FATHER GOOSE (1964)
It's fluff, silly box-office fodder but it's quite possibly one of the most charming films ever made; it should be treasured. In the...
I love classic cinema i.e. films that were released under the Hays Code (1934-1968). I know that sounds like such a hipster thing to say but I mean it genuinely. My theory is that if it's managed to stand the test of time then there's a reason for it. Plus, there's a certain comfort in watching something that fell under the Hay's Code. I particularly like Hitchcock (who doesn't?), I've seen all his films except the silent ones. I also really like Tarantino, black comedies, mockumentaries and musicals. Here are my favourite films:
I love a project but this one has it's ups and downs, believe me. The aim is to watch every single Best Picture winner at the Oscar's Academy Awards from 1927 (yes, I'm including Sunrise) to present day. Sounds easy, perhaps? But let me tell you, some of these films are a SLOG - though not always the ones you'd expect. I've had some wonderful surprises and some bitter disappointments. Each film is rated out of 10 and there's a short review tagline - just hover over the picture.
Unexpectedly brilliant. Was on the edge of my seat by the end of it. Loved it. 9/10
Too long but not terrible. A little cheesy. Ending was frustrating and predictable. 5/10
Terrible. Way too long. Boring. Poor acting. Irritating plot. A struggle to get through. 2/10
Relentless. It's high quality film-making for its time but I just hate war films. Tough watch. Not for me. 6/10
Alright. Liked some parts. Nothing special. Production values weren't great. 6/10
Good. I like this type of thing. Enjoyed it. Some iconic lines. Good cast of characters. 7/10
A bit of a disappointment. Very bleak and very choppy. Bit of a misery fest. 6/10
Funny and very enjoyable. Great on screen chemistry and some iconic moments. 8/10
Torture on screen, torture to watch. One of the most unbearable movies I've seen. Awful. 1/10
The music is almost unlistenable. Impressively lavish but it's WAY too long...and very boring. 3/10
Very interesting but frustrating to watch at times. Took too many liberties with the timeline. 6/10
A lot of fun with a lot of heart. Very enjoyable. Loved the court scene. Would watch again. 8/10
Epic. Very well done. Scarlett's a great character. It's a little 'of it's time' in places 9/10
A masterpiece. Joan Fontaine is absolutely perfect for this role. Better than the book. 10/10
Gosh, that was bleak! The most Irish Welsh village I've ever heard. Too much singing. 4/10
Full of charm, suspense and tragedy. Good balance of joy/sadness. Greer Garson was great. 9/10
A absolute classic. Some iconic lines. Tight script. Well acted with beautiful cinematography. 9/10
Not bad but kinda basic, predictable and schmaltzy. How did this beat Double Indemnity?! 5/10
A chilling tale of alcoholism. Well told, well acted and well filmed but it's a tough watch. 7/10
Solid movie. Telling the other side of things. Very well done but not sure I'd watch it again. 7/10
Thought-provoking, interesting. Some major problems with this film but it's still well made. 7/10
Too staged. Dated production values. Seems like a pretentious vanity project. Boring and overly long. 4/10
Fast-paced. A lot happened and very succinctly. Not my usual thing but very good. 8/10
Exquisitely written. Exceptional performances. An absolute classic. One of my favourite films. 10/10
Awful fluff. Egotistical drawn-out nonsense. Almost zero plot. A cacophony of terrible music. So boring. 3/10
An impressive spectacle but a plotless melodrama. Too long but not as terrible as people say. 6/10
Typical Oscar fare. A horribly tough watch but it's very well made. Not my type of thing sadly. 7/10
Oof this is grim. Well acted and I get why it won but it's full of cliches now. Satisfying ending. 8/10
Awh, this was full of charm. Wish it had more meat to the ending. Very enjoyable though. 8/10
Lively British Romp. Heavyhanded travelog that needs a damn good edit. Silly & daft but still fun. 7/10
