Director's Order - Darren Aronofsky

Darren Aronofsky is an incredible director who gained wide fame by directing a series of psychological thrillers and dramas. He is frequently cited as one of the greatest directors of the century. He was nominated for Best Director at the Oscars the previous year for his work in Black Swan; which is also his biggest box office success. Here's how I rank his films.

5. The Fountain - ★★☆ (2.5/4 - NEUTRAL)
The Fountain isn't a great movie. It's a decent movie with an incredible amount of potential to be a great movie. It's an unrealized vision; and it can be blamed on the halving of the film's budget. In terms of ambition however, this is as ambitious as a movie can get. It's admirable how Darren Aronofsky infused every single amount of passion that he had into this story; a story that somehow lost some meaning when presented on the screen. It's strength lies thematically; even with the problematic plot, we still understand the emotions that appear on the screen.

4. Pi - ★★★ (3/4)
Pi is a film that is paranoid; to ridiculous lengths. It thrills, surely, but it thrills using mathematics. It's a rare type of movie; one that attempts to get inside the viewer's head with themes that the average viewer wouldn't care for. It takes us deeply into the main character's struggle to cope with his ideas; ideas that lead to his own physical (and psychological) demise. It's a movie that deals with self-destruction, a theme that would be explored in Aronofsky's later films. For a debut, this film is pretty good and worth watching. It's the least watched of this list.

3. Black Swan - ★★★☆ (3.5/4)
Black Swan was the one expected to be on top, and for good reason. Black Swan was a huge contender last awards season. The movie is a psychosexual thriller that deals with a ballet dancer; played skillfully by Natalie Portman. It involves a discovery to a dark side the main character Nina had previously not touched. It conceptualizes how the drive to do what you are passionate about can lead to strong changes in how we act. The movie is filmed gorgeously; the scenes are all breathtaking. It's a psychological experience worth watching twice. And for those who care, its sexual aspects are very... tasteful.

2. The Wrestler - ★★★★ (4/4)
It is, in all aspects, the resurrection of Mickey Rourke. The film features some great directing work from Aronofsky, and the script is written excellently, but it is Rourke's film through and through. He completely dominates it with his towering performance. Without disrespect to Sean Penn, this WAS the performance of 2008. The movie is affecting. It doesn't over-complicate the plot about a wrestler, who is past his prime, trying to find a way to hang on to his past. It's a movie that will induce some kind of emotional reaction, no matter who you are.

1. Requiem for a Dream - ★★★★ (4/4)
When browsing through directors early last year, I came across his particular film that I haven't watched yet. So I did. It is an amazing film; however, it is probably the most inappropriate film for a 14 year old (I was 14 at the time that I viewed it) imaginable. It is an extremely good film though. It is about drugs and the effects that it has on four individuals, all of whom have their own individual struggles. Past the drugs though, it's more of a movie about addiction and how we are caught into delusion by it. The characters eventually have to face their real struggles; those of which they themselves have produced by preferring to delve deeper into an illusion. It's a visceral experience that, in a twisted way, everyone can relate to.

Actor's Spotlight - Jesse Eisenberg

Jesse Eisenberg is a now famous young actor who has appeared in multiple movies such as The Squid and the Whale, Zombieland, and The Social Network for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. Here are the films for which he has been in lead or has been in a significant role; at least those I've watched.

8. 30 Minutes or Less - ★★ (2/4)
It's quite curious at how suddenly bad a director's movies can get after his debut. Fleisher also directed the excellent Zombieland, which is farther up in this list. This film, however, is little more than the typical R-Rated comedy driven by crude, filled with one-note jokes worth a few laughs and a strange, nonsensical plot. What's weird is that this nonsensical plot is apparently based on a true story. Go figure. The movie isn't that bad, however it isn't anything special. There are plenty of crude comedies much more worth watching than this one.

7. Holy Rollers - ★★ (2/4)
Holy Rollers is a very average film. It has amazing potential as it is based upon a good and real story; and contains an incredible performance from Eisenberg. It's unfortunate that the movie never managed to rise beyond the genre cliches of the typical nightlife coming-of-age story. It ended up as little more than a typical drama with a non-typical performance from Eisenberg who somehow managed to transcend the limitations of the script. It'd only be worth a watch if you really like Eisenberg.

