2007 HONORABLE MENTIONS

Overall, I thought 2007 brought several good films to the cinema scene, maybe the best crop of films in the last ten or eleven years. Here are some films I thought were worth noting, even if they couldn't creep into my top ten...

Despite contrasting styles of animation and tone, RATATOUILLE and THE SIMPSONS MOVIE were both terrific. RATATOUILLE took animation to the next level, executing brilliant action sequences and subtle humor into a tale of a rat who aspires to be a French chef. As with all Pixar pics, the subtext of RATATOUILLE is as enriching as the dazzling technical aspects. THE SIMPSONS MOVIE’s animation is simplistic, as it is on television, helping to create its own charm and sense of humor. Clever wordplay, a satirical tone and its standard silliness made THE SIMPSONS MOVIE one of the funniest films of the year.

Another of the funniest movies of 2007 was SUPERBAD. Michael Cera and Jonah Hill try to get lucky for the first time during their high school days, but it’s the hilarious Christopher Mintz-Plasse as McLovin who scores the most, both in laughs and the bedroom. In addition to laughs, SUPERBAD is really a sweet study of two best friends who must go about their separate lives.

Sweetness is at the heart of Disney’s ENCHANTED. This wonderful family film hits all the right notes, both musically and thematically, in a tale of an animated princess transported to real-life New York City. Amy Adams gives an Oscar-worthy performance as the naïve, heartwarming and optimistic Princess Giselle.

On the darker side, SWEENEY TODD and NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN examine the threatening nature of mankind. Johnny Depp and Helen Bonham Carter elicit moments of both horror and humor in SWEENEY TODD. The talented actors are assisted by Burton’s twisted touch, and a screenplay with a knack for the absurd. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN marks a return for the Coen Brothers, a brilliant examination of our society’s propensity towards violence. Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin are good, but this film belongs to the Coens and Javier Bardem. Bardem’s Anton is one of the most memorable and menacing men to inflict punishment in recent memory.

Two of the best independent films of the year were THE KING OF KONG and THE ORPHANAGE. As a documentary, THE KING OF KONG views an engaging competition between two men attempting to set the world record for the arcade game Donkey Kong. What would seem trivial isn’t, as the films delves into the participants past failures, successes and their hopes and dreams. THE ORPHANAGE is a chilling horror film in the same mold of THE SIXTH SENSE and THE OTHERS. Great tension and anxiety are elicited thanks to director Juan Antonio Bayona’s touch, and an intense and passionate performance from Belen Rueda.

INTO THE WILD was an engaging escape from writer director Sean Penn. This intriguing look into the real-life story of 20-something vagabond Christopher McCandless was both poetic and maddening. Emile Hirsch is outstanding as the lost soul attempting to find freedom, peace and spirituality, and Hal Holbrook is equally effective as a wise, old codger.

And rounding out my honorable mention list is THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM. The third, and presumably final, installment is the best of the three BOURNE films. Director Paul Greengrass’s non-stop action spectacular is truly an edge-of-your-seat thriller, with exhilarating action sequences, dark secrets and a surprising finish.