The 2007 Critics’ Choice Awards

Last week, we posted our Top 10 Most Redeeming Films of 2007. This week, we present our Critics’ Choice Awards for the Top 10 Films of 2007.

What’s the difference between the lists? The “redeeming” list speaks for itself—films that included a redemptive element, sometimes blatant, sometimes more subtle, but always there.

Our Critics’ Choice list, on the other hand, consists of the 10 films that our panel believes were the most excellent films of 2007, whether they carried a redeeming message or not—though five of our top 10 choices also appeared on our Most Redeeming list. But all of the movies here are films of excellence, and many are up for various honors at the upcoming Academy Awards.

We also let each of our voters choose “One That Got Away”—a single film they wish had made our Top Ten list. Think of those extra films as sort of our “honorable mentions.”

For each of the top 10 films, we have simply included random comments from our team of critics. To learn more about the film’s synopsis, click “Our review” at the end of each summary.

1. Juno

“Smartest script of the year, heartwarming and life-affirming.” “Not only does this film have a surprisingly pro-life element, it is also remarkably mature for a high school comedy.” “Layers of unexpected complexity and depth.” “Wacky and off the wall, but what makes it more than zany Napoleon Dynamite is heart; it’s grounded in character and a core of sweet, heartfelt love.” “Bitingly droll, tactless yet tender, and infinitely quotable.” “Avoids crowdpleasing crassness and sophomoric indulgence (and yes, I’m talking to you, Knocked Up.” “Easily the biggest crowd pleaser among this year’s most acclaimed films.” (Our review.)

2. There Will Be Blood

“An utterly astonishing cinematic experience, rippling with muscle and sinew, assured and ambitious, a majestic, audacious work.” “A fascinating character study about a truly evil man who cares for nothing but his own accumulation of wealth.” “This masterfully filmed story of two vampiric charlatans at war is horrifying, revealing how both business and the church can become corrupted by ego and hatred.” “Riveting performances all around. Stunning use of sights and sounds.” “Engrossing in every way, from the camerawork and cinematography to the haunting score.” “It’s a film that pulls us into a character and forces us to fester within him like no other film has done in years.” (Our review.)

3. Atonement

“This isn’t a feel-good romance, but expertly tells a story of mistakes and remorse in an all-too-true and heartbreaking way.” “Emotionally devastating and intellectually stimulating.” “Joe Wright’s direction is astonishing, particularly the seamless camera work capturing the evacuation of Dunkirk.” “A reflective, cautionary tale about bearing false witness, forgiveness, and yes, atonement.” “Stylish and artistically superior.” “Lustrous and painterly, it can and will coax tears, but never by relying on maudlin sentimentality or cheap emotional theatrics.” (Our review.)

4. Lars and the Real Girl

“If Frank Capra made a film about a man, his sex doll, and the nostalgically caricatured community in which they live, this would be it.” “Don’t let the premise scare you off. This delicate tale is a tender-hearted, beautifully acted movie about compassion, grace, and true love.” “Sweet, offbeat, charming.” “An extraordinary balancing act, a move that could easily have gone wrong a hundred different ways, but somehow doesn’t.” “A note-perfect performance from Ryan Gosling.” “An incontestable delight.” “Everything about this movie is handled just right, striking the right tone.” (Our review.)

5. Ratatouille

“Delightful tale of a culinarily gifted rat that builds to an emotional climax as sublime as it is subtle.” “The year’s most entertaining film from every angle—writing, directing, music, voicework, animation … the whole package.” “Reminds us that we should all exercise critical discernment in our diet and beyond—humbly celebrating what is truly excellent.” “A delicious, delightful stew of a film.” “Totally original and surprising.” “This is less a kids’ movie that adults can appreciate too, but rather an animated movie for adults that kids can also enjoy.” “Another triumph for Pixar and director Brad Bird.” (Our review.)

6. No Country for Old Men

“A gripping cat-and-mouse battle between a tracker and the assassin tracking him to recover his blood money. The Coen brothers have never been better in their storytelling.” “The silence of God may have been the mystery foremost on Cormac McCarthy’s mind as he wrote this tale of evil men who escape judgment.” “What is perhaps most amazing is that a film this terrifying, this violent, and this relentlessly nihilistic should also be this enthralling.” “Tense, amusing, challenging. An interesting tension in this film between absurdism and fatalism.” “A film that intentionally refuses satisfaction or answers to its audience, leaving us, like the older characters in the film, to stand stumped and disillusioned by the mundane nightmare of the modern world.” (Our review.)

