Thursday, May 07, 2026

The Best Movies of 2007 Retrospective: The 2007 Movie Vault: A Look back at a Cinematic Peak



The 2007 Retrospective Vault

✨ Best FILMS OF 2007 ✨

"Counting down the cinematic landmarks of a legendary year."





🚀 UPDATED PERSPECTIVE: POSTED MAY 2026 🚀
The Lucky13 Archive Vault 🎬 2007 Revisited:

The Gold Standard of Modern Cinema

Looking back at 2007, I am struck by the sheer volume of quality films released this year. My original list didn't even find room for powerhouses like American Gangster, Breach, or Michael Clayton. Most notably, the film Once, which deserved a wealth of acclaim from me, is missing here. I suspect the only reason it didn't make the cut was that I hadn't seen it yet. However, you can rectify that by checking out my full retrospective right here.

Revisiting this list in 2026, I fully expected to perform a complete re-ordering of the ranks. Surprisingly, I find myself strangely content with the original order. While there will always be a fierce debate regarding #1 and #2, I was shocked to find that my 2007 self had already built a logical defense for those selections. It is sobering to realize this was almost twenty years ago; yet, many of these films have proven to be transcendent, easily passing the test of time.

I’ve recently revisited several landmarks on this list, such as There Will Be Blood and The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford. Walking through this archive has inspired me to give several other entries the full retrospective treatment, so keep an eye out for those in the future. I was tempted to write new analysis for each, but upon reading my original thoughts, I was moved by the pure nostalgia. Please forgive the "early blogger" prose of 2007; I had no inkling of just how special this year would become.

This list is more than a countdown; it is a time capsule of a year when the mid-budget masterpiece still reigned supreme. As you read through these archival entries, I hope you feel that same spark of discovery I felt nearly two decades ago. These films didn't just entertain me, they recalibrated my understanding of what cinema could be. Without further ado, let’s return to the vault.


#10: 3:10 to Yuma


Directed by James Mangold (2007)
Release Date
September 7, 2007
Rotten Tomatoes
89%
Letterboxd Score
3.8/5

Official Synopsis

In Arizona in the late 1800s, infamous outlaw Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) is captured by the law. Dan Evans (Christian Bale), a struggling rancher and Civil War veteran, volunteers to escort Wade to a train station in Contention to catch the 3:10 to Yuma prison train. As the journey turns into a battle of wits and a desperate fight against Wade's ruthless gang, the two men develop an unlikely respect for each other amid the brutal landscape of the American West.

The Ensemble

  • Russell Crowe: Ben Wade
  • Christian Bale: Dan Evans
  • Logan Lerman: William Evans
  • Ben Foster: Charlie Prince
  • Peter Fonda: Byron McElroy
  • Gretchen Mol: Alice Evans

The Architects

  • Director: James Mangold
  • Writers: Halsted Welles, Michael Brandt, Derek Haas
  • Cinematography: Phedon Papamichael
  • Music: Marco Beltrami
  • Editing: Michael McCusker

The Ledger: Production Data

Production Budget $55 Million
Shooting Locations New Mexico (Santa Fe, Abiquiu, Galisteo, Bonanza Creek Ranch)
Global Box Office $71.2 Million
Production Intel A remake of the 1957 film; James Mangold wanted to ground the Western in gritty realism similar to 1970s cinema.
Archive: Dec 29, 2007

Original Review

I love westerns.

I know that this probably isn't on a lot of Top Ten lists, but I'm a sucker for the genre. I even liked Seraphim Falls. Which I think nobody saw.

Seriously.

The movie has a great showy performance from an affable Russel Crowe , and a solid anchor by my new favorite actor Christian Bale. Great production design, solid directing, fun action pieces, the story is solid. But the film for me falls apart in the end....badly.

Here was a chance to improve on the original, and they blew it. It wants to feel important, when it should have just been a fun western.

It just loses focus..... and honestly really doesn't have a point in the end.

However still a good movie...and one of my favorites for 2007.


