There Will be Blood

In a year of bleak and bloody movies, this is one of the best. Daniel Day-Lewis puts in a masterful performance. They say that greed is driven by fear. If this is the case, Daniel Plainview (Lewis) was about as fearful as one can get. Watch this closely or you will miss a twist that comes out in the end. 4.5 of 5. Joe

No Country for Old Men

To say this is one of the top movies of the year is an understatement. There are three movies I would vote on for Best Picture. This is one of those three.

The Cohen Brothers are the New England Patriots of the movie game. Javier Bardem deserves to win Best Supporting Role in a powerful performance. The dialogue throughout the movie is witty and deep. To top it all off, at the end of the movie is an awesome artistic shot of a tree, which stands behind Tommy Lee Jone's head as he speaks of a dream about his dad (I threw that in for Harold's benefit). 5 of 5. Joe

BEOWULF

Director Robert Zemeckis is always one to be adventurous with cinematic effects technology. BACK TO THE FUTURE...WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT...FORREST GUMP...DEATH BECOMES HER...THE POLAR EXPRESS...these movies all received rave reviews for their visual effects, and all of them paved the way for other movies. Well...add BEOWULF to Zemeckis' list of technological achievements. The look is incredible in this half-animated, half-live action fantasy film, and the story unfolds well also. It's mildly interesting...but you can see the potnetial for great movie. If only Zemeckis and writer Roger Avary had worked as hard on the story & script as they have on the special effects. The result is a film for theaters (or home theaters) only. 2 1/2 of 5 hs

INTERVIEW

Steve Buscemi stars in, directed, and co-wrote this film. There's essentially just two characters in this movie (much of the reason why it has the feel of a play) which is based on an original work of Theo Van Gogh. The story has Buscemi, a political writer whose career has been reduced to celebrity soap star interview, interviewing Sienna Miller's TV star character. What starts out as an ill-fated collision of two worlds with little in common...evolves into an adventurous evening of sexual tension, deception, and mental battles. The movie isn'tperfect, and both characters are extremely unlikable...but...there is a definite fascination that holds your interest. The movie is filled with intereting plot twists and memorable scenese. Buscemi is always good...and Miller is excellent in her role as the sexy TV star with a BIG attitude. Definitely worth a rental when you're in the right mood. 3 of 5 hs

THE SIMPSONS MOVIE

THE SIMPSONS MOVIE is everything you'd expect. Its laugh-out-loud funny, and you get all your favorite small screen characters (and I do mean all of them). There are countless film references (much like in the weekly show)...and an endless parade of comic visuals to ensure that repeat viewings uncover new laughs. What can I say...it's THE SIMPSONS! 3 1/2 of 5 hs

THE SAVAGES

The opening scenes of THE SAVAGES show elderly retirees in Sun City, Arizona enjoying their golden years in golf carts and bicycles built for two...every scene there after shows just how grim it is to be growing old and approaching death. THE SAVAGES is a film with sensational acting. Philip Seymour Hoffman delivers his third award worthy performance to hit theaters in last month (CHARLIE WILSONS WAR & BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOURE DEAD). He and Laura Linney are both terrific as the adult children who are tasked with taking care of their somewhat estranged father who is battling dimentia. The movie is darkly comic (really dark) and both depressing and encouraging. Its well written and brilliantly acted. Its good! 4 of 5 hs

THE DIVING BELL & THE BUTTERFLY

Imagine your living your perfectly normal life...then...one day...driving with your son...you begin to have an attack. You're not sure what's happening to you, but you know something's wrong...very wrong. You manage to pull the car over before you black out. When you awake (if you can call it being awake) you're completely paralyzed from head-to-toe with one exception...your left eye. Your mind is fine...you understand everything going on around you...you can see everything around you --- only you can't move or speak. Is that life? Could you keep your sanity? How would you cope? How would you communicate? How would you feel?
That's exactly what happened to Jean-Dominique Bauby - the highly successful editor of France's Elle magazine. THE DIVING BELL & THE BUTTERFLY tells his story, and lets us feel his pain. Julian Schnabel's direction brilliantly lets the viewer see the world through Bauby's eye. Even more amazing...the story is based on Bauby's own biography which he wrote one letter at a time through a system of translated blinks of his left eye. A movie that is both heartbreaking and inspiring. 4 of 5 hs

Juno

Juno is a very smart, very funny, and very touching movie. Ellen Page, as Juno, grips your heart the entire way. Michael Cera, who plays her friend who fathers their child, is delightful. Jennifer Garner proves why I love her.

