If you were putting together a cast for a movie about relationships, betrayal, and the ever-changing drama that envelops our lives nowadays, you'd need two gorgeous people who are capable of acting, and two method actors that clean up better than you would have imagined.

Enter Jude Law, Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, and Natalie Portman. One of the most ridiculous casts ever put together (outdone by maybe Ocean's Eleven), and a bunch of really good looking people who can just flat out act. In fact, Natalie Portman tries to look ugly at the beginning of the movie, and somehow Jude Law is seen looking at her with Damien Rice singing "I can't take my eyes off of you" in the background. Julia Roberts is her beautiful self throughout, but perhaps the most surprising performance in the whole movie is that of Clive Owen's. I didn't even know who he was when I first watched this movie (although he has gained a bit more fame since), but I instantly found him to be my favorite character. Strong, passionate, and with a cool accent make him the most interesting piece in this movie, and ultimately established him as one of the better actors of our day in my mind. 

If you're looking for a happy-go-lucky love story this movie is not for you. But if you're looking for a crazy, completely conceivable movie that will remind you of relationships of your own or your friends', then this movie might just be the most interesting watch you'll have for a while. And the eye candy isn't that bad, either.

One of my favorite things to do is watch people go on to imdb.com's "Top 250" movie list for the first time, and watch their reaction as they see that some random movie called The Shawshank Redemption beat out The Godfather for the top spot. I then proceed to never take their cinematic opinions seriously in the future, as well as to judge their intelligence (or lack thereof) ever so slightly.

Simply the story of Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) as told through his inmate buddy Red's (Morgan Freeman) eyes and voice, this movie moves along at a slower pace than one that will usually hold the average viewer's attention. That's probably why it went unnoticed when it first came out, but over the years people have begun to acknowledge its genius and remarkable script, giving it the acclaim that it has always deserved.

Morgan Freeman's voice keeps us entranced throughout the entire film, ripping apart our emotions one by one as the story of a lifetime unfolds in a manner we could never have expected. If some media channel or inconsiderate friend hasn't ruined this movie for you already, then you are in for one of the best stories told in our generation, with a plot twist that will leave you pressing the rewind button over and over again to make sure that it really did happen. 

But the true beauty of this movie comes from something we almost never experience. In fact, the only other movie I can think of that made me feel this way is Slumdog Millionaire. And the feeling is simple: wanting to cry at the end of a movie out of happiness. Think about it; it never happens. And this movie is one of those where you almost stand up and cheer as two men slowly redeem and rehabilitate what was once so wrongly taken away from them. In a world where every director tries to make us cry by making us sad, Shawshank triumphs by doing the same but adding a smile to the mix.

Race is usually tiptoed around in movies nowadays, with politically correct storylines, token colored people, and a careful eye to avoid slang and other stereotypical mishaps. Crash, on the other hand, takes almost every racially charged issue you can think of and moulds them all together to form a powerhouse crescendo of absolute truth and blatant representation of our world today.

Set in current day Los Angeles, the movie takes the lives of about 10 strangers who all become connected through their own racist acts. Written with a need to evoke emotion, the script finds a way to offend a large majority of people who live in America today. However, each character, while having a flaw, is given a fantastic moment of self-realization, and this is where the movie triumphs (ultimately giving it the Oscar nod for Best Picture). Understanding the duality of human nature and the acceptance of everything we interact with are two of the main themes of this movie, and they are wonderfully portrayed.

The simple fact that this movie won Best Movie should be enough to convince you to watch it, but if nothing else you have to see the performance of Michael Pena, a relatively unknown actor. You might literally pull your hair out at some parts of his story, and every line, every emotion, every second he is on-screen is portrayed in complete perfection, with not a single detail missed.

This movie will make you cringe, cry, laugh, and most importantly breathe a sigh of relief. Because what's most important about this movie is that it reminds us that no matter how hard we try, we cannot escape the fact that every single one of us is human.

Have you ever watched a movie and thought about how characters in the movie closely resemble people in your own life? Either they talk the same way, do the same dumb things, or, on rare occasion, even look the same; every time, its creepy. Mean Girls is one of those movies where you sit down with some popcorn, some friends, and expect one of those mind-numbing classics that will be watched once then forgotten.

