We are about to hit Oscar season and what better than to pick our favorite Oscar Winning Best Picture because let’s face it we do love some more than others.
If you want to take part in the next round which is Favourite Ryan Reynolds Role to celebrate the release of Deadpool, if you want to take part end your pick to [email protected] by Sunday the 7th February 2016.
Darren – Movie Reviews 101
Silence of the Lambs
Silence of the Lambs brings us one of the greatest horror villains we have ever seen in Hannibal Lector we get one of the strongest leading female performance from Jodie Foster. This is the sort of film I could watch over and over because I love the investigation storyline but placing serial killer as support when it comes to solving a new serial killer. Buffalo Bill is arguable one of the most underrated villains in any film because he is very dark and keeps his victims alive. This film did clean up the Oscars by beating Beauty and the Beast, Bugsy, JFK and The Prince of Tide which shows the competition it was facing. My biggest praise for this film is that it hasn’t dated which is something which even the more modern films have suffered from.
Drew – Drew’s Movie Reviews
Million Dollar Baby
Everyone has that one film that changes the way they look at movies. For me, Million Dollar Baby is that movie. It was released in 2004 but I didn’t see it until years later, and man am I disappointed I didn’t see it sooner! Every member of the cast is at the top of their game and gives what may be their best performances of their careers. I could rave about each of them but then we’d be here for quite a while. This is a movie about boxing but it is so much more than that. The amount of heart contained in two hours is almost overwhelming. I was blown away how much I cared about these characters after such a short amount of time. Clint Eastwood wrote the score and it is nothing huge. It mainly consists of a simple solo acoustic guitar. Nothing big like Hans Zimmer or Alen Silvestri. Just a single guitar and it suits the movie perfectly. I can’t compliment this film enough. Million Dollar Baby was the best picture in 2004 and I would even argue it was the best picture of the decade.
Kim – Tranquil Dreams
The Sound of Music
I’ve always felt that the Oscar’s always pick movies that are more and more reliant on their gimmick or their art. Except a great movie sometimes isn’t about how much energy it takes to get through it, its about having a perfect time that helps you feel and suits the public. For me, nothing quite meets those drama and musical family enjoyment quite like The Sound of Music. I mean, that is why its played during the holidays on TV almost every year.
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest is easily my favorite of them all. It’s the only Best Picture winner that is also an all-time personal favorite film of mine. While there are plenty of other winners that I like a lot and really respect (such as The Godfather I & II and The Bridge On The River Kwai), I can’t really call them “favorite” films and I’ve not watched them over & over the way I have Cuckoo’s Nest. Jack Nicholson is at his crazy best, the soundtrack is insanely cool, it’s both funny & heartbreaking, and it has one of the best cinematic endings ever. I love it. Mmmmmm, Juicy Fruit!
Damien Riley – Riley Central
A Beautiful Mind
In 2001, the winner for best movie of the year was the true story: “A Beautiful Mind.” It’s my pick as favorite because it has elements below the surface that are enjoyable to watch over and over. Certain visuals stick with you and cause you to question and maybe understand the human mind better. Russell Crowe plays the humble John Nash, a gifted schizophrenic who is undiagnosed through most of the movie. Jennifer Connelly plays his wife. Watching the way his world looks to him is mesmerizing and eye opening. These elements make this film a haunting movie about the profound depth and vulnerability of the human mind.
Summer – Serendipitous Anachronisms
Gone With the Wind
Strangely, I have only seen Gone With the Wind all the way through once, but I am going with Gone with the Wind because every element is just amazing. With gorgeous costumes, beautiful sets, amazingly romantic score, great plot, fabulous actors, amazing directing, the film still holds up despite being over 75 years old!
Consider its longevity, very few films that old remain culturally relevant, but Gone with the Wind is part of the American cultural consciousness. People recognize the music, the stills, the script, very few films have a strong foothold on our cultural identity.
According to NPR, it remains the highest grossing film of all time, selling over 200 million tickets, and there’s a reason, despite the ridiculous length 221 minutes, (now you know why I have only seen it once) it is THAT GOOD.
1939 was a huge year for Hollywood many consider 1939 Hollywood’s best year. The Wizard of Oz, Stagecoach, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Of Mice and Men were just some of the films nominated for best picture that year. And Gone with the Wind beat them all!
Jen – Combustible Reviews
The Lord of the Rings: The return of the King
I think my Dad would pretty much disown me if I chose any other film than this. Fortunately, I happen to agree with him. Personally, they’ll never make a film as stunning as this again. Every time I watch it it feels like the first time again and I’m glued to the screen, breathless and I pretty much bawl as soon as it starts.
Emma – Emma Explains It All
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
Such a brilliant film and one that is for every generation and every age. An unforgettable story. Great actors and performances (super wonderful performances). Highs and lows – sometimes you laugh, sometimes you cry and sometimes you just feel so angry at the injustice. My mom saw it in the cinema and told me how everyone cheered when McMurphy started to throttle the evil Nurse Ratched. But for every heart breaking scene (and there are a few!) there’s another that uplifts as well. The World Series scene, offering Chief a Juicy Fruit and realising he’s smarter than he lets on. The fishing boat trip!
