Films of 2007: 6 - 2
Yes, I'm a couple of days late posting this with all the Xmas/New Year hoolerifia that's been going on. I also had to make a last minute revisement to my choices after seeing a film on Dec 29th, which is still in keeping with my rules for this list: It must have been released theatrically in 2007, and I must have watched it in 2007, although the first rule has had to be bent in places due to other circumstances, but more on that later.
I should mention these reviews are spoiler-free and will not ruin anything about these films. If I mention a story point, it's either from a structure point-of-view and nothing specific, or it's been in the trailers already and I've put links to trailers at the start of each entry. Let the fun begin!
I'll be honest, I was only excited about this film when I heard that the first trailer for The Dark Knight romp that would probably be was attached to it, but still thought it looked quite cool. I was expecting a fun, cool sci-fiforgettable. What I actually found was a dark, psychological character study about what it means to be the last person on earth; the isolation, the loneliness and clinging to whatever sanity you have left.
It also had scares aplenty as Robert Neville is in a constant struggle to avoid/capture the mysterious creatures that lurk in the dark places of the city. Will Smith is absolutely engrossing in this, all stripped down raw nerves and emotions as he maybe starts to lose his grip on reality. In fact, I'm not sure there's another actor out there that could carry such a huge movie on his lone shoulders and keep it engaging.
A tiny little film that has all the potential in the world to be TV movie-of-the-week trite, but avoids this trap in spades by realising that by telling the truth of the story instead of the emotion it gets the emotion in a far more powerful response. Sherry (Maggie Gyllenhaal) is just out of prison after three years and anxious to get back to her young daughter and try to establish some form of normal life, but her struggle to kick a drug habit soon starts to send things spiraling apart.
Like I said, this should be sentimental pap, but thanks to sharp writing, honest direction and powerhouse performances, this is gripping and heartbreaking. And Maggie Gyllenhaal, ladies and gentlemen, is THE actress of her generation. It's a strong statement, but one well deserved. I've not seen a performance by an actress this strong and devastating since Jennifer Jason Leigh in Last Exit To Brooklyn. She simply pours her entire soul into the character of Sherry and it's a beautiful and frightening thing to behold.
Adapted from the 2005 novel by Dennis Lehane, this is the story of Amanda McCready, a young girl abducted from her home in a close-knit Boston suburb and the effect it has on the community. Small-time private investigator Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck) is hired by the family to find her because of his reputation for getting people to talk who won't speak to the police. First things first; yes, this is uncomfortable subject matter considering the recent McCann abduction. But the novel was published nearly 3 years ago, and the film was completed in January 2006, so it's simply a horrible and unfortunate coincidence. Add to that the fact the director Ben Affleck pulled the UK release and has stated the film will never be released in Britain as long as the case is ongoing, and it's clear the film makers know how sensitive a situation this is.
But that doesn't stop it from being an astonishing piece of work though. This is one where I had to bend my own rules. Yes, it was released and I watched it in 2007, but due to the UK embargo I had to turn to Mr Internet for help. And I'm glad I did, as it's a taught, emotional, wrenching film. Not just because of recent news, but because any film on this subject needs to be wrenching (although I can't deny that being a UK resident may have affected my core response in places). After last year's Golden Globe nomination for Hollywoodland, Ben Affleck furthers his credible comeback by directing in a low-key, tight and stylish way, paving the way for a career-best performance from his brother Casey. And if the moral choice at the end doesn't honestly make you question what you'd do, then you're dead inside.
Yes, David Fincher makes another serial killer film. But whereas Se7en was a stylish piece of decadent pop-art, Zodiac is the true story of San Francisco newspaper cartoonist Robert Graysmith who becomes obsessed with trying to track down the infamous 'Zodiac killer' from 1969 to 1983. Based on Graysmith's own book, this case remains unsolved to this day, and is more about men completely unequipped to tackle such an inhuman adversary and how it slowly starts to destroy their lives. The fact that this is true only adds to the atrocities inflicted, and the desperation you feel for characters who find their lives becoming only about finding the monster still on the loose.
It's a Fincher, so of course the film looks gorgeous, and direction is tight, but this isn't the flashy Fincher we're used to. For the first time he seems confident enough in the material and his actors to simply leave the camera alone and let them act out the story. And speaking of the actors, this cast is phenomenal, specifically Robert Downey, Jr as journalist Paul Avery, a cocky piece of shit writer. Most credit, though, has to go to Jake Gyllenhaal as Graysmith. For the first hour you almost don't notice him acting, as like his character he keeps very quiet, but once Graysmith's obsession grows, Gyllenhaal completely dominates the screen and commands every frame he's in. It's Fincher's best film, even better than Se7en - fact!
