Best Picture Ranking
Ranking all the best picture winners
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- DirectorEthan CoenJoel CoenStarsTommy Lee JonesJavier BardemJosh BrolinViolence and mayhem ensue after a hunter stumbles upon the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong and over two million dollars in cash near the Rio Grande.I know I'm biased but this is my favorite film of all time. The film that got me into film. A film I watch every time I need to fall back in love with it. Of course for me it's going to be at the top.
- DirectorFrancis Ford CoppolaStarsMarlon BrandoAl PacinoJames CaanThe aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son.The pinnacle of American Cinema for most, and yet it feels like I'm still underselling it somehow. Far too much has been said by far smarter and better people than I. It's the American film most important to the cannon of film and it's good that it "upset" Cabaret for BP.
- DirectorFrancis Ford CoppolaStarsAl PacinoRobert De NiroRobert DuvallThe early life and career of Vito Corleone in 1920s New York City is portrayed, while his son, Michael, expands and tightens his grip on the family crime syndicate.It's right up there with the original. I don't think it's quite as good personally but I know that might be an unpopular opinion for most. Still though it's basically perfect.
- DirectorPeter JacksonStarsElijah WoodViggo MortensenIan McKellenGandalf and Aragorn lead the World of Men against Sauron's army to draw his gaze from Frodo and Sam as they approach Mount Doom with the One Ring.Spoiler Alert: I love LOTR. This might even be my least favorite of the trilogy but it's the peak of blockbuster film making. It gives me chills like 5 times and is defiantly a worth collusion to the best trilogy of all time.
- DirectorDaniel KwanDaniel ScheinertStarsMichelle YeohStephanie HsuJamie Lee CurtisA middle-aged Chinese immigrant is swept up into an insane adventure in which she alone can save existence by exploring other universes and connecting with the lives she could have led.Just wow... This one left me breathless. It's both one of funniest films and emotionally hard hitting films on this list. I'm worried how the humor is going to age but still this film is like facing 30 pitchers at the same time and knocking them all out of the park. A modern masterpiece and as of writing my favorite film of the decade.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsLiam NeesonRalph FiennesBen KingsleyIn German-occupied Poland during World War II, industrialist Oskar Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis.One of the most powerful movies ever made not much you can say. it transcends becoming a movie and becomes something more. Finnes and Neeson, the directing from Spielberg, that red coat. Not an easy watch but an essential one.
- DirectorMichael CurtizStarsHumphrey BogartIngrid BergmanPaul HenreidA cynical expatriate American cafe owner struggles to decide whether or not to help his former lover and her fugitive husband escape the Nazis in French Morocco.Another one I don't feel like I have to say much about. I mean it's Casablanca. It's one of the Mount Rushmore films of Hollywood.
- DirectorBarry JenkinsStarsMahershala AliNaomie HarrisTrevante RhodesA young African-American man grapples with his identity and sexuality while experiencing the everyday struggles of childhood, adolescence, and burgeoning adulthood.La La Land get it haha. Anyways, I shouldn't be joking. This is a deeply personal and beautiful look at a life that i think most people can relate to. It's a movie that almost made me cry, something I don't do often to films. Barry Jenkins just knocked this one out of the park.
- DirectorMilos FormanStarsJack NicholsonLouise FletcherMichael BerrymanIn the Fall of 1963, a Korean War veteran and criminal pleads insanity and is admitted to a mental institution, where he rallies up the scared patients against the tyrannical nurse.1975 might have the best Best Picture lineup of all time (Barry Lyndon, Jaws, Nashville and Dog Day Afternoon could all be very deserving winners in most years) yet this stands right up to all of them. The performances, the score, the writing. It doesn't get much better than this.
- DirectorJonathan DemmeStarsJodie FosterAnthony HopkinsScott GlennA young F.B.I. cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.You know a movie is great when the Academy gives it Best Picture despite it being nothing like anything else on this list. It's a smaller budget film released in May and on top of that, it's a horror film a genre that's always famously overlooked. That didn't stop it from winning not just Best Picture but winning the "Big 5". Not hard to see why it's iconic scene after iconic scene in this one.
- DirectorBong Joon HoStarsSong Kang-hoLee Sun-kyunCho Yeo-jeongGreed and class discrimination threaten the newly-formed symbiotic relationship between the wealthy Park family and the destitute Kim clan.For the first ever foreign winner you really couldn't pick a better winner. Everything here is right on point. From the immaculate camerawork and production design to the masterful writing and directing. The layers on this thing is absolutely amazing and it's great that it won, even in a loaded year.
