Mike Goes To Movies

Magnolia (1999) Now THAT is a film that leaves an impression - not only for its bat-shit crazy ending but also for its mesmerizingly operatic entirety. An interwoven epic following the trials and tribulations of an ensemble of characters in the San Fernando Valley, Magnolia is a film that could only have been crafted by the deft hand of Paul Thomas Anderson. Equally amazing, the film boasts powerhouse performances by pretty much every one of its extensive cast making its close to three-hour run-time no challenge to get through.   Magnolia is the type of film that long essays can easily be written about. Though there are some more direct connections between the characters one learns of as the film progresses, it is in the indirect, yet underlying, threads that connect the cast of characters together and the film itself as a whole. These are all individuals who are very much still struggling with their identity in the world. One major theme is the prolonged impact that negative...

10. There Will Be Blood (2007) and No Country For Old Men (2007) Yes, right off the bat I am going to go ahead and cheat on my list... (hey, it's my list anyways, so lay off!). I place both of these films together because they resonate in similar ways for me, on top of the fact that they also do bear a number of factual similarities. Both were filmed in 2006 in the same vicinity of western Texas, released in 2007 and widely competed with each other for the highest accolades at the awards ceremonies that year. Both films take place in an arid, beautifully-shot, desert landscape, each following the machinations of a violent and unfailingly driven man. One is motivated by wealth and success, the other... well, it's not entirely known. In both, the filmmakers involved are without a doubt at the height of their crafts. Direction, writing, cinematography, editing, score and acting, among others, are all at their finest levels within these two films. It is unsurprising then t...