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Significantly lightening things up at number four is Rocket Science, one of the sweetest, funniest, most charming movies I have ever seen. When people tell me that they loved Juno, I tell them that they're wrong, they just haven't seen Rocket Science. Jeffrey Blitz's debut narrative feature tells the story of Hal Heffner, a high school student with a bad stutter who joins his school's debate team to impress Ginny, the girl he is in love with. This delightful film gives an honest look at how high school students think, act and speak (honest to blog it does), and features a number of fantastic performances and some hilarious dialogue. Reece Thompson steals the show as the nerdy Hal, but it's Anna Kendrick who shows her potential as Ginny, the supremely confident debate team captain.

Shane Meadows' powerful film, This is England, is number three on my list. Based on his childhood, Meadows' film is about a young boy named Shaun who finds acceptance among a group of skinheads. The group gets their kicks drinking, partying and causing mayhem around town, but when the group's former leader, Combo, gets out of prison, his anger and racist ideas change things. This is England deals honestly with the realities of working class England in the 1980s, showing the bitterness and violence that arose out of the skinhead movement. It is also an exploration of families, a commentary on modern ideas of masculinity, and a beautiful story about a lonely child just looking for love. Stephen Graham is outstanding as Combo, never playing the role as a caricature and always finding the humanity in his anger.

The NC-17 rating rears its ugly head again at number two, as these scarlet letters destroyed any chance Ang Lee's Lust, Caution might have had at getting nationwide attention. Ang Lee's historical epic, set in Shanghai during World War II, is a fascinating story of love, sex, trust and betrayal. Wei Tang stars as Wong Chia Chi, an actress who is recruited by a terrorist organization to seduce Mr. Yee, a high-ranking Chinese government official who has collaborated closely with the Japanese. Wong is supposed to earn Yee's trust so that the group can assassinate, but as she gets close to Yee her job becomes more complicated. Lust, Caution might be Lee's best film, beautifully shot, superbly written, and featuring Tony Leung in the single best performance of the year as the brutal but strangely sympathetic Mr. Yee.

And what was the best overlooked film of 2007? Better question: what was the best film of 2007? I can answer both of those with one word: Sunshine. Danny Boyle's masterpiece is a beautiful science-fiction film set aboard a spaceship traveling towards the sun. Cillian Murphy stars as Capa, a member of the ship's crew; they have the task of generating a supernova to reignite the sun and save earth. But Sunshine is not your average sci-fi flick; there are no laser guns and very few epic action sequences. The film is actually a very quiet, meditative experience, a story about what it means to be human, basically the opposite of what Armageddon was. A number of great actors give outstanding performances, especially Chris Evans, whom I have always thought of as being an underrated talent. Evans' volatile personality creates tension aboard the ship, and that tension builds throughout the film until it explodes during an incredible final sequence. Sunshine is a modern sci-fi classic and deserves to be recognized as the best film of 2007 and one of the best films of the decade.

1) Sunshine
2) Lust, Caution
3) This is England
4) Rocket Science
5) 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days
6) Margot at the Wedding
7) Day Watch
8) Persepolis
9) I'm Not There
10) Talk to Me

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