Here follows my favourite films of the year so far.  I’ve also listed my original score and linked the original reviews, but it’s the order listed that matters here.

1. No Country For Old Men 10/10
I’ve watched this a couple of times now and I’m not prepared to say it’s anything less than fantastic.  Read the review for the full details.

2. Son of Rambow 9/10
I’m eagerly awaiting next month’s DVD release so I can see this again but it sticks firmly in my mind as a brilliant vignette of 80’s childhood nostalgia in only the good ways.

3. Once 9/10
A musical with great music and real soul, a rare beast indeed.

4. I’m Not There 8/10
It’s a more cerebral than emotive capturing of Dylan but an interesting one none the less.

5. In Bruge 8/10
Black comedy at it’s best, even bigoted hitmen have souls.

6. Wall:E 8/10
I’m trying not to get swept up by this and stick it even higher in the list but it’s a nimble, skillful dig at everything that makes Disney its money and manages to do it with more sentiment than 100 Sleeping Beauty 2s.

7. In To The Wild 9/10
The thinking man’s Robinson Crusoe, if it makes you think too much maybe your employer should be worrying about your retention prospects.

8. Persepolis 8.5/10
As beautiful and touching as you could ever expect a history lesson to be.

9. King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters 9/10
An honest documentary masterpiece.  Gamesmanship, drive, ambition, and a bad guy, all the things a good sports film needs applied to Donkey Kong.

10. Shoot ‘em Up 8/10
Stupidity incarnate but all in good spirits.

The not quite good enoughs:
2 Days in Paris 8/10
I’m a Cyborg But That’s OK 8/10
Juno 7.5/10
There Will Be Blood
Chocolate 7/10
El Orfanato 7/10

As usual I watched a whole bunch of movies this year so here comes the unavoidable, where I try and sort out what from all the trash was actually worth watching.

Top Films for 2007
Filmwise my choices are pretty clear cut both were seen at the very start of the year which has made it a long time since then since I’ve seen any real genius that’ll stick in my mind forever.  So my top 2 in no particular order are:

Science of sleep
Gondry can do no wrong as far as I’m concerned.  His striking individual style and heart felt stories meash really well.  You may want to hit the main character and tell him to grow up, but you’ll want to do it most when you see the most pathetic parts of your own personality on screen.

Hot Fuzz
Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright hit all the right notes again.  Rather than point out the obvious crapness of the buddy cop movie they make a film that celebrates all the reasons people loved them in the first place.  Great fun and an action comedy unlike any you’ve seen in a long long time.

There’s been plenty of other good films this year that even if they don’t measure up to the two above read on to find out about them and other great and not so great films that came out this year.

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Best Albums of 2007

1. Twilight Sad: Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters
I think I’ve got a weakness for anthems.  These guys make great tunes that the singers full-on Glaswegian lilt make especially fun for me to sing along

2. Marnie Stern: In Advance of the Broken Arm
Is this really my second favourite album of the year?  I don’t know, what I do know is that despite being the bastard child of Eddie Vanhalen and Captain Beefheart I find myself listening to her album again and again.

3. Blonde Redhead: 23
Great melodies that just circle round and round in your head, there’s nothing else to say.

3. Radiohead: In Rainbows
A great release.  I’m slightly disappointed that I thought I was buying in to a totally new way to buy music only to find that a CD release and closure of the download website are heppening at the end of the month.  It’s unfortunate that they’ve let all this obscure the music.

4. The Arcade Fire: Neon Bible
A fantastic second album, but just not quite as good as the first.  Still though the only band to appear in my top 5 albums and live act list.

5. St Vincent: Marry Me
6. Thurston Moore: Trees Outside the Academy
7. Future of the Left: Curses
8. The Drones: Gala Mill
9. QOTSA: Era Vulgaris
10. Bat For Lashes: Fur and Gold

Older Albums That I Heard and Really Enjoyed This Year

1. Modest Mouse: Interstate 8
2. The Thermals: The Body, The Blood, The Machine
3. CSS: Cansei De Ser Sexy (Brazilian release)
4. Emily Haines and the Soft Skeleton: The Knives Don’t Have Your Back
5. Mclusky: Mcluskyism
6. Lupe Fiasco: Food and Liquor

Live Shows
It’s been a great year for live music for me.  Here’s hoping I see such great stuff next year.

1. Arcade Fire (Barrowlands, Glasgow)
A brilliant act on the top of their game.  I read a disappointing review of them playing a larger venue in Glasgow last month, I’m so glad I got to see them on the crest of greatness.
Review

2. Bjork (Connect Festival, Iverarie)
An amazing performance.  A musician that will never be dwarfed by her
fame or appeal.  Spectacular and powerful.
Connect Festival Review

3. Aereogramme (Connect Festival, Iverarie, and QMU and Classic Grand,
Glasgow)
A long time favourite band of mine played their final gigs this year before calling it a day.  I saw them three times this year and they played their hearts out ferociously each time.
Gig Review
Connect Festival Review

4. Foo Fighters (Meadowbank Athletics Stadium, Edinburgh)
I’d wager they’re best straight rock band performing right now.  Whatever you think of their recorded output live they’re unstoppable.

