2007 Movies How Do They Measure Up?

For a year where many blockbusters were crap (Spiderman 3, Rush Hour 3 etc.) it was actually a pretty great year for movies.

A Return To Form
The standout this year has to be No Country for Old Men which is the best Coen Bros. movie in a very long time, and ranks among their best. Likewise, Wes Anderson was in top form in making The Darjeeling Ltd. The Grindhouse movies by Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez were a lesser example of this trend, but very enjoyable nonetheless. I've not always been a big fan of David Cronenberg, but Eastern Promises (and the recent A History of Violence) have made me one.

Great Second Films
Hot Fuzz was a great followup to (but not quite as good as) Shawn of the Dead, and Juno has established Jason Reitman as someone to watch after Thank You For Smoking.


War Movies Are Great...
... as long as they aren't about Iraq. I should disclose that I didn't see any of the Iraq war movies this year, but then again neither did anyone else. Now if you are talking about the battle of Thermopylae, bring it on. 300 was a visual feast, and I'm not even gay. The Cold War (and echoes of the cold war) brought us the great film The Lives of Others, and of course The Bourne Ultimatum.

Shoot Em Up!
If you're looking for a good shoot-em-up movie - I strongly recommend Shoot Em Up! with Clive Owen. Violence and action that is so over-the-top you can't help but be entertained.

Now That's Funny!
This year of comedies was bad... Superbad... which is to say some were great (and many forgettable). Knocked Up and Superbad were great, and I can't wait to see Walk Hard. Strangely I can't really remember any good comedies this year that weren't from Judd Apatow. The Simpsons Movie was good, which given the expectations that it inevitably had to face, is a huge accomplishment.

Pot-Pourri (sp?)
Here are a couple of notable movies that don't seem to fit in other categories. Perfume by Tommy Tykwer (sp?) was really well done and was a visual treat. The Matador, while very different from Perfume, was also pretty entertaining (who knew Pierce Brosnan could be so weird). The Lookout with Joseph Gordon Levitt was also pretty good. Lars and the Real Girl was also a standout that doesn't really fit into the other categories.

I've Heard of Blue Movies, But Green Movies?
An Inconvenient Truth was pretty compelling, but in my mind, a Nobel Peace Prize for Al Gore seems a bit much. Who Killed The Electric Car? was also pretty good.

Movies I Missed
Obviously I didn't see everything, but there are a few movies I wanted to see but haven't yet; There Will Be Blood, Michael Clayton, Sweeney Todd, Gone Baby Gone, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, Charlie Wilson's War, The Savages and American Gangster.

Conclusion
Overall a pretty great year.