Michael Clayton, and The Best Movies of 2007

This last year, had some of the best movies, grouped into a list of nominees for best picture, in many years. Juno, Michael Clayton, There Will Be Blood, and No Country For Old Men, all represent. Each movie showed some of the best talent that America and her people can engineer, whether it's intensity your looking for, (No Country) or sheer acting chops, (There Will Be Blood) and of course, a movie with talent period spilling out of it's top, (Michael Clayton) then this year was for you. American cinema has had an odd history, you had your sprawling epics, (Ben Hur), your worthless, but moneymaking garbage, (martial arts films) and then we sort of re-entered "classic" films. American Gangster, Assassination of Jesse James, Into The Wild, and 3:10 To Yuma, to name a few, were all worthy of a nomination.
Of course, the academy is rarely that kind, and breaks enough dreams as it is. If I had my pick, it would be like this:
1. There Will Be Blood
2. Assassination of Jesse James (Winner)
3. Michael Clayton
4. American Gangster
5. No Country For Old Men
You may have noticed that I didn't include Juno, and for good reason. Juno, was great, and memorable. However, It does not compare with the hard-edged, go for broke quality of countless motion pictures that never got a nod. Yes, I was upset when they released the nominations for best picture, director, actor and actress. Juno, as blunt as could be said, shouldn't have been nominated for anything other then acting. It's direction could be topped, it's producing could be topped, and it could hardly hold a candle to the gripping tale that Denzel Washington, or Daniel Day Lewis produced, almost single handedly this year.
Once I rule the world, and the academy, things will be better, but still opinionated :).