6. Rio - ★★☆ (2.5/4 - POSITIVE)
Rio is a gorgeous looking film that was slightly overlooked amidst the chaos of the previous movie year. It's entertaining, bright and colorful, for children of all ages. The film features Eisenberg as the bird Blu; a bird that goes to Rio de Janeiro in order to breed with the last remaining female of his kind. As would be expected, comedic situations occur. It's neither innovative nor significant, it's merely good, fun entertainment. Good for toddlers and tykes; and maybe some older kids. I liked it for what it was worth.

5. Adventureland - ★★★ (3/4)
Adventureland is a sweet little retro romantic comedy who takes full advantage of its setting. As you can tell, Adventureland takes place in a theme park. Jesse Eisenberg stars as James; a graduate who starts working in the theme park in order to fund his graduate studies. At the park, he meets Em, played by Kristen Stewart, who shows much more range than she does in most cases. The movie is sweet and nice; nothing heavily special yet a great film nonetheless. Jesse Eisenberg acts this character quite effectively here.

4. Roger Dodger - ★★★ (3/4)
Roger Dodger is an intelligent film that stars Campbell Scott as Roger who's nephew Nick, played by Eisenberg, comes suddenly into his already complicated life. The film conceptualizes Nick's longing to lose his virginity as comparable to a war. The film for what it's worth is surprisingly poignant. The biggest plus to the film is the performances from the two leads, Campbell Scott and Eisenberg. This was Jesse's break-out performance, establishing his ability as a dramatic actor.

3. Zombieland - ★★★☆ (3.5/4)
Before Shaun of the Dead comparisons come here, I'll say that Shaun is the superior film. However, this is a pretty damn good film in itself. It's a classic road-trip comedy at heart; with zombies. The film is all-out funny. The editing is sharp and intelligent; one of the few films where it is possible to appreciate random text popping up. The four main cast members-namely Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin-all inject their own level of wit and fun to the film. It's plainly delightful. Harrelson's theme park scene and Bill Murray's random cameo are worth the watch alone.

2. The Squid and the Whale - ★★★☆ (3.5/4)
The Squid and the Whale is an intelligent family drama, extremely sharp and piercing. It's brutally honest; it doesn't gloss over any aspect of a divorce. It's funny in a way that you never want to laugh. The performances from the four main cast members are all astounding. The film centers around a family of four; and the aftermath of a divorce between the two parents. The effects are deeper than what we perceive they are. It's ingenious and filled with an acidic sort of wit. Eisenberg's performance here seems like a stepping stone to his next incredible role...

1. The Social Network - ★★★★ (4/4)
It was inevitable that this would be on the top. The movie is fantastic, not only because of it’s impeccable script, but also because of it’s amazing insight of the most popular social tool in the world. The story is impeccable. Behind the smokescreen of the whole Facebook deal, it's actually a deep insight onto the modern distraught genius. Eisenberg is riveting as the fast-talking Zuckerberg; whipping off every line. Yet the hints of breaking in his voice cap the performance with the idea that there is still vulnerability. It's a movie about ingenuity and innovation; a depiction of the irony of how the one that linked the entire world cannot, quote, "rub two friends together." It's an incredible achievement.

Unwatched: The Education of Charlie Banks, The Living Wake

Director's Order - Christopher Nolan

Christopher Nolan has been one of the most consistent directors working in Hollywood. Ever since his 1998 debut Following, he has directed a consistent string of both box-office and critical hits, the biggest of which is the popular The Dark Knight. He is known for his intelligent direction and sharp writing, commonly making films that go outside their respective genres. It's virtually a crime that he hasn't won a Directorial award as of now.

Ranked from least great to greatest, here are Christopher Nolan's films.

