4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days
An absolutely brilliant Romanian film that centers around a woman attempting to get an abortion during the Soviet Union. But the focus is not on her, but her friend, who does most of the work. It's brilliant, dark, and utterly fascinating. No film of 2007 had as much as an effect on me than No Country for Old Men. No wonder the two were essentially competing against each other for the Palme d'Or (which 4 Months eventually took home).
Brokeback Mountain
It took me a while to see this film. After I saw it, I was moved beyond all categories. It's the story of love, hope, and loss, that concludes in devastating fashion. A beautiful film, and one of the most well-acted films made in the past decade.
The Lives of Others
Another foreign film that just takes your breath away. I intend to see it again, but even seeing it the first time, I knew it was a monumental film. The impression it made on me... brilliant. Absolutely worth seeing.
Lost in Translation
Sofia Coppola's masterpiece won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, and should have won others. It is a quiet, observant study of both a man (Bill Murray) and a woman (Scarlett Johansson) who find, in each other, a bond. It isn't sexual. And the words that Murray whispers into Johansson's ear at the end. Who knows what he says? Why do we care? It makes the film all the more mystifying.
The Master
One of PT Anderson's most complex and mystifying works to date. It includes Oscar worthy performances from PS Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, and Amy Adams, as well as a plot that excites and enchants. The film is as enticing and spellbinding as its titular character.
No Country For Old Men
A brilliant, perfect film from the Coens. It isn't told in any sort of traditional narrative, but the Coens get every moment correct. The anticlimactic ending is a perfect fitting to the material. Along with brilliant performances, this film is elevated with its amazing cinematography, perfect direction, and skillful editing.
Shame
A brilliant performance from Michael Fassbender leads way to one of the best films of the decade. It's economical in its shots and dialogue, but utterly dark and unforgiving in its story. It tells the saga of a sex addict, bothered by the emergence of his sister into his world, and where it all goes from there.
Sideways
A masterful screenplay. Brilliant performances from Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen, and Sandra Oh. Admittedly, this is a film that took a few rewatches to warm up to, but now I think it's one of the best written scripts of all time. Just absolutely perfect in every way. Giamatti plays his character to such an exactitude that I'm shocked he failed to receive an Oscar nomination. The scene between he and Madsen discussing why he likes Pinot so much is one of the most well-written scenes in all of film history.
The Social Network
I listed this film in my top 10 films of all time. Not much more needs to be said. Brilliant dialogue, phenomenal direction from Fincher, great performances from Eisenberg, Garfield, and Timberlake. It's a perfect synthesis of brilliant dialogue and exceptional direction and editing. The editing allows the story to tell itself. One of the best films of all times. An instant classic.
There Will Be Blood
An absolute classic of American filmography. Everything from the cinematography, to the score, to the editing it top notch. Not to mention the beyond-brilliant performance of Daniel Day-Lewis. One of the most original films of the decade, directed with a precise, insistant style that serves the material.
Extras: The Hurt Locker
There's always an extra (in this case, two). I can't be condemned to 10 films. And The Hurt Locker exists in a realm beyond recognition. It is the story of a man on a mission. A man driven by adrenaline. For whom "war is a drug." He may put others in danger, but isn't concerned about that. He goes and diffuses bombs under extreme danger. He doesn't care. That's what drives him. Piloting the bot would bore him. He needs to go out there, into the danger, and do it himself. And so he does, to the chagrin of his fellow IED operatives.
Up in the Air
A wonderful, brilliant film for the time that it was released. George Clooney at his best, along with the fantastic films Michael Clayton and The Descendants. But Up in the Air elevates itself with fantastic supporting performances, and a very realistic, dark ending. One of the best films ever.
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