2007 Film Wrap-up

I saw a lot of films, not least due to the influence of my movie buddy (my flatmate) whose only pastime seems to be watching films and TV (on DVD). I also managed to obtained a fair number of free tickets through vouchers given by family and winning minor competitions, so there you go.

Here's a list of films I saw in 2007 (* = recommended):
Eragon
Babel *
Pan's Labyrinth *
I'm Your Man * (Leonard Cohen fans)
Tibet: A Trilogy
Stranger than Fiction
My Neighbour Totoro
Year of the Hare
300 *
Sunshine *
Paris, Je T'Aime
Curse of the Golden Flower
The Science of Sleep
The Namesake
Before the Music Dies
The History Boys
Spiderman 3
Tales from Earthsea
Zodiac
The Page Turner
Digital Projections (short film compilation)
All in this Tea * (tea lovers)
Comedy Shorts (short film compilation)
Death at a Funeral *
Forever (the doco)
Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World's End
Teeth *
Poison Friends
Heavenly Kings
Romulus, My Father
The Dead Girl
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
The Shootout (short film compilation)
As it is in Heaven
The Simpsons Movie
4 * (classical music fans)
Day Watch *
Sicko *
Hairspray
Howl's Moving Castle
Rush Hour 3
Across the Universe
Forbidden Lies
Beowulf
Tell No One
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
National Treasure: Book of Secrets
The Golden Compass


Award for the most hyped movie to disappoint:
Beowulf

Award for the most hyped movie to live up to hype:
Pan's Labyrinth
Honourable mention to 300

Award for the most serendipitous movie:
Teeth
I went to see it on a whim as part of the Sydney Film Festival and found it perfectly pitched as a dark comedy with some great performances.

Best Actor in any role:
Kal Penn in The Namesake
Honourable mention to Eric Bana in Romulus, My Father

Best Actress in any role:
Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth: The Golden Age (not Babel)
Honourable mention to Amanda Bynes in Hairspray

Best movie based on another text:
300, based on an account of the Battle of Thermopylae by Herodotus and 300, the graphic novel by Frank Miller
Honourable mention to The History Boys, based on a play by Alan Bennett AND The Golden Compass, based on Northern Lights, a novel by Philip Pullman

Best Comedy:
Death at a Funeral

Best Drama:
Pan's Labyrinth

Best Documentary:
4

BEST MOVIE OF 2007:
Teeth
Oh so deliciously, darkly, cruelly funny. Teeth treads the fine line between good film-making and bad taste so unerringly, it's difficult to know what to like most - the uncomfortable foreknowledge of certain characters' fates or the snide jibes about society's aversion to vaginas. I'm thankful it's coming out at the theatres soon as I'm dying to share it with other people so I can talk about it.