BEST MOVIES of 2007 (Honorable Mentions)

These movies were close to making the top ten. They were all on my short list, but these just didn't quite make it. I will share brief pointers on why they were at the top and not focus on why they didn't make the cut.






1408 - I can't remember the last time I had so much fun watching a horror movie. So many times scary movies just don't deliver. Well this one did. John Cusak was back to old form here as a writer/ghost hunter trapped in a hotel room. This was an old school supernatural thriller...and one of the best Stephen King adaptations not named Green Mile or Shawshank.

Waitress - The country-fried accents killed me. But once I was able to put them out of my mind this was a really charming movie. Keri Russell flexed her indie-acting chops while Nathan Fillion prepped for his OB/GYN turn on Desperate Housewives as an OB/GYN in this film. The main course was the Russell's failing marriage to an abusive prick. Dessert was the cooky friendship Russell served up with Andy Griffith. And after this movie I couldn't help but find the nearest bakery for a slice of pie.

Breach - I am usually not impressed with straight forward movies that offer up no twists, no turns, no shocks, and few surprises. This was one of those movies, but for some reason it worked. Ryan Phillipe plays a wet-behind-the-ears rookie charged with following every move of veteran agent Chris Cooper. The bosses think Cooper might be a spook. The movie is based on a true story...and for once I believed most of it because not everyone dies at the end leaving no one to tell that true story (Open Water anyone?) but I digress. This movie was genuinely intense and despite the lack of big reveals, delivered a great conclusion.

Before The Devil Knows You're Dead - Two brothers, one professionally successful (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and one a slacker (Ethan Hawke), find themselves in a bit of financial trouble. So what's a pair of bros to do? Well rob their mom and dad's jewelry store of course. Well as you can imagine, things don't go as planned and suddenly this time jumping caper is a study in the dynamics of family. This one is directed by Sidney Lumet who brought to life the classic Dog Day Afternoon.

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