- DirectorSteve McQueenStarsChiwetel EjioforMichael Kenneth WilliamsMichael FassbenderIn the antebellum United States, Solomon Northup, a free Black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery.Easily one of the hardest ones to watch. It's an unflinching looks at one of the darkest periods in American history. The performances suck you in and you don't even realize you've been holding your breath for 2 hours until it ends.
- DirectorGeorge Roy HillStarsPaul NewmanRobert RedfordRobert ShawTwo grifters team up to pull off the ultimate con.I feel like this one gets overlooked a bit sometimes. Whether it's the fact that it's a bit more low stakes and "simple" compared to others, or because of the film's its sandwiched between. This is film is just too damn fun to hate.
- DirectorKevin CostnerStarsKevin CostnerMary McDonnellGraham GreeneLieutenant John Dunbar, assigned to a remote western Civil War outpost, finds himself engaging with a neighbouring Sioux settlement, causing him to question his own purpose.I get the reasons why a lot of people don't like this one but I find it to be a beautiful, moving flick with a tone of great emotion. I don't feel the runtime at all and it never fails to sweep me away in the world of this one.
- DirectorDavid LeanStarsPeter O'TooleAlec GuinnessAnthony QuinnThe story of T.E. Lawrence, the English officer who successfully united and led the diverse, often warring, Arab tribes during World War I in order to fight the Turks.The Hollywood epic to end all epics. Perhaps the most "cannon" film ever, and the film with maybe the greatest cinematography ever. Need I go on?
- DirectorLewis MilestoneStarsLew AyresLouis WolheimJohn WrayA German youth eagerly enters World War I, but his enthusiasm wanes as he gets a firsthand view of the horror.Easily holds up today and is one of the films from the early years that I think everyone could enjoy. Even with the new Netflix remakes, the visuals here are much more striking and visceral.
- DirectorElia KazanStarsMarlon BrandoKarl MaldenLee J. CobbAn ex-prize fighter turned New Jersey longshoreman struggles to stand up to his corrupt union bosses, including his older brother, as he starts to connect with the grieving sister of one of the syndicate's victims.A beautiful masterpiece. Marlon Brando with a performance that not only is it among his best, but the best in all of cinema. The story isn't too bad either.
- DirectorNorman JewisonStarsSidney PoitierRod SteigerWarren OatesA black Philadelphia police detective is mistakenly suspected of a local murder while passing through a racially hostile Mississippi town, and after being cleared is reluctantly asked by the police chief to investigate the case.Now this is a solid film. I'm glad we got a great winner in a year so important to Hollywood history. Poiter is iconic and you can just tell that this is a New Hollywood film
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsLeonardo DiCaprioMatt DamonJack NicholsonAn undercover cop and a mole in the police attempt to identify each other while infiltrating an Irish gang in South Boston.The Departed is an interesting film in Scorsese's filmography. Most wouldn't say it's his best yet it's the one that finally got him his BP winner. That being said it's far from bad. While it doesn't quite stand up to the top of his most iconic it's still a great and deserving winner. You can't deny a good Scorsese mob flick.
- DirectorWilliam A. WellmanHarry d'Abbadie d'ArrastStarsClara BowCharles 'Buddy' RogersRichard ArlenTwo young men, one rich, one middle class, who are in love with the same woman, become fighter pilots in World War I.A deserving first winner in a packed year. Even 100 years later, the dogfights are still jaw dropping. I think it's a good quintessential "Hollywood" film.
- DirectorBilly WilderStarsRay MillandJane WymanPhillip TerryThe desperate life of a chronic alcoholic is followed through a four-day drinking bout.A bleak and stark look at alcoholism that had aged shockingly well. It's paced and edited immaculately, though you shouldn't expect less from Billy Wilder, and it's all lead by an all timer of a performance from Ray Milland
- DirectorKathryn BigelowStarsJeremy RennerAnthony MackieBrian GeraghtyDuring the Iraq War, a Sergeant recently assigned to an army bomb squad is put at odds with his squad mates due to his maverick way of handling his work.The first winner to be directed by a woman. Which is funny since this is a great look at masculinity and war. The diffusing scenes are super intense and a powerful allegory for addiction.
