Official Top 10 of 2007

1. "Atonement": Joe Wright really cements his power as a film artist.
2. "The Assassination of Jesse James": Beautifully acted and filmed.
3. "Into the Wild": The most powerful and inspiring film this year.
4. "Once": This small indie grasps one's heart. Very crafty.
5. "Before the Devil Knows...": Brilliant in its brutality and direction.
6. "Lars and the Real Girl": Gosling continues to outperform almost everyone.
7. "There Will Be Blood": P.T Anderson and Day-Lewis prove to be elite.
8. "Juno": A real story told with genuine comedy and angst.
9. "3:10 to Yuma": I was surprised that i loved a Western.
10. "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly": A great story told with a great heart.

Close to top 10: American Gangster, Zodiac, No Country For Old Men, A Mighty Heart, Away From Her. (Not too many great small, unknown films this season

Paranoid Park

Here is another brilliant film by the greatest director around, Gus Van Sant. The film is about a teen and his skater-life mentality and his "murdering" of a security guard, NOT. It isnt about that at all, it's about everything. It is about youth culture and skater-subculture. We, as an audience are not sure just how paranoid the skater is, or how paranoid the park is, or how paranoid the characters are, or how paranoid we are, as an audience. Van Sant puts our preconceived notions on reality and fiction and tests our paranoia of films, in a way. This is another great piece by Van Sant. This wasnt his best work but he constantly amazes me with his brilliance and authenticity of filmmaking and directing unknown actors. He is as gifted of an artist as their is. The cast does a good job, but no one really excels.

Grade: B+

The Visitor

This is a beautiful, astoundingly moving indie film. It is the best that i've seen so far this season. Richard Jenkins is oscar bait, and director Tom McCarthy does an astounding job. This is McCarthy's second hit in my eyes, accompanied by "The Station Agent". The film is about a man named Walter who suddenly finds himself a visitor in his own home(and life) and he transforms into a new man. This film is clearly demonstrating the cultural flaws and prowess in contemporary(Post-9/11) society. It is a beautiful story about a middle-aged dissapointed white man finding himself in a new, perhaps-muslim world. The power of culture transforms this man's heart and mind. Walter, the new man, has found new friends who were living in his apartment and starts a journey into acceptance and un-conformity. He learns about himself. Jenkins truly provides depth and perfection and heart to this role and i wish he can get an oscar nomination for best actor this season. The supporting cast really works well as well. McCarthy is truly a marvel of indie filmmaking. I truly enjoyed and felt for this movie. Outstanding. Grade: A-