiac
   David Fincher is a director who (painstakingly) works out every shot of a movie for months beforehand, obsessing over every detail. So it makes sense he would tackle a story on the infamous Zodiac murders of the 1960’s and 70’s but focusing on the obsessions of those investigating the case rather than the serial killer himself. He was a perfect match. This movie came out early in the year but it’s stuck around with me for months afterwards. Performances by Downey Jr., Ruffalo, Gyllenhaal, and Lynch are great. The film is shot so dark and feels so real that I was nearly off the edge of my seat when Robert Graysmith (Gyllenhaal) goes down into that basement looking for answers.
   
7. No Country for Old Men
   Tone. This film sets it early on and never lets up. I had this uneasy feeling throughout the entire two hours thanks to Javier Bardem’s performance as Anton Chigurh, a killing machine with a complete lack of conscience, and Josh Brolin as a man who finds himself in a situation he has no business being in. But its Tommy Lee Jones’ character - trying to keep the balance amidst all the chaos - whose story says it all. With all the craziness going on in the world around him, oftentimes without explanation, sometimes it’s hard to keep perspective on your place in it.
   
8. Hot Fuzz
   Not only a great ode to action cinema, but a well-crafted, top-notch movie in its own right, that’s got solid laughs throughout and pours on the action heavily in its last third. Hot Fuzz looks and feels like every action movie you’ve enjoyed the past couple decades. The cinematography, dialogue, music, and plot are perfect and there are plenty of in-jokes to discover in subsequent viewings. American viewers may miss a bit of the British humor and some of the violence may be surprising, but dark comedy fans should be in love.
   
9. Knocked Up
   Sure it’s oftentimes lude, crude, and rude, but one minute you’re belly laughing and the very next you might be grinning with tears in your eyes. I wish Judd Apatow and company could have a hand in most of the comedies released each year! Here actor Seth Rogen is very relatable as the everyday man-child, but maybe it’s the hilarious cast of supporting players, lead once again by Paul Rudd, that make these movies memorable. Whatever it is they’ve got the right stuff!
   
10. Atonement
    Another successful team-up for director Joe Wright and actress Kiera Knightley. Aside from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies (hey, the girl has to pay the bills too!) I can’t recall ever seeing Knightley in a stinker. As with many films on the list (and in their previous film Pride & Prejudice) the film is shot beautifully and creatively but never distracting. The performances are great and the film has a nice innocent flow until the surprising (and funny) use of the “c” word and then all hell breaks loose. The only film on the list to make me feel genuinely sad at its conclusion but still want to come back for repeat viewings.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Each of these movies were great, but lacked certain elements which kept them out of the Top 10. Definitely give these a look if you get the chance!

• 300
• Black Book (Zwartboek)
• Breach
• Bug
• Death Proof
• Eastern Promises
• Inland Empire
• Interview
• The Kingdom
• The Lives of Others (Das Leben der Anderen)
• A Mighty Heart
• Reign Over Me
• Right at Your Door
• Sicko
• There Will Be Blood
• Vacancy

THE ONES WE MISSED

• The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
• Southland Tales
• 4 Months 3 Weeks and 2 Days
• The Savages
• I'm Not There
• Redacted
• Margot at the Wedding
• American Gangster
• Gone Baby Gone
• Lust, Caution

I want to thank the management and staff at Cinemark’s Tinseltown 17 on upper Peach Street in Erie for giving me the majority of these great movie experiences!! See you in 2008!

By John C. Lyons
Film Critic

(08-0216)