My Top 10 Movies of 2007

I only managed to watch a pathetic 93 films in total for 2007. And not all were theatrical releases at that.
Nonetheless, I've managed to conjure my own Top 10 Movies of 2007 list based on what I've seen and this is how it looks like.

10. Lust, Caution

The controversy and all aside, it was a pretty engaging movie to me at least. Haha. And this was minus the sex too, which is why it's placed at number 10 and not higher. Something was lost with the cut version. Tony Leung is as fantastic as ever, newcomer Tang Wei is a future powerhouse and Ang Lee, scores yet again.

9. Across the Universe

The jukebox movie musical that has pretty much left audiences divided; you'll like it or you won't. Still, the movie hits many right notes, including its casting and its reinvention of the Beatles' songs. Sure, it's a bit contrived, has some bizzare moments and is a tad long, but it's a pretty spectacle at the end of the day.

8. 28 Weeks Later

If you want THE zombie movie, 28 Weeks Later probably takes the cake. It is vicious, violent and scary enough to make you wince in your seat while making you think of the many what-ifs.

7. Stardust

Just when everyone thought that the film adaptation of Neil Gaiman's well loved book was going to be bad, Matthew Vaughn surprised us with what he come up with. With the exception of a badly thought of ending, which wasn't exactly the way it was written in the book, it had an almost perfect idea of what a fantasy film should be.

6. Superbad

Superbad was FAR from being Superbad! Haha! This gross but indulgent movie became the sleeper hit of the year and also made McLovin, one of the most memorable characters to grace our silver screens in 2007. More of McLovin I say, and goodbye American Pie.

5. Bridge to Terabithia

This is a surprise entry which honestly started off as a surprise movie for me. I had never read or heard of the book prior to its release and I went into the cinemas alone on a Sunday afternoon expecting a feel good movie but this one ended up being a tearjerker that really made me weep! The extremely moving scene is fantastically well-executed, in which, what was spoken was louder than what could be shown.

4. 300

Following in the footsteps of Sin City, 300 muscled its way onto the silver screen and ravaged the box office worldwide. The page by page captured adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name, brought the genre to a new level and excitement to the blockbuster. This also cemented Gerard Butler's position as a leading action man and many spoofs galore later!

3. Hairspray

It's not often that a movie comes along with serious themes and issues but doesn't take itself or the themes seriously. Hairspray is one of them. While dealing with racial divides and segregation, Hairspray successfully tells its tale with charming characters and bubblegum wrapped music that gives it a potent combination.

2. The Bourne Ultimatum

I never thought I'd name a threequel as my #2 movie of the year! The Bourne Ultimatum surpassed its predecessors in every aspect from character development to pure, bare-bone grit that was pretty nail-biting till the end. Paul Greengrass has reinvented the spy thriller and made it his own. Everyone aspiring to make a spy movie should learn from this one. And Matt Damon has probably come full circle with his career, playing one of his most memorable characters to date.

1. Pan's Labyrinth

And this brings us to Numero Uno, which also happens to be a Spanish Film. When I first saw this film in January, I said that it will be in my Top 10 no matter what but I'm quite surprised that no other movie I saw in 2007 could top this one. The chilling and melancholic tale of Ofelia, a young girl, during the Spanish Civil War and her fantasies blur the line between what is real and what is a figment of one's imagination. To top it off, it's bittersweet ending remains one of the most unexpected scenes on the silver screen.

That rounds up my Top 10 for 2007!

I regret to inform that the likes of Mukhsin and 881 didn't make it into my Top 10 this year mainly because I still think Gubra or Sepet are Yasmin's better works and I still rate Be With Me as my Numero Uno Singapore film.