The 2007 Critics' Choice Awards
A combination of Oscar nominees and lesser-known indies makes up our list for the best overall movies of the year.
directed by Jason Reitman | posted 2/05/2008
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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
directed by Jason Reitman
"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
directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
"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
directed by Joe Wright
"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.)
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