The Films of 2007 (Dec 23)

The top ten (or twenty, or hundred) lists start accumulating now, just in time to tip us off about what to see in the end-of-year onslaught of interesting films.

Here's the first iteration of the annual Movie City News tally, a cumulative ranking of films which appear on the Top Ten lists of (eventually) hundreds of film critics and awards. This one's from Dec 15, I think. The posted list is presently ranked by number of list appearances, which I suspect will switch over to total points once enough lists have appeared, but maybe not. In any case, my version is ranked by total points, which appear in brackets following each title.[/i]

1 No Country For Old Men (156) Fifth, Silvercity, etc
2 Zodiac (82) DVD available
3 Away From Her (73) DVD available
4 Once (67) DVD available
5 Juno (65) Fifth, Tinseltown, Silvercity, etc.
6 Michael Clayton (49) Granville 7 - may leave soon
7 Diving Bell & The Butterfly (46) Fifth
7 Lives Of Others (46) DVD available
9 Sweeney Todd (44) Rio, Scotiabank, Silvercity, etc.
10 Into The Wild (40) Tinseltown - may leave soon
11 Eastern Promises (39) Hollywood Dec 26/27
12 Atonement (36) Tinseltown, Park, Silvercity, etc.
13 Before The Devil Knows You're Dead (35) Tinseltown
14 Ratatouille (34.5) DVD available
15 There Will Be Blood (33) In Vancouver theatres Jan 11
16 Killer of Sheep (31.5) DVD available
17 3:10 To Yuma (29) DVD Jan 8
18 I'm Not There (28) Granville 7, Fifth Avenue
19 Superbad (27) DVD available
20 300 (25) DVD available
21 Syndromes and a Century (24) No sign of this one
22 Bourne Ultimatum (24) DVD available
23 Assassination of Jesse James (23) DVD Feb 5
23 Knocked Up (23) DVD available
25 Breach (22) DVD available
26 Persepolis (21.5) No sign of this one
27 Control (20) No sign of this one
27 Darjeeling Limited (20) Tinseltown - may leave soon
29 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days (18) No sign of this one
29 Gone Baby Gone (18) DVD Feb 12

I bet There Will Be Blood will climb once more critics see it and more lists are posted. Same with Jesse James and I'm Not There. Wonder if Syndromes and 4-3-2 will be viewed widely enough to climb? I'm surprised how high Breach and 3:10 are, and 300 - I bet they all fade. Slightly surprised and definitely pleased to see Once so high - wonder if it will sag to top 20?.

More to come.

And here's my own year-end list of favourites. Not an objective assessment: these are the films I've most appreciated in 2007. Amazingly strong roster, and so many yet to be seen. I think this is the strongest year for film since 1999.

My Faves of 2007
1 Adam's Apples
2 Into The Wild
3 Across The Universe
4 Assassination of Jesse James
5 I'm Not There
6 Gone Baby Gone
7 After The Wedding
8 The Lives Of Others
9 This Is England
10 Once
11 Michael Clayton
12 Amazing Grace
13 Lars & The Real Girl
14 Black Snake Moan
15 You Told Me, You Love Me
16 Ratatouille
17 Into Great Silence
18 No Country For Old Men
19 You, The Living
20 Jindabyne
21 Secret Sunshine
22 The Aura
23 Before The Devil Knows You're Dead
24 Away From Her

Eager To See
Atonement
Ben X
The Bothersome Man
Charlie Wilson's War
The Darjeeling Limited
The Diving Bell & The Butterfly
Dry Season (Daratt)
Hairspray
Juno
Kite Runner
Margot At The Wedding
Paranoid Park
Persepolis
Silent Light
Sweeney Todd
Syndromes & A Century
There Will Be Blood
Zodiac
4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days