5. Modest Mouse (Connect Festival, Iverarie)
A fascinating performance and great showcase for the songs.
Connect Festival Review

6. Cat Power Review
7. Seasick Steve
8. QOTSA
9. Bat For Lashes
10. Hold Steady

Less than current but by far the best book I read last year was Monsignor Quixote by Graham Greene.  I got to it after rereading The Quiet American (which I had previously attempted when I was far too young to understand).

Non-Fiction I really enjoyed the unofficial Led Zeppelin biography Hammer of the Gods.  Entertaining and interesting, there really is a different world out there for some.

1 & 2) Brick, Pan’s Labyrinth
I can’t pick a favourite between these two.  They’ve held up to multiple
viewings and while very different I was entranced by both.
Full review of Brick
Thoughts on Pan’s Labyrinth

The mainstream has been surprisingly good to me this year and the rest of my list is filled out with some quality easy on the eye big budgeters:

3) Casino Royal
Bond was surely dead as hell.  Brosnan while a decent Bond actor had made some of the worst Bond films ever.  When you get in to that situation you start to wonder if it’s best to cut your losses and call it a day.  So when I heard Martin Campbell director of the last good Bond film was on board I was sceptical but willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.  Nothing in Goldeneye hinted at this though.  Back to basics is definitely more like it.  The up front fights (reminding me of my favourite film From Russia With Love and Robert Shaw’s moment to shine) and natural looking action reminded me why I ever enjoyed Bond in the first place.  Who would’ve thought a film series with such a strict formula could be made interesting again with just some nice tweaking.

4) The Departed
A remake I never envisioned working made for a quality thriller.  And who would’ve thought Marky Mark could ever be so good.

5) Borat
Outstanding, I’m not looking forward to the clones but this will be remembered forever with the classics like Animal House and Naked Gun.

Honourable mentions to Why We Fight, An Inconvenient Truth, A Scanner Darkly, Slither, Clerks 2, and Crank.  A few other great films I saw for the first time this year: Iron Monkey, 8 Diagram Pole Fighter, Wait Until Dark, Mysterious Skin amongst plenty others.

1) The Knife: Silent Shout
As verified by the online Indie music behemoth Pitchfork this is the album of the year.  Stirring melodies and dynamic music engaged me, a sceptical listener from the first play.  Also Heartbeat on Deep Cuts is a must hear.

2) Martha Wainwright, live on NPR
While the album is good I heard this first and it’s what brought the most impact, a half hour set of brilliance that when I listened to it gave that same chill I got with Cat Power: You Are Free.  I’m a sucker for that beautiful voice and the naked songs.  Bonus it’s free.

3) Eagles of Death Metal, Live
Rock with balls dammit.  Not since I saw the Flaming Lips has any band made a gig this enjoyable.  While feeling quite old amongst an as yet un-jaded teenage crowd, the energy and enthusiasm for the back to basics rock’n'roll was just great fun.  No violent mosh pit required just bring your guitar and turn it to 11.

4) Deerhoof, Live
I remain unconvinced of their recorded output (Friend Opportunity is a good listen though) seeing them live this year was immense.  Supporting Radiohead with a small early riser crowd I watched the 3 of them with a huge grin on my face.  The sound the noise and energy was brilliant.  About half way through I realised the terrific racket coming from the drummer was created entirely by a single bass, snare, and cymbal.  Frantic fun.

5) Wolfmother, Wolfmother
Zep throwback, but damn do they throw back.

6) Be Your Own Pet, Be Your Own Pet
Indie Rock album of the year, great songs, voice, and enough edge to make this interesting.

7) Black Keys, Rubber Factory, 10AM Automatic
When that solo kicks in, I just can’t get over that sound.

Also rans.. suckered by more lovely voices on Emily Haines: Knives Don’t Have Your Back and Joanna Newsom: Y’s.

It’s been a crap year for my reading, so rather than presume infallibility as you should on my music and film picks I accept that there may have been some good ones I didn’t get round to (plus all the fiction I read this year was crap).

Morocco Lonely Planet
Things could’ve gotten really bad without it.

Let it Blurt: The Life and Times of Lester Bangs by Jim Derogatis
A biography with a truly interesting story for once and plenty there to fill you in on his musical philosophy.  Even if you disagree with his favourites you can’t deny his reasoning.

Top albums:
Death From Above 1979: Your a Woman I’m a Machine (Blistering metal fun)
The Arcade Fire: Funeral (Strictly speaking 2004 but UK release was this year)
Franz Ferdinand: You Could Have it Better With… (Quality pop)
The White Stripes: Get Behind Me Satan (Cause the Stripes rock)
Wolf Parade: Apologies to Queen Mary
The New Pornographers: Twin Cinema
Belle & Sebastian: Push Bar to Open ( A great compilation of the many genius non-album tracks)
M.I.A.: Arular
Art Brut: Bang Bang Rock and Roll

More great music picks of the year after the jump.

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