Movies and Commentary
Top Ten List
1. There Will Be Blood (2007)
Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2007 Masterpiece, There Will Be Blood, was nothing short of a perfect movie. With groundbreaking direction from Anderson and Oscar-winning camera work, the movie is a complete masterpiece that will leave you wanting more. Though the films production is amazing, what really makes the film complete is it’s acting. Daniel Day-Lewis’ portrayal of a ruthless California oil tycoon in the early 20th century is in my opinion the greatest performance of all time. He steals the show at the beginning of the film and keeps it the entire movie. Day-Lewis is supported well by Paul Dano and Dillon Freasier as a greedy priest and the oil tycoon’s son. The film deals with morality, family, religion, and greed so perfectly, which is why it is by far my favorite movie.
2. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Le scaphandre et le Papillion) (2007)
In 1995, French magazine editor Jean-Dominique Bauby suffered a stroke that would leave him almost completely paralyzed, yet mentally normal. Thus is the premise of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. The film is so beautifully shown through the left eye of Bauby (his other eye was sewn up due to infection) that even at its darkest and most horrible moments, there are still signs of beauty. It uses Bauby’s imagination in the memoir he wrote so beautifully, which is why this movie is a prime example that motion pictures can be pieces of art.
3. American Beauty (1999)
American Beauty, released in 1999, is the story of a man escaping from what everyone wants him to do: blend in. Kevin Spacey (Best Actor, 1999) plays a husband with a pointless job and a family that shows no respect. The movie was somewhat a comedy, yet followed very deep themes such as escapism and rebellion. The acting, screenwriting, and direction all won their respective awards at the Oscars, and the Academy couldn’t have been more right when...