There are plenty of styles of movies out there. But few truly provoke thinking once the credits begin to roll. The ones that do are special. Today I honor six of my favorites...
 

             
Equilibrium:
        Christian Bale (the greatest living actor) stars in a movie that brings the question of importance. What is more important? The "rules" of the world you live in or what is right. The beauty of Equilibrium is it is really an exaggeration of what today's society is becoming. Call it an homage to George Orwell's book, 1984. I can't leave out the fact that Equilibrium may have the coolest fight scenes of any movie the world never saw. It is to the Matrix what The Thin Red Line was to Saving Private Ryan.

             
Donnie Darko:
        Hate it or love it, you can't watch this movie and not think about life in some way. It's a great insight into the mind of a young man who must struggle with a decision between making other lives better or living his own. I find it difficult to really describe the meaning of this movie. I think it varies from viewer to viewer and that is why it belongs here.

            
Crash:
        I don't even know where to begin. This movie has influenced me so much in my recent endeavor to begin scriptwriting. It's a beautiful mess of racism, sexism, and all the other -isms. Coming together in a memorable finish, Crash draws so many questions about our culture and our own way of thought. It's an eye-opening movie in the same realm as Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing.

           
Requiem For A Dream:
        This movie is so well-choreographed and put-together it leaves me with a dropped jaw and an open mind. I don't know if there are people out there who can watch this movie and not immediately break into discussion about its message and the results of the addictions it explores.

          
Fountain:
        Another film by Darren Aronofsky (Requiem), this is truly the most visually stunning movie I've ever seen. The Matrix was a breakthrough in film, but The Fountain is moving art. The beauty of this film is that most people don't really get it, and therefore they neglect it. Don't do that. Understand it. Understand that it is about the lengths at which we go to save the things we love and what gets left behind in the process. I don't want to put a mindset on you while you watch The Fountain because the reason it is so wonderful is its ability to warp your mind.

          
Gone Baby Gone:
        I recently reviewed this film. I don't need to say much more that hasn't already been said. Ben Affleck's first step towards (re)stardom has one of those controversial endings that leaves you sitting in your seat looking at the person next to you wondering what they are thinking. I challenge you to watch Gone Baby Gone and not allow curiosity to take over when it ends.