The Best...so far

I can't say with any certainty that this list won't change. Since there are any number of movies I yet want to see before the end of the year but of the 94 films I saw in theater this year these were my favorites (discluding the older films I got a chance to see on the big screen or the films that were technically 2007 releases).

Synecdoche, New York - best film I saw all year, have seen it five times, it gets me ever time, it gets deeper with each viewing. Stand out performance by Hoffman as usual but also great performances from Dianne Weist and others.

The remaining films are in no particular order:

Encounters at the End of the World - a Herzog documentary is always an experience (see: Grizzly Man) and this one is no exception. The way in which it delves into those deep eternal questions and reflects a variety of answers none of which is THE answer is quite beautiful and sublime. One of the high points for a year of documentaries

Man on Wire - You will be sucked in by Phillipe Petit and his drive to accomplish his dream even at the expense of loved ones and friends. Very compelling.

Gonzo - you don't even have to be a fan of Hunter S. Thompson to find this film about him and his unique contribution to history. There is also a heartfelt anger from his ex-wife that his suicide was not strength but weakness.

Moving Midway - History as local history has never been so intimate and compelling. It also combines history of film and ties a white family to its black relatives who were descended from slaves. This all to the back drop of watching the feat of moving an old plantation from one location to another.

Frozen River - two words: Melissa Leo. She stuns you in the opening minutes and never stops the whole movie.

Edge of Heaven - surprisingly moving and intricate story about various German Turkish people as the struggle with everything from religious persecution to family problems.

Vicky Christina Barcelona - more like a series of vignettes than a full movie but each one is fascinating to watch. The manner in which Woody Allen breaks up the narrative with a narrator to advance the story was effective on me and I typically hate voice over.

Special Mention: Reprise

I can't say this was my favorite because I was somewhat critical of it when I saw it but I've been coming back and thinking about it several times in the past few days and wishing I could see it again. I suspect I liked it more than I thought I did.