God damn, it's been a long time since I posted. And as usual, this one will be late. It's a blog all about my favorite movies from the year that was, 2007. I've broken it up into three different posts because it's so frickin' long. Without further ado, here it is.

So, every year the wife and I try to watch as many movies that are nominated for Oscars as we can. This usually results in some pretty good movies, but not always (Crash, Dreamgirls). Anyway, this year seemed like it was a very good year for movies. Well actually, the second half of the year was a great 6 months for movies. So, since I've been obsessing over movies these past few months I thought I'd let you know which I thought were the best, which are in my top ten, which deserve a look and which are best to be avoided.

10 - The Bourne Ultimatum - The perfect action movie. I only sort of enjoyed the first two, but this last one topped them all. It's an action movie with a brain. It even had a message of sorts about responsibility and free will as Jason Bourne finally confronts the people who turned him into the unfeeling perfect killing machine he is. No cheesy James Bond one liners and coolness in the face of danger. No ridiculous technology to save the day, just relentless action. Relentless unstoppable action.

9 - Sweeney Todd - Ok, I know the reception to this one was decidedly mixed and I admit the opening sequence was badly handled, but I loved the combination of Sondheim, Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, and Helena Bonham Carter. How can you watch a movie where a man sings a song called "My Friends" to his knives and not love it? I loved the music and while I missed the rich baritone of Sweeney Todd's voice from stage versions, I thought Tim Burton's faux-gothic darkness and solid, solid performances all around more than made up for it. But I like discordant "melodies", don't mind the blood and welcome moral ambiguity. In many ways this musical is the opposite of most cornball musicals. Man goes to prison for a crime he didn't commit, but then comes out cold and deadly and instead of righting his wrongs, exacts murderous revenge on those who wronged him and on society in general. What's not to love?

8 - Michael Clayton - A tight legal thriller which never goes anywhere near the inside of a courtroom. George Clooney's title character is a guy who goes around and "fixes" problems for a large law firm, by calling in favors from the police and, it is hinted, by performing other less savory, less legal maneuvers. When a senior partner (Tom Wilkinson) discovers the firm is representing a corrupt company he goes off his medication and threatens to expose it all. Clayton's job is to track him down and set him back on the right path. Anyway, George Clooney is very strong but the movie is worth seeing for Tom Wilkinson's hilarious and chillingly demented performance and for Tilda Swinton's almost indescribable portrayal of a corporate lawyer who is all cool on the outside but falling apart on the inside. Her collapse into a horrible sweaty mess in a corporate restroom is something only she could have pulled off. If you haven't seen her in The Deep End, go rent it.

7 - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - On paper, this sounds like the movie equivalent of eating your spinach. Sure, it's good for you, but who wants to choke down all that bitterness. But in fact the movie is surprisingly light. And thankfully fairly short. It's about a high rolling and famous man (he's the editor of the French Elle magazine) in his early 40's who has a kind of stroke which leaves him paralyzed except for his left eye. That's right, he can only blink his left eye. That's it. But, he is able to pull himself out of despair and eventually dictates a memoir by blinking his eye! The title is taken from his description of his condition, his body feels like it's weighed down by a bulky diving suit (the diving bell) while his imagination can take him anywhere (the butterfly). What makes it worth seeing is the hilariously sarcastic French humor he retains and the director, Julian Schnabel's use of color and imagery. Seriously, this is a fantastic movie, that doesn't feel like a disease of the week brought to you by Hallmark.

Okay, that's it for pat 1. Hopefully it's not too long. I hope you enjoy. I'll send part II later. I've already written the rest. I sent the same list into a film website I visit to try to win a competition, but didn't win a damn thing. but you don't have to compete with friends and anonymous strangers on the internet right? Right? Anyway, you guys might not have seen all of these and I'm willing to bet I have seen more movies than most of you this year.