2007 is finally over (for good, i think!), and i have to concede that it was a great year for movies.
just when i start to feel almost inconsolably disillusioned with the content of american multiplexes, a huge raincloud of cinematic genius bursts over my head. and now, here i stand, looking at the glistening treasures scattered around me, just trying to make sense of it all.
these are just 5 reasons why 2007 will go down in history as the year that restored my faith in the movies forever (yes, my tongue is resting squarely in my cheek- you should know that i deal only in hyperbole, if we've not yet met in person. though, if we haven't met, i doubt you'd be reading this at all. heck, i doubt if
anyone is reading this, close friend or not. out of curiosity...mom, are you out there? hi! yay, i
knew you'd support my lifelong dream of blogging! what's that?
yesss, i've got a warm jacket, but i promise it's not cold down here! it was like
summer today, for reals. what? i don't know how many degrees, what am i- benjamin franklin? sheesh.)
.
in no particular order (i can't commit- what else is new?):
1. SWEENEY TODD- just the first thing that comes to mind, since i saw it most recently for the second time. fun, fun, fun, and fun. it even comes with a commendable (and quite biblical) lesson to be learned in the end, for those who care about that sort of thing. honestly, stephen sondheim's score is gorgeous, and his lyrics are catchy but oh-so-clever at the same time. if you're not familiar with this musical, the film is a more-than-satisfactory introduction. helena bonham carter's mrs. lovett is nearly as good an interpretation as angela lansbury's- a bit dryer with the humor but great in its own right. and johnny depp seethes on-screen like no other. tim burton proved the perfect man for this job- not surprisingly, considering the content. bottom line? i couldn't have possibly had more fun watching this movie.
2. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN-my dear coen bros,
thank you, thank you, thank you for returning with something worth waiting for. fortunately for you two, O BROTHER... managed to stick to my ribs in the interim between FARGO and this incredible surprise. if it hadn't, there would have been some sort of heck to pay in the form of a mild and possibly unvoiced dissatisfaction on my part. be glad that you dodged that bullet, guys. (and how!)
alright, truth is... well, shucks- i ain't never been so terrified in a movie theater before! seriously, i literally thought that i might possibly lose my life in that darkened room. i will
not surrender on this night, i told myself, frozen in fear. tense is not the word. ok, for real, though: who are these strangers sitting around me? and why aren't there any metal detectors in this place? you mean to tell me that
anyone can just stroll in here and watch a movie, no pre-show frisking required? who is that strange bald man just now coming in, halfway into the movie? nope, i did not see him leave for the bathroom earlier. why is he so stiff, looking straight ahead and sitting still so suspiciously? mister, can i just get a nod and a smile, please? dear Lord, this is not how i want to leave this earth. not by the hand of some cattle-gun-wielding copycat psychopath during a screening of the best film of the year.
sincerely,
tylergirly
3. THERE WILL BE BLOOD- okay, yes. i am
basing this on the flippin' theatrical trailer! ...and the fact that daniel day-lewis is the best actor in the world. plus, if you know just one thing about me, it's that paul thomas anderson could set up a tripod outside his house and film a single leaf falling to the ground for three-plus hours (tall tree, y'all) and i would watch intently (thrice) before following him all the way to the razzies. after only four feature films, this dude had already
more than earned the right to release a huge stink bomb on the viewing public, and i am still waiting for that day to come. and though i have not yet seen it (oh, the itch! it's getting worse! wide release, where are you?), i have a gut feeling that this one ain't the stinker. just a sneaking suspicion.
4. JUNO- it's now time to address the elephant in the room, so i'll humbly admit that so far, this list has been pretty predictable and clichéd. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN was the best movie of the year? no...
duh! and SWEENEY TODD was fun and wicked and clever? you don't say! and THERE WILL BE BLOOD was probably amazing, too? scandalous!
so, to spice up this boring list, to remedy this sad situation we've now got on our hands, it is with great originality and creativity of imagination that i bring you JUNO.
what? never heard of it? that's what i thought. you would not
believe the cranial acrobatics that i had to perform in order to dig up this little gem for you, my precious reader(s). i had to sift through a lot of gravel and grit, but i am sure that your groveling gratitude will be the aloe to my calloused hands. go and see this brilliant unsung little movie, i beg of you. though some of the dialog is pretty silly and michael cera is painfully underused, you will laugh a lot and cry a bit at the end (unless you are made of stone- in which case, why did you leave
me with all of that digging?).
anyway, my hope is that someone out there will read this blog entry and campaign for their neighborhood theater to start screening JUNO immediately, along with every other theater in the nation. oooh, and then...maybe that same person will write to the movie studio and prompt it to deliver a billion different tv spots based on the trailer, each one containing some of the "best" (will no doubt be debatable) lines in the film...and then the networks could maybe air these little previews between each commercial, every night of the week...oh, and
maybe place some ads on mtv.com, just a few, and every other site on the internet, causing audience numbers to skyrocket and ensuring numerous award nominations and wins. i know these are lofty goals, but can't a girl dream big?*
*i actually
did like this movie, despite all of my bitterness regarding the marketing. oh, did you not pick up on that? the bitterness? i'll make sure to cut back on the subtlety next time.
5. all of the potentially great movies that i haven't seen yet- i have never, as far as i can remember, entered a new calendar year with so many terrible regrets, so many movies left unwatched. largely because of forces beyond my control, i have yet to see
PERSEPOLIS (which i will love),
I'M NOT THERE (lots of possibility there, for sure),
GONE BABY GONE (can't wait), and a
whole slew of others, which i will mercifully not attempt to list here.
note: i realize that i included an un-viewed movie among my fave four and not as a part of number
5, but you've got to understand my conviction. allow me to be frank, here. and i will not waver from my stance... THERE WILL BE BLOOD is going to be a good movie! there, i said it!
note 2: i also realize that soon after claiming to not have any hierarchical order in mind for this little list, i refer to NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN as the best of the year. come on, really? you're going to hold me to some casual claim even in the face of this towering, indisputable fact? no, it's
totally indisputable, i promise you. c'mon, now you're just disagreeing for the sake of it. have you even seen the movie? wait, what? no, SPIDERMAN 3 was
not better. no, it
wasn't! ok, let's rock-paper-scissors.
no,
wait! i've got a coin.
call it.
