2025 Oscar Adventure
Challenge: watch the last 30 years of Oscar Best Picture Nominees to see if I agree with the winner.
Year: 2006 (Nominee)
Okay, I'm an investigative murder porn girlie, don't shoot me. Or maybe do shoot me? Only if I get to be the subject of a movie like this one. Actually, Phillip Seymour Hoffman wouldn't be able to play a role in it, so maybe don't shoot me.
Hoffman's performance is incredibly powerful, a true transformation…
2025 Oscar Adventure
Challenge: watch the last 30 years of Oscar Best Picture Nominees to see if I agree with the winner.
Year: 2005 (Winner)
It feels like Morgan Freeman is cast primarily to justify using his voice for narration, and the narration is always far more poetic and wise than what you'd expect from his character. That being said, I can't get enough of it; why isn't every movie doing this?
While I don't watch boxing matches in real…
2025 Oscar Adventure
Challenge: watch the last 30 years of Oscar Best Picture Nominees to see if I agree with the winner.
Year: 2003 (Nominee)
Scorsese's Gangs of New York is a visually stunning historical epic, a grand attempt to illuminate a turbulent, often overlooked period of American history. The meticulously crafted set design is truly remarkable. However, the film ultimately buckles under the weight of its own ambition.
At 2 hours and 47 minutes, the film still feels insufficient…
2025 Oscar Adventure
Challenge: watch the last 30 years of Oscar Best Picture Nominees to see if I agree with the winner.
Year: 2005 (Nominee)
There was a moment in the movie when Paul Giamatti said the week had gone sour. Why couldn't he just have said 'Sideways'?
I appreciated Alexander Payne's restraint in keeping Sideways focused, especially considering the sprawling second half of his later film Downsizing. Payne's strength lies in telling smaller, character-driven stories. The film's characters and…
