The 2007 Highlight Reel (Part B)

Like I said, I love lists.

In addition to a ton of first-run movies, 2007 was also an exceptional year for catching up on old classics. I've already posted a slew of impressions of the old movies on this blog, but thought it might be interesting to list the absolute Best of the Best from 2007: those classics which were 5-star experiences and demonstrated their pedigree in every way. An interesting list for me anyway.

Here's a snapshot of the films that absolutely slayed me this year, in alphabetical order:

3:10 To Yuma (1957) ~ The original. The 2007 remake was a great modern Western in its own right but the original is The Cheese: shot wider, richer, and in vicious black and white with a killer lead performance by Glenn Ford. For 1957, this movie is astonishingly progressive. It's the version I watched first and everything else is coloured by that. As such, I prefer it about 5-to-1 to the new version (which I also really liked.)

Badlands (1973) ~ The very reason that I'll never need to watch True Romance again.

The Conversation (1974) ~ One thing that 2007 has made clear to me is how much the movie world misses Gene Hackman, who hasn't worked in 4 years and hasn't made anything of substance in almost 7 years. Between this classic, The French Connection and Night Moves, it's revelatory how much Hackman brought to the party in the early to mid-70's. And to think that my first impression of the man was as Lex Luthor.

Double Indemnity (1944) ~ Billy Wilder's classic noir has redefinied the entire sub-genre for me. This is exactly the sort of movie that I look for every Monday night when I tackle a new old movie and this one in particular is the sizzling benchmark: callous, crisp, and undeniably toxic. The dialogue is like a back massage that pinches and then burns, while the performances, every one, overwhelmed me. Fred MacMurray fires comebacks and come-ons like no one I've ever seen before, and it's a shame that more directors didn't tap into this jet-black cynicism.

Faust (1926) ~ Perhaps one of the earliest silent epics to blow my mind; forget for a moment that it's a beautifully classical silent picture with another crazy-mad performance by the incomparable Emil Jannings as Mephisto. That would be enough for me. However what excited me more was the enormous scale of production and absolutely insanity on display from the opening frames: earth-shaking celestial figures, super-sonics flights over the sleeping city, plagues and devastation. All very modern and rendered with Murnau's singular style and direction. While this might have been the year of Buster Keaton for me, the movies of F.W. Murnau weren't very far behind...

Footlight Parade (1933) ~ I think I made my mad-crush on this film pretty direct when I wrote about it here.

The General (1926) ~ The movie that single-handedly launched a massive year-long love-in for all things Buster Keaton and all virtually things silent. Funny to consider that just a year ago, I still considered this type of old masterpiece to be a bit of "work"; now I gravitate quickest towards the old silent classics, devouring anything that I can get my hands on. I'm finding that almost anything that has survived the test of 80-90 years, is worth the adventure. I received the spectacular 11-disc Art of Buster Keaton box-set as a gift this Christmas and early-2008 should see a new gush of Keaton catch-up. I honestly can't wait to get started.

The Gold Rush (1925) ~ The best of the Chaplin films I watched this year and I tapped into about 4 or 5 of them. Chaplin still takes a back-seat to Keaton for me, but in the months to come, I certainly intend to keep the competition going between them and will watch as much Chaplin as I can find.

The Graduate (1967) ~ Ah, it's one of those kinds of classics - the kind that are so influential, film-school-large and "important" that it's practically embarrassing to admit that you've never actually seen it. I made up for it this year and the biggest surprise of The Graduate is that it is much lighter and looser comedy than I ever expected. In fact, it has an awful lot in common with a lot of modern comedies from the likes of David O. Russell, the Coen Brothers and even Wes Anderson. I laughed a lot and in particular appreciated the measured and studied performance by a very very young Dustin Hoffman who is a revelation in his first on-screen role.

The Great Silence (1968) ~ I'm always interested in revisionist Westerns and this is one of those heavy stylish Italian sorts that doesn't do anything that you might expect it to. For starters, it unfolds in stark winter under heavy snow giving Western visuals that I've never seen anywhere else (apart from maybe McCabe & Mrs Miller which came 3 years later.) The violence is extreme and bloody, punishment handed out with a sort of Old Testament measure. And the ending...? That's probably why the movie made the short-list in the first place. I wouldn't dream of spoiling anything here, but the finale needs to be seen to be believed. It's true that they don't make them like this anymore, but I can hardly believe they made them like this in the first place.

