Ticket Happy and Reeking of Popcorn

The end of the year means list time, so here are my favorite movies I saw in theaters in 2007.

3:10 to Yuma: Bravo to the return of the Western, especially starring Christian Bale and Russell Crowe. The enigmatic mutual friendship formed between bad guy and good guy was fascinating, and the scenes of southwestern mountains dusted with snow were breathtaking on the big screen.

Juno: We just saw this one last night, and it's even better than the trailers and reviews suggest. All the actors are perfectly cast, and I'm a sucker for a smart young outcast like Ellen Page who uses sarcasm to hide her vulnerabilities. It's a movie about mostly-decent people maturing and making the best out of bad circumstances; the endings, while not necessarily expected, are believable and heart-warming.

The Bourne Ultimatum: I love this series, so I looked forward to the release of the third movie all summer and was not disappointed (excepting the absence of Franka Potente).

Ratatouille: Just as Cars was made for Nascar rednecks and The Incredibles for comic book nerds, Ratatouille is the Pixar movie for foodies, and that means me. But similar to all the Pixar films, any audience member will appreciate that it's sweet, funny, and a feast for the eyes.

Hot Fuzz: This is certainly the hardest we laughed in the theater all year. Whereas I liked the concept of Shawn of the Dead, I am a much bigger fan of this Simon Pegg/Edgar Wright follow-up tribute to stupid action flicks. My favorite part by far is Pegg's police training montage, a headache-inducing, side-splitting succession of split-second shots.

The Valet: Although certainly not the best film we saw all year, this one was a darn enjoyable farce from the French director of The Dinner Game. Gad Elmaleh is especially likable and goofy-looking as the titular valet pretending to date a supermodel.

Lars and the Real Girl: Along with Ellen Page in Juno and Christian Bale, Russell Crowe, and Ben Foster in 3:10 to Yuma, Ryan Gosling gives the best performance I've seen this year as Lars. This movie shows a family, church, and community wrapping its arms around a hurting individual, and it allows you to leave the theater believing people are pretty great after all.

Enchanted: I'm just adding this in because Amy Adams is so good I could barely stand it. She plays what could have been an annoying role with irresistible energy and refreshing innocence. She nearly stole the show in Junebug, but she completely carries Enchanted.

Favorite Netflix rentals of 2007: American Splendor, Big Love, 30 Rock, The Lives of Others, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, A Bit of Fry and Laurie, Junebug, Donnie Darko: Director's Cut, The Departed.