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GHcool 
"Forever a curious character."
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 Posted - 01/03/2008 : 06:38:54
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Its that time again. I'll publish mine and I invite all to publish theirs. I've also included my favorite review associated with each film and a short, serious review of my own.
1. Juno ("Chair, sex, angst, chair." - meowcat). Ellen Page's performance and Diablo Cody's script are one of those rare movie miracles of casting and role. A hilarious film that actually moved me to tears at the end.
2. Sunshine ("Miss Sunshine." - Rockgolf). Certainly the most suspenseful film of the year. Danny Boyle and his editor, Chris Gil, play the audience like a piano. The visual effects and the design of the space station were excellent as well and reminded me of the groundbreaking work in Alien and 2001.
3. Fido ("Cannibalistic Connolly charms Carrie-Anne." - perpetualelevator). A brilliantly funny satire that played in extremely limited release with some very good ensemble cast led by Carrie-Anne Moss as a 1950s mother and wife and Billy Connolly as her zombie servant/pet. It is now available on DVD, so definately put it in your Netflix queue.
4. Persepolis ("Iranimation en Francais." - Randall). A beautifully told story about a young Iranian woman's life, her reactions to the Iranian Revolution and Iran-Iraq War, and others' reactions to her for being an independent thinker in a world that does not give much respect to independent thought. The screenplay was as good as any I saw this year and, surprisingly, perfectly suited for the medium of animation and the graphic style the film chooses.
5. Day Watch ("Opposing factions chase chalk." - calmer). Another limited theatrical release that is now available on DVD. This is the sequel to Night Watch, a Russian fantasy film with elements of Harry Potter and Interview With the Vampire. The budget was $5 million, but you wouldn't be able to tell with the amazing visual effects.
6. Spider-Man 3 ("Stan Lee. Cue Brock." - MM0rkeleb). I'm clearly in the minority on this one. The visual effects were a lot of fun and very creative and I even like the romance elements regardless (or perhaps because) of how cheesy it all is.
7. In the Shadow of the Moon ("Light shed on moonwalkers." - lemmycaution). A very moving documentary about the Apollo moon landing missions in the 1960s-70s with interviews from the astronauts speaking about the experiences of walking on the moon. It recalls a time of heroism, imagination, exploration, and scientific inquiry that has never been equaled in the history of the human race.
8. Breach ("Spy Who Loved Porn." - bife). Chris Cooper gives an outstanding performance as Robert Hanssen, the American double agent that sold secrets to the Soviets for decades. Ryan Phillippe and Laura Linney are also excellent as the two agents who are assigned to spy on Hanssen.
9. Transformers ("The Fight of Bumblebee." - Ali). What can I say? I had a great time. I got exactly what I expected and had a grin on my face as the credits rolled. The visual effects alone were worth the price of admission.
10. Sicko ("Don't-feel-good movie of year." - Dan-D). Say what you will about Michael Moore, but he sure does make entertaining and intellectually engaging films. I had never really given much thought to health care before seeing this film.
Tie for 11th place: Atonement, Charlie Wilson's War, and Ratatouille. Both films were technical and story challenges and both succeeded in engaging me fully.
Films I have not yet seen that might make the list if I see them: Across the Universe, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, Beowulf, The Bucket List, Enchanted, The Great Debaters, I'm Not There, In the Valley of Elah, The King of Kong, The Kite Runner, No End in Sight, Once, Sweeny Todd, There Will Be Blood
EDIT: I just saw Persepolis and ranked it at #4. See above. |
Edited by - GHcool on 01/20/2008 04:50:10 |
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BaftaBaby 
"Always entranced by cinema."
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Posted - 01/03/2008 : 08:22:14
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First-round BAFTA voting ends today. We get 12 choices for the long-shortlists in all the categories. They go in alphabetical order. Here's mine for Best Film:
3:10 To Yuma
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
The Darjeeling Limited
Eastern Promises
Juno
Letters From Iwo Jima
Michael Clayton
A Mighty Heart
No Country For Old Men
There Will Be Blood
This is England
And, for Best Director:
Across the Universe
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Atonement
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
Charlie Wilson's War
Curse of the Golden Flower
The Darjeeling Limited
Letters From Iwo Jima
Michael Clayton
A Mighty Heart
No Country For Old Men
There Will Be Blood
I'll letcha know the results of Round One when we get 'em.
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GHcool
"Forever a curious character."
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Posted - 01/03/2008 : 17:28:28
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quote:
Originally posted by BaftaBabe
And, for Best Director:
Just out of curiosity, was Danny Boyle's work on Sunshine even an option? Your choices were very similar to how I would have voted, and but I was so impressed with Sunshine that I wanted to see if it even has the possibility of being nominated in the Best Director category. |
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Demisemicenturian 
"Four ever European"
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Posted - 01/03/2008 : 17:47:21
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This would be better moved to Film Related > General, as this section is really for specific individual films.