#9: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street


Directed by Tim Burton (2007)
Release Date
December 21, 2007
Rotten Tomatoes
86%
Letterboxd Score
3.8/5

Official Synopsis

In Victorian London, barber Benjamin Barker (Johnny Depp) returns after years of wrongful imprisonment, assuming the name Sweeney Todd to seek revenge against the corrupt Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) who destroyed his life. He forms a macabre partnership with Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), who bakes the victims of his vengeful razors into popular meat pies, creating a dark, operatic tale of blood, passion, and betrayal based on the legendary Stephen Sondheim musical.

The Ensemble

  • Johnny Depp: Sweeney Todd
  • Helena Bonham Carter: Mrs. Lovett
  • Alan Rickman: Judge Turpin
  • Timothy Spall: Beadle Bamford
  • Sacha Baron Cohen: Signor Adolfo Pirelli
  • Jamie Campbell Bower: Anthony Hope
  • Jayne Wisener: Johanna

The Architects

  • Director: Tim Burton
  • Writer: John Logan (Screenplay)
  • Original Music: Stephen Sondheim
  • Cinematography: Dariusz Wolski
  • Production Design: Dante Ferretti

The Ledger: Production Data

Production Budget $50 Million
Shooting Locations Pinewood Studios, Buckinghamshire, England (transformed into a gothic Victorian London)
Global Box Office $153.4 Million
Production Intel Tim Burton had wanted to adapt the Sondheim musical since seeing it in college; Johnny Depp took singing lessons specifically for this career-first musical role.
Archive: Dec 29, 2007

Original Review


I love Sondheim.

Pairing him with Tim Burton was genius. I admit it's slightly jarring in the beginning, because it's a real musical. Mostly singing, maybe 10 percent dialogue. So it takes a little getting used to.

But this movie feels really fresh, and unique even though the play has been around since 1979. It's a testament to all the creative people involved. What's fantastic is that the film succeeds as an engaging piece of drama as well as a Broadway Musical.

Great performances by Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. One can argue that they don't have the strongest voices, there's little doubt that they would probably struggle with the piece on stage, but this is a film, it works enough for me.

It's nice to finally see a musical with some real bite.

#8: Death Proof


Directed by Quentin Tarantino (2007)
Release Date
April 6, 2007
Rotten Tomatoes
67%
Letterboxd Score
3.6/5

Official Synopsis

In Austin, Texas, a group of friends is stalked by Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell), a scarred, aging killer who uses his reinforced, "death-proof" car to commit calculated murders. Fourteen months later, Mike resurfaces in Tennessee to target a new group of women, including a real-life stuntwoman (Zoë Bell). However, he soon discovers he has picked the wrong victims, leading to a high-octane, visceral car chase where the hunter becomes the hunted.

The Ensemble

  • Kurt Russell: Stuntman Mike
  • Rosario Dawson: Abernathy Ross
  • Zoë Bell: Herself
  • Vanessa Ferlito: Arlene ("Butterfly")
  • Jordan Ladd: Shanna
  • Rose McGowan: Pam
  • Sydney Tamiia Poitier: Jungle Julia

The Architects

  • Director: Quentin Tarantino
  • Writer: Quentin Tarantino
  • Cinematography: Quentin Tarantino
  • Editing: Sally Menke
  • Producers: Elizabeth Avellán, Robert Rodriguez

The Ledger: Production Data

Production Budget $30 Million
Shooting Locations Austin, Texas (Guero's Taco Bar, Texas Chili Parlor); California (Buellton, Santa Ynez)
Global Box Office $31.1 Million
Production Intel Tarantino famously used physical scratching on the film negative to achieve a weathered "grindhouse" look rather than using digital effects.
Archive: Dec 29, 2007

Original Review

I hated Planet Terror.I kept looking at my watch, and wishing it would end. It was especially painful because everybody else seemed to be enjoying it. I was dreading the possibility that Death Proof would be the same.

To me Planet Terror wasn't a Grindhouse movie. It was a big budget sci-fi parody, seriously....I saw this movie before...it was called Mars Attacks and it didn't have the wanna be scratch marks and bad splices...trying to seem cool or unique.

The movie defeated the purpose of The Grindhouse concept. A Grindhouse movie isn't supposed to have big stars like Bruce Willis or crazy special effects.