Parts of this movie will make you laugh expectedly. Parts will make you laugh unexpectedly. Parts will bring tears to your eyes. Parts will make you want to smack an adult male who has never grown up. Parts will make you lean forward in your seat. Parts will make you lean back. And...you will want to hug Juno the entire time. I will buy this when it comes out on DVD. I will also buy the soundtrack. 5 of 5. Joe

3:10 to Yuma

There are times in life when a Ben Wade redeems himself. There are times when a Dan Evans proves what his heart is really all about. There are times when Russell Crowe exceeds my expectations (unlike in American Gangster). There are times when Christian Bale performs as well as any actor I can remember in a long time. There are times when Westerns are "yehaw, bang 'em up shoot 'em up" goofy, mediocre stories. There are times when Westerns go beyond that and touch a thread in the stomach. This Western was the latter. I don't buy many DVDs. I may buy this one. 5 of 5. Joe

Joe's Top Movie's of 2007...so far...

Let me preface this by saying I have NOT yet watched Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, There Will Be Blood, and some other highly rated movies. That being said, here are my top movies so far, in alphebetical order, subject to change. I will eventually narrow this list down to 10.

3:10 to Yuma
American Gangster
Atonement
Black Snake Moan ( I must admit I originally said I didn't like this much. It grew on me).
Eastern Promises
Hairspray
Hot Fuzz
Juno
Knocked Up
Michael Clayton
Mr. Brooks
No Country For Old Men
Once
Stardust
Super Bad
There Will Be Blood
The Hoax
Waitress
Zodiac

ATONEMENT (rebuttal)

Joe - It's a great movie...but remember - its a MOVIE! Its not a damn painting!

Atonement (update)

Harold gave Atonement a 4.5 out of five, stating: "When Vanessa Redgrave takes the screen for the film's final act we get the intimacy we've been longing for...but rather than satisfy us...that brilliant ending confirms in our mind that more of that kind of dialogue from other characters throughout the story would have lifted ATONEMENT to another level. ATONEMENT is an awfully good movie, but it just missed on being a classic. 4 1/2 of 5 hs." Oh myyyy. He has been subjected to movie overload. Atonement has dialogue even when it doesn't have dialogue. It is the best movie I have seen since Fargo. It beats all Cohen brothers hands down, however. It is beautiful and dramatic and also has an intrigue that I have not seen since Mulholland Drive. 4 1/2 out of 5?? It is a 10 out of 5. Joe

THE NAMESAKE

THE NAMESAKE is the story of a young man born in 1980's NYC to immigrant parents from India. His parents give this young man the name Gogol Ganguli...a name that certainly doesn't his attempt to grow up as a "regular" NY kid any easier. THE NAMESAKE is an extremely well made movie, and completely engrossing. If you let yourself be patient through the initially slow, but critically important first thirty minutes you'll be rewarded with a family drama that keeps you engaged to the very end. Speaking of "the end"...that's another of the film's strengths. In addition to delivering unforeseen and unexpectedplot twists (much like real life), the film also doesn't have a neatly wrapped up ending (nor does life). Kal Penn (who most will recognize as Kumar during his late night escapades to White Castle) plays the lead character with magnetic flare. This is an underrated movie that's well worth a rental. 3 1/2 of 5 hs

SWEENEY TODD

Something happened to me in 2007. I almost always loathe musicals...but this year I enjoyed several of them. ONCE (if you consider that a musical) is one my favorite movies of the year...HAIRSPRAY was a pleasant surprise...and now SWEENEY TODD is another sheer (pun intended) delight. Visually speaking, SWEENEY TODD is one cool looking movie - but when Tim Burton is the director - that's a given. As for the singing...Johnny Depp is not going to Broadway or the Opera anytime soon, but its a lot of fun to wacth him croon through this bloody musical. Alan Rickman is excellent as the evil judge who is the target of Todd's revenge...and we even get Sacha Baron Cohen in a small but fun supporting role. The movie looks great and is fun to watch (if you can handle all the blood), but it's nothing particularly special. I had admittedly high hopes for this one, and I got a pretty good flick instead of the cult classic (ala EDWARD SCISSORHANDS) I was hoping for. Its good...but not great. 3 1/2 of 5

JUNO

JUNO is one of the year's best films and sure to be one of the favorites for the 2007 Best Picture Oscar. The story revolves around a 16 year old girl who gets pregnant while in the 11th grade. The screenplay by Diablo Cody is fresh and original, wickedly funny, and perfectly in tune with its characters. The film is filled with characters you can relate to...who act and speak like real people. Ellen Page's portrayal of the title character will go down as one of the most memorable performances of the year. The movie is laugh-out-loud funny, but also funny, smart and sentimental...and not one bit of it is forced or artificial. JUNO improves upon the very very good KNOCKED UP as the year's best "raunchy romantic comedy with a heart of gold". I highly recommend this movie...its one of the year's best. 4 1/2 of 5 hs

