10) No Country For Old Men
A little lower on my list than on many other peoples’, but that’s why it’s mine. I have no problems with the movie that made me drop it down, I actually liked the ending and the disjointed last act, I just liked a lot of other movies a lot more. Javier Bardem is awesome, some of the dialogue is the Coens’ best ever, it just happened to be a strong year for movies in my opinion, making No Country a strong number 10.
9) Once
The first of three musicals that made my list, and I don’t even really love musicals. They just happened to all be so different that they all deserved a spot, beginning with Once. If you haven’t seen it by now you’re just an asshole. Because, though it may be my number 9, it is easily the easiest to like film of the year (honorable mention: Juno)
8) Sweeney Todd
Musical number 2. It is rare when there is not a dull moment in a musical, and that is why I liked Sweeney Todd so much. Appropriately dark and consistently engaging Sweeney delivers bazaar image after bazaar image and somehow ends up working.
7) There Will Be Blood
I’m still not sure what I think about this movie, except that I think it belongs on my list. The last movie I saw of the year. Normally, I love going to the movies alone, but for this movie I truly wish I had seen it with someone. Somehow, despite a slow pace and odd feel, this movie is extremely captivating. Maybe because it stars the best actor in the business, as Daniel Day delivers once again.
6) The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford
If you didn’t see this movie, and you probably didn’t, wait until a time when you have three hours to kill and you will be rewarded with one of the more interesting and twisting character portrayals I’ve seen. And make sure you have the whole three hours to watch because the Epilogue to the film is probably my favorite part.
5) Waitress
I’m a sucker for a well-executed chick-flick. It’s why I liked The Devil Wears Prada so much last year. And this year the chick-flick with the most heart was easily Waitress. Keri Russell is, for lack of better word, beautiful throughout, and the movie is funny, insightful, empowering, and just really, really good.
4) In the Valley of Elah
Maybe I liked this one a little more than most, but I thought this was easily the best of the “Iraq War Sucks” movies that came out this year. Setting a story about the Iraq war outside of Iraq to me was even more poignant, and while the temptation with war movies is to be heavy-handed I thought Elah remained restrained yet powerful.(Obviously the last scene would shoot down my heavy-handed remark, but I’m not going to let one shot destroy an entire movie.)
3) Lars and the Real Girl
Not sure why this movie didn’t get the buzz it deserved. Besides containing some of the biggest laughs of the year, for a movie not made by Judd Apatow, Lars’ features a great performance from Ryan Gosling and the entire supporting cast. It also captures the true feel of black comedy that every “this is melancholy but funny” movie attempts. (See: The Savages, The Darjeeling Limited.)
2) Hairspray
Say what you will, Hairspray was the best time I had at the movies all year. Every shot was beautifully framed with an attention to every color, every song was beautifully choreographed, and every time it seemed like the energy might slip someone was there to plug in the gap. This movie was simply fun from opening number to closing, and sometimes that’s all that matters.
1) Diving Bell and the Butterfly
I don’t know how to put how good this movie was into words. That’s what I’ve been struggling with since I saw it. It is simply amazing. And maybe it doesn’t require words to convince you to go see it. Maybe just the fact that it has that big fat number 1 next to it will convince you to take a risk and see a movie you might usually avoid. You will be rewarded.
Worst Movie of the Year:
Georgia Rule
Not to jump on the Bash-a-Lohan bandwagon but this truly was the most terrible film of the year. Any movie that takes a subject of child molestation and attempts to turn it into low-brow comedy really has an uphill battle to fight. Unfortunately for this movie, it just comes tumbling down.
Three Movies I Have To Admit to Not Seeing:
Michael Clayton
Charlie Wilson’s War
Into The Wild
