Like you, MTV staffers enjoy the cineplex as much as the next guy, and since 2007 has been quite the year for movies, we've asked some of our colleagues to give us their picks for their top 10 favorite cinematic offerings. Read the first two responses below, and then click here to read what made our own Kurt Loder's year-end wrap-up.
RACHEL JOSUE (Producer):
1. "The Bourne Ultimatum" - I am a sucker for this franchise.
2. "Michael Clayton" - I want to be George Clooney's friend. He's great in this.
3. "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" - I am a sucker for this franchise also.
4. "300" - Really well done. Visually, a very cool film.
5. "Across the Universe" - Visually stunning. What's not to love about the Beatles?
6. "A Mighty Heart" - That scene where Marianne Pearl finds out her husband is dead is gut-wrenching. Angelina Jolie's fantastic.
7. "Knocked Up" - This is my #1 comedy pick of the year. No, I didn't see "Superbad."
8. "American Gangster" - Very well-acted.
9. "Ocean's Thirteen" - Another franchise that I love. And, Clooney.
10. "Ratatouille" - I love food.
JONATHAN T. GOLDNER (Senior Producer):
1. "The Bourne Ultimatum" - No one's quibbled with this choice, nor should they. Rarely does a movie make you physically sweat, just from the effort and intensity of watching it. It almost makes me forget how well "Team America" savaged Matt Damon. They'll probably try to make a fourth one and end up ruining the franchise.
2. "300" - I had really really high hopes for this one. Perhaps too high. I even went to the theater wearing the "Tonight We Dine In Hell" promotional t-shirt I'd gotten from the studio. It didn't quite match my drool-soaked expectations, but it was still outstanding filmmaking.
3. "Harry Potter & The Order Of The Phoenix" - Okay, maybe I should have thought harder about this one. "Goblet of Fire" was better (it was a better book, too) and the movie left out a lot of the dark and brutal themes that made book five so rewarding. Harry's constant isolation. The repeated psychic beatings he takes from Snape in Occulmency lessons. The backstory revealed in the pensive. Still, a wand-waving good time was had by all.
4. "Zodiac" - A story that's been told before. But I don't think ever as well. Dark, complex and slightly psychedelic. It's from David Fincher, of course.
5. "Disturbia" - Yes, I have seen "Rear Window." Yes, I know it's pretty much the same movie. Still a very cool version for the MySpace generation. Also: Sarah Roemer, who is so the new Jessica Biel.
6. "The Kingdom" - Had a remarkably smart and innovative opening credits sequence. Regrettable that the rest of the movie was not in the same vein. It was a standard Hollywood action movie that tried to have a redeeming ending. I don't buy playing guns for two hours and then trying to make it up in the last two minutes. Just show me the action and let Chris Cooper bring the Southern-fried drama.
7. "Michael Clayton" - Imagine "The Firm" without all the clichés and contrivances. An excellent cast, all giving subtle and nuanced performances. It seethes and boils under a slow cook, ultimately reaching a final payoff. I don't think it was quite the bang the filmmakers intended. But I can't get the image of Tilda Swinton panicking and sweating on the toilet out of my head.
8. "American Gangster" - Could have replaced "Scarface" as hip-hop's "Godfather." Delivered a similar story of an American Family who goes for the big time. The Corleones made it; the Lucases didn't. A very sensory film. The barking dog, the crinkle of money, the smack of a dirty cop's backhand.
9. "Knocked Up" - I know everyone else liked "Superbad" more. But I didn't see it. So rather than fake it, I stand by my choice. Except for the actual birthing sequence, which was a little more intense than I was prepared for, I adored this movie. Sidesplitting, especially the myriad subplots. Paul Rudd's not cheating, he's just playing fantasy baseball. The never ending beard. Katherine Heigl's shallow co-workers at E! Priceless.
10. "Transformers" - Perhaps not the greatest piece of storytelling that 2007 brought us. However, when I think of 2007, I think of "Transformers." That movie owned our collective consciousness until and after its release date. It probably won't own Oscar night in the same way (effects awards don't count), but when a big silver foot of tangled metal stepped out of that little girl's swimming pool, you knew it was on. Also, why was she awake and walking around outside that late? She must be one of Britney's kids or something.
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