My Movies of the Year

[Wittmann 44]

Saw a lot of movies this year for some reason. Getting a bit too old for pubbing and clubbing I guess.

10. Days of Glory/Indigenes

This was a great World War 2 set movie. by Franco-Algerian director, about the shameful treatment of the Moroccans and Algerians who gave their lives for France in World War Two. It managed to shame the French government into giving pensions to the few remaining soldiers. Some nicely staged battle scenes but a truly depressing ending.

9. This Is England

Shane Meadows followed up the bonkers “Dead Man’s Shoes” with this tale of innocence lost in the early 1980s. There was a great central performance by young actor Thomas Turgoose (take that Daniel Radcliffe). It reminded me a lot of “Platoon” with Turgoose swaying between the influences of the other two main characters.

8. Letters from Iwo Jima

Clint Eastwood’s companion piece to “Flags of our fathers” and for me a better movie. It probably made the Japanese a bit too sympathetic but some great performances as the Japanese on the little island of Iwo Jima make every yard a bloody struggle.

7. Knocked Up

Comedy of the year from the team that made “the 40 year old virgin”. Probably could have done without the close up birth scene though .

6. Tell No One

This was a real little gem. Frenched up version of a thriller by US bestseller Harlan Corben. Man’s wife disappears. Man manages to evade a murder charge. 7 years later he gets an email from her old account. Twisted plot and a real sense of menace. On the Hollywood remake treadmill. See the original first.

5. Rescue Dawn

Another brilliantly unhinged performance by Christian Bale directed by German crazy Werner Herzog. Tells the true story of a German flying secret bombing missions for the Americans during Vietnam and his efforts at breaking out of the rather nasty prison himself and a few others are held in deep in the Laos jungle. Yet another chance for Bale to show that no one can lose weight like he can – see also “the machinist”.

4. The Bourne Ultimatum

Best of the three to date. The usual high standards in set pieces and chases with Bourne emerges as a slightly less sympathetic character than in the first two movies. Could have done without the last 30 seconds which seemed designed to clear up the plot for thick people.

3. Control

Great black and white bio-pic of doomed Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis. Wasn’t expecting much but turned out to be a brilliant movie. Great soundtyrack too obviously. Riley was brilliant as Curtis.

2. The Lives of Others/Das Leben der Anderen

The dark star twin to the comedy “Goodbye Lenin” which shows a Stasi spy having second thoughts when asked to spy on a “dissident” playwright. East Germans had it very tough – the paranoia of Russian control with the German efficiency combined to form a country where 1 in 7 was in the payroll of the state spying system. Ulrich Muhe the actor who played the spy who comes in from the cold sadly passed away during the year. A nice way to end your career.

1.No Country for Old Men

Out early next year in Europe but was lucky enough to see this in the US recently. Coen brothers version of Cormac McCarthys bloody modern western. Vietnam veteran Llewelyn Moss finds a stash of drugs money after a bloody shootout on the Mexican border. In doing so he puts remorseless killer Anton Chigurh (great show by Spanish art house actor Javier Bardem) on his trail. Chigurh lives by his own bloody code (heads you die basically ) and he steadily closes down on Moss. “Just how deadly is Chigurh” asks the mob boss who hires ex Special Forces man Carson Wells (Woody Harldson) to track down Chigurh. “Compared to what?” replies Wells. “The plague”?. Performs the admirable job of making me want to read the book again.

==================================

Worst movie of the year a toss up between "30 days of Night" and the last "Resident Evil" movie.

Atonement was pretty poor too. Slowest movie of the year.

[mrmuzeman]

Nice one Wittmann, I love lists like that, top 10s etc. Ive only seen 3 of your top 10 though (Knocked Up, Bourne, Rescue Dawn) and havent heard of 4 of them inc your top 2 I have seen 30 days of night though

My favourite movie of the year was Sunshine, I loved that more on repeat dvd viewings. So Sunshine, Rocky Balboa, 28 weeks later, Knocked Up and the best blockbuster this year Transformers, would be my top 5 for 2007. My lame duck for the year would probably be over hyped piece of shit Pirates 3.