- DirectorWilliam FriedkinStarsGene HackmanRoy ScheiderFernando ReyA pair of NYPD detectives in the Narcotics Bureau stumble onto a heroin smuggling ring based in Marseilles, but stopping them and capturing their leaders proves an elusive goal.Now this is a cool ass movie. From the New York Streets, the iconic chases. Everything here is on point. What a job from Friedkin.
- DirectorAlejandro G. IñárrituStarsMichael KeatonZach GalifianakisEdward NortonA washed-up superhero actor attempts to revive his fading career by writing, directing, and starring in a Broadway production.I get why some people can't stand this one but it;s such a meta film done right. It's Iñárritu at the height of his powers. it might be a bit gimmicky but it's still interesting from a story standpoint and visually striking.
- DirectorJerome RobbinsRobert WiseStarsNatalie WoodGeorge ChakirisRichard BeymerTwo youngsters from rival New York City gangs fall in love, but tensions between their respective friends build toward tragedy.One of the few musicals that is an easy recomend. Sure the story is basically just Romeo and Juliet but the music here is really good, as are the performances and directing.
- DirectorJohn FordStarsWalter PidgeonMaureen O'HaraAnna LeeAt the turn of the century in a Welsh mining village, the Morgans, he stern, she gentle, raise coal-mining sons and hope their youngest will find a better life.The film that will forever be known as the one that denied Citizen Kane Hollywood's biggest honor. Which is a shame because it's actually a really solid film. I think that any film that can make a setting a character can like this film is really good. You really feel how tired and desperate this blue collar Welsh town is.
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenDiane KeatonTony RobertsAlvy Singer, a divorced Jewish comedian, reflects on his relationship with ex-lover Annie Hall, an aspiring nightclub singer, which ended abruptly just like his previous marriages.If you take all the... Woody Allen stuff out of this one you get a fun, well crafted and creative romcom.
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsClint EastwoodGene HackmanMorgan FreemanRetired Old West gunslinger William Munny reluctantly takes on one last job, with the help of his old partner Ned Logan and a young man, The "Schofield Kid."Damn does Eastwood know how to make Westerns. Even 30 years after his heyday he still makes one that slaps. Great action and Gene Hackman is unbelievable in this.
- DirectorSian HederStarsEmilia JonesMarlee MatlinTroy KotsurAs a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) Ruby is the only hearing person in her deaf family. When the family's fishing business is threatened, Ruby finds herself torn between pursuing her passion at Berklee College of Music and her fear of abandoning her parents.I hear a lot of people call this a "Disney Channel" film. And yes it is quite syrupy sweet but that's whats nice about it! It's a well crafted little crowd pleaser and in 2021 that's what we needed. How can you not love Troy Kotsur's performance here?
- DirectorTom McCarthyStarsMark RuffaloMichael KeatonRachel McAdamsThe true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core.It might not be All The President's Men but it's a solid investigative drama, even if it is a bit forgettable in the end.
- DirectorGuillermo del ToroStarsSally HawkinsOctavia SpencerMichael ShannonAt a top secret research facility in the 1960s, a lonely janitor forms a unique relationship with an amphibious creature that is being held in captivity.Yes... the fish fing movie. That's definitely a bit weird but it works a lot better in the film. Still no one talks about how excellent the water motif works here as well as how great the production design and costumes are as well.
- DirectorBilly WilderStarsJack LemmonShirley MacLaineFred MacMurrayA Manhattan insurance clerk tries to rise in his company by letting its executives use his apartment for trysts, but complications and a romance of his own ensue.Now this is a solid film. It's 2 hours of Billy Wilder just flexing his muscles on everyone. It's hard not to fall for Shirley MacLaine and Jack Lemmon here. Easy to see why it's so iconic.
- DirectorBernardo BertolucciStarsJohn LoneJoan ChenPeter O'TooleBernardo Bertolucci's Oscar-winning dramatisation of the life story of China's last emperor, Pu Yi.Probably a bit higher than most but this film in one I'm in awe of. Costuming and editing are great, and filming in the Forbidden City gives it an unforgivable look and it has an interesting script to boot.
- DirectorWilliam WylerStarsMyrna LoyDana AndrewsFredric MarchThree World War II veterans, two of them traumatized or disabled, return home to the American midwest to discover that they and their families have been irreparably changed.The timing of this film is super interesting. A film about coming back from war that hit right at the end of WW2 and the affects the war had on people is amazing, and it's well acted and directed.
