My Favorite Movies of 2007

I see a lot of movies. Most of them are really good. A few not so. A handful are truly great. While other top ten lists will include the overrated Atonement and Juno, mine will not. Of all the movies I saw this year, these were the best:

1. No Country for Old Men - The Coen Brothers are back with a mesmerizing thriller reminiscent of Fargo. Give these boys some Oscars!

2. Michael Clayton - Not a box office hit which is too bad. Tom Wilkinson's opening voiceover against a black screen is worth the price of admission alone.

3. Sicko - Michael Moore's latest documentary goes for the jugular. Too bad Blue Cross requires pre-authorization. A must-see for every American given this election year. A real eye opener!

4. 51 Birch Street - You've probably never heard of this indie documentary about a man discover just who his parents really were, but if you have the chance--rent it. It's engrossing and touching.

5. Live Free or Die Hard - I would have thought the best that could be said for this aging action franchise's return was it didn't suck. It didn't suck--it kicked ass! Bruce is back and badder than ever. Justin Long wasn't bad, either.

6. The Bourne Ultimatum - I thought the latest Die Hard kicked ass, but Matt Damon's last installment of the Bourne series blows everything else out of the water. There's a chase sequence that will have you on the edge of your seat.

7. Knocked Up - Having not seen SuperBad, I have to say this is the funniest movie I saw in 2007. My favorite parts were Kristin Wiig's character.

8. Blades of Glory - This flick featuring Will Ferrell and Jon Heder as a mismatched figure skating pair was almost as funny as Knocked Up. The fight scene where Craig T. Nelson as the coach comes up with the idea for the two to skate together is brilliant.

9. The Lookout - Uber-writer Scott Frank's directorial debut. I hope this isn't overlooked come Oscar time. Jeff Daniel's performance as a blind man who sees more than most sighted people deserves a statue. Of course he'll be up against the terrific Tom Wilkinson. Can you have a tie at the Oscars?

10. I'm leaving this open because I still have yet to see Sweeney Todd, There Will Be Blood or The Orphanage--all of which are contenders for greatness.