1. "No Country for Old Men"(2007)
Joel and Ethan Coen have collectively been one of the most unique voices in American cinema, dating all the way back to 1987's "Raising Arizona". The quirky duo's work has always existed just outside the mainstream, with "Fargo" and "The Big Lebowski" earning the most admirers. The Academy could no longer shun the brothers Coen after they delivered the scariest villain this side of Hannibal Lecter in this melancholy adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel. Javier Bardem's chilling turn as relentless, coin-tossing hired killer Anton Chigurh shook up critics and audiences alike, making the Best Supporting Actor Oscar a foregone conclusion. He tears through rural Texas in 1980 on the trail of Josh Brolin and stolen drug money with Tommy Lee Jones' solemn sheriff hot on his trail. Film noir, Western themes, shocking violence, existentialism. Sounds like Best Picture to me.
2. "There Will Be Blood"(2007)
The legend of Daniel Day Lewis had been growing slowly but surely since his 1989 Best Actor Oscar win for "My Left Foot". There were other great roles in the eighteen years that followed, as well as long periods of inactivity that seemed to make the heart grow fonder. So when he finally got back to work a full five years after "Gangs of New York", the orgasmic critical reaction could even be heard by people that don't pay attention to stuff like that. His crazed oil man Daniel Plainview in Paul Thomas Anderson's intimate epic is as commanding a performance as you'll see in the 2000s. The film works beautifully as both a character study and capitalist commentary, making DDL and PTA two of cinema's most appealing acronyms.
3. "American Gangster"(2007)
Denzel Washington is back in morally bankrupt territory with his smooth portrayal of Harlem drug lord Frank Lucas in Ridley Scott's riveting crime drama. It was only a matter of time before the brash Lucas was given the full Hollywood treatment. "Bumpy" Johnson's successor sidestepped the Italian Mafia in the early 1970s, and flooded NYC with pure heroin from Thailand and had family, friends, and a horde of cops on the payroll at the height of his improbable reign. Pitting two heavyweight actors against each other is usually a safe bet, so Scott brought in pal Russell Crowe to represent the forces of good as incorruptible narc Richie Roberts. With this much top talent on display, I knew well before the end credits that this flick had secured a spot on my DVD rack.
4. "Zodiac"(2007)
Director David Fincher used the infamous, unsolved Zodiac murders that gripped Northern California in the late '60s to further his growing rep as one of the most vital filmmakers of his generation. The man who made "Seven" and "Fight Club" maintains a high level of tension and interest over the course of two hours and 37 minutes with a story that has no real resolution- a rather remarkable feat. Fincher accomplishes this with James Vanderbilt's meticulous script and an able ensemble cast that includes Mark Ruffalo's lead detective David Toschi, Jake Gyllanhaal's young reporter obsessed with the case, and a pre-"Iron Man" Robert Downey Jr. on the comeback trail as his hard-living newspaper colleague.
5. "Into The Wild"(2007)
Sean Penn's acting credentials can never be called into question, but his three previous directing efforts("The Indian Runner", "The Crossing Guard", "The Pledge") all failed to leave a lasting impression. That wasn't the case with his fourth trip behind the camera, thanks to a magnetic Emile Hirsch and a story that proves truth is stranger than fiction. Christopher McCandless was a 1990 college graduate who rejected the trappings of the modern world to experience a solitary life in the wilderness. Two years later, starvation and harsh Alaskan weather brought a tragic end to a bizarre journey that was documented in his journal which became a best-seller. William Hurt and Marcia Gay Harden play his perplexed parents.
6. "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"(2007)
Brad Pitt is undoubtedly one of the most famous film stars of the last twenty years. Sure, the highly photogenic females in his life are no small reason why, but I'm here to talk about something that doesn't get reported on nearly as much- his consistently solid presence on movie screens. A careful inspection of the heavyweight heartthrob's filmography reveals the kind of commitment to quality usually found in AFI tributes, and his unsung portrayal of mythical Old West outlaw Jesse James will definitely be discussed during his. Director Andrew Dominik had Pitt's full support in his quiet, contemplative vision of the 1880s(the two would reunite for 2012's similarly underappreciated "Killing Me Softly"), while Casey Affleck shines as the reviled Robert Ford.
7. "Ratatouille"(2007)
Leave it to Pixar to make a rat appealing. Disney's sensational animation studio consistently makes most live-action offerings look like rat burgers compared to the gourmet meals on their menu, and the robust rodent at the center of their summer '07 triumph is certainly no exception. Comedian Patton Oswald represents a rare break from the "Aladdin" school of superstar voice acting, a change you probably never even noticed. Shrek's heavily-hyped third outing(released one month sooner) was a turd, Remy came to our rescue and ran away with the Best Animated Feature Oscar to begin a Pixar streak in that category that would last four years.
8. "Juno"(2007)
You'd think that Hollywood would stop obsessing over would-be blockbusters for a minute and give more small-scale projects a chance to find an audience. There's ample evidence that it DOES happen every now and then. The cream rises to the top and there's no better recent example than Ellen Page's quick-witted pregnant teen Juno Temple making her way to the masses. Jason Reitman(son of Ivan) clearly has some of his old man's directorial prowess and seems to be headed for a distinguished career in big screen comedy. Ex-stripper Diablo Cody won the Academy Award for her first screenplay, adding to this flick's all-around surprising success.
9. "Michael Clayton"(2007)
George Clooney has no reason to look as glum as he does in this pic. The legendary lothario was firmly established as a silver screen staple a full decade after donning a Bat suit with nipples on it. That's all the more impressive considering he embarked on a precipitous path of serious-minded, Oscar-baiting("Ocean's" trilogy aside). His title character is a "fixer" for a prestigious NYC law firm at the center of a murderous conspiracy. Tom Wilkinson is his doomed colleague and Tilda Swinton's ruthless corporate lawyer earned her Best Supporting Actress honors. This was a classy debut for director Tony Gilroy, and my favorite scene may be that end credits cab ride. "Give me fifty dollars worth. Just drive".
10(tie). "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"(2007)
Johnny Depp and Tim Burton may be more in synch than any actor/director team in the history of the medium. Their near identical sensibilities means that neither ever has to talk the other into a project, and there's always a mutual trust in the end result. This bloody adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's Tony award-winning horror musical fits nicely into the Depp-Burton wheelhouse. Johnny can't really sing. It doesn't matter. The public would've paid to watch him do just about anything in 2007, while Burton's beau Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman and Sacha Baron Cohen all do their part to assist the master of macabre.
10(tie). "The Bourne Ultimatum"(2007)
I'll admit that I was slow in embracing this series. Doug Liman's original was a relatively low-key affair, but director Paul Greengrass ramped up the action in two kinetic sequels with car/foot chases and fight scenes that were just too good to ignore. Jason Bourne is the Rambo of the '00s, and "Ultimatum" won the summer battle of the threequels- "Spider-Man 3", "Shrek the Third", and "POTC: At World's End" all made huge money but added little else to the legacies of their respective franchises. Bourne's legacy is forcing the Bond producers to get their shit together, and cementing Matt Damon as an early 21st century matinee idol.
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