- DirectorJoseph L. MankiewiczStarsBette DavisAnne BaxterGeorge SandersA seemingly timid but secretly ruthless ingénue insinuates herself into the lives of an aging Broadway star and her circle of theater friends.One of 3 films with 14 nominations. It's one of the biggest Oscar juggernauts of all time, anchored by Mankiewicz's masterful writing/ directing as well as Davis and Baxter's performances.
- DirectorJohn SchlesingerStarsDustin HoffmanJon VoightSylvia MilesA naive hustler travels from Texas to New York City to seek personal fortune, finding a new friend in the process.The only rated X film to win BP and a damn good one. So many things that this film just gets right and have that great grimy feel to it.
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsCillian MurphyEmily BluntMatt DamonThe story of American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atomic bomb.Nolan is so singular in his work. No other filmmaker out there has the budget to make films like he does. As always his films are insane to look at, he truly makes blockbusters on a different wavelength. And while i would be lying if I said I didn't feel the length here I'm still super glad Nolan finally got his Oscar for this.
- DirectorSam MendesStarsKevin SpaceyAnnette BeningThora BirchA sexually frustrated suburban father has a mid-life crisis after becoming infatuated with his daughter's best friend.Boy has this one not aged well. If you can get passed how... yucky it is then it's an interesting flick but I definitely understand if you can't.
- DirectorMilos FormanStarsF. Murray AbrahamTom HulceElizabeth BerridgeThe life, success and troubles of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, as told by Antonio Salieri, the contemporaneous composer who was deeply jealous of Mozart's talent and claimed to have murdered him.Definitely better than your typical biopic. The rivalry between the main two characters really pushes this one into a much better territory. it also sounds and looks gorgeous.
- DirectorRobert BentonStarsDustin HoffmanMeryl StreepJane AlexanderAfter his wife leaves him, a work-obsessed Manhattan advertising executive is forced to learn long-neglected parenting skills, but a heated custody battle over the couple's young son deepens the wounds left by the separation.You let Hoffman and Streep do their thing in a solidly written film you can't go wrong
- DirectorRob MarshallStarsRenée ZellwegerCatherine Zeta-JonesRichard GereTwo death-row murderesses develop a fierce rivalry while competing for publicity, celebrity, and a sleazy lawyer's attention.It shouldn't work but yet it just does. I like the music here and the story is engaging as well. Despite it not being my style at all I enjoyed it
- DirectorRobert RossenStarsBroderick CrawfordJohn IrelandJoanne DruThe rise and fall of a corrupt politician, who makes his friends richer and retains power by dint of a populist appeal.A solid rise and fall film. It's a story that's been told hundreds of time but good performances and editing rises this one up.
- DirectorDavid LeanStarsWilliam HoldenAlec GuinnessJack HawkinsBritish POWs are forced to build a railway bridge across the river Kwai for their Japanese captors in occupied Burma, not knowing that the allied forces are planning a daring commando raid through the jungle to destroy it.There is exactly one film on the list I feel like I didn't get a great watch of and it was this one. Going to have to rewatch it since due to things it took me 3 sit downs do complete. That being said I like what I saw. It seemed like a gripping and suspenseful war drama.
- DirectorBen AffleckStarsBen AffleckBryan CranstonJohn GoodmanActing under the cover of a Hollywood producer scouting a location for a science fiction film, a CIA agent launches a dangerous operation to rescue six Americans in Tehran during the U.S. hostage crisis in Iran in 1979.I'm just going to say it. This film is cool. I feel like it has a reputation as one of the lesser winners since it's a bit more... simplistic in it's film making but it's got a tight script, solid performances and it's a decent drama thriller.
- DirectorOliver StoneStarsCharlie SheenTom BerengerWillem DafoeChris Taylor, a neophyte recruit in Vietnam, finds himself caught in a battle of wills between two sergeants, one good and the other evil. A shrewd examination of the brutality of war and the duality of man in conflict.A solid Vietnam film. Stone's direction is on point and the all star cast does their job.
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsHilary SwankClint EastwoodMorgan FreemanFrankie, an ill-tempered old coach, reluctantly agrees to train aspiring boxer Maggie. Impressed with her determination and talent, he helps her become the best and the two soon form a close bond.It's good enough at first but it absolutely gut punches you in the end. I don't know what it's legacy would be like without it but with it it's great.
- DirectorFrank CapraStarsJean ArthurJames StewartLionel BarrymoreThe son of a snobbish Wall Street banker becomes engaged to a woman from a good-natured but decidedly eccentric family not realizing that his father is trying to force her family from their home for a real estate development.This one feels like a hidden gem of the winners. It's essentially a play for the most part but I found it to be cute. Capra's direction and the production design, as well as an early star turn from Jimmy Stewart are the highlights.