I'm going to rank the 253 films that I have seen at the cinema this year, so I'll post the top ten here when I've done that - do you want the top ten that the I.M.D.B. specifies as 2007, or the top ten that were released in 2007 in each F.W.F.R.er's country? |
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BaftaBaby
"Always entranced by cinema."
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Posted - 01/03/2008 : 20:04:45
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quote:
Originally posted by GHcool
quote:
Originally posted by BaftaBabe
And, for Best Director:
Just out of curiosity, was Danny Boyle's work on Sunshine even an option? Your choices were very similar to how I would have voted, and but I was so impressed with Sunshine that I wanted to see if it even has the possibility of being nominated in the Best Director category.
I refer the honorable gentleman to my remarks back in April. I'm pretty sure I still feel that way ... though I certainly have liked DB's direction in the past, I just didn't think he was able to keep control over all the stuff that was going off the rails. I think he may have had the sun in his eyes  . I thought the prod design was v. good, though I'm not sure it was actually better than some of the impact of films made back in the day -- oh, let's say Bladerunner, Silent Running, even 2001.
Hey, it's only rock n roll ... oh, no, wait ... it's only the movies.
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randall
"I like to watch."
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Posted - 01/04/2008 : 16:02:00
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BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD
I'M NOT THERE
JUNO
THE LIVES OF OTHERS
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
NO END IN SIGHT
PERSEPOLIS
RATATOUILLE
THERE WILL BE BLOOD
WAITRESS
It was a pretty strong year, I thought; there are four or five others which could also make my list. I didn't catch any of the summer blockbusters except for HARRY POTTER; gradually catching up on DVD. |
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benj clews 
"...."
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Posted - 01/04/2008 : 16:11:50
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quote:
Originally posted by Randall
It was a pretty strong year, I thought; there are four or five others which could also make my list. I didn't catch any of the summer blockbusters except for HARRY POTTER; gradually catching up on DVD.
That would explain why it seemed like a pretty strong year. I'd recommend you avoid everything blockbustery but Bourne Ultimatum. Going off big films alone, it was an absolute stinker of a year- one of the worst I've seen for some time  |
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randall
"I like to watch."
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Posted - 01/04/2008 : 18:18:25
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quote:
Originally posted by benj clews
quote:
Originally posted by Randall
It was a pretty strong year, I thought; there are four or five others which could also make my list. I didn't catch any of the summer blockbusters except for HARRY POTTER; gradually catching up on DVD.
That would explain why it seemed like a pretty strong year. I'd recommend you avoid everything blockbustery but Bourne Ultimatum. Going off big films alone, it was an absolute stinker of a year- one of the worst I've seen for some time
Lucky for me, then: we usually Netflick 'em when the DVDs finally arrive, and sit there being glad we didn't spent $25 and up in the summer. Last weekend we saw DIE HARD 4, and things blow up real good in it, but I still would have resented the theatrical ticket price for two, which represents more than a month's worth of Netflix. I'm looking forward to TRANSFORMERS: I think I've recovered enough from ARMAGEDDON to be ready for what I expect to be two hours' worth of :02 cuts.
And they're a nice year-starting antidote to the dour indies we tend to see at Sundance, which is in three weeks. They're usually great, but they're usually grim too, so when we get back from Park City, we want to see something stupid... |
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MisterBadIdea 
"PLZ GET MILK, KTHXBYE"
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Posted - 01/04/2008 : 19:36:50
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Not yet seen by me: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Persepolis, Atonement, There Will Be Blood
My top ten, in the order I saw them this year:
1. Grindhouse -- Too good for the drooling masses, one of the most exciting and interesting movies made this year. It is not "Planet Terror" and it is not "Death Proof," it is "Grindhouse." Get it right, fuckers.
2. Spider-Man 3 -- I will concede that much of this movie is what most would call the so-bad-it's-great variety of greatness, but that's still a legitimate claim on greatness, I think. Home to more great moments than any movie this year -- Sandman's heartbreaking attempt to be reborn, the hilarious sight of Peter drunk with power, and a movie that, with all its goofiness, really plumbs the psychological depths of what it's like to be a guy who beats on people for a living.
3. 28 Weeks Later -- The truth that no one wants to handle is that sometimes what's best for everyone is to let the sick die in the streets. Possibly the best zombie movie ever made, it features one of the most gut-wrenching nihilistic messages ever: Compassion will kill the world, let the military kill everyone.
4. Ratatouille -- I ate a disgusting Hungry Man TV dinner right before I saw this movie. I'm never doing that again. This movie changed my life.
5. In the Valley of Elah -- Stolid, sad and endlessly earnest, this film makes itself an easy target for those who decry Hollywood's humorless browbeating liberals. I still say it's one of the best of the year, better than The Deer Hunter in describing the strain of being a vet.
6. Gone Baby Gone -- Like In the Valley of Elah, here's a movie that uses a standard genre format as a springboard onto more interesting things. Works exceptionally well as a thriller, but is interested in so much more.