I was tempted to choose The Departed for this round of Opinion Battles as that’s another of my top fave films, but ultimately, I had to choose One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest which is a timeless, important and hugely memorable film which surely stays with every person who watches it. It’s one of those films that will never be recreated, it’s a one-off and it’s very, very special.
Richard – The Humpo Show
Gladiator (2000)
An epic film about the life of a loyal Roman General Maximus. Russell Crowe portrays the fictional General brilliantly, and he received a Best Actor Oscar. After the murder of his father by Commudus, Maximus is reduced to slavery and subsequently the gladiatorial arena to avenge the murders of his family and emperor. A thrilling, moving, breathtaking and beautiful film.
“Are you not entertained?!” – A line which everyone knows, and it encapsulates the arena scenes perfectly. Crowe is magnificent in these scenes especially.
The final scene is truly breathtaking and a beautiful moment in cinematic history. Possibly what we all dream of when our time comes.
Russell Crowe’s Best Actor speech is also a memorable moment that you should really check out. Here is a sentence that I found particularly strong and moving. Crowe had just been talking about growing up in a suburb, and the dream of winning a Oscar was ludicrous and simply unobtainable. “…for anybody who’s on the downside of advantage and relying purely on courage… it’s possible.”
S.G. Liput – Rhyme and Reason
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
There’s really no contest for me when it comes to Best Picture winner. My favorite Best Picture is my favorite movie: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, which broke new ground in being the only fantasy film to win the big prize and the biggest sweep in Oscar history. The awards were clearly meant not just for this final chapter, but for the entirety of Peter Jackson’s epic trilogy. The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers deserved a huge, satisfying conclusion, and Jackson delivered. Return of the King has everything: a stellar cast, epic music, incredible special effects and costumes, heroes rising to the challenge, sagely wisdom, noble sacrifices, bitter betrayals, monumental battles, ghost armies, giant elephants, giant eagles, giant spiders, tear-jerking farewells, and the ultimate example of good triumphing over evil. (I don’t understand people’s beef with the multiple endings. Perhaps too many fadeouts, but one does not simply end such a tremendous story without full closure.) There are always debates about whether certain winners really deserved the Best Picture Oscar, but The Return of the King was undoubtedly the best film of the year and perhaps of all time.
Dan – Slip/Through
LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962)
This sprawling epic beat out TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD to win the Oscar for Best Picture. ‘Nuff said, right?
While Gregory Peck may have beat out Peter O’Toole for Best Actor, LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (a.k.a. the biggest adventure to ever hit the silver screen) took home 7 of the Academy’s golden statues, including Best Director. Of course, cinematography won as well. The grand vistas have inspired generations of filmmakers. The storytelling is impeccable. The Oscar winning editing includes one of the most famous edits in cinematic history. I’m thinking of when the match blows out and we drastically jump cut (before it was a cliche).
Sure, some may roll their eyes at the long runtime… because they forget how many amazing 3 hour movies they’ve seen – and how few bad ones there were. It takes some time to fully absorb yourself in a story. It also requires careful guidance. Multiple Oscar winner, David Lean, directs this ambitious masterpiece with assured and delicate brushstrokes.
For movie nerds like me who really dig on the technical (direction and storytelling) element, there isn’t a better movie. LAWRENCE OF ARABIA is the pinnacle of all adventures. Over 50 years ago, the bar was set so incredibly high that no one has yet to reach it.
Prudence – What About Movies
The Artist
We no longer have at our disposal the silent, black and white movies of yore, they went out of vogue 80 or so years ago. And in my mind those types of films are well, ancient and stodgy and perhaps not cut out for modern movie goers like us. But I was dead wrong. Take The Artist which is a flawlessly crafted movie that manages to bring together the traditional and modern sensibility of film making. And the result is a charming and entertaining story about a silent film star and a budding starlet. Yes, it is in black and white, and yes it has no dialog. But this movie made me feel like clicking my heels together, and made me appreciate the cinema and its history much much more.
Rob – Movie Rob
Schindler’s List (1993)
I’m probably one of the few (if not only) person here who has agonizingly seen all 87 BP winners (plus all 8 noms this year). This gives me a lot harder of a task to decide which is actually the best since there are some really great ones. Many of you will probably choose one of the Godfather movies or perhaps even Return of the King which are all great movies, but when looking at the list, to me there is a clear best picture among the Best Pictures… and that’s Schindler’s List (1993).
Yes, it’s a long movie and it’s B&W, but the impact it leaves on everyone after they’ve watched it is undeniable.
Spielberg was able to create more than a movie with this film; he created an experience that will continue to go down in history as one of the most powerful and influential movies ever made.
Daniel – A Tale of Two Dans
Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog Millionaire is by far one of the best choices for Best Picture at the Oscars in years. It’s also one of the few foreign films to ever win the award. Telling the story of Jamal Malik, a man who goes on India’s version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire, this film explores the deep psychological problems going on in the slums of India. It’s also a story about the triumph of the human spirit and how enough dedication and work can help you realize your dreams.
Definitely one of the most inspiring movies of the past 20 years, Slumdog Millionaire is not only a fantastic Best Picture winner, but one of the best movies of all time.