[Wittmann 44]

Forgot about Pirates 3. Saw it on DVD. Sucked dogs balls alright . Definitely worst movie of the year. I honestly couldn't follow the plot and Depp managed to make himself look a complete cunt. And Knightly definitely needs a cheeseburger or two.

Didn’t like 28 weeks later as much as 28 days later. Damn those pesky kids eh ? Thought giving Caryle’s character “intelligence” when he was infected in having him chase his children was lame. The infected breakout was great though. Will they do a 28 months later? Probably given the ending.

Sunshine was pretty good as well. Glad I caught it on the big screen for the visuals.

I have one of those all the movies you can see annual passes. Try and get to the cinema at least once a week. Think I've seen about 60 movies this year.

[mrmuzeman]

Yeah the different pacts and allegiances and who wanted to do what and why totally confused me as well. The Jack Sparrow character just was some sort of naff parody of itself. Wtf was that black bird growing all massive then turning into a load of cuttlefish about

60 cinema visits in a year is impressive Wittmann. I keep all my cinema tickets for some reason, always have done since 1998 so I know how many times I went this year and it was 24 (hence a top 5 and not top 10).

Btw I just chuck em in a draw I dont stick them in a book and laminate them or anything

[Swooperman]

I tend to be a dvd man rather than a cinema goer.....could be the ankle tag....so some of these might be dvd releases in 2007 rather than originals.

I've heard very good reports about Lives of Others & Days of Glory & theyre on my list, just waiting for the price to drop slightly. I'm a bit of a fan of foreign stuff & in my 600 strong dvd collection I'd say a good 150-odd are japanese/french/korean stuff, a lot of Tartan Video stuff. One of the latest I've bought is '9th Company' which is a Russian film about 39 soldiers holding a hill against 400 Afghan rebels......well worth a watch.

I've got 'Flags of our Fathers/Letters from Iwo Jima' but havent got round to it yet, & I'm looking forward to seeing 'Tell no one' having read the book & heard good reports. I've also got 'This is England' & 'Sunshine' but again havent watched them yet.

I'm not a great Mel Gibson follower but I did enjoy 'Apocalypto' immensely. I thought it was a superb film although all that jungle did kind of get me thinking I should really cut the lawn
I also enjoyed Paul Verhoevens 'Black Book' & was quite surprised that I did when you think he made Starship Troopers, Basic Instinct & Totall Recall. Its a bit mad at times but I thought it was a decent watch & shares a few of the actors from 'Lives of Others'
'28 Weeks Later' was ok as a stand alone movie I thought but missed the rawness of 'Days' which is pretty obvious as its American made. 'Days' is a favourite of mine TBH & I cant hear 'Abide with Me' without thinking of it.
Now I thought 'American Gangster' was pretty good but having said that I felt it was a bit over-rated in some of the reviews. Denzel Washington I could watch in anything & I thought it was decent, but like 'The Departed' not the classic people were saying it was.
'Bllod Diamond' & 'Last King of Scotland' were probably 2006 but only released on dvd this year I think & 'Last King' is well worth a watch IMO. Forest Whittacker is immense as Idi Amin.
I watched 'The Kingdom' on a decent copy the other day & it was watchable but not as good as I expected tbh, bit up-itself IMO
'300' is ok as a boys night in movie & its watchable enough but lets be fair its just a modern day Rambo really Lena Headeys worth a look though which could be showing my age
Bourne Ultimatum was pretty good I thought & the whole series is pretty watchable although I thought it better before Franka Potente was killed

Worst film I've watched this year is undoubtedly 'The Last Legion', & I loved the book & the authors other novels. It just feels rushed & I always felt that it would make a good 150 minute type film, but they totally fcuked it up & the producers shouldnt be allowed within 200 yards of a film again.
2 of the strangest dvds I watched were 'The Pleasure Drivers' & 'Straightheads'......& both involved a bloke taking it up the jaxi
'Drivers' had quite a good cast but was really very strange & Angus MacFayaden ends up being 'inserted' with a silenced pistol with a condom on it its fcuking bizarre believe me
Now I gave 'Straightheads' a look purely to see what Gillian Anderson looked like nude tbh because Danny Dyer gets on my tits after a while, & its a pretty nasty little film. She gives it a bloke up the old garu with a shotgun ffs !!....& she isnt gentle either
'Resident Evil' nearly made my worst film tbh but Milla Jovovich could just stand stock still for 2 hours & I'd probably watch it
A cracking little dvd I thought was 'Dead Mans Cards' which is essentially a western in scouse nightclubs, personally I loved it.
Another under-rated little gem I thought was 'London to Btighton' which although a touch disturbing is well worth a look

[mrmuzeman]

'300' is ok as a boys night in movie & its watchable enough but lets be fair its just a modern day Rambo really

Yeah I quite liked that. The visuals were awesome, although as you say the plot was basically non existent, just a load of stylish fights.

