So Now Then.

It's hot outside but it's cool at the movies. Here are five to see, and why:

Speed Racer: Fun, visually sumptuous and loud.

Iron Man: Robert Downey Jr. is inspired.

Reprise: Youthful, energetic, passionate and moving. (Pictured above)

The Visitor: Simple story. Simply told. Good.

Sex And The City: Overlong, well-acted, surprisingly dark.

Last year was a fantastic one for movies. Since Labor Day especially, there wasn't a week that passed where one, two or three quality films were being released. Great, daring, funny and moving films - some emerging as full-blown instant classics. I haven't been as excited and passionate about this many films in one year since that trailblazing fall in '99 when "American Beauty," "Magnolia" and "Being John Malkovich" were released. Now, ladies and germs, here's my (very late) list of favorites from 2007:

1. THERE WILL BE BLOOD

What an audacious, thrilling and strange film going experience this was! Writer/Director Paul Thomas Anderson has outdone himself here with a loose adaptation of Upton Sinclair's "Oil!” – a story about an ambitious oil prospector who moves into a small California town to drill. But its not until he meets a fervent evangelical preacher that all hell breaks loose. It's told with headlong energy, big ideas and jaw-dropping visuals – all scored with persistent, eerie music from Radiohead's Johnny Greenwood. But what's so great about "There Will Be Blood," and what ultimately sets it apart from all the other terrific films this year, is the groundbreaking performance by the great Daniel Day Lewis. What he does here is both maddening and masterful. With his deep voice, fiery temper and unbelievable greed, his take on Daniel Plainview will be remembered as one of the best screen performances of all time.

2. JUNO

“Juno” is the kind of movie that doesn’t come along very often. For one, it has wry, crackling and witty dialogue by first-time screenwriter Diablo Cody – and it’s about teenagers. That’s rare. Secondly, it centers on a lead female performance by Ellen Page that is so fresh, so funny and so quick, you just want to hug her and be friends for life. Those two reasons are enough reason to embrace “Juno,” but for me, there wasn’t a false scene in the whole film – it was the purest entertainment of the entire year.

3. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

Here is flawless filmmaking. Joel and Ethan Coen, those brilliant brothers, have made a tour de force that surpasses, dare I say it, their great “Fargo.” At times a romp in the Wild West, at others a damn-near horror film, “No Country For Old Men” will take your breath away. Especially, in the film’s best scene, when Javier Bardem talks to an old gas station attendant. His deep, baritone voice and weird haircut still haunt me.

4. INTO THE WILD

What an unexpected emotional wallop this film had on me. Filmmaker Sean Penn, and his star Emile Hirsch, have brought Christopher McCandless’ story to the big screen with spirited enthusiasm and emotion. Although Hal Holbrook was recognized for his heartbreaking supporting performance, the film was unjustifiably snubbed at this year’s Academy Award nominations. Its cinematography, direction, writing and acting are all incredible. “Into the Wild” is a must-see for adventure-seekers and romantics alike; you’ll be surprised how it will sneak up on you.

5. ONCE

Here is a musical to see if you hate musicals. Told in an unadorned, straightforward way with near wall-to-wall music, “Once” is a simple joy to behold. You’ll walk out feeling better than when you walked in – and with a deeper understanding of the fragility and power of love two people can not only have for their music – but for each other.

6. AWAY FROM HER

Julie Christie radiates with intelligence and inner beauty in Sarah Polley’s “Away From Her,” which centers on a woman coming to grips with Alzheimer’s disease. This movie is upsetting yet essential viewing for anyone with loved ones who have suffered from it – and especially for those who haven’t. What Christie accomplishes in this film is fascinating, and rightly deserves an Oscar.

7. ZODIAC

David Fincher has never really made a film I could whole-heartedly support – don’t even get me started on “Fight Club.” We’ll be here all day. But with “Zodiac,” his meticulous craft of chronicling a serial killer is a spellbinder.

8. ATONEMENT

Let's call attention to one scene in particular. You'll know it when you see it. It's the endless tracking shot with no cuts on a beach. It's beautiful. What else is beautiful about this near-perfect movie? The performance by Keira Knightly, who looks stunning in a green gown. And the score, which won the Oscar, that infuses typewriter sounds into strings.

9. BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD

Sidney Lumet, now in his late 80s, has added yet another impressive film to his ever-growing roster of classics. The Philip Seymour Hoffman performance is a classic study of restraint. He owned this year - with this, alongside his turns in "The Savages" and "Charlie Wilson's War," he's solidifying his status as the go-to man for flawed characters. Here, he's burning on all cylinders.

10. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days

The best film I've seen about abortion. It looks with an unwavering gaze upon two women stuck in an impossible situation, and the strict societal pressures they're dealing with in Romania.

Runners Up:
- The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
- Knocked Up
- Michael Clayton
- Eastern Promises
- Ratatouille
- Superbad
- I’m Not There
- Grindhouse (Death Proof)
- The Year of the Dog
- Margot at the Wedding

Uh, can someone please buy this hamburger phone for me? It would make my holiday the happiest, really. Ellen Page is seen talking on this cool gadget in "Juno" - which, by the way, if you haven't seen it yet, you're doing yourself a disservice. It's the best time I've had at the movies all year - and I've been to quite a lot. (Top Ten Lists of 2007 coming soon!)

Chapter 27, J.P. Schaeffer's debut film about Mark David Chapman - John Lennon's murderer - has finally received a Spring 2008 release date. This controversial indie debuted last January at Sundance, and has since been in search for a distributer.

It stars Jared Leto, who gained a lot of weight for the starring role, and Lindsay Lohan (pre-rehab) as a young girl who befriends the troubled fan. I remember it being filmed here in New York around the Dakota and the Strawberry Fields area of Central Park; a lot of local press were there along with the protesters, to make a stink.

Nothing bothers me more than closed-minded people working up a lather about something they haven't even seen. I say view the movie first and then form an opinion about it. Here's a film that covers a difficult subject in a compelling way, and I'm eager to see how it's been tackled.

Javier Bardem in one of the best films of the year, "No Country For Old Men"

If it's after Labor Day, you'll find me in a theater taking in as many fall films as possible. Here are five I've seen in the past few weeks. With each, I'm going to give you a review in 5 words. Everyone loves a side of pithy with their popcorn, right?

Before The Devil Knows Your Dead: Taut, tense and terrifically entertaining.

Margot at the Wedding: Lacerating wit. Dark family insights.

Control: Haunting biopic of Ian Curtis.

No Country For Old Men: The Coen Brothers are back.

Enchanted: Amy Adams is so delightful.