7. Hairspray

“Infectiously joyous celebration of the positive side of the ’60s, diversity, and positive thinking. “Though there are great messages concerning racial equality and self-sacrifice during the civil rights movement, it never takes itself too seriously—and that’s what makes it one of the year’s sweetest and most charming movies.” “Very fun, exuberant musical with some great performances from young actors.” “Newcomer Nikki Blonsky is terrific, a star in the making.” “The most fun in a theater this year … Great songs and art direction, hammered home by the top-notch acting.” (Our review.)

8. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

“A sort of antithesis to recent pro-euthanasia films like The Sea Inside and Million Dollar Baby. An affirmation of the value of life even under the most excruciatingly debilitating conditions.” “Mesmerizing filmmaking; a visually brilliant immersion into a world of unimaginable limitations that turns out to be an extraordinarily liberating experience.” “Schnabel helps us rediscover some of the more delicate joys of living, and provokes us to reflect on the gravity of our own decisions.” “Fluidly weaves the worlds of imagination, memory, and dreams into a tapestry of one man’s point of view on a world both tragic and hopeful.” “A great character study of a dynamic man’s journey out of the cocoon.” “A gorgeous piece of filmmaking, pulsating with life and energy.” (Our review.)

9. Zodiac

“One of the most intriguing, taut thrillers of the year.” “A gripping tale about one of the most famous unsolved mysteries. A fascinating procedural reminiscent of All the President’s Men or JFK.” “Fincher reminds us that reason, information, the mass media, and technology—while helpful in bringing criminals to justice—are not enough to help humankind resolve the problem of evil.” “A wonderful crime story because of its unique nature—it’s not about the killer but about the man obsessed with finding the killer.” “Touches on some interesting themes regarding the changes wrought by time, the relationship between reality and pop culture, and the obsessive lengths some people will go to find order and meaning in the seeming chaos and indifference of the world.” (Our review.)

10. Into Great Silence

“A transformational theatrical experience, a spiritual encounter, an exercise in contemplation and introspection, a profound meditation on what it means to give oneself totally and completely to God.” “Gets you into the otherworldly rhythm of life in a secluded monastery.” “The movie shows rather than tells, and makes it all the more reverent, prayerful, and tranquil because of it.” “Pure cinema at its purest and most exalted. Sublimely beautiful; precise compositions and stunning lighting.” “The film demands patience—three hours of it—and if it were any shorter, it would not achieve what it achieves. It is meant to test us; to cause us to ponder the sacrifice, restraint and stillness required to find true silence; to include us toward the ‘still small voice’ of God.” (Our review.)

The Ones That Got Away

We asked each of our voters to describe one movie they wish had made our top 10 list:

Amazing Grace

One of the best—if not the best—historical films of the year. Stirring, inspiring and weighty, the movie tells the story of William Wilberforce, a longtime member of the British Parliament who used his career to doggedly fight the slave trade. By depicting the vibrant Christian faith that drives Wilberforce’s crusade, the movie is a good model for Christian filmmakers to follow. With a captivating screenplay, revered cast, acclaimed director and true heart, Amazing Grace shows how films proclaiming Christ can best work: by focusing on story, delivering authenticity and embracing artistry. (Our review.)— Todd Hertz

Cave of the Yellow Dog

From the same director who brought us the hauntingly beautiful Story of the Weeping Camel in 2004, Yellow Dog takes us back to the vast and stunning Mongolian landscape. Here, we follow the adventures of another nomadic family; like Weeping Camel, it’s a combination documentary/drama (the nonprofessional actors are a real family going about their everyday lives). When daughter Nansal (about 5 years old), brings home a stray dog, her father, thinking the dog killed some of his sheep, refuses to let her keep it. Will the persistent Nansal, arguably the most adorable young girl on the big screen all year, get her way? A breathtaking look at a surreal place, its culture, and its people. (Official website.)— Mark Moring

Gone Baby Gone

Amazingly enough, Gone Baby Gone establishes Ben Affleck as one of the most promising new directors of 2007. As with Dennis Lehane’s book Mystic River (also an excellent film), this too is set in Boston and begins with a missing child case. But what initially seems a cut-and-dry thriller evolves unexpectedly into a gripping morality play. Like The Departed, Gone Baby Gone is overflowing with knockout acting (Casey Affleck, Amy Ryan, Ed Harris, and Morgan Freeman) as well as profanity (something about crime films set in Boston, perhaps?). Expect to ponder over the choices we make about right and wrong well past the final scene of this criminally overlooked drama. (Our review.)— Russ Breimeier