And director Paul Greengrass makes my top films list two years in a row (his United 93 was my number 1 last year) with part three of the Bourne series; the best chapter in a perfect trilogy. The problem here is that I can't really explain the story without either ruining this or the previous 2 films, so let's just say that Jason Bourne, the spy with amnesia, finally remembers everything and sets after those who were responsible for what happened to him at the very beginning.
The strange thing about the Bourne series is how it's become such a standard for intelligent, well-made action movies in just a few short years, and that Greengrass has made this entirely his own beast since taking over from Doug Liman for part 2, The Bourne Supremacy. Greengrass' Supremacy is single-handedly responsible for the Bond reboot Casino Royale (and if only the 2nd installment of a series can make a 30-year old franchise rethink their steps you must be doing something right). Hell, even Spielberg and Lucas are using Bourne as a template for what to do right with their upcoming Indiana Jones 4. And yet, it's not strange this happened at all, as they're just wonderfully intelligent, exciting, well-made films.
This new (and maybe final) chapter, Ultimatum, allows Greengrass to build on his own sequel and get deeper into the world. And it's an incredibly ballsy film for a summer release too. Ultimatum starts about 6 weeks before the end of the previous film; in fact we're nearly halfway through part 3 before we get to the scene that ended part 2. In a major blockbuster release that's almost unheard of, and putting a lot of faith in the audience. Which, as it happens, may be Bourne's greatest strength - it expects the audience to keep up if you know the story so far, but never goes so far as to lose you if you're new to the franchise.
I'll go on record here: Matt Damon has built himself a fantastically well-orchestrated career at this point, balancing the hits with the revered work brilliantly, but I don't think he'll ever find a character so perfectly suited to him as Jason Bourne again. And he owns the role now. People first scoffed at the idea of 'Matt Damon: Action Star' in the first film until they saw it. Now, people expect it from him, and yet the character is damaged and brutal enough to allow the action to come from a place of real pathos.
The original Die Hard was the anti-action action movie, rallying against the overblown antics of the 80's. Tellingly, in 2007, the year when John McLane became an unbelievable superhero, it was Jason Bourne who was carrying the torch of the true action star.
Number 1 to follow...
I should mention these reviews are spoiler-free and will not ruin anything about these films. If I mention a story point, it's either from a structure point-of-view and nothing specific, or it's been in the trailers already and I've put links to trailers at the start of each entry. Let the fun begin!
6: I AM LEGEND
I'll be honest, I was only excited about this film when I heard that the first trailer for The Dark Knight romp that would probably be was attached to it, but still thought it looked quite cool. I was expecting a fun, cool sci-fiforgettable. What I actually found was a dark, psychological character study about what it means to be the last person on earth; the isolation, the loneliness and clinging to whatever sanity you have left.
It also had scares aplenty as Robert Neville is in a constant struggle to avoid/capture the mysterious creatures that lurk in the dark places of the city. Will Smith is absolutely engrossing in this, all stripped down raw nerves and emotions as he maybe starts to lose his grip on reality. In fact, I'm not sure there's another actor out there that could carry such a huge movie on his lone shoulders and keep it engaging.
5: SHERRYBABY
A tiny little film that has all the potential in the world to be TV movie-of-the-week trite, but avoids this trap in spades by realising that by telling the truth of the story instead of the emotion it gets the emotion in a far more powerful response. Sherry (Maggie Gyllenhaal) is just out of prison after three years and anxious to get back to her young daughter and try to establish some form of normal life, but her struggle to kick a drug habit soon starts to send things spiraling apart.
Like I said, this should be sentimental pap, but thanks to sharp writing, honest direction and powerhouse performances, this is gripping and heartbreaking. And Maggie Gyllenhaal, ladies and gentlemen, is THE actress of her generation. It's a strong statement, but one well deserved. I've not seen a performance by an actress this strong and devastating since Jennifer Jason Leigh in Last Exit To Brooklyn. She simply pours her entire soul into the character of Sherry and it's a beautiful and frightening thing to behold.
