Happy Birthday, Daniel Day-Lewis!

On this April 29th, I would like to send some hearty birthday wishes to Daniel Day-Lewis, who turns 55 today. The English actor has easily cemented himself as one of the top actors of today's Hollywood generation by turning in brilliant performance after brilliant performance. He's a four-time Oscar nominee and two-time Oscar winner, nabbing those illustrious statuettes for his leading roles in 1989's My Left Foot and 2007's There Will Be Blood. Day-Lewis is rather selective of his roles (for example, his next scheduled role won't come until 2013), so he doesn't have the massive quantity of films in his repertoire as some other actors; however, it really comes down to quality, and there are few - if any - of Day-Lewis's peers who come close to matching his level. As usual, I've broken down my five favorite roles for the birthday boy or girl, so here's a look at the five characters that Day-Lewis has brought to the screen that I've enjoyed the most. Once again, happy birthday Daniel Day-Lewis.

#5. Guido Contini
Nine (2009)


----------

#4. Hawkeye
The Last of the Mohicans (1992)


----------

#3. Bill 'The Butcher' Cutting
Gangs of New York (2002)


----------

#2. Daniel Plainview
There Will Be Blood (2007)


----------

#1. Gerry Conlon
In the Name of the Father (1993)

Happy Birthday, Michael Mann!

Today we're celebrating the 69th birthday of four-time Academy Award-nominated director and producer Michael Mann. Mann's first directorial effort happened to be a 1968 documentary entitled Insurrection, but it wasn't until 1981 that he created his first theatrically-released, scripted feature film in Thief. From there, Mann was able to helm some of the biggest films of the 1990s, including 1992's The Last of the Mohicans, 1995's Heat and 1999's The Insider. He has worked relatively sparingly as a director throughout his career, and his most recent films have been 2004's Collateral, 2006's Miami Vice and 2009's Public Enemies. Despite his relatively low number of films with which he is associated, Mann has found a way to make a name for himself in the Hollywood community with his multiple Oscar nominations, three of which - including a Best Director nomination - came for The Insider. So, to celebrate his birthday, I've listed my five favorite of Michael Mann's directorial efforts, and I've found videos for your viewing pleasure. Once again, happy birthday, Michael Mann!

5. The Insider
1999


*****

4. Public Enemies
2009


*****

3. Heat
1995


*****

2. The Last of the Mohicans
1992


*****

1. Collateral
2004