- DirectorFranklin J. SchaffnerStarsGeorge C. ScottKarl MaldenStephen YoungThe World War II phase of the career of controversial American general George S. Patton.A very long look at the life of George Patton. Great performance by Scott, iconic open and the down the middle open-endness approach to how the audience should feel about works.
- DirectorRobert RedfordStarsDonald SutherlandMary Tyler MooreJudd HirschThe accidental death of the older son of an affluent family deeply strains the relationships among the bitter mother, the good-natured father and the guilt-ridden younger son.A solid drama that's ahead of it's time but will always been known for beating two of the all time greats in Empire Strikes Back and Raging Bull
- DirectorBarry LevinsonStarsDustin HoffmanTom CruiseValeria GolinoAfter a selfish L.A. yuppie learns his estranged father left a fortune to an autistic-savant brother in Ohio that he didn't know existed, he absconds with his brother and sets out across the country, hoping to gain a larger inheritance.Hard not to like. A charming film with good characters that carries it.
- DirectorElia KazanStarsGregory PeckDorothy McGuireJohn GarfieldA reporter pretends to be Jewish in order to cover a story on anti-Semitism, and personally discovers the true depths of bigotry and hatred.Good but forgettable one. Another one where the post war affects are obvious and strikingly relevant today.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsRussell CroweJoaquin PhoenixConnie NielsenA former Roman General sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery.Banger. Sometimes a film just has to be cool af and this is one that's in that range.
- DirectorDanny BoyleLoveleen TandanStarsDev PatelFreida PintoSaurabh ShuklaA teenager from the slums of Mumbai becomes a contestant on the show 'Kaun Banega Crorepati?' When interrogated under suspicion of cheating, he revisits his past, revealing how he had all the answers.I like this one enough. It's framing device gets a bit old as it goes along and there is a bit of overdone tragedy but
- DirectorMel GibsonStarsMel GibsonSophie MarceauPatrick McGoohanScottish warrior William Wallace leads his countrymen in a rebellion to free his homeland from the tyranny of King Edward I of England.It might not be the most... accurate film or even super engaging all the time but the battle scenes deliver and that's really what it's setting out to do
- DirectorFrank CapraStarsClark GableClaudette ColbertWalter ConnollyA rogue reporter trailing a runaway heiress for a big story joins her on a bus heading from Florida to New York and they end up stuck with each other when the bus leaves them behind at one of the stops along the way.This one is hard to rate because it's like "the" romcom. Even 90 years later it's not hard to see how the tropes and plot points set up here are still to this day the basis of most romcoms. Gable and Colbert are electric it's not hard to see why this one swept the big 5.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsLaurence OlivierJoan FontaineGeorge SandersA self-conscious woman juggles adjusting to her new role as an aristocrat's wife and avoiding being intimidated by his first wife's spectral presence.Surprisingly, it's the only Hitchcock on the list. For the master of suspense it's surprising he only won for one of his early works, not from his immaculate run later on. Anyways this is a solid psychological thriller that you would expect from a genius like Hitchcock.
- DirectorWilliam WylerStarsCharlton HestonJack HawkinsStephen BoydAfter a Jewish prince is betrayed and sent into slavery by a Roman friend in 1st-century Jerusalem, he regains his freedom and comes back for revenge.As far as the old Hollywood blockbuster epics go, this one is alright. As someone who isn't religious a lot of the those elements don't do much for me here but still an awe to look at and the chariot scene is still a thrill to watch over 65 years later.
- DirectorTom HooperStarsColin FirthGeoffrey RushHelena Bonham CarterThe story of King George VI, his unexpected ascension to the throne of the British Empire in 1936, and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch overcome his stammer.This one isn't terrible. Sure it's not as great as some of its competition (Inception, Social Network) but it has a good script and works for what it's goal is.
- DirectorVincente MinnelliStarsGene KellyLeslie CaronOscar LevantThree friends struggle to find work in Paris. Things become more complicated when two of them fall in love with the same woman.It's a Gene Kelly musical alright. Decent music/ choreography and we kinda start the color era here. Technicolor always looks good.
- DirectorRon HowardStarsRussell CroweEd HarrisJennifer ConnellyA mathematical genius, John Nash made an astonishing discovery early in his career and stood on the brink of international acclaim. But the handsome and arrogant Nash soon found himself on a harrowing journey of self-discovery.I wish that the twist wasn't so well known because what a surprise that would have been. It saves what otherwise would have been a paint by numbers biopic.
