A NOTE ABOUT 2007

2007 has been a PHENOMENAL year for American cinema. I'm finding it harder and harder to come up with an accurate top ten list, one that I am truly happy with, and one that reflects on the many, many amazing films that have come out this year. Not only have there been multiple great films this year, the sheer amount of out-right masterpieces that have been released is extraordinary. In the last two-and-a-half months alone, I've been treated to the following films: JESSE JAMES, INTO THE WILD, EASTERN PROMISES, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD, AMERICAN GANGSTER, MICHAEL CLAYTON, THE KINGDOM, THINGS WE LOST IN THE FIRE, and 3:10 TO YUMA. All of those, along with ZODIAC, 300, and BREACH from earlier this year, are about as perfect as any movie fan could ask for. All of them great, most of them masterworks, and a few of them landmarks. Yes...landmarks. The second and third tier films from this year are no slouches either; THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM, GONE BABY GONE, WE OWN THE NIGHT, TRANSFORMERS, KNOCKED UP, RESCUE DAWN, IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH, THE DARJEELING LIMITED, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END and RENDITION have all been thoroughly engaging, smart, and stylish, and in any other year, might be top 10 material. It's a testament to just how strong the year has been that those films won't crack my final 10 best. And to make matters even worse (or better), we still have BEOWULF 3-D, SOUTHLAND TALES, REDACTED, I'M NOT THERE, MARGOT AT THE WEDDING, SWEENEY TODD, JUNO, ATONEMENT, I AM LEGEND, THE KITE RUNNER, CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR, and the 2-ton white elephant in the room, THERE WILL BE BLOOD. I have had more fun going to the movies this year than I have had in recent memory; not since the dynamic movie-going year of 1999 (FIGHT CLUB, THREE KINGS, MAGNOLIA, AMERICAN BEAUTY, THE MATRIX, OFFICE SPACE, GO, RUN LOLA RUN, SOUTH PARK: THE MOVIE, EYES WIDE SHUT, THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, BRINGING OUT THE DEAD, THE LIMEY, BOYS DON'T CRY, ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER, BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, TITUS, ANY GIVEN SUNDAY, THE GREEN MILE) have I been so consistently blown away in a movie theater. People who say that there aren't any good (or great) movies out there simply aren't looking hard enough.