CGI? Are you kidding me?

Thankfully Quentin Tarantino made a REAL Grindhouse film. Complete with a limited budget, unusual casting, and retro production design.
He even had long dialogue scenes to compensate for the lack of action due to the small budget.

Genius.

Obviously people didn't get it, much less appreciate it.For me, Death Proof gave me a flashback to my youth.Similar to the food critic in the movie Ratatouille.I dropped my pen in shock and awe. I remember watching movies like this as a kid. They would come on late at night, when I wasn't supposed to be up.Back then I didn't know shit about budget or storyline, or anything remotely resembling criticism.

I had no concept of a bad movie.

For me either a movie was boring, serious, probably important, and put me to sleep, or it had something fun, exciting and cool to see. Most of the time when I watched a movie I just wanted to see something cool.

Sometimes if I was lucky, I'd stumble onto a movie that had something naughty that I wasn't supposed to see. It was a certain type of flick, where I would have to wait, sometimes for what seemed like an eternity for the action, or the violence, or if I was really lucky the sex to happen.

When I got it...I wasn't disappointed.Because it was usually over the top and fun.I wasn't moved to emotional passion, or provocative thought.I was moved to shits and giggles. The question is why aren't there movies like that now?

#7: The Bourne Ultimatum



Directed by Paul Greengrass (2007)
Release Date
August 3, 2007
Rotten Tomatoes
92%
Letterboxd Score
3.8/5

Official Synopsis

Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) continues his international search for his true identity while being hunted by a new generation of highly-trained assassins. From Moscow to Paris, London to Tangier, and finally to New York City, Bourne navigates a complex web of surveillance and betrayal as he attempts to uncover the dark secrets of his past and the origins of the Blackbriar program.

The Ensemble

  • Matt Damon: Jason Bourne
  • Julia Stiles: Nicky Parsons
  • David Strathairn: Noah Vosen
  • Scott Glenn: Ezra Kramer
  • Paddy Considine: Simon Ross
  • Edgar Ramírez: Paz
  • Joan Allen: Pamela Landy

The Architects

  • Director: Paul Greengrass
  • Writers: Tony Gilroy, Scott Z. Burns, George Nolfi
  • Cinematography: Oliver Wood
  • Editing: Christopher Rouse
  • Music: John Powell

The Ledger: Production Data

Production Budget $110 Million
Shooting Locations Tangier, Morocco; London; Madrid; Berlin; Paris; New York City
Global Box Office $444.1 Million
Production Intel The film swept its categories at the 80th Academy Awards, winning for Film Editing, Sound Mixing, and Sound Editing, cementing Greengrass's kinetic "shaky cam" as an industry standard.
Archive: Dec 29, 2007

Original Review

There were lots of big action movies this year.

Big budgets, big casts, big robots, big ships.None of them holds a candle to Bourne. I wasn't a big fan of the Bourne Supremacy.For me it was one of those sequels that destroyed everything that was great about the first one.

He spends the whole first film protecting the girl, and then she dies five minutes into the second film. What the hell???!!!

What makes Jason Bourne so great, is seeing his expertise through another character's eyes.You take that away and he's just another Rambo, or James Bond or John Mclain.He's just like a dozen other action heroes out there. Give him somebody to guard and protect...he becomes the ultimate hero.

Thankfully, he's in bodyguard mode here, and the results are fantastic.

The ending is a little anti-climatic. But it's still one hell of a ride.

Great action, tense suspense, wonderful sequences.

Best action film of the year.

#6: Zodiac


Directed by David Fincher (2007)
Release Date
March 2, 2007
Rotten Tomatoes
90%
Letterboxd Score
4.0/5

Official Synopsis

Based on the real-life manhunt for the notorious serial killer who terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1960s and 70s, Zodiac follows a cartoonist (Jake Gyllenhaal), a veteran reporter (Robert Downey Jr.), and two police inspectors (Mark Ruffalo and Anthony Edwards) as they become obsessed with solving the case. David Fincher’s meticulous procedural explores how the hunt for the truth can consume those who seek it, even as the trail grows cold over decades.

