rain

• Ice Storm, The directed by Ang Lee (1997)

  [5/10]

  "Director Ang Lee skillfully creates the bleak mood of The Ice Storm through carefully crafted scenes and an excellent cast that easily portray the film's hollow characters."

• Magnolia directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (1999)

  [8/10]

  "Somehow, in spite of all the negative situations, Magnolia has a voyeuristic charm. I think we all can sympathize with one or more of the characters, and perhaps we realize (especially after the World Trade Center disaster) how easily outside events can pull our lives out of the track that we carefully planned an place us on a collision course with our past."

  Average score: 6.50