Best Films of 2007

An opinionated listing by Colin Emch-Wei

2007 came and went, bringing with it a brand new movie season that dared to challenge some of the excellent achievements of 2006 (Crash, Once, The Science of Sleep). Thankfully, the powers that be managed to deliver this year… So, without any further ado, I bring the Best Films of 2007, in no particular order:

Zodiac (David Fincher)

Widely heralded as the “first great movie of 2007”, and I have to agree. An extremely good mix that featured a great cast playing an equally great script that had just the right amount of horror, suspense, and thrills. While its long run time turned off some, one felt compelled to stick through it all just to see who the Zodiac killer was, and where they might strike next.

Ratatouille (Brad Bird/Jan Pinkava)

If anyone attempts to tell me that this was just a stupid kids’ movie, I’ll slit their throat. Pixar really nailed it with this one, and they knew it…what could have been a cheesy little flick grew into something truly great. What left me in awe was that more adults than children liked Ratatouille, and that during certain scenes audiences couldn’t do anything more than sit their with agape at how much was happening on the screen. There were honest laughs, honest moments of sadness, but altogether Ratatouille was one film I hope you didn’t miss.

Superbad (Greg Mottola)

No doubt you’ve heard the neighborhood adolescents greet each other with, “I am McLovin.” And you loved it. You know it. In what was arguably the most ribald and honestly hilarious (I and the rest of the audience, were continuously laughing) comedy of the year, Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen finally got the mix of gross-out jokes to heartfelt emotion just right. Filled to the brim with delicious quotability, Superbad captured everything that was awkward about our years in high school and distilled it in such a fashion that you can’t help but laugh at it. Sure, the movie is for a specific demographic, but that demographic is large and in charge.

Juno (Jason Reitman)

Juno stole this reviewer’s heart. What first comes off as a smarmy, coming-of-age awkward comedy somehow turns into something decidedly serious and beautiful. Teenage pregnancy is never a good thing, but Juno deals with it in such an elegant manner that you’ll be cheering for the title character. Bolstering this film’s power is a stunning cast and an excellent soundtrack.


American Gangster - Ridley Scot

American Gangster reminded us of why we go to the movies: to be entertained and moved. Denzel Washington gave an amazing performance in this true story about a drug lord that you just don’t want to cross.

Charlie Wilson’s War - Mike Nichols

This latecomer to 2007 deserves a great mention. Ever since the cancellation of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, fans of Aaron Sorkin have been waiting for more of his work. They won’t be disappointed, as Tom Hanks and Philip Seymour Hoffman nail this wonderful and powerful script.

Runners-Up:

Sunshine (Danny Boyle)

It’s been awhile since a solid sci-fi flick came out, and Sunshine delivered all that and more in a thrilling package. Meticulously researched, it will appeal to anyone who hates Star Trek but love science. Besides, how can you hate indie sci-fi? That’s right, you can’t.

28 Weeks Later (Juan Carlos Fresnadillo)

Whoever said horror was dead apparently never saw 28 Weeks Later. It was a smart, freaky, and most definitely original zombie movie, and fans of the genre won’t be disappointed. In fact, the intelligence with which the movie was dealt with probably brought in audiences who otherwise wouldn’t have been interested in it. Only issue: it’s readily apparent by the end of the film that those involved want more money. (Three-quel…)

Across the Universe (Julie Taymor)

Sweeney Todd, eat your heart out. What was billed as “The most original motion picture of the year” split audiences down the middle, but you only need to witness the power of “Let It Be” sung by a child during the Detroit Riots to understand why this series of Beatles covers deserves a long hard look.