Instantly, however, you realize that something is very wrong. It almost makes you feel uncomfortable. It took me a while to figure it out, but when I did, I was amazed at just how good this movie was. 

Take every stereotype you can think of in high school. Sexually active band nerds, Superjocks, ditsy girls, fat girls, cool girls, annoying kids with rolly backpacks, the emo kids, and even a big gay guy. Now, realize that none of these are stereotypes; they are actual representations of what happens in high school. And Mean Girls so inadvertently slips them by you that you almost forget that you are/were one of these stereotypes. It's incredible how accurate this movie is, and just how much you laugh without realizing that this movie is either making fun of you or one of your best friends. That's all I'm going to say about the hidden brilliance of this movie.

Other than that, its some of hottest girls (Rachel McAdams, Lindsey Lohan, Lacey Chabert) all rolled into one sadistic yet clever movie about high school bitches and their slow but inevitable development. It's definitely a predictable story, but there are some lines that will have you laughing so hard you'll almost pee yourself. And if you're a fan of Tina Fey, this is a must-see (she wrote most of the script, which actually explains why its so much funnier than it should be). So go watch it with just the idea that someone somewhere that you went to/are going to school with is exactly like one of the characters in this movie...and laugh at them without feeling even a little bit of remorse.

I'm gonna stick to another older movie that is a classic because I feel that to truly appreciate modern-day cinema, its very important to understand where a lot of actors/actresses got their start, as well as to comprehend the genres that have recently become popular and the movies that started them. If you like movies such as the Saw series, I think it is pivotal that you see the movie that really opened Hollywood's eyes to the idea of dark thrillers with villains as central characters. See the similarity? Both Jigsaw and Hannibal Lecter are villains that moviegoers cheer for, and we can all heartily thank Anthony Hopkins for this phenomenon.

The movie moves rather slowly, but it would be terrible if it didn't. The pace of the movie is perfect for the drama, because it builds suspense and keeps us guessing. You can't wait for the next clue in the mystery, and for Jodie Foster to go back and have another chat with Hannibal. And to wrap things up, the movie is actually scary. Not like The Grudge scary or The Ring scary, but actually scary. The last ten minutes of the movie you will hardly breathe, much less be able to move. The tension is so thick it could probably only be cut with a chainsaw, and the ending will leave you wiping sweat off your forehead. If you sat through even one abysmal horror flick this past year, invest 2 hours into one of the best movies of all time, and prepare to clap for Anthony Hopkins at the end.

"Put the lotion in the basket!!"

There are two types of people who don't like this movie:

1. Guys who like the fighting part and then lose interest once its no longer about a bunch of dudes beating the pulp out of each other.
2. Girls who don't like "fighting movies" but watched Fight Club anyway because Brad Pitt was shirtless 50% of the time.

Both of these genre of people probably listen (and sing along to) Nickelback, claim their favorite actor to be Nicholas Cage (interesting sidenote: i find it highly coincidental that both the lead singer of Nickelback and Nicholas Cage share a STRIKING resemblance to one another), and believe that Pepsi tastes better than Coke (ok, this ones not AS black and white). I have decided to name people in this genre as "Severely Misinformed", or "Ignorant as all Hell" in layman's terms. 

Fight Club is terrific; bold in so many ways that it screams "WATCH ME" out at you while at the same time making you want to take a break and just process everything that is happening. From the very beginning the purposefully monotone commentary from Edward Norton is vivid and entertaining, leaving us thinking with lines such as "This is your life and its ending one minute at a time". Then you meet Brad Pitt, who proves beyond a reasonable doubt that he is one of the best actors in Hollywood (long before Benjamin Button), and from there the roller coaster ride begins. Fights, hidden plotlines, crazy characters, blood, sweat, tears, love, drugs, and the glorious twist that has defined this movie for more than a decade. If you don't like this movie, something about your judgment is very questionable to me. It makes you think, it makes you cringe, it makes you laugh, and best of all, it does it all at the same time. 

