My cinema: BEST OF 2007

CINEMA 2007

Bellow is the list (in alphabetical order) of the best films I saw in 2007. If I would have to select ‘the’ best of the year that would certainly be REQUIEM FOR A DREAM, but since that is a film from 2000, I would pick DAS LEBEN DER ANDEREN (The Lives of Others) or A GUIDE TO RECOGNISING YOUR SAINTS.

2007 was yet again a rich cinema year and I saw more than 60 films not only at cinemas but also from DVD. Actually there seems to be a trend for people to go less to the cinema (6% less in Belgium) and watch more DVDs at home. I think this is due to DVDs being released earlier than before and to the big flat screens that keep invading our homes. Again it seems that I’m definitely not a ‘mainstream’ cinema fan, out of the 40 top box office films in France, I have only seen 4 and only 5 out of the US top 40. That leaves me happy! I hate those 2, 3, and even 8 (yes that exists) series… 2007 was also the year I discovered Darren Aronofsky’s cinema, in particular REQUIEM FOR A DREAM (now one of my favourites ever) and THE FOUNTAIN. And also Carlos Reygadas’ JAPÓN (now also another of my favourites).

2007 confirmed yet again the good shape of US independent cinema, producing some of the best films. But it has confirmed the trend for a higher diversification with great films coming from Latin America (Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Brazil…) from Central and Eastern Europe (in particular Germany and Romania) but also Asia – China, Taiwan, South Korea. To me 2007 was rather weak as regards French cinema, many films were produced yet few were really excellent. I hope new people will step in there and renew French cinema. And 2007 showed also some new Italian cinema, I hope that will be a trend to be continued!

As for actors 2007 was Ryan Gosling’s year! But also Shia LaBeouf’s! I saw three films with Ryan (LARS AND THE REAL GIRL, HALF NELSON and FRACTURE) and he was excellent in all 3. And Shia showed his huge potential as one of the best promises of US cinema in the two films A GUIDE TO RECOGNISING YOUR SAINTS and PARANOÏAK. Let’s also not forget Natalie Portman, Cate Blanchett (two of my favourites), Sam Riley playing Ian Curtis in Control, Seth Rogen and Viggo Mortensen!

Best films 2007

A GUIDE TO RECOGNISING YOUR SAINTS, Dito Montiel, US 2006
AUF DER ANDEREN SEITE, Fatih Akin, DE-Turkey 2007
DAS LEBEN DER ANDEREN (The Lives of Others), Florian Henckel-Donnersmarck, DE 2006
DEATH PROOF, Quentin Tarantino, US 2007
EASTERN PROMISES, David Cronenberg, UK, CA, US 2007
EL CIELO DIVIDIDO, Julián Hernandez, MEX 2006
EL VIOLIN, Francisco Vargas, MEX 2005
I DON’T WANT TO SLEEP ALONE, Tsai Ming-Liang, Taiwan-FR-Aus 2006
JAPÓN, Carlos Reygadas, MEX 2002
LARS AND THE REAL GIRL, Craig Gillespie, US 2007
LITTLE CHILDREN, Todd Field, US 2006
PERSEPOLIS, Marjane Sastrapi, FR 2007
REQUIEM FOR A DREAM, Darren Aronofsky, US 2000
THE BOTHERSOME MAN (Norway of Life), Jens Lien, Norway 2006
THE BUBBLE, Eytan Fox, Israel 2006
THE FOUNTAIN, Darren Aronofsky, US 2006
THE HOST, Joon-ho Bong, South-Korea 2006
WE OWN THE NIGHT, James Gray, US 2007
4 MONTHS 3 WEEKS & 2 DAYS, Cristian Mungiu, Romania 2007

And also special mentions to the following films:

Alpha Dog, Nick Cassavettes, US 2006
Away from her, Sarah Polley, Canada 2006
The Bourne Ultimatum, Paul Greengrass, US 2007
Control, Anton Corbijn, UK 2007
Destricted, various short films, US-UK 2006
El Metodo, Marcello Pineyro, Spain 2005
En la cama, Matias Bize, Chile 2005
FUR a portrait of Diane Arbus, Steven Shainberg, US 2006
Half Nelson, Ryan Fleck, US 2006
Hairspray, Adam Shankway, US 2007
Inland Empire, David Lynch, US 2006
Irina Palm, Sam Gabarski, UK, FR, BE, DE 2006
Jindabyne, Ray Lawrence, Australia 2006
Knocked up, Judd Apatow, US 2007
La stella che non c’è, Gianni amelio, IT 2007
Les chansons d’amour, Christophe Honoré, FR 2007
Les Témoins, André Téchiné, FR 2006
London to Brighton, Paul Andrew Williams, UK 2006
Paranoïd Park, Gus Van Sant, US 2007
Play, Alicia Scherson, Chile 2006
Proibido Proibir, Jorge Duran, Brasil 2007
Sicko, Michael Moore, US 2007
Sunshine, Danny Boyle, UK 2006
2 days in Paris, Julie Delpy, FR-DE 2007
300, Zack Zinder, US 2006