The Ensemble

  • Jake Gyllenhaal: Robert Graysmith
  • Mark Ruffalo: Inspector Dave Toschi
  • Robert Downey Jr.: Paul Avery
  • Anthony Edwards: Inspector Bill Armstrong
  • Brian Cox: Melvin Belli
  • John Carroll Lynch: Arthur Leigh Allen
  • Chloe Sevigny: Melanie

The Architects

  • Director: David Fincher
  • Writer: James Vanderbilt
  • Cinematography: Harris Savides
  • Editing: Angus Wall
  • Music: David Shire

The Ledger: Production Data

Production Budget $65 Million
Shooting Locations San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Vallejo, California
Global Box Office $84.8 Million
Production Intel Fincher spent 18 months conducting his own investigation into the case. It was one of the first major features shot primarily on digital (the Viper FilmStream Camera) to allow for the director's signature high-take count.
Archive: Dec 29, 2007

Original Review


This movie is disturbing on a bunch of levels.

The re-creations of the murders are beyond creepy. So much care is taken into the details and accuracy.... it almost borders on worship. But that's the point of the film.

People are constantly obsessed with details that they shouldn't be. The film for me really takes off in the second half.

It takes on so many levels.

The audience starts to see themselves in the characters. Suddenly things that normally seem crazy start to seem rational and worthwhile. We actually start sympathizing. In the end we are left with nothing concrete. The tag line said it all. 

"There's more than one way to lose your life to a killer."

#5: Eastern Promises

Directed by David Cronenberg (2007)
Release Date
September 14, 2007
Rotten Tomatoes
89%
Letterboxd Score
3.8/5

Official Synopsis

In London, midwife Anna Khitrova (Naomi Watts) discovers a diary belonging to a young girl who died during childbirth. Her attempt to find the girl's family leads her into the heart of the Vory V Zakone, a ruthless Russian crime syndicate. At the center of this world is Nikolai (Viggo Mortensen), a stoic and mysterious driver for the mob. As Anna digs deeper, she uncovers a brutal reality of human trafficking, coded tattoos, and family betrayals where trust is a fatal liability.

The Ensemble

  • Viggo Mortensen: Nikolai Luzhin
  • Naomi Watts: Anna Khitrova
  • Vincent Cassel: Kirill
  • Armin Mueller-Stahl: Semyon
  • Sinéad Cusack: Helen
  • Jerzy Skolimowski: Stepan

The Architects

  • Director: David Cronenberg
  • Writer: Steven Knight
  • Cinematography: Peter Suschitzky
  • Editing: Ronald Sanders
  • Music: Howard Shore

The Ledger: Production Data

Production Budget $25 Million
Shooting Locations London, England (Harringay, Southwark, Greenwich)
Global Box Office $56.1 Million
Production Intel Viggo Mortensen spent weeks in Russia studying the vory v zakone culture and tattoos. His commitment was so intense that people in a Russian restaurant reportedly went silent when they saw his fake tattoos.
Archive: Dec 29, 2007

Original Review


Viggio Mortensen is bad ass.If there was any doubt before, it's beyond judgment now.Wrestling naked, and stabbing a guy in the the eye sort of confirms that for you. Russian Mafia, stomach churning suspense, engaging characters. Violence, sacrifice, loyalty, deception. This movie had it all. I love the direction that David Cronenberg
is taking in his recent films. Can't wait to see what he does next.

#4: Rescue Dawn

Directed by Werner Herzog (2007)
Release Date
July 4, 2007
Rotten Tomatoes
90%
Letterboxd Score
3.6/5

Official Synopsis

Based on a true story, Rescue Dawn follows Dieter Dengler (Christian Bale), a German-born U.S. Navy pilot who is shot down over Laos during a top-secret mission in 1966. Captured and subjected to brutal torture in a POW camp, Dengler refuses to break. He eventually orchestrates a harrowing escape with a small group of fellow prisoners, including Duane (Steve Zahn), leading to a desperate struggle for survival against the unforgiving elements of the jungle.