- DirectorRobert WiseStarsJulie AndrewsChristopher PlummerEleanor ParkerA young novice is sent by her convent in 1930s Austria to become a governess to the seven children of a widowed naval officer.It's one of the most famous musicals ever for a reason. The mountainside locations are luscious, the music is good and it has a nice story. It is a bit too long however.
- DirectorFred ZinnemannStarsBurt LancasterMontgomery CliftDeborah KerrAt a U.S. Army base in 1941 Hawaii, a private is cruelly punished for not boxing on his unit's team, while his commanding officer's wife and top aide begin a tentative affair.It's a solid story about the lives of soldiers living at Pearl Harbor in the days before the attack. It's not something that really stuck with me but it's solid and it's easy to see why a 1953 Academy fell in love with it.
- DirectorRichard AttenboroughStarsBen KingsleyJohn GielgudRohini HattangadiThe life of the lawyer who became the famed leader of the Indian revolts against the British rule through his philosophy of nonviolent protest.A long, sprawling epic of a biopic but it doesn't do much to push past it's genre in the end
- DirectorLaurence OlivierStarsLaurence OlivierJean SimmonsJohn LauriePrince Hamlet struggles over whether or not he should kill his uncle, whom he suspects has murdered his father, the former king.I mean it's Hamlet. Not much more to add. Far from the worst but probably not the best adaptation.
- DirectorDelbert MannStarsErnest BorgnineBetsy BlairEsther MinciottiA middle-aged butcher and a school teacher who have given up on the idea of love meet at a dance and fall for each other.A cute little romcom. At 90 minutes it's the shortest winner ever. It's not hard to see why it's won, it's a charming underdog tale in a weak year, highlighted by Ernest Borgnine's performance.
- DirectorLeo McCareyStarsBing CrosbyBarry FitzgeraldFrank McHughWhen young Father O'Malley arrives at St. Dominic's, old Father Fitzgibbon doesn't think much of the church's newest member.A cute but ultimately forgettable film. You can't go wrong with a Bing Crosby musical, even if this is far from his best. Really not much more to say about it.
- DirectorFrank LloydStarsDiana WynyardClive BrookUna O'ConnorA portrayal of the triumphs and tragedies of two English families, the upper-crust Marryots and the working-class Bridgeses, from 1899 to 1933.This one gets a bad rap but I don't think its terrible. The history of the film is interesting and sure the Titanic reveal is funny I still got more out of it then I thought I would.
- DirectorJames L. BrooksStarsShirley MacLaineDebra WingerJack NicholsonFollows hard-to-please Aurora looking for love and her daughter's family problems.A fine 80s family drama but nothing you're going to go back to at any point
- DirectorEdmund GouldingStarsGreta GarboJohn BarrymoreJoan CrawfordA group of very different individuals staying at a luxurious hotel in Berlin deal with each of their respective dramas.The only film to win Best Picture without any other nominations. It has quite a lot of the stars of the time and the format of it (essentially an early version of an anthology film) is interesting but not memorable in the slightest.
- DirectorAnthony MinghellaStarsRalph FiennesJuliette BinocheWillem DafoeAt the close of World War II, a young nurse tends to a badly burned plane crash victim. His past is shown in flashbacks, revealing an involvement in a fateful love affair.Is it bad that this film will forever be known from Seinfeld? It's way too long and definitely drags at points but there is some great scene in here.
- DirectorChloé ZhaoStarsFrances McDormandDavid StrathairnLinda MayA woman in her sixties, after losing everything in the Great Recession, embarks on a journey through the American West, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad.I know that 2020 was slim pickings for obvious reasons but yeesh. What a boring movie, just Francis Mcdormand driving around in a van for 2 hours. Its pretty to look at at least.
- DirectorMichael CiminoStarsRobert De NiroChristopher WalkenJohn CazaleAn in-depth examination of the ways in which the Vietnam War impacts and disrupts the lives of several friends in a small steel mill town in Pennsylvania.What a bipolar movie. One the one hand you have incredible engaging scenes like all the famous Russian Roulette scenes and some other amazing ones centered by all time performances. On the other you have long sequences of incredibly boring scenes like the opening 40 minute wedding sequence that is an incredible slog to get through.
