As you may have noticed (if you religiously study my year-end lists even months after the given year has ended), I recently moved Todd Haynes’ I’m Not There up to #3 on my 2007 list. I did this after rewatching the film on DVD, and then rewatching it again with Haynes’ commentary track. When I first saw the film in the theater, I was convinced of its greatness — now, though, I’m convinced it’s one of the best films of the ’00s and further proof that 2007 was one of the finest years for cinema in a very long time.
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Date: April 23, 2008
Location: Clifton Living Room

That’s what Lars Lindstrom says about a bouquet of fake flowers given to his “girlfriend,” an anatomically correct doll, and it neatly sums up the sad psychology behind his delusion. Afraid of attachment following the death of his mother in childbirth (his own) and a painful childhood the details of which are only hinted at, Lars lives in a bubble of solitude that borders on autism. His brother and sister-in-law try to engage him without much success. Until one day he shows up at their door with Bianca, the lifelike mannequin he’s convinced is a real woman.

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Date: January 19
Location: Muvico Palace

Paul Thomas Anderson has cemented his place as the finest filmmaker of his very talented generation with this extraordinary, mesmerizing turn-of-the-century saga about a sociopathic oil man’s descent into hell. The most impressive thing about Anderson’s work in There Will Be Blood is how little it resembles anything he’s ever done before — it has none of the hip Scorsese stylings of Boogie Nights, none of the Altmanesque cross-cutting or brazen sentimentality of Magnolia. Instead it is a very straightforward (lack of) morality tale that brings to mind Citizen Kane more than anything else.

Plenty has been written about Daniel Day Lewis’ wonderful work as Daniel Plainview — he is, and has been, among the finest actors alive, and he’s doing his best work here. And just as much has been written about Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood’s amazing score. Anderson has always used music splendidly, from the 70s radio hits of Boogie Nights to Aimee Mann’s song-score of Magnolia, and here he’s allowed Greenwood to craft a score that practically becomes a character in the film. If he loses the Oscar, there’s no justice.

I have no doubt that Anderson has crafted an American classic that will be watched, written about and studied decades from now. I personally gravitate more toward Boogie Nights and Magnolia, which have a brazen pop sensibility that I thrive on, but I’m blown away by the powerful classicism he taps here.

Once again, I’m thrilled at what a wonderful year for movies 2007 has turned out to be — the best of the decade so far, by far. It’s interesting that my top six contains three dark, brutal, pessimistic films and three that are lighter than air. As for why There Will Be Blood wound up at #3, despite the “best of the year” level praise I’ve heaped on it — in a nutshell, when I walked out of No Country For Old Men, I immediately wanted to watch it again… when I walked out of There Will Be Blood, I immediately wanted to watch Juno.

Date: January 1
Location: Muvico Boynton Beach

I remember reading the Entertainment Weekly Fall Preview a few months back and at the end of the section for each month they had a little “Also coming out this month” blurb where they listed a bunch of titles not deemed worthy of more expansive coverage. Tucked away in there was Juno, wchich caught my eye because it starred three of my favorite actors — Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman. ‘That’s interesting,’ I thought. ‘Will probably have to catch up with it on DVD.’

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Date: December 23
Location: Muvico Boynton Beach

There’s really no better movie experience for us right now than getting the babysitter and going to the new Boynton Muvico. It’s literally 5 minutes away and it’s a great theater. We could see White Chicks there and come away with a smile on our faces.

Charlie Wilson’s War is no White Chicks. It’s a smart, funny ride that showcases Aaron Sorkin at his witty best and sidesteps him at his preachy worst. Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and (particularly) Philip Seymour Hoffman tear into this dialogue with relish and it’s an absolute treat to watch. The movie loses its way a bit in its final third — I expected a bit more conflict before the resolution — but it’s mostly just a great time at the movies. It’s refreshing to see a movie about the politics surrounding the Middle East conflict work first and best as a character-driven comedy.