Top Ten Movies of 2007

Yes, it's a little late. But it is here. It was a sneaky year, deep issues hidden where you don't expect to find them. Much has been written about the quality of movies released in 2007 for movies, so look for that elsewhere. We're going to get right into it.

1. There Will Be Blood - Months later and I am still speechless. I may always be. I hesitate to even place it on a list. It feels like it diminishes the movie. Every time I get into a discussion about the movie with someone else who has seen it, I learn something. A towering, sprawling, gigantic movie, it is by no means perfect: fat in some places, lean in others, its imperfections create a perfection that few films have ever attained. And at the center of it, a character that finally allowed us to see just what Daniel Day-Lewis is capable of.

2. Michael Clayton - As scattershot as There Will Be Blood is, Michael Clayton is surgically precise. I didn't know how the plot would resolve until it did. But beneath its slick exterior, Michael Clayton is really a morality tale, warning against corporate greed and the personal losses it takes. That there are such great performances strewn throughout (from roles as minute as Mrs. Greer (Julie White) to the lead, George Clooney) is a testament to just how finely crafted this film is. Tilda Swinton gives the female performance of the year.

3. No Country for Old Men - Much like Michael Clayton, No Country for Old Men used a genre to explore deeper themes. A bag of money is stolen, a man is sent to find it, and a sherriff considers the carnage wrought in the pursuit over breakfast. While on one level it is a simple chase picture, it also is interested in exploring fate and mortality. All the actors are excellent but it is Javier Bardem as the monster of a man Anton Chigurh whom you will not be able to forget.

4. Ratatouille - The nature of art, the pursuit of dreams, and family issues, all in the guise of a kids' movie about a rat with a passion for food. And that it does all of this with such joy and effortlessness is remarkable. And perhaps of all animated movies I've seen, this one fully realizes what animation is capable of. Paris looks a little brighter and the food, well, you'd swear you were able to smell it.

5. Lars and the Real Girl - If you're cynical, skip this one. You'll hate it. Here, let me drive you away: Lars lives IN A SMALL TOWN and is too shy to even talk to a girl so he buys a sex doll. But he doesn't have sex with it; he pretends she's real. And the people of the town go along with it WITHOUT A HINT OF IRONY. See ya. To the rest of you, my top three bowled me over with their filmmaking; this one bowled me over with a story of people simply doing good and I swear there is nothing more moving than that. The movie mines the material for some laughs, but they're never made at the expense of the characters and all of the actors love these people. Daniel Day-Lewis gave the male lead performance of the year. Paul Schneider as Lars's brother is best supporting.

6. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead - What an amazing movie this is. A bank robbery goes awry and we watch the aftermath tear a family apart. The situation becomes too much for their means of coping, and soon, years of pain and abuse can no longer be buried. To reveal anymore is to detract from the movie's power. There is a voyeuristic thrill as we watch these people unravel. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke and Albert Finnery are all superb under Sidney Lumet's unflinching direction.

7. Knocked Up - Judd Apatow's follow-up to The 40-Year-Old Virgin is just as funny and deeper and richer. You know the story: a schlub and a hot girl make a baby and decide to keep it. It's full of sophomoric humor, grossout jokes, and a shot of a baby crowning. It's also full of some very real moments. Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann as a longsuffering married couple are responsible for most of these. I fell in love with all of these characters. The movie is over 2 hours long and when it was over, I didn't want it to end.

8. Atonement - Joe Wright is a complete filmmaker. He leaves no aspect of filmmaking behind. Music flows seamlessly from the background into a scene. As a character walks down a hallway, lights turn on one right after the other. A 5-minute steadicam shot shows us how idle soldiers at Dunkrik during WWII are spending their time. All of it in service of a story about a young girl who thinks she sees something that has devastating consequences on all involved for years to come. The power of the story is only truly revealed in the closing moments.

9. Once - It's the music. I can talk about how it's a feel-good movie that doesn't settle for the cheap conclusion. I can talk about how engaging the leads are. I can talk about the charm of the movie. I can talk about the fact that it's a musical that doesn't follow the standard formula. I can talk about all of these things and they're all true. But the music is what raises it to such great heights.

10. Rescue Dawn - An American pilot, Dieter Dengler, is shot down over Laos before the Vietnam War has begun. He is captured and imprisoned in a camp. He organizes an escape. Any other director would amp everything up with dramatic music and soaring camera shots. In Werner Herzog's hands, it's simply a story that needs to be told. He is ably aided by Christian Bale as Dieter and Steve Zahn as a fellow POW.

I saw a feature on the web last year in which a critic detailed her favorite moments of the year in movies. It was awesome. I didn't know all of them, but that didn't matter somehow. It's probably a better tribute than a list. I love lists, so that's why you got the above, but let me share with you a couple of my favorite moments from the year.

Lars and the Real Girl - Gus's (Paul Schneider) voice crack as he confesses his feelings about his brother Lars to his wife.

Lars and the Real Girl - Lars on the porch as the icicles thaw. He turns and sees just how much he is loved.

There Will Be Blood - Daniel Plainview's face as his brother confesses his motivations.

Ratatouille - That first bite of Ratatouille.

No Country for Old Men - Llewellyn Moss tracking the blood across the desert.

Atonement - Briony Tallis's strength when the wounded arrive.