The Ensemble

  • Christian Bale: Dieter Dengler
  • Steve Zahn: Duane Martin
  • Jeremy Davies: Gene DeBruin
  • Marshall Bell: Admiral Berrington
  • Toby Huss: Spook
  • Evan Jones: Dave Powell

The Architects

  • Director: Werner Herzog
  • Writer: Werner Herzog
  • Cinematography: Peter Zeitlinger
  • Editing: Joe Bini
  • Music: Klaus Badelt

The Ledger: Production Data

Production Budget $10 Million
Shooting Locations Thailand (Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, and Bangkok)
Global Box Office $7.1 Million
Production Intel To maintain authenticity, Christian Bale famously lost significant weight for the role. Director Werner Herzog insisted on filming in actual jungle environments with minimal digital effects to capture the raw, physical toll of the environment.
Archive: Dec 29, 2007

Original Review

Took me awhile to see this movie.Really wanted to. Don't know why I couldn't make it happen. Had my favorite actor, one of my all-time favorite directors.

I guess a part of me was dreading the subject matter. Not very fun stuff, imprisonment, starvation, and torture. But like many of Werner Herzog's films, even in the darkest moments there's.... beauty and hope. Amazing film, breathtaking images, heartbreaking performances. Sadly, I'm noticing that it's being overlooked in award season. Wake up people!!!!
Christian Bale and Steve Zahn deserve attention for their fantastic work.

#3: No Country for Old Men

Directed by Joel & Ethan Coen (2007)

Release Date
November 9, 2007
Rotten Tomatoes
93%
Letterboxd Score
4.3/5

Official Synopsis

In rural Texas in 1980, Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) stumbles upon the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong, discovering two million dollars in cash. His decision to take the money sets off a violent chain reaction as he is pursued by Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), a relentless, enigmatic hitman who decides his victims' fates with a coin toss. As the weary Sheriff Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) struggles to contain the escalating carnage, the film explores themes of fate, conscience, and the shifting nature of evil.

The Ensemble

  • Tommy Lee Jones: Ed Tom Bell
  • Javier Bardem: Anton Chigurh
  • Josh Brolin: Llewelyn Moss
  • Kelly Macdonald: Carla Jean Moss
  • Woody Harrelson: Carson Wells
  • Garret Dillahunt: Wendell

The Architects

  • Directors: Joel & Ethan Coen
  • Writers: Joel & Ethan Coen (based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy)
  • Cinematography: Roger Deakins
  • Editing: Roderick Jaynes (The Coen Brothers)
  • Music: Carter Burwell

The Ledger: Production Data

Production Budget $25 Million
Shooting Locations New Mexico (Las Vegas, Santa Fe, Albuquerque) and West Texas (Marfa)
Global Box Office $171.6 Million
Production Intel The film is notable for its sparse score, relying almost entirely on ambient sound to build tension. It eventually won four Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor for Bardem.
Archive: Dec 29, 2007

Original Review

Holy Shit.

For god sakes get the hell out of the way.If one values their life they'll run away....now!!!

Anton Chigurh is heading this way.

Seriously, I haven't seen anything this evil on screen since Anthony Hopkins brought Hanibal Lector to the life in Silence of the Lambs.
Except Anton Chigurgh doesn't tell funny, little, dirty, jokes to break the tension.He shoots one in the fucken head with an air gun when one least expects it. He doesn't even enjoy it. Enjoy would imply that he cares on some level.

He doesn't care, people are just ants in his path.... ants that need to get out of the way or they'll be stepped on. Chilling, and epic. Truly one of the greatest characters in movie history. It's that kind of performance.

It's a career defining role.

The ironic thing is that like Anthony Hopkins, when he did Silence of the Lambs Javier Bardem has been around for quite a long time. He usually plays the leading man. The Romantic lead in foreign films. I don't think that's going to happen anymore. He's going to be forever remembered as the blood thirsty Anton Chigurh. He's going to be the next great heavy...in the vein of a young Pacino and DeNiro.

Did I mention that this was a Coen Brothers movie?

Not a George Clooney, or Tom Hanks shitty kind of Coen Brothers movie.

This is Miller's Crossing, Fargo, Coen Brothers.

Thank you God...the return to greatness.

The Final Two: A Cinematic Duel

Most years, No Country for Old Men would be the best movie of the year.

