Top Ten Films Of 2007!

There seems to be a consenus that 2007 was a very good year at the movies. For some reason or another, I never fully agreed. For all the talk of "Juno", "No Country For Old Men" and "There Will Be Blood", I felt the critics hyped these movies quite a bit. I thought all were good films but not great films. Why "Juno" is nominated for "Best Picture" at this year's Oscars is beyond me. Why "No Country For Old Men" was the most celebrated film of the year, appearing on over 100 "Top Ten" list is also a mystery to me.

Clearly, you won't find these films on my list. And I'm willings to bet everyone who reads this list will hate it. None of these films broke records at the box-office, which means one of two things. Either people haven't heard of these films or they did but opted not to see them. The best films of the year in my opinion were ones which went under the radar. They were smaller foreign and independent films.

If I had to find a common theme among some of the year's best films, it might be moral responsibilty. But I'm not sold on that idea. That was what the best films of 2005 were all about. Films have also been getting more and more political since 2004. We saw a lot of films in 2007 tackle politics. There didn't seem to be one common theme among my favorite films this year except that they were all timely. So, here are the top ten films of 2007:

1. THE ORPHANAGE (Mexico/Spain; Juan Antonio Bayona) - Not exactly the popular choice, but no other film managed to involve me from beginning to end quite like this film. The film marked Bayona's film debut and if this is any indication, we may have a major talent on our hands. This is a psychological, horror, suspense masterpiece.

2. MICHAEL CLAYTON (U.S.; Tony Gilroy) - George Clooney's stunning turn as a man who suddenly gets a conscience was a film that worked on all levels. The acting in the film is standout, but it is really Clooney's show all the way. Still the film serves as a political conscience of our times.

3. 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AND 2 DAYS (Romania; Cristian Mungiu) - The Palme d' Or winner at this year's Cannes Film Festival was one of the most intense films of the year. The film takes us back to a political history not too long ago and deals with one of the most controversial subjects of our times; abortion. But the film comes to no easy conclusions. It is a masterpiece in pacing. The two female leads are amazing. Why on Earth did the Academy overlook this film for any major awards?

4. LUST, CAUTION (Hong Kong/China; Ang Lee) - A film almost as controversial as Lee's previous film "Brokeback Mountain". The film's NC-17 rating was uncalled for. This is not a porno but an interesting film about politics and the repression of love and sex. Maybe one day the film will get the attention it deserves.

5. CASSANDRA'S DREAM (U.S./UK; Woody Allen) - To some a rehash of Allen's "Match Point" but not quite. So many people bashed the film and Allen himself that it didn't stand a chance. The film's box-office was bad even by Allen's standards. And that's saying a lot. But the film deals with interesting ideas and has a star making performance given by Hayley Atwell. She is a treasure!

6. SICKO (U.S.; Michael Moore) - Moore's look at the health care system in the U.S. as compared to Europe is a real rabble-rouser. Moore's acid sense of humor is fully shown. Here is a film that Democrats and Republicans can both enjoy. And how often does that happen?

7. LIONS FOR LAMBS (U.S.; Robert Redford) - Another film the critics and the public did not respond kindly to. Who knows why. Here is a film that 20 years from now I can tell my children was a perfect time capsule of our times. A call to action by Redford, the film tried to start a debate about the current situation in Iraq and President Bush's legacy.

8. THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY (U.K; Ken Loach) - British maverick filmmaker Ken Loach's 2006 Palme d'Or winner is a tale of political courage and sacrifice, told against the backdrop of the Irish War of Independence. Despite some good reviews, the film never garnered the attention it deserved in the U.S. However the great critic Michael  Wilmington at the "Chicago Tribune" described Loach as "one of the finest political filmmakers in the world".

9. 12:08 EAST OF BUCHAREST (Romania; Corneliu Porumboiu) - What is going on in Romania cinema, huh? Currently Romania is a hot property and I hope it continues. This was one of the year's funniest films and one of the great political satires of our times.

10. THE LIVES OF OTHERS (Germany; Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck) - This Oscar winner for best foreign language film also takes us back to a political history not too long ago. The film at times is melodramatic but never without cause. Very effective film which even relates to a few issues going on in the Bush administration.