Give It My Best

Amadeus Date Watched:  05/24/24 Format:  Streaming on TV via Netflix "I will speak for all the mediocrities in the world.  I am their champion.  I am their patron saint " Directing  (⭐⭐⭐): I do like Forman and he has done some really good work.  Amadeus was just an average effort in my opinion.  Maybe better acting would have helped his case.  I don't know.  I guess when you are given Larry Kroger and Ed Rooney, you are forced to work with what you have. Writing  (⭐⭐⭐): A decent translation from stage to screen.  The originality of the story is what really sets it apart.  A little bit of wit goes a long way and it may have been overdone in some scenes. Acting  (⭐⭐): F. Murray Abraham.  That's it. Wildcard  (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐): Music.  This was the major redeeming quality for this film and maybe one of the best in history.  It was a top notch soundtrack even before you throw in all of Mozart's best.  If only th...

On the Waterfront Date Watched:  05/20/24 Format:  Streaming on TV via Prime Video "I coulda been a contender!" Directing  (⭐⭐⭐⭐): Kazan did a wonderful job of bringing you into the Jersey shore.  You felt part of that time and that environment.  Some of the more action-packed scenes were a little rushed but overall, a very good job. Writing  (⭐⭐⭐⭐): A sign of a good writer is bringing you into a story you know nothing about and making you want to learn more about it after the movie was over.  The struggles of the Jersey longshoremen is nothing we can understand in today's United States (thankfully).  It says something that the story was still so impactful to me 70 years later.  Well written. Acting  (⭐⭐⭐⭐): I have a feeling as I go through more and more of these films, I will keep on coming back to Marlon Brando as one of the best performances in any Best Picture winner.  From the opening scene to the last one, he wore his emotion ...

Shakespeare in Love Date Watched:  05/17/24 Format:  Streaming on TV via Max "Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?" Directing  (⭐⭐): The movie really fell short here, in my opinion.  I don't think there was anything special with Madden's direction.   Writing  (⭐⭐⭐⭐): I like what Norman and Stoppard did with this movie.  The story is original but still ties into the Shakespeare stories we know.  I did not find much wasted on this script, both action and conversation wise.  The only reason perfection was not achieved was due to the language the actors used.  It was this odd mix of period and Shakespearean.  It was a distraction at times. Acting  (⭐⭐⭐): A tale of two extremes.  An amazing supporting cast and two leads that just did not work for me.  Rush, Wilkinson, Dench, Staunton, and Firth.  I would watch this movie with this cast all day long.  I will continue to scratch my head about Fiennes.  Palt...

Gone with the Wind Date Watched: 05/13/24 Format: Streaming on TV via Max At just under 4 hours, Gone with the Wind is one of the longest of all the Best Picture winners.  Why not get it out of the way. Directing (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐): This one was easy.  The scope, the actors, the set pieces, the action, the extras... all of it.  Victor Fleming handled it all perfectly, especially for 1939.  Some things may be laughable today but today we have 80 more years of technical advancements at our disposal.  To be able to direct Gone with the Wind and  The Wizard of Oz in the same year would be a feat unheard of today. Writing (⭐⭐⭐⭐): I struggled with this one.  Sidney Howard's script was very good especially for all the characters and action that had to be covered.  Sometimes there was a little too much "saying" and not enough "doing".  Some actions could have gone without words being spoken.  I know, that is easier said than done (pun intended).  ...

 I guess it is about time to get to the purpose of this blog.  Being the completionist that I am, I always set out set finish what I start.  This really only comes into play when achievements or collections are involved.  If it is a project, forget about it.  That will sit unfinished for a very long time.  Even if I lost interest in the topic long before I finish, I find it hard to stop.  I must go on. Going back 30 years now, I have always set out to watch each Best Picture Academy Award nominee each year prior to the Awards.  For a while there, I was successful.  Once the nominee list exploded in size a few years ago, it became harder and harder.  A family and a job also make it a little more difficult. It is time to start something new. I am setting out to watch every Best Picture winner within the next year.  Starting on May 13th, 2024 until May 12th, 2025.  I will document my journey on this blog, hopefully motivating mys...

You have to start somewhere, right? There can only be one 1st post. Let this be it.