Blab sez*

The best of 2007

OK, I haven't seen the last of 2007† (there's the Romanian abortion movie and the Hungarian time-travel animation, just to mention one region), but it's February, and certain obligations must be met. So, subject to late arrivals . . .

True lies

Drama, English language

1. No Country for Old Men (the toughest call in years)
2. There Will Be Blood
3. Michael Clayton
4. I'm Not There
5. In the Valley of Elah
6. Away from Her
7. Sweeney Todd
8. Atonement
9. This Is England
10. The Savages

True truths

Documentaries

1. No End in Sight
2. In the Shadow of the Moon
3. The 11th Hour
4. Sicko
5. Pete Seeger: The Power of Music
6. Die Große Stille (Into great silence)
7. Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten
8. Gypsy Caravan
9. What Would Jesus Buy
10. Helvetica

Greek to me

Foreign language

1. Le Scaphandre et le papillon (The diving bell and the butterfly; France)
2. La Faute è Fidel (Blame it on Fidel; France)
3. El Orfanato (The orphanage; Spain)
4. Direktøren for det hele (The boss of it all; Denmark)
5. Shi gan (Time; South Korea)
6. Nuovomondo (The golden door; Italy)
7. Cama adentro (Live-in maid; Argentina)
8. Se, jie (Lust, caution; Taiwan)
9. Dnevnoy dozor (Daywatch; Russia)
10. Offside (Iran)

Under the radar

Stuff that grabbed me by not playing by the rules. Unranked except that the first one did indeed grab me harder than the rest--harder than many of those in the other lists, in fact.

• Wristcutters: A Love Story
• Brand upon the Brain
• Colma: The Musical
• Day Night Day Night
• Gwoemul (The host)
• Paprika
• Romance & Cigarettes
• Southland Tales

Life is too short

Need I explain? In fact, need I even give each one a separate line, like it's something special, in a good way? Dan in Real Life, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Goya's Ghosts, In the Land of Women, Lions for Lambs, Mr. Brooks, The Nanny Diaries, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Reign over Me.

*with apologies to Jon, who sed first

†based on NYC opening