"No Country For Old Men"(2007)
Joel and Ethan Coen have collectively been one of the most unique voices in American cinema, dating all the way back to 1987's "Raising Arizona". The quirky duo's work has always existed just outside the mainstream, with "Fargo" and "The Big Lebowski" earning the most admirers. The Academy could no longer shun the brothers Coen after they delivered the scariest villain this side of Hannibal Lecter in this melancholy adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel. Javier Bardem's chilling turn as relentless, coin-tossing hired killer Anton Chigurh shook up critics and audiences alike, making the Best Supporting Actor Oscar a foregone conclusion. He tears through rural Texas in 1980 on the trail of Josh Brolin and stolen drug money with Tommy Lee Jones' solemn sheriff hot on the trail of him. Film noir, Western themes, shocking violence, existentialism. Sounds like a Best Picture winner to me.
"There Will Be Blood"(2007)
The legend of Daniel Day Lewis had been growing slowly but surely since his 1989 Best Actor Oscar win for "My Left Foot". There were other great roles in the nearly two decades that followed, as well as long periods of inactivity that seemed to make the heart grow fonder. So when he finally got back to work a full five years after "Gangs of New York", the orgasmic critical reaction could even be heard by people that don't pay attention to stuff like that. His crazed oil man Daniel Plainview is as commanding a performance as you'll see in the 2000s in Paul Thomas Anderson's epic.
"American Gangster"(2007)
Denzel Washington returns to morally bankrupt territory with his smooth portrayal of early 1970s Harlem drug lord Frank Lucas in Ridley Scott's riveting crime drama. It was only a matter of time before the brash Lucas was given the full Hollywood treatment. He sidestepped the Italian Mafia and flooded NYC with pure heroin from Thailand and had family, friends and a horde of cops on the payroll at the height of his improbable reign. Pitting two heavyweight actors against each other is usually a safe bet, so Scott brought in pal Russell Crowe to represent the forces of good as incorruptible narc Richie Roberts. With this much top talent on display, I knew well before the end credits that this flick had secured a spot on my DVD rack.
"Zodiac"(2007)
David Fincher used the infamous, unsolved Zodiac murders that gripped Northern California in the late '60s to further his growing rep as one of the most vital filmmakers of this celluloid era. The man who gave us "Seven" and "Fight Club" maintains a high level of tension and interest over the course of two hours and 37 minutes with a story that has no real resolution- a rather remarkable feat. Fincher accomplishes this with an able ensemble cast that includes Mark Ruffalo's lead detective, Jake Gyllanhaal as the young reporter obsessed with the case, and a pre-"Iron Man" Robert Downey Jr. on the comeback trail as his hard-living newspaper colleague.
"Into The Wild"(2007)
Sean Penn's acting credentials can never be called into question, but his three previous directing efforts("The Indian Runner", "The Crossing Guard", "The Pledge") all failed to leave a lasting impression. That wasn't the case with his fourth trip behind the camera thanks to Emile Hirsch and a story that proves truth is stranger than fiction. Christopher McCandless was a 1990 college graduate who rejected all the trappings of the modern world to experience a solitary life in the wilderness. Two years later, starvation and harsh weather brought a tragic end to his bizarre journey that was documented in a journal that became a best-seller.
"Juno"(2007)
You'd think that Hollywood would stop obsessing over would-be blockbusters for a minute and give more small-scale projects a chance to find an audience. There's ample evidence that it DOES happen every now and then. The cream rises to the top and there's no better recent example than Ellen Page's quick-witted pregnant teen Juno Temple making her way to the masses. Jason Reitman(son of Ivan) clearly has some of his old man's directorial prowess and seems to be headed for a distinguished career in big screen comedy. Ex-stripper Diablo Cody won the Academy Award for her first screenplay, adding to this flick's all-around surprising success.
"Sweeney Todd"(2007)
Johnny Depp and Tim Burton may be more in synch than any actor/director combo in the history of the medium. They're near identical sensibilities means that neither ever has to talk the other into a project and there's always a mutual trust in the end result. This bloody adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's Tony award-winning horror musical fits nicely into the Depp-Burton wheelhouse. Johnny can't sing. It doesn't matter.
"Charlie Wilson's War"(2007)
"Michael Clayton"(2007)
"The Bourne Ultimatum"(2007)
I'll admit that I was slow in embracing this series. Doug Liman's original was a serviceable spy flick, but Paul Greengrass ramps up the action in two kinetic sequels with car chases and fight scenes that were just too good to ignore. Jason Bourne is the Rambo of the '00s and his third and final outing won the summer battle of the three-quels- "Spiderman 3", "Shrek The Third", and "POTC: At World's End" all made huge money but added little else to the legacies of their respective franchises. Bourne's legacy is forcing the Bond producers to get their act together and cementing Matt Damon as an early 21st century matinee idol.
Honorable Mentions
"Disturbia"(2007)
"Knocked Up"(2007)
"Transformers"(2007)
"Hairspray"(2007)
"Superbad"(2007)
"The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"(2007)
"3:10 to Yuma"(2007)
"Beowulf"(2007)
"Atonement"(2007)