***Spoiler Alert***

If you've already seen this movie, re-watch it for something very interesting. In case you didn't notice the first time, there are a number of "flashes" of Brad Pitt throughout the beginning of the movie where you see a quick frame of Brad Pitt appear and disappear..it seems like a glitch at first, until you realize the main plotline (but by that time its stopped happening and you forget it happened). The reason for it is obvious (Brad being the subconscious of Edward, thereby beginning to manifest for brief moments until the first true meeting). Its a fantastic little tidbit that only someone who truly appreciates the finer things about this movie will find enjoyable..you should be one of those people. You really should.

Also, I just want to share that this is one of the best endings of any movie I've ever seen. The only movie that comes close is The Usual Suspects, in my opinion. The rising crescendo that culminates into the powerful, moving, guesswork-creating climax leaves you riveted to your seat as you watch the greatest message ever given by the last .05 seconds of a movie. Tyler says it earlier, but you don't even think about it until the Pixies are making you wonder "Where is my mind?", and then you think back to it and suddenly it all becomes clear:

"Self-improvement is masturbation. Now, self-destruction..."

Since Academy Award season is looming right around the corner, lets examine one of the critical favorites slated to win the title of Best Picture: The Social Network.

One of the wittiest scripts written since Chicago, this movie is one of the greater character studies done in our generation. In a time where mindless movies seem to dominate the big screens, it was certainly refreshing to see a (partially) true story told in an engaging and provoking fashion, keeping most of us glued to the screen all the way to the unresolved ending. 

Let me delineate, however. This is not, in my opinion, the best movie of the year. I do feel, though, that many people watch this movie simply for its surface, oogle at Justin Timberlake, and completely forget that this movie literally makes you think like Mark Zuckerburg. Even though the story almost completely incriminates Zuckerburg as far as the Facebook saga goes, you can't help but cheer once the cases are presented and he wins by losing. And that's the beauty of it. If you guys don't know about Aaron Sorkin, get familiar. He only wrote the original screenplay for this one movie called A Few Good Men and later was a writer for this kinda under-the-radar, not-sure-if-you've-heard-about-it show named The West Wing (that was complete sarcasm by the way..if you haven't heard of either of those entertainment powerhouses you've either been living in an atomic safehouse or you're Hellen Keller). Basically Mr. Sorkin knows his stuff. And he was able to take a somewhat mundane story and turn it into a two hour tour de force worth watching at least twice. 

Remember, this movie is about one of the smartest people in our generation. The dialogue shows it. Jesse Eisenberg not only speaks very quickly but also uses a wit and tone that can be hard to understand. But if you love clever jokes, scathing sarcasm, and great character pieces, this may well be the best movie you'll watch this year (or at this rate, the next 4 or 5 years). But if you'd rather not think too hard while enjoying a flick while munchin' on some popcorn, however, you may wanna stick with Toy Story 3 (this isn't an insult..Toy Story is awesome).

Who doesn't love Ashton Kutcher? If you've ever seen That 70's Show (I mean, if you haven't, you're missing out), Punk'd, Dude Where's My Car?, or even What Happens in Vegas, you have inevitably at some point laughed at one of his antics. And for those of you who don't know who Natalie Portman is or have no idea as to her acting genius, feel free to check out Closer (Jude Law, Clive Owen, and Julia Roberts are also in it). Yes, I'm talking about No Strings Attached, the newest Chic Flick in a long line of nauseatingly cute yet undoubtedly entertaining romantic comedies. If you like other movies in this genre, this is a must-see. Ashton and Natalie's onscreen chemistry is unmistakable, and the characters they are playing are both believable and relatable. You'll find  yourself laughing at them one second, then slowly realizing that what just happened applies to your life as well. 

The story of course is nothing spectacular, and you're assured a happy ending almost before you get through the trailer for the movie. However, like I said, if this genre is your cup of tea, then consider this one of the most pungent and delightful cups you've had in recent years. No Strings Attached will keep you smiling and nodding all the way through, and you'll leave the movie theater (or your couch) thoroughly entertained and wanting someone to love.