7. The Prestige (2006) - ★★★ (3/4)
It is by no means a bad film, it is merely his weakest film. The Prestige centers around the theme of illusion; by which magicians tend to use tricks basing from what cannot be seen. The film injects this concept into the structure of the plot, making use of twists and turns from this theme. It stars Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale as two magicians that are rivals. The film is, as always, excellently made and looks beautiful, leading to an Oscar nomination for best art direction. The plot is consistent and very well thought out, however suffers from a very random and deal breaking climax. Perhaps some restructuring and editing of the ending could've made this a Nolan classic. Still definitely worth a watch though.

6. Following (1998) - ★★★ (3/4)
The Following is the most under-watched Nolan feature. It centers upon a young man who becomes involved in a criminal group whilst going around the streets. As a debut, it's quite outstanding. It's suspenseful, gripping, and makes creative use of lack of appropriate light. It's ridiculously short at a mere 70 minutes, but packs an immense amount of gusto into those short moments. Nolan directed, wrote, edited and was the cinematographer in order to cut costs. This small movie made for a mere $6,000 dollars launched the career of then a then twenty-something Nolan and he would later go on to direct movies made for nearly $200 million. It's a directorial success story.

5. Insomnia (2002) - ★★★☆ (3.5/4)
Now for the heavy hitters. Insomnia is a remake of a Norwegian film of the same name. I've never watched the original, however, I can comment that this is an excellent film. It's a gripping psychological thriller; most significantly because of the trio of performances from Robin Williams, Hilary Swank and most importantly Al Pacino, who gives his absolute all here. There's plenty of creativity here; it's perhaps one of the best remakes I've seen so far. It's not often that a Hollywood remake of a foreign film, most especially a horror or thriller, becomes successful in becoming its own film. Nolan certainly made it in his own way of making movies. It's definitely worth a watch, seeing as how the top 4 remaining has been watched by everyone.

4. Batman Begins - ★★★☆ (3.5/4)
Besides the fact that this is an excellent film, Batman Begins also deserves recognition for the creation of the gritty reboot; films that were reboot into their own series but told in a much darker fashion. Hollywood soon followed that trend, as seen in the multitude of dark adaptations such as the upcoming Spider-Man. This Batman Begins strips the batman we know from the first series as a rich, gadget-using crime-fighter down to his core. The movie is a rich character study; and focuses far more on Batman himself than its sequel. It's less of a superhero movie, more of a thrilling, character-driven action-drama where the main character merely wears a bat suit. It's deep.

3. Inception - ★★★☆ (3.5/4)
To all those loyal Inception fans out there, no, I am not completely insane for not giving Inception a perfect score. It's a film I want to give a perfect score to, however, can't for reasons I'm still not sure of myself. In terms of its placement here on the list, I do believe it'll be correct, regardless of the score. Inception is widely regarded as a modern science-fiction masterpiece, a deep and challenging movie about the architecture of the mind. It's highly involving; filled with rich and realistic characters and intelligent use of its core themes. It's also nearly perfect in Technical terms. The score from Hans Zimmer is astounding. The visual effects were incredible without being too heavy handed. Possible one of the most gorgeous science-fiction films I've seen.

2. Memento - ★★★★ (4/4)
Memento is an astounding film. It's an innovative film; thanks to the film's narrative structure which stands as the most unique way to tell a story that I've seen. This movie was what established Nolan as a director who can make films that are like nothing that anyone has made. I'm not going to try and explain the way its presented since Wikipedia has a five paragraph section just for that. However, apart from its innovative structure, it's also a thematic success. The way the story is told only enriches the story itself. It's an exploration into memory; and how it affects our way of looking into things. It's impossible to not try to watch it twice, since it's extremely difficult to comprehend everything on the first viewing.

1. The Dark Knight - ★★★★ (4/4)
It's the obvious choice for the top spot, but it's still the clearest. The Dark Knight remains to be one of the greatest movies of the decade; a look in what a superhero film should and could be. Bolstered by the incredible performance from Heath Ledger and a strong performance from Christian Bale, this film that deals with themes of crime and the human psych instead of typical superhero pathos becomes a modern classic masterpiece. It's technically pitch perfect and thematically pitch perfect. It's one film that can be appreciated by nearly everybody; from critics to audiences to those who rarely watch film, and even aficionados of the comic series. It's a movie that rises completely above what we expect; at least until The Dark Knight Rises comes out. Let's wait and see.