- DirectorFrank LloydStarsCharles LaughtonClark GableFranchot ToneFirst mate Fletcher Christian leads a revolt against his sadistic commander, Captain Bligh, in this classic seafaring adventure, based on the real-life 1789 mutiny.One of the older ones that I didn't like as much as others. The highlight was the character relationships, mostly between Gable and Laughton. I think a remake could do wonders because it's a story that could really use modern film technology and theories.
- DirectorRobert Z. LeonardStarsWilliam PowellMyrna LoyLuise RainerThe ups and downs of Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., famed producer of extravagant stage revues, are portrayed.This one was never really going to work for me. These super long "biopic" likes with a ton of song and dance numbers are technically impressive and nice to look at in the moment but never leaves you with much.
- DirectorMichel HazanaviciusStarsJean DujardinBérénice BejoJohn GoodmanWhen George, a silent movie superstar, meets Peppy Miller, a dancer, sparks fly between the two. However, after the introduction of talking pictures, their fortunes change, affecting their dynamic.I mean it's kinda cute? And it's a fun throwback to the silent era but outside of that it's the most forgettable winner we've had in a long long time
- DirectorPeter FarrellyStarsViggo MortensenMahershala AliLinda CardelliniA working-class Italian-American bouncer becomes the driver for an African-American classical pianist on a tour of venues through the 1960s American South.Lets start with the good: Viggo and Ali are both great and there are times where the writing is cute and works for the film. I even enjoyed it when I left the theater. But it definitely has not aged well at all. This cute, simplistic "racism is bad" film would have worked 30 years ago (Driving Miss Daisy) but by 2018 the idea that a film like this could win Best Picture is almost laughable (especially in a lineup that included BlacKKKlansman and Get Out, as well as the masterpiece that is Roma)
- DirectorJohn G. AvildsenStarsSylvester StalloneTalia ShireBurt YoungA small-time Philadelphia boxer gets a supremely rare chance to fight the world heavyweight champion in a bout in which he strives to go the distance for his self-respect.This is probably the hottest take here but... Rocky kinda sucks. It's utterly boring for the most part and is just riddled with cliches for the rest.
- DirectorFred ZinnemannStarsPaul ScofieldWendy HillerRobert ShawThe story of Sir Thomas More, who stood up to King Henry VIII when the King rejected the Roman Catholic Church to obtain a divorce and remarry.Kinda of just... forgettable. it's been a while but I literally can't remember anything about this one tbh.
- DirectorCarol ReedStarsMark LesterRon MoodyShani WallisAfter being sold to a mortician, young orphan Oliver Twist runs away and meets a group of boys trained to be pickpockets by an elderly mentor in 1830s London.Bleh. Has decent music but other than that it's really long for some reason and is mostly just boring.
- DirectorWilliam DieterleStarsPaul MuniGale SondergaardJoseph SchildkrautThe biopic of the famous French muckraking writer and his involvement in fighting the injustice of the Dreyfus Affair.What a hypocritical film. For a film that is basically all about one man and antisemitism you should probably at least talk about the main event of his life and say the word "Jew".
- DirectorGeorge CukorStarsAudrey HepburnRex HarrisonStanley HollowayIn 1910s London, snobbish phonetics professor Henry Higgins agrees to a wager that he can make crude flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, presentable in high society.A decent main performance but outside of that I don't really have much to say. It's a costumed drama/ musical that I don't remember the music from.
- DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsTom HanksRobin WrightGary SiniseThe history of the United States from the 1950s to the '70s unfolds from the perspective of an Alabama man with an IQ of 75, who yearns to be reunited with his childhood sweetheart.I never got this one. Just watching Hanks going from event to event without much to say that's interesting about it.
- DirectorBruce BeresfordStarsMorgan FreemanJessica TandyDan AykroydAn old Jewish woman and her African-American chauffeur in the American South have a relationship that grows and improves over the years.A boring and simplistic look at an issue that is much more important than that. A shame that this beat out a crowded field in an all time great movie year,
- DirectorJames CameronStarsLeonardo DiCaprioKate WinsletBilly ZaneA seventeen-year-old aristocrat falls in love with a kind but poor artist aboard the luxurious, ill-fated R.M.S. Titanic.You either love it or hate it. It made all of the money and is it's either one of the best love stories of our time or over dramatic slop. It has it's moments and is technically impressive but I fall more on the hate it side for sure. (they both could have fit on that door)
- DirectorWilliam WylerStarsGreer GarsonWalter PidgeonTeresa WrightA British family struggles to survive the first months of World War II.An utterly boring film for the most part. It gets a bit more interesting near the end. However, for the most part the main conflict is about women trying to win a rose contest. Not exactly the gripping film you'd expect to win as WW2 hits full power as the US enters.
