Top 5 movies of 2007

Hello and welcome to Reel Weekend. I'm Ben Howard and on today's show we're going to be taking a look back at the very best films of 2007 as we count down our top five movies of the year.

But first, a couple of shows ago we launched our first Reel Weekend competition where you could win a bunch of Hitman-related swag, including these rather fetching leather gloves. We asked you to name the two movies, directed by Paul WS Anderson, based on video games. The answer was Resident Evil and Mortal Kombat, and the winner of the swag was John Hatfield, so congratulations John and try not to wear the gloves in public.

Our number five pick is Control, Anton Corbijn's biopic of the late Joy Division warbler Ian Curtis. This is, of course, the second time Curtis has been portrayed on the big screen in recent years, as he popped up in the early sections of the wonderful 24 Hour Party People. Control gives the whole film over to the troubled young star though, through the formation of Joy Division, his messy relationships and untimely death at the age of 23.

Shot in gorgeous black and white, Corbijn makes Manchester of the early 80s look stunning – and you don't hear that very often. The performances are first rate, especially Sam Riley's uncanny portrayal of Curtis, that goes beyond mere impersonation to really delve into what made this man such a complex figure. And the music is, of course, outstanding. Instead of miming to the old Joy Division records, the actors playing the band perform it live for the cameras, giving the concert sequences an incredible energy.

At number four, we have a movie that came out right at the beginning of the year, and was inevitably somewhat overshadowed by the behaviour of its celebrity director. Nevertheless, Mel Gibson's Apocalypto was one of the year's best action movies. Despite the subtitles and historical trappings, this tale of life amongst the Mayan people in the jungles of 16th century Mexico was at heart a thrilling B-movie, as our young hero tries to rescue his pregnant wife from an evil tribe who love nothing than a spot of ritual sacrifice.

Featuring more dismemberment, impalings and decapitation than the set of the Sex and the City movie, Apocalypto is a thrilling ride from start to finish It's beautifully shot and expertly edited, and Gibson proves once more that whatever his failings as a man, he can certainly make a movie with real punch. It might not give much of an insight into the Mayan civilisation, but who cares when you've got a panther chewing some poor fella's face off?

Our third favourite movie of the year also took home the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film back in March. The Lives Of Others is a powerful look at life behind the Iron Curtain for the residents of East Berlin during the 1980s, as a left-wing writer comes under surveillance by the secret police.

This is a complex character piece that features some of the year's strongest performances. Sebastian Koch – who could also be seen in Paul Verhoeven's war thriller Black Book – is terrific as the writer whose life becomes endangered when he chooses to start working on a series of radical articles. Equally good is Ulrich Mühe as the surveillance officer who becomes obsessed with Koch's life. The Lives Of Others is more drama than thriller, but it remains a gripping, intelligent piece of cinema that proves that those Oscar voters do occasionally get it right.

On to the number two movie on our countdown, and the only summer blockbuster to really deliver the goods. The Bourne Ultimatum was the third in a series of movies that have done several unprecedented things, such as turn Matt Damon into a super-cool action hero, and proved that a Hollywood franchise can actually get better as it goes on. It's pretty much the same story as the previous films – rogue CIA agent Jason Bourne causes death and destruction in various exotic locations while trying to discover who he really is.

Director Paul Greengrass returns to the series, fresh from the critical success with United 93, and delivers both brains and brawn. It's complete nonsense, of course – Jason Bourne seems so indestructible that you start to wonder whether the final twist will be that he is in fact a runaway CIA android. But with great supporting roles for David Strathairn, Joan Allen and the wonderful Paddy Considine, and some truly spectacular action sequences, this is mainstream blockbuster filmmaking at its finest.

And finally we come to our No. 1 movie of the year. It's a film that despite fantastic reviews and the calibre of the cast and director, sadly underperformed at the box office. Nevertheless, Zodiac is a classic in the making. This true-life crime epic charts the investigation into the notorious Zodiac killer who terrorised San Francisco throughout the late 60s and 70s.

This was Seven director David Fincher's second foray into the world of the serial killer, but Zodiac could not be more different from that earlier hit. For a start, the real Zodiac was never caught, but thankfully Fincher and co. don't rewrite history by having the cops catch their man at the last minute. And despite several incredibly tense sequences, the emphasis is upon the dogged investigation that drives cop Mark Ruffalo, newspapermen Jake Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey Jr to obsession.

You've got to wonder what's wrong with the world when a movie as good as this earns less money at the box office than the Ice Cube 'comedy' Are We Done Yet, but nevertheless Zodiac was the year's crowning cinematic achievement.

So that's it for this show. Join me next week for a look at the Boxing Day movie releases. Until then, enjoy the weekend.