THE GREAT DEBATERS

In Denzel Washington's directorial debut, ANTWONE FISHER, there were signs that the unquestionably sensational actor may develop into an equally good director. Well...with THE GREAT DEBATERS he has taken a huge step backwards. This movie is a mess. Oh sure...its got some nice acting (with Forest Whitaker and Denzel Washington you can't go wrong) , and its got a few powerful scenes...but everything is forced. The subplot leading to Washington's arrest is quickly forgotten after the ridiculously improbable jailhouse scene. Every cliche imaginable is embraced, and even the debate scenes are goofy and full of flowery nonsensical language that any fool could rattle off without a minute of research. The movie is one huge pile of stereotypical cliche's and forced emotion. 2 of 5 hs

CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR

It's terrific fun to watch Tom Hanks and Philip Seymour Hoffman in this movie. Both actors routinely deliver outstanding performances, and they are indeed outstanding once again in CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR. This movie is well done, well acted, and fun to watch. The subject matter...how one congressman led a covert partnership with the CIA in the 1980's to fund and arm Afghan rebels against the Soviets...is heavy material. But director Mike Nichols and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin choose to take a light/comic approach to the material...and it works. Because of the material, however, you do wish the movie had invested more in it's subject. The movie plays out in just over 90 minutes. I left the theater wishing this 1 1/2 hour comedy/drama had been a 2 1/2 hour comedy/drama that dug deeper. Seeing a little of the undoubtedly darker side of CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR would have been well worth the time. 4 of 5 hs

SHREK THE THIRD

You gotta love SHREK! The first two movies were both terrific for both children and adults alike as well as blockbusters at the box office (Shrek 2 ranks 3rd all-time in US box office receipts). SHREK THE THIRD doesn't quite equal the "instant classic" quality of the two earlier installments, but it does make for a very good addition. Some of the fairy tale cleverness that was so fresh through the first two films has finally grown a bit old, and the writers couldn't help but retread some of that same old gross-out humor. Sure...its still funny...but it was funnier the first few times. SHREK THE THIRD is pretty much what you'd expect from the third chapter in one of the best animated film series of all time. 3 1/2 of 5 hs

ATONEMENT

ATONEMENT is easily the year's most beautifully filmed movie...in fact...it is one of the most beautifully shot and scored movies ever made. The film's first act is flawlessly directed and edited as a story unfolds through various points-of-view all during one day on a gorgeous London estate. As the film fast fowards to WWII the cinematography and art direction take over. The visual beauty displayed scene after scene is astounding. The reflection of WWII bombers in a small stream, the horrifying discovery of dead bodies in a field, the confession behind a red curtain in a hospital room, the central character walking down a hallway as lights illuminate with each one of her steps, and on and on and on and on. Every single scene seems staged with purpose and beauty. In what is sure to become an all-time classic scene in film history, Director Joe Wright recreates the allied retreat on the beaches of Dunkirk with a stunning and sweeping view of the chaos...its unforgettable. Also unforgettable is the music. Sounds of the film (the clicking of typewriter keys, the pounding of objects and footsteps, etc) are brilliantly incorporated into the score and have a powerful effect. ATONEMENT is flawless in its look and sound, but what it needs, however, is more of that painstaking attention to detail in its script. We should feel more, and care more, about the film's central characters than we do. We should be treated to more personal moments, yet all we get are a few very brief on-screen moments that let you inside the surface beauty of the film. That's not nearly enough. When Vanessa Redgrave takes the screen for the film's final act we get the intimacy we've been longing for...but rather than satisfy us...that brilliant ending confirms in our mind that more of that kind of dialogue from other characters throughout the story would have lifted ATONEMENT to another level. ATONEMENT is an awfully good movie, but it just missed on being a classic. 4 1/2 of 5 hs

BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD

Legendary director Sidney Lumet (12 Angry Men, Serpico, Network, Dog Day Afternoon) delivers what is easily the year's darkest film. The story of two down-on-their-luck brothers and their ill-fated plan to rob the small suburban jewelry store owned by their parents truly pushes the envelope on regular folks doing really bad things. The cast of Ethan Hawke, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Albert Finney, and Marisa Tomei are all sensational. Lumet's direction creates a claustrophobic atmosphere. So many scenes are filmed with the actors "trapped" in close quarters (a car, a booth at the local bar, a patio surrounded by tall hedges, etc). The characters themselves even create a sense of atmosphere: Hawke's weakness, Tomei's desolation, and Hoffman's despair. BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD is a very good movie with masterful direction and mesmerizing performances. The movie's flaw lies in its final act. A plot twist that defies logic coupled with the lack of a single redeeming quality from any of the film's characters leaves you looking for the other side of these "regular" people doing really bad things. In the end they don't seem too "regular" and that takes away from the film's overall impact. This is a movie that requires the viewer to be in the right mood...and may leave you feeling the need to take a shower! 4 of 5 hs