Top 10 best movies 2007

Note : I always liked the movies directed by Sean Penn but this one is his best by far. A fascinating and thoughtfull story, great directing, great acting. I really loved it.

Note : Paul Thomas Anderson showed us again that he is one of the most inspired directors right now. Combined with one of the best actors ever, Daniel Day Lewis, they created a great masterpiece.

Note : I'm usually not so found of those "true story" movies but this one is amazing. The best thing, in my opinion, was the directing, Schnabel succeeded to give an idea of what it would be like to be in this predicament. Of course, Mathieu Amalric gives a powerhouse perfomance and the story is just fascinating. A great achievement.

Note : I have nothing against psychopath movies. They're usually pretty entertaining but almost always over the top (ex.: The silence of the lambs, Seven,...). Not this movie. I doesn't matter that it is based on a true story, what matters is that it is really realistic. No chase and shootings or stuff like that. Real police and real journalistic work. Great directing and acting. Amazing stuff. Too bad it didn't get the success it deserved.

Note : The Coen brothers finally did it! They finally got their deserved oscar! The only low point with this movie is that there was such a hype when it came out that I was actually a little disappointed. I mean it was very good, definitely, but it wasn't great. I sure want to see it again to make up my mind.

Note : It is a really gorgeous animated movie. The story is very interesting, sometimes heartbreaking. In spite all of this, they manage to put some funny moments which is rather incredible when you think of the topic.

Note : Seriously, it is rather surprising that it took me so long to finally watch it. To be honest, the fact that it did sound like a really generic story was probably the main reason why I didn’t rush to see the damned thing. Anyway, after all these years, I have to admit that it certainly deserved its stellar reputation after all. Indeed, it’s actually hard to describe it, it’s basically about an average guy who meets an average girl and how they fall in love with each other, not much more. And, yet, the damned thing was one of these magical movies that you come across only once a while. To be honest, I don’t really understand why this movie is classified as a ‘musical drama’. I mean, sure, there is some music involved, even some great music, but the way this romance was handled was completely different than everything you will ever see in a musical. Anyway, it was maybe one of the most basic love stories I have ever seen but what was brilliant in this movie is that they actually displayed why this specific man and this specific woman were completely made for each other. Indeed, they both loved music, they both loved making music and, when they were making music together, they became some kind of unstoppable force which was just so awe-inspiring to behold. But, even beside the moments they were involved with music, they were something so genuine about their relationship. Sure, the guy made a mistake at first but it was understandable but, after that, none of them really dared to express their feelings for each other and, eventually, they didn’t end up together which might be frustrating for some viewers but I thought it was such a ballsy and strong way to end this movie.

Note : This movie reminded me of this other great Brazilian flick, 'Cidade de Deus'. The big difference was that they didn't only focus on the Favelas but, this time, you get a glimpse on all the layers involved in the drug industry (the violent drug dealers, the population of the Favelas, the corrupted police forces, the students who buy some drugs, and of course the BOPE squad). The other big difference with 'Cidade de Deus' was the directing style. Indeed, whereas the former had a rather kynetic and fancy directing style, this movie was more realistic and some parts even felt like a documentary. Personally, I really enjoyed this movie and I thought it had actually a very strong anti-drug message. Indeed, if you are junkie, since you are addicted, of course, you need to score some drugs, that's another story. But consider all the recreative users who gets some dope for the week-end, do they realize all the suffering and misery involved in the process so they can enjoy their lign of coke? My only critic concerning this feature was that it was rather messy and confusing, especially the beginning. Still, since the situation in Brazil is a real mess, it was actually rather effective.

Note : Since Shallow Grave, I watched every movie directed by Danny Boyle (still have to see 127 hours though...) and he never disappoints me. With Sunshine, again, he created a genuine fascinating picture. You can easily figure that with another director (let's say... Michael Bay for example), they would have been lots of explosions, shootings, chases, whatever... Not here... Even though the special effects are pretty good, that's not the point of this movie. It is high caliber SF with brain and soul.

Note : Sidney Lumet has directed a few classics (12 angry men, Dod day afternoon, Serpico,...) and a few stinkers (The wiz, Gloria,...). I guess this one will go in the category "underrated/unknown gem". The actors are all very good and the story is just spellbinding. Definitely worth a look.