4: GONE BABY GONE
Adapted from the 2005 novel by Dennis Lehane, this is the story of Amanda McCready, a young girl abducted from her home in a close-knit Boston suburb and the effect it has on the community. Small-time private investigator Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck) is hired by the family to find her because of his reputation for getting people to talk who won't speak to the police. First things first; yes, this is uncomfortable subject matter considering the recent McCann abduction. But the novel was published nearly 3 years ago, and the film was completed in January 2006, so it's simply a horrible and unfortunate coincidence. Add to that the fact the director Ben Affleck pulled the UK release and has stated the film will never be released in Britain as long as the case is ongoing, and it's clear the film makers know how sensitive a situation this is.
But that doesn't stop it from being an astonishing piece of work though. This is one where I had to bend my own rules. Yes, it was released and I watched it in 2007, but due to the UK embargo I had to turn to Mr Internet for help. And I'm glad I did, as it's a taught, emotional, wrenching film. Not just because of recent news, but because any film on this subject needs to be wrenching (although I can't deny that being a UK resident may have affected my core response in places). After last year's Golden Globe nomination for Hollywoodland, Ben Affleck furthers his credible comeback by directing in a low-key, tight and stylish way, paving the way for a career-best performance from his brother Casey. And if the moral choice at the end doesn't honestly make you question what you'd do, then you're dead inside.
3: ZODIAC
Yes, David Fincher makes another serial killer film. But whereas Se7en was a stylish piece of decadent pop-art, Zodiac is the true story of San Francisco newspaper cartoonist Robert Graysmith who becomes obsessed with trying to track down the infamous 'Zodiac killer' from 1969 to 1983. Based on Graysmith's own book, this case remains unsolved to this day, and is more about men completely unequipped to tackle such an inhuman adversary and how it slowly starts to destroy their lives. The fact that this is true only adds to the atrocities inflicted, and the desperation you feel for characters who find their lives becoming only about finding the monster still on the loose.
It's a Fincher, so of course the film looks gorgeous, and direction is tight, but this isn't the flashy Fincher we're used to. For the first time he seems confident enough in the material and his actors to simply leave the camera alone and let them act out the story. And speaking of the actors, this cast is phenomenal, specifically Robert Downey, Jr as journalist Paul Avery, a cocky piece of shit writer. Most credit, though, has to go to Jake Gyllenhaal as Graysmith. For the first hour you almost don't notice him acting, as like his character he keeps very quiet, but once Graysmith's obsession grows, Gyllenhaal completely dominates the screen and commands every frame he's in. It's Fincher's best film, even better than Se7en - fact!
2: THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM
And director Paul Greengrass makes my top films list two years in a row (his United 93 was my number 1 last year) with part three of the Bourne series; the best chapter in a perfect trilogy. The problem here is that I can't really explain the story without either ruining this or the previous 2 films, so let's just say that Jason Bourne, the spy with amnesia, finally remembers everything and sets after those who were responsible for what happened to him at the very beginning.
The strange thing about the Bourne series is how it's become such a standard for intelligent, well-made action movies in just a few short years, and that Greengrass has made this entirely his own beast since taking over from Doug Liman for part 2, The Bourne Supremacy. Greengrass' Supremacy is single-handedly responsible for the Bond reboot Casino Royale (and if only the 2nd installment of a series can make a 30-year old franchise rethink their steps you must be doing something right). Hell, even Spielberg and Lucas are using Bourne as a template for what to do right with their upcoming Indiana Jones 4. And yet, it's not strange this happened at all, as they're just wonderfully intelligent, exciting, well-made films.
This new (and maybe final) chapter, Ultimatum, allows Greengrass to build on his own sequel and get deeper into the world. And it's an incredibly ballsy film for a summer release too. Ultimatum starts about 6 weeks before the end of the previous film; in fact we're nearly halfway through part 3 before we get to the scene that ended part 2. In a major blockbuster release that's almost unheard of, and putting a lot of faith in the audience. Which, as it happens, may be Bourne's greatest strength - it expects the audience to keep up if you know the story so far, but never goes so far as to lose you if you're new to the franchise.
I'll go on record here: Matt Damon has built himself a fantastically well-orchestrated career at this point, balancing the hits with the revered work brilliantly, but I don't think he'll ever find a character so perfectly suited to him as Jason Bourne again. And he owns the role now. People first scoffed at the idea of 'Matt Damon: Action Star' in the first film until they saw it. Now, people expect it from him, and yet the character is damaged and brutal enough to allow the action to come from a place of real pathos.
The original Die Hard was the anti-action action movie, rallying against the overblown antics of the 80's. Tellingly, in 2007, the year when John McLane became an unbelievable superhero, it was Jason Bourne who was carrying the torch of the true action star.
Number 1 to follow...
posted by AlphIANo at 5:14 PM
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