- DirectorHugh HudsonStarsBen CrossIan CharlesonNicholas FarrellTwo British track athletes, one a determined Jew and the other a devout Christian, are driven to win in the 1924 Olympics as they wrestle with issues of pride and conscience.Coming in I knew this one was much maligned but I had high hopes still but yeah... that score is about the only good thing about it.
- DirectorMichael AndersonJohn FarrowStarsDavid NivenCantinflasFinlay CurrieA Victorian Englishman bets that with the new steamships and railways he can circumnavigate the globe in eighty days.Less a movie and more just a super long travel commercial. All the sets pieces in different countries around the world are cool but other than that it's way way way too long and most of the plot from the book is taken out.
- DirectorJohn MaddenStarsGwyneth PaltrowJoseph FiennesGeoffrey RushThe world's greatest ever playwright, William Shakespeare, is young, out of ideas and short of cash, but meets his ideal woman and is inspired to write one of his most famous plays.It's a travesty this beat Saving Private Ryan. It's a neat idea but lets be honest no one remembers a thing about it nowadays.
- DirectorSydney PollackStarsMeryl StreepRobert RedfordKlaus Maria BrandauerIn 20th-century colonial Kenya, a Danish baroness/plantation owner has a passionate love affair with a free-spirited big-game hunter.Boring boring boring. It has elements where you think this should be a homerun (i mean Streep and Redford? Come on!) but it's just... boring like what even happens here? Nothing!
- DirectorPaul HaggisStarsDon CheadleSandra BullockThandiwe NewtonLos Angeles citizens with vastly separate lives collide in interweaving stories of race, loss and redemption.One of the more infamous winners and it's really not hard to see why. It's look and take on racism is elementary at best and some scenes are downright laughable. The fact it beat Brokeback Mountain is inexcusable.
- DirectorTony RichardsonStarsAlbert FinneySusannah YorkGeorge DevineThe romantic and chivalrous adventures of adopted bastard Tom Jones in 18th-century England.Perhaps the weirdest film to win Best Picture? Someone was on drugs making this. It's messy and all over the place and every time you start to get into it the films hits you with whiplash. It also came out at an interesting time in cinema and Hollywood history right before New Hollywood kicked off.
- DirectorVictor FlemingGeorge CukorSam WoodStarsClark GableVivien LeighThomas MitchellA sheltered and manipulative Southern belle and a roguish profiteer face off in a turbulent romance as the society around them crumbles with the end of slavery and is rebuilt during the Civil War and Reconstruction periods.It's Gone With The Wind. I'm far from the first and I'm sure I won't be the last to discuss it. It's the pinnacle of the studio system for a reason. From a technical standpoint it's stunning. From the sets, to the costumes to the camera work. However, it will always be overshadowed by it's blatant racism. Also it's melodrama is just so over the top that at times you just have to laugh.
- DirectorCecil B. DeMilleStarsJames StewartCharlton HestonBetty HuttonThe dramatic lives of trapeze artists, a clown, and an elephant trainer are told against a background of circus spectacle.The circus one. It has a few interesting moment, mostly the famous train crash but that's in the last half hour. The rest of it is quite long and boring but hey a young Spielberg loves it so at least we have that.
- DirectorWesley RugglesStarsRichard DixIrene DunneEstelle TaylorA newspaper editor settles in an Oklahoma boom town with his reluctant wife at the end of the nineteenth century.Boring and bland, a paint by numbers with 1930's stereotypes and a terrible sound design that makes it hard to hear.
- DirectorHarry BeaumontStarsBessie LoveAnita PageCharles KingA pair of sisters from the vaudeville circuit try to make it big time on Broadway, but matters of the heart complicate the attempt.A very rough early sound musical. Music is not that memorable and the characters are super unlikable. Kinda interesting to see as a transition to sound film.
- DirectorVincente MinnelliCharles WaltersStarsLeslie CaronMaurice ChevalierLouis JourdanWeary of the conventions of Parisian society, a rich playboy and a youthful courtesan-in-training enjoy a platonic friendship which may not stay platonic for long.This one is a big yikes. It was already facing an uphill battle considering it's a costume drama/ musical but then the first song hits and it's about a guy saying he loves little girls... yikes.