Alec Guinness is the villain of this film. Infuriating. I can't even talk about it. 4/10
Fluffy, lavish and gorgeous but that's about it. Minnelli should have kept away from Paris! 7/10
Epic. Impressive. Great story. Beautifully filmed. A little grim in places and occasionally ham. 8/10
Has a film ever balanced joy and sadness so well? Poignant, charming and brilliantly crafted. 10/10
Classic musical with great music. Very "theatre" and a bit long but still very good. 8/10
Beautiful cinematography. Great score. Impressively-made epic but it's just WAY too long. 8/10
Gross. Frantic. Horrible. Brash. Unbearable music. It's like a Carry On movie. Truly awful. Total bedlam. 1/10
Lavish and delightful. A great musical. So charming. A true classic but Henry Higgins is the villain. Lol. 9/10
An iconic musical with iconic songs. It's just incredible. Julie Andrews is a national treasure. 10/10
It's a little dry, staged and serious but well acted. Doesn't quite feel authentic. It's not bad though. 7/10
Really tight solid crime drama. Tough to watch in places but expertly acted and very well made. 9/10
A bit...daft. A spectacle. Not my type of musical. Shani Wallis is the star of this. Well made. Kinda 60s. 7/10
Upsetting & distressing. Well acted but plot and film-making felt a little contrived. It's just not for me. 6/10
It's everything I hate: war, machismo, patriotism. It's super boring. Satisfying to see his downfall though. 3/10
Massive plot holes - No way they put that car back together?!! Choppy & uneven with jarring music. 4/10
Well filmed. Well acted. Well paced. Gripping from start to finish. It's a masterpiece, I get the hype. 9/10
Solid fun hustle movie with a lot of style and a great vibe. Enjoyable. Almost a 9 for me. 8/10
It's a great movie for sure but I much prefer the first one. Michael is so unlikeable. Felt more disjointed. 8/10
I found this very, very upsetting. I wish I'd never seen this movie and I don't want to talk about it. 5/10
Suprisingly brilliant. Boxing is a tense watch. I liked Rocky, he's a great guy & Adrian too. Fun. Tense. 9/10
Love this movie, so charming. So funny - classic sarcastic New York humour. Diane Keaton is great. 9/10
Deeply depressing. Unbearable to watch. Grim. Brutal. Miserable. Good performances but I hated it. 2/10
Very good movie. Great performances & the story is very well told but watching it was weirdly stressful. 8/10
Very good. Solid drama. Smart to leave the most depressing parts out. Very well acted. Poignant. 8/10
Self-righteous Christians, privileged toffs & egotistical sportsmen: Is there anything worse? SO BORING. 3/10
Powerful. Educational. Shocking. Epic. Important. Everyone should watch it. I'm ashamed to be British. 9/10
Very sad ending but well-contained with lots of light-hearted moments throughout. Well-acted. Good. 7/10
Luxe and lavish production. Well acted and well made. Thoroughly entertaining. Opera is LOST on me. 8/10
Sweeping landscapes. Meandering drama. AWFUL rear projection. Too long. Glacial pacing. It's fine. 6/10
Gratuitous violence, machismo & toxic masculinity. HATED it. Too much voiceover. Grim but realistic. 4/10
Impressive historical epic. Lavish production. Beautifully filmed. A really interesting subject matter. 9/10
Stressful to watch. A cacophony of white noise. It's very effective. Some lovely moments. Mixed feelings. 7/10
Very charming movie with great performances. A port in a storm from the other miserable Oscar films. 8/10
One of the most stressful films I've ever seen. Certainly thrilling. Well-made. Tough to watch. 8/10
Very gritty cowboy drama. Tense. Gripping. Bleak. Very well made but not really my type of western. 8/10
This is my veto.
Feels like a Zemeckis film. Equal measure silly, charming, poignant and sad but overall, very enjoyable. 8/10
Far too long. Wildly inaccurate. Overscored. Frankly, it was a slog. It's so hammy and cheesy. It's bad. 3/10
Pretentious romance. Fiennes just seems like a creep. Bleak, boring and miserable but not awful. 4/10
Studded cast, every face is a name. Some fun moments, easy-watching. Surprised it won though. 7/10