But not this year. It's a real testament to what a great movie year it was.

Now, before I continue, I just want to stress that these last two films have been going back and forth between number one and two. Seriously, if there was ever a year for a tie, this would be it. Even while writing this post, it’s gone back and forth in my head at least three times.

So in a way, this is sort of a tie for my favorite film of 2007. I could take the easy way out and leave it at that—saying for posterity's sake I'm going to arbitrarily assign numbers to them but technically call it a tie.

But I don't want to wimp out.

So I'm going to choose, even though I'll probably change my mind again, and will continue to change and debate as the days go by.

⚔️

#2: There Will Be Blood


Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (2007)

Release Date
December 26, 2007
Rotten Tomatoes
91%
Letterboxd Score
4.5/5

Official Synopsis

A sprawling epic of family, faith, power, and oil, There Will Be Blood is set on the incendiary frontier of California's turn-of-the-century petroleum boom. The story chronicles the rise of Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis), a ruthless silver miner turned oilman who embarks on a relentless quest for wealth. His pursuit leads him to the town of Little Boston, where he faces a slow-burning feud with a charismatic local preacher, Eli Sunday (Paul Dano), as his fortune grows alongside his total moral bankruptcy.

The Ensemble

  • Daniel Day-Lewis: Daniel Plainview
  • Paul Dano: Eli Sunday / Paul Sunday
  • Kevin J. O'Connor: Henry
  • Ciarán Hinds: Fletcher Hamilton
  • Dillon Freasier: H.W. Plainview
  • Russell Harvard: Adult H.W.

The Architects

  • Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
  • Writer: Paul Thomas Anderson (based on Oil! by Upton Sinclair)
  • Cinematography: Robert Elswit
  • Music: Jonny Greenwood
  • Editing: Dylan Tichenor

The Ledger: Production Data

Production Budget $25 Million
Shooting Locations Marfa, Texas (Little Boston) and Lompoc, California
Global Box Office $76.2 Million
Production Intel The film famously used actual vintage oil rigs for authenticity. During filming in Marfa, production had to halt when smoke from the oil derrick fire scene drifted into the nearby set of No Country for Old Men.
Archive: Dec 29, 2007

Original Review

Daniel Day Lewis is the greatest living actor.

Before this movie that point could be debated.Not anymore.
It's a fantastic performance full of wonderful, authentic, quirks and, multiple nuanced, levels. Forgive me for being dramatic, but I hesitate to call it a performance...it's more like....a spiritual possession. Before I saw this film, from watching the clips I thought he was doing a variation of his Bill the Butcher character from Gangs of New York.

But it's so much more deeper than that....so much more layered, his limp, his body language, the history of his soul, his stare is different. It truly needs to be witnessed to be believed. This is also an epic directorial turn by Paul Thomas Anderson. Completely different from his other films, he now has established himself as one of the premiere directors of this generation. The final scene will go down as one of the greatest scenes in film history. It'll go down with scenes from The Godfather or Raging Bull in terms of quotability.

Epic.

#1: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford


Directed by Andrew Dominik (2007)
Release Date
September 21, 2007
Rotten Tomatoes
77%
Letterboxd Score
3.9/5

Official Synopsis

A haunting, lyrical examination of the final months of legendary outlaw Jesse James (Brad Pitt). As the aging bandit grows increasingly paranoid, he welcomes the young, star-struck Robert Ford (Casey Affleck) into his inner circle. What follows is a meditative psychological drama that explores the toxic nature of celebrity, obsession, and the inevitable betrayal that cemented both men's places in American folklore.

