A good year

As we take stock of 2007, I-Cheng Chan brings you our Top 10 choice of English films that have entertained, enlightened and inspired us on the silver screen during the last year.

The last 12 months will be remembered as a vintage year in cinema as filmmakers around the world raised their game to bring us the very best the medium has to offer.

From the serious and violent, such as The Last King of Scotland and American Gangster, to fantasy and fun, as in Ratatouille and Hot Fuzz, 2007 has harvested a diverse creative crop that has kept us queuing at the box office for more.

Add to that the magic ingredient of outstanding performances from the likes of Russell Crowe, James McAvoy and Angelina Jolie, and you can't go wrong with this selection.

With many of these already out on DVD, there's no excuse not to catch up on the ones you missed at the cinema.

So, for a quick reminder here's tabloid!'s Top 10 handpicked for you.

Happy viewing…

1. The Last King of Scotland
Forest Whitaker seems to actually become Idi Amin in this terrifying portrayal of the Ugandan dictator's rule for which he deservedly won an Oscar. The winner of the BAFTA award for Best British Film tells the story of a Scottish doctor Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy) who goes to Uganda to help the poor but finds himself within Amin's inner circle and eventually gets too close for comfort. As he struggles to leave Uganda and escape with his life, Garrigan discovers all too well the brutality he was blind to in the beginning. Simply outstanding.

2. American Gangster
It is worth going to watch this movie for Denzel Washington's performance alone. That said, American Gangster is much more than just one man's talent. Set in the 1970s, this gangster film is based on the true story of Frank Lucas, an innovative drug lord who cut out the middleman and sourced pure heroin directly from the Far East through Vietnam. Compelling, shocking and gripping throughout, American Gangster's success lies in the sum of its parts, from its cinematography and attention to detail to its stellar cast, including Russell Crowe.

3. Ratatouille
Rats in the kitchen are every restaurateur's nightmare. But in this case, it's a dream. Little Rémy the rat has a nose like no other and can smell the exciting and inexhaustible possibilities of combining different ingredients. As fate would have it, the Little Chef strikes up an alliance with a Parisian restaurant's rubbish boy Linguini and the two begin to concoct the most amazing dishes. Heart-warming, inspirational and mouth-wateringly good, this animation is the cream of the crop.

4. 10 to Yuma
This is no ordinary Western thanks largely to first-class performances by Russell Crowe and Christian Bale. With strong leads and a solid storyline, this remake of the 1957 film of the same name is a worthy recreation of the original and deserving of awards. Crowe's dark outlaw character Ben Wade is riveting to watch and Bale, in the role of struggling farmer Dan Evans, is equally mesmerising. Don't be put off by the Western tag — at the end of the day this is a darn good yarn very well told.

5. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
Set in Communist Romania in 1987, this film follows the fate of two university roommates who seek an illegal abortion for one of them. The realist way in which the controversial theme is handled demands your attention and has you captivated throughout. This strong European offering features good performances by Anamaria Marinca and Laura Vasiliu in the lead roles, and was a deserving winner of the Palm d'Or at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.

6. Atonement
The title of this film explains it in a nutshell. Three lives are changed forever when one accuses another of a crime they did not commit thanks to an overactive imagination. It results in all three leading a tarnished life and never being able to find true happiness. With James McAvoy in the role of the accused, Robbie Turner, and Keira Knightley as his luminescent love interest, Cecelia Tallis, the leading stars are perfectly cast. This epic love story, war drama and tale of family breakdown is beautifully told and a pleasure to watch.

7. The Golden Compass
Fans of Phillip Pullman's trilogy have been waiting for the film adaptation of his captivating fantasy books since they finished reading the last word. And what a treat to have such a strong and insightfully selected cast in the form of Daniel Craig, Nicole Kidman, Ian McKellen, Kathy Bates, Kristin Scott Thomas and Christopher Lee to name a few. Newcomer Dakota Blue Richards in the lead of Lyra is captivating as she embarks on a journey to rescue her kidnapped friend.

8. The Mighty Heart
With Angelina Jolie as the leading lady, A Mighty Heart attracted massive interest before it was even released. Since its first screening in the US in June, the Oscar-winning actress has garnered widespread acclaim for her portrayal of Mariane Pearl, the wife of the slain American reporter Daniel Pearl who was kidnapped and beheaded in Pakistan in 2002. This is a moving version of a true story that is told on a human level and provides a platform for Jolie to deliver one of the finest performances of her career.

9. Hot Fuzz
Think comedy cops and the likes of Eddie Murphy, Mel Gibson and Bruce Willis spring to mind. Try to name a British one and you'll be hard pressed to come up with anyone. But the tide is turning with Hot Fuzz setting the pace. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost shine as two policemen in a small village in rural England. As mysterious murders begin to emerge, the two go into battle to fight the culprits who prove to be none other than the Neighbourhood Watch Association. Laugh-out-loud funny and a world away from the serious stuff, be sure to put this on your must-watch list if you haven't caught it already.

10. Knocked Up
Good rom-coms have been few and far between in 2007 which is why this little gem is such a treat. Knocked Up tells the story of a one-night stand between an ill-matched couple resulting in an unplanned pregnancy. Seth Rogan plays the party-loving layabout Ben Stone who gets an almighty shock when career-minded Alison Scott, played by Katherine Heigl, seeks him out 10 weeks after their night of passion to reveal he's going to be a father. It's a bumpy road ahead but, for the audience, it's a hilarious ride.

B Movies

As with any industry, Hollywood has its casualties. Here are three of the biggest film flops of 2007:

1. Bordertown, starring Jennifer Lopez, Antonio Banderas and Martin Sheen. A certified flop, this movie was booed at the Berlin International Film Festival.

2. Blonde Ambition, starring Jessica Simpson and Luke Wilson. This film grossed less than $400 (Dh1,468) when it was released in theatres in Texas on December 22.

3. Black Snake Moan, starring Samuel L Jackson, Christina Ricci and Justin Timberlake. The stars have been quick to blame bad marketing for poor sales.