7. No Country for Old Men -- Count me in on the bandwagon here.
8. I'm Not There -- Both Walk Hard and I'm Not There give the musical biopic a well-needed kick in the pants.
9. Charlie Wilson's War -- Tom Hanks hasn't been this good in a decade, and uses real history to ask some tough questions -- Can we really ever see the consequences of our actions, and do we want saints leading us or do we want someone who can get the job done?
10. Sweeney Todd -- All musicals should be like this.
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Koli 
"Striving lackadaisically for perfection."
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Posted - 01/04/2008 : 21:20:41
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My list won't impress those who have easy access to a cinema. I rely mainly on a service similar to Netflix plus TV. And as if that wasn't enough I have failed to choose just ten from the films to which I gave a 5/5 or 6/5 (though I've now identified my top ten in blue):
Walk the Line (5)
Mrs Henderson Presents (5)
Good Night and Good Luck (5)
Last Exit to Brooklyn (5)*
Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire (6)
Frida (5)
The Wind that Shakes the Barley (5)
Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban (5)
Saw (5)
Cinema Paradiso (5)
Das Boot (6)
Borat (5)
Deliverance (5)*
Hostel (5)
Hot Fuzz (5)
* Saw it again in 2007.
Out of that little lot I'd have to say that Das Boot was the finest piece of film making I witnessed last year. Terrific.
Oops. Forgot the films I've seen but my reviews for which are still idling in my pending pile:
Pan's Labyrinth (5) - now I know why Ivana Baquero won a bucketful of awards for her role as Ofelia
The Notorious Bettie Page (5) - I loved Gretchen Mol's performance in the title role
Frenzy (5) |
Edited by - Koli on 01/05/2008 09:26:35 |
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MM0rkeleb
"Better than HBO."
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Posted - 01/07/2008 : 02:34:03
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Can't quite manage a top ten list - even a top six list is kind of scratching the bottom of the barrel as I haven't seen to many new movies this year (largely because so few of them looked interesting, and some of the ones that did came 'round when I had no time). But here's six films from 2007 I liked - for perspective's sake, I've included for each my fwfr rating.
1. Sunshine (5)
Felt like a story that could've come from Asimov or Silverberg. Very solid sci-fi.
2. Disurbia (4)
Why is it this high? Read my comments in the Disturbia thread.
3. No Country for Old Men (4)
Why is it below Disturbia? Read my comments in the No Country for Old Men thread.
4. Paprika (4)
A little too enamoured with its own trippiness, but a worthy offering from the current master of malleable reality, Satoshi Kon. The opening sequence is the best of the year.
5. Hot Fuzz (4)
Didn't really hit its stride until the (awesome) finale.
6. Evan Almighty (4)
I expected the comedy to fall flat, and it did. What surprised me was its resonance as a religious drama (no, really). Except for the A-R-K business at the end. That was stupid.
I should mention as a disclaimer that I'm counting Perfume (an all-time top 10 for me) as a 2006 film. Also, 2007 films I haven't seen yet that could have made this list include There Will Be Blood, Youth Without Youth, I'm Not There, 1408, 3:10 to Yuma, The Brave One, Eastern Promises, Persepolis. |
Edited by - MM0rkeleb on 01/07/2008 18:54:08 |
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demonic
"Cinemaniac"
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Posted - 01/08/2008 : 00:12:45
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In no particular order, my favourite 10 films seen on the big screen in 2007 (not necessarily released in 2007):
"Black Book" - an amazing central performance and a gripping War story tied in with Verhoeven's love for sex and death - a real return to form.
"Bobby" - a bit overambitious, but a great ensemble including blazing performances from Demi Moore and Sharon Stone, make an emotional and powerful message movie.
"The Lives of Others". Totally gripping cinema - an ingenious idea played out to a tragic and uplifting conclusion. A worthy Oscar winner.
"Them" - not a particularly complex or original film, just the scariest thing I've seen on the big screen in years.
"The Bourne Ultimatum" - some incredible action set pieces in the best blockbuster of the year.
"The Painted Veil" - an beautiful love story told with real care and precision and pitch perfect performances by Edward Norton and Naomi Watts.
"Michael Clayton" - superb central performances and a fascinating corporate conspiracy tale evoked the great 70s thrillers. One of Clooney's most fascinating and multi-layered characters.
"Ratatouille" - utterly charming in every way. Another bulleye from Brad Bird. The apex of family entertainment.
"Once" - a low budget musical gem, tapping into the real lives and emotions of a star crossed pair of musicians. Truthful, funny, uplifting, and of course a beautiful soundtrack.
"Flags of our Fathers"/"Letters from Iwo Jima" - cheating here, but the two films compliment each other so well it was hard to separate them. The best anti-war war movies of recent years.
Also (on rerelease): Blade Runner, The Seventh Seal. |
Edited by - demonic on 01/08/2008 00:13:59 |
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Demisemicenturian
"Four ever European"
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Chris C
"Four words, never backwards."
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Posted - 01/20/2008 : 18:03:03
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| My favourite movie of the year? The Simpsons movie. I'm not saying it's the best in any way, just my favourite. So there. |
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Top Eleven Favorite Films of the Year