The Ensemble

  • Brad Pitt: Jesse James
  • Casey Affleck: Robert Ford
  • Sam Rockwell: Charley Ford
  • Mary-Louise Parker: Zerelda James
  • Jeremy Renner: Wood Hite
  • Sam Shepard: Frank James
  • Garret Dillahunt: Ed Miller
  • Paul Schneider: Dick Liddil
  • Zooey Deschanel: Dorothy Evans

The Architects

  • Director: Andrew Dominik
  • Writer: Andrew Dominik (Screenplay)
  • Cinematography: Roger Deakins
  • Music: Nick Cave & Warren Ellis
  • Producers: Brad Pitt, Ridley Scott, Dede Gardner

The Ledger: Production Data

Production Budget $30 Million
Shooting Locations Alberta, Canada (Calgary, Edmonton, Fort Edmonton Park) and Winnipeg, Manitoba
Global Box Office $15.3 Million
Production Intel Brad Pitt had a clause in his contract stating the film's title could not be changed. Cinematographer Roger Deakins considers the "Blue Cut" train robbery scene to be a career highlight.
Archive: Dec 29, 2007

Original Review

Did I mention that I loved westerns?I hesitate to call it a western really, it's more than that.It's a drama in the west....with action...and suspense....and great performances. The first thing one notices in the film is the look.The production design.The cinematography. The feel of the film.It's almost as if each frame can be treated as a work of art. The performances are all fantastic.Brad Pitt has never been better. Casey Affleck is a revelation.All the smaller roles are casted perfectly.

The script is remarkable, that it is based on a true story is even more effective. The movie is also incredibly layered. What's interesting is that the movie touches on themes that the other films on this list did too. The setting takes place in the west like 3:10 to Yuma.

The obsession motif in this movie hearkens back to the same themes in Zodiac.

The film explores issues of trust, loyalty, and deception, not unlike Eastern Promises. The character of Jesse James is a cold-blooded killer not unlike Anton Chigurh. Themes of dealing with greed, guilt, and ambition are explored like in There will be Blood. There's even a musical number featuring Nick Cave.

What does it all mean?

Nothing really except that it all adds up to a wonderful representative for my favorite film of 2007.

What a great movie year.

Accolades & Trivia

  • Oscar Nominee: Best Supporting Actor (Casey Affleck) and Best Cinematography (Roger Deakins).
  • Venice Film Festival: Brad Pitt won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor.
  • Accuracy: Descendants of Jesse James have praised the film as the most historically accurate depiction of his life and death.

Archive Introduction: Dec 29, 2007

To be clear, I haven't seen as many movies as I would've liked to this year. With my son now VERY mobile and mischievous, it's hard to find time to sit down and watch a two-hour movie, let alone have the energy.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank my wife, who is always very supportive and has always encouraged me to see more movies even though I know it puts a big burden on her. She doesn't have to be so accommodating to my silly viewing needs, so I appreciate that she puts up with my compulsion.

I'd also like to thank my friend Lon, who is one of my few friends willing to catch an 11:30 P.M. film to accommodate my unusual schedule. Like watching a three-hour film......at 11:30 P.M. The movies aren't always good either; sometimes they are really shitty movies like Southland Tales and Spider-Man 3.  Bro... that's friendship. Seriously.

So, before I begin, for some context of my movie tastes, if you haven't checked it out yet, here's my Favorite movies of 2005 and 2006. So without further ado......

The Gilded Shadows of 2008

Historical Perspective: Recognizing the Class of 2007

The 80th Academy Awards, held in early 2008, served as the ultimate coronation for what is now widely considered the strongest cinematic year of the 21st century. It was a night defined by "blood and dust," as the Academy moved away from sentimental epics to embrace the visceral, uncompromising grit of 21st-century masters.

The 80th Academy Awards | Winners Ledger

Best Picture No Country for Old Men
Best Director Joel & Ethan Coen (No Country for Old Men)
Best Actor Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood)
Best Actress Marion Cotillard (La Vie en Rose)
Best Supporting Actor Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men)
Best Supporting Actress Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton)
Technical Sweep The Bourne Ultimatum (Editing, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing)
Cinematography Robert Elswit (There Will Be Blood)

The Legacy of the Ledger

Historically, this season is remembered for the "Coen Coronation," where the brothers finally secured the triple-crown of Picture, Director, and Screenplay. It also marked the second of Daniel Day-Lewis's three historic Best Actor wins, for a performance that many critics argue is the greatest of the modern era. While Roger Deakins famously missed out on the gold for The Assassination of Jesse James, his dual nomination that year cemented his status as the premier architect of light in the 21st century.

"2007 wasn't just a year for movies; it was a year where cinema rediscovered its jagged, uncompromising edge."

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