In the Shadow of the Moon

Award-winning documentaries are often chronicles of human failure. David Sington’sIn the Shadow of the Moon, which revisits the bumpy but triumphant course of the United States’ Apollo space program, is not only a testament to human achievement, it’s also an eloquent witness to the grandeur of creation and man’s unique place in it. Though the archival NASA footage, some never before seen, is transporting, the movie’s heart is supplied by the memories and perspective of ten surviving Apollo astronauts including Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins, and Jim Lovell. (Our review.)— Steven D. Greydanus

Into the Wild

Sean Penn’s adaptation of Jon Krakauer’s best-selling book is a strikingly well-composed portrait of American ambition, disillusionment, and natural beauty. Though set in the early ’90s, the film feels like a ’70s-era rebel road movie (with touches of existentialism and hippie fanfare). Featuring some of the year’s best performances (from Emile Hirsch, Catherine Keener, and Hal Holbrook), gorgeous on-location photography, and a perfectly somber soundtrack by grunge pioneer Eddie Vedder, Into the Wild is visceral cinema at its best.It’s a film about the extremes of life and landscape—of being emotionally, physically, and spiritually on the brink of something big. (Our review.)— Brett McCracken

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

Billy Mitchell is a flamboyant, egotistical champion with a sexy wife and a thriving business, while Steve Wiebe is a quiet, unassuming family man who spends all his spare time in the garage. But one thing these two men have in common is Donkey Kong—and a desire to set, and keep, the world record for highest score on this vintage video game. This documentary is a remarkable study of these two characters and the bizarre society they inhabit: Billy as an insider who has known all the right people for decades, and Steve as an outsider who gradually overcomes the suspicions of other people. Steve Taylor once sang about people “carving [their] name on a video game” in a quest for immortality, and this film shows how intense that quest can get. (Official website.)— Peter T. Chattaway

The Lives of Others

The Academy Winner for Best Foreign Film in 2006 (it got a 2007 release in the U.S.), The Lives of Others—about an East German secret police officer who discovers his lost humanity while spying on a subversive writer—is a profoundly beautiful story of paranoia and privation, of cowardice and heroism, of persuasion and resolve, of scrutiny and freedom, and of the secrets we keep even from ourselves. The Lives of Others is an overwhelmingly redemptive thriller and an undisputed masterpiece. (Official website.)— Brandon Fibbs

Once

It’s a simple plot, really. An Irish street musician meets a Czech immigrant and together they make beautiful music. The main characters don’t even get names; they’re simply listed as Guy and Girl in the credits. They’re both broken-hearted, poor, and capable of more musically than their current circumstances allow. Together, with the help of songs full of raw and beautiful longing, they experience the ability of music to elevate us above both the mundane and heart-breaking details of life—and to connect us to one another in ways both temporary and profound. (Official site.)— Camerin Courtney

Paprika

Walt Disney Pictures helped Americans discover master filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, distributing Spirited Away in 2001 (which won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature). If Satoshi Kon’s Paprika had also received widespread distribution, we might have seen a similar sensation. It’s the most imaginative movie of 2007, and the best science fiction adventure too. It’s about a Japanese psychotherapist with a secret identity—”Paprika.” By night, she plunges into patients’ dreams using a high-tech device: a DC Mini. When terrorists steal several Minis and terrify people in dreams, Paprika must infiltrate sub-conscious wonderlands to catch the crooks. But make no mistake: This is no cartoon for kids; it’s rated R for violence and sexual images. (Official site.)— Jeffrey Overstreet

Sweeney Todd

Okay, it’s not for everyone, this movie about a vengeful barber who beheads his patrons and bakes them into meat pies. And it’s a musical. But there’s no denying that Tim Burton’s latest is also one of his greatest. Equal parts macabre comedy, grisly horror story, and extravagant musical, Todd plays to all of Burton’s strengths; his films often boast a style that isn’t matched by substance, but Todd is full of enough humor and humanity that it’s much more than just a feast for the senses. Though the humor is as dark and as bloody as it gets, it’s also surprisingly potent in sinking its teeth into our emotions—and it has some surprising things to say about the relationship between revenge and justice, and the destructive effects that a blind, misguided love can have. (Our review.)— Josh Hurst

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The 2007 Critics’ Choice Awards

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