The Hustler (1961) ~ Paul Newman in his peak is unlike just about any other movie star in the world. And watching him glide into a pool hall, all charm and arrogance and brilliance, is a special movie thing. Surround him with legends like Jackie Gleason and George C. Scott and it's a Christmas present. (No kidding, it really was...)

The Last Laugh (1924) ~ Another Murnau masterpiece and quite literally the most compelling silent I watched this year. The hook? The film is entirely dialogue-free told through stunning pantomime and more importantly, delicate visual clues. This, in many ways, is pure cinema. It's a delight to watch a movie like this and find not only that it's easy to follow, but that there's a deep emotional current to it. Bonus points for another prodigious Emil Jannings performance.

The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) ~ I found this movie too hard to write about and made one half-ass attempt here. I'm no better position to articulate the impact of the film here and now.

Little Dieter Needs to Fly (1997) ~ I was an enormous fan of Grizzly Man and in many ways, it was the gateway film that turned me onto the sublime documentaries of Werner Herzog. This one is actually even better than Grizzly Man. The story told here formed the basis of Rescue Dawn, which is an excellent movie in its own right, however the real-life account of that narrative is far more compelling. Dieter Dengler is a fascinating and engaging tour guide on a remarkable emotional journey. I'd recommend this version of Dengler's story first in the same way that I'd recommend reading a novel before you see the adaption. Undeniably excellent.

The Long Goodbye (1973) ~ I didn't know this until just this year, but Elliot Gould is one of the coolest men on the planet. Or he was at least. Ini 1973. I absolutely loved this movie, as much as any 70's crime-film I've ever seen.

Mean Streets (1973) ~ Early Scorsese and the first delight was that Scorsese came to the screen fully-formed. I was expecting something sort of derivative and sketchy, like an early artist finding his voice, but instead found one of the most personal and compelling Scorses films I've seen.

Modern Times (1936) ~ I wrote much more about it here, but this was another stand-out Chaplin film. How did I go so long without dipping into these old silents?

Nashville (1975) ~ It's a genuine pleasure to return to a movie like this and find that you've grown enough as a movie fan for it to blossom into a favourite. My first-year film-school experience of Nashville was somewhat underwhelming and textbook-stiff so it took a little conviction to watch it again. However the subsequent reward was all mine. It may be true that Robert Altman composes his movies for big pay-off in repeat viewings and Nashville is a great example of that. I wrote more about it back in July.

Philadelphia Story (1940) ~ This was enough of a thrill to send me rushing after a run of Katherine Hepburn films. Movie stars and performances like this are movie gold. I mentioned Paul Newman above and Hepburn is another one. Sweet damn.

Spellbound (2002) ~ Just a surprisingly warm and touching documentary. Every kid in this documentary is starring in their personal story and its to the credit of the filmmakers that they don't choose to highlight one over another, even as the competition gets narrower. Instead, the movie seems to be overflowing with respect and affection for its subjects. I had as much invested in the final rounds of this Spelling Bee as I've ever had in any legitimate sporting event.

Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928) ~ Another Keaton classic and one of the other silents to really impress me from virtually minute one. The infamous storm sequence that closes in the picture is the principle reason to watch this but Keaton fills the edges with so much humanity and subtle character action that the movie would still be a 5-star experience if you cut it in half.

The Thin Man (1934) ~ As you can tell, I'm a big fan of great dialogue and many of these old classics deliver lines that you can only dream about. The Thin Man, to be honest, isn't about much more than snappy banter and one-liners, but all are delivered with such easy-going swagger that it's like hanging out with the coolest cat at the party. Elsewhere on the web, I read this movie described as someone's personal movie comfort food and it's easy enough to see why. This is the sort of movie that settles like a favourite shirt with every viewing, effortless and comfortable. A personal little treasure.

Vanishing Point (1971) ~ It's embarrassing to me that it took a movie like Death Proof to point me towards a great movie like Vanishing Point, but there it is. Always go to the source, kids. This is one arresting and distinguished "car" movie that completely annihilated my expectations by being nothing like anything I've seen before. Minimal, inward and frankly kind of sublime. The best part: it put me back in the spirit of a cross-country road-trip, which is always welcome feeling.

Honorable Mentions:

The Cameraman (1928)
Days of Heaven (1978)
Gangs of New York (2002)
The Lives of Others (2006)
McCabe & Mrs Miller (1971)
Midnight Cowboy (1969)
Paths of Glory (1957)
Phantom of the Paradise (1974)
Princess Mononoke (1997)