Btw look no further for a modern day Rambo than aptly titled er RAMBO , its out in about 5 weeks, its gona be awesome

[christianu]

Were The Departed and The Prestige this year??

Because they're the two standout movies for me that I've seen at the pictures recentley, if it is recentley, my concept of time has gone!

Shrooms was the worst, god that film was terrible.

Superbad was really good i thought, i thought the dialogue was really original. The cops ruined that film though, too farcical (sp)

[Swooperman]

The Prestige now theres another one I've got & havent watched yet.
I thought The Departed was ok but not as good as I expected tbh, nowhere near Goodfellas etc, but it might be that bloke who plays Jason Bournes character (Matt Damon ?? name escapes me, another sign of age ) was as irritating as fcuk.
A remake of Rambo hadnt heard that

[mrmuzeman]

Were The Departed and The Prestige this year??

Both 2006 dude

The best thing about Superbad was the cops I thought I couldnt like that film as much as I wanted to cos the main fat kid in it is just such a beast of gayness. I thought they over used swearing in place of actual funny lines/quips too much in it, I like 40yr Old Virgin and Knocked Up loads more (all are made by same crew etc). Having said that the dick drawings were great.

A remake of Rambo hadnt heard that

Not a remake Swoops its like a Rambo 4. Its Sly rounding off his film career by finally putting sweet endings to his 2 franchises Rocky and Rambo. Check out the original 3 minute trailer at this link below, the last minute looks frickin awesome

http://www.firstshowing.net/2007/05/...ature-trailer/

[Wittmann 44]

When you start making these lists you realise about movies you’ve enjoyed but forgotten – Apocalypto was excellent if very gory. Think I saw it at the start of the year and thought it was 2006 movie. Superbad was very good I thought. The scene with the young kid doing the dick drawings had me in tears.

I saw Shrooms a few weeks ago as it was filmed in Ireland and the director had done two fairly decent movies before that but it sucked big time.

Must watch that “9th company” movie you mention Swooperman. Never heard of it but looks like I’ll enjoy.

The Rambo movies went way downhill for me after the first one. They were enjoyable as brain candy but compared to the first one not much in them for me. Hopefully the last one will be as enjoyable as the final Rocky movie. Incidentally I love the fact in “First Blood” that the “rat handler” gets a credit.

[rockshark]

1. No country for old men
2. This is england
3. American Gangster
4. 3:10 to yuma
5. Simpsons movie (even just for spiderpig)

Good but no cigar to Bourne ultimatum, seemed a litle tired but still a great movie

[rockshark]

departed 2006
last king of scotland 2006

[DAN DAN]

Little Miss Sunshine. Now this may be from last year I don't know, not up to date with my films these days.

But I saw it for the first time so it's my movie of the year. Unusual cinamatography? Best sound track, strangely funny. Best ending.

[rockshark]

great film dan dan one of my fav films ever

[slick]

Littlemiss sunshine was a cracker , Reminded me a bit of Harold and Maude as it was so unusual.

I'm hopeless remembering the titles of films as i watch so many, I need to invest in a jotter and write things down as i'm full of ideas and opinions when i see something only to forget them 24 hrs later.

Of the films that stand out this yr i thought 'Room 1408' was the best Stephen King movie i've seen in a long while , back to his unpredictable best.

Wild Hogs had me in stcitches too and was probbaly the best light hearted movie of the year.

Number 23 was probably the most over hyped movie and the biggest load of shite i've seen for a long while, Jim Carey needs to get his act together b4 he goes down the same rd as Steve Martin.

I've still got loads to watch over the festive period that i downloaded midweek , so i'll keep yous updated if i stumble across any goodies.