Derek Daniels (middleeasternfilms)

Very visually stunning - even moreso than the others - but it's incredibly long and actually quite boring. Then again, it has to be. The final two movies are set up to be deathfests and romance blossoms between characters, so this film really had to be the first Star Wars film in terms of sacrificing itself so the films that followed could do their thing. Not really disappointing under those circumstances.

Two incredibly gifted actors in Ethan Hawke and Mark Ruffalo - maybe the two most underrated in films today - are wasted beyond belief as two friends who grow up together as close as brothers, but are also lifelong criminals. It follows them as they both go to prison for stealing and hawking stolen televisions and serve their time. When they get out - at different times - Brian seems to have changed as he tries to get his family back and kick an alcohol addiction while Paulie hasn't really changed at all. The story means well, but the film just drags on and never gets going until it's over. But...the music's really good. I can say that much about it. Other than that, nothing special. Look for co-writer Donnie Wahlberg in this as well.

Paul Thomas Anderson's shining moment as a filmmaker (though most would now say it's There Will Be Blood), this is one movie that has had it's whole premise stolen over the years by such films as Crash, 11:14 and The Air I Breathe. The film follows an ensemble cast portraying characters within different stories that are all interrelated somehow and without the right casting and magnificent acting that this films supplies, it would fall flat as it relies on a lot of visuals to make it through the length. It would be very hard to pick out a best acting performance in this one, though Cruise won some awards for his role as a sexist and arrogant infomercial guru. Magnolia is just another chapter in the filmmaking wonderland of Anderson's career.

Ryan Gosling gave an Oscar-nominated performance as Daniel Dunn, an inner-city history teacher fighting his own personal demons while forming a friendship with a girl in his class. This movie, even moreso than Fracture, really showed how great of an actor Gosling really is. Combine this with incredible natural perfomances from Mackie and Epps and an almost perfect musical score by Canadian supergroup Broken Social Scene and this was certainly movie of the year quality!