#oscars 45

This is such an evocative film. It’s emotionally rounded, grounded in strong performances, a compelling script and some wonderful cinematography. It works as a civil rights film, a period drama, and most deeply as a father-son story. It’s really strong, and a perfect one for father’s day! 8/10.

Gosh, this feels in a lot of ways like the precursor to a lot of our modern day documentaries. As the synopsis says, it’s as much an expose as it is a documentary – a beckon behind the curtain – and it really is a fascinating look at a child born into a con who both benefits from it, plays his role, and reviles it. It’s rough viewing (and too long there at the end), but it’s good viewing too, and worth checking out. 7.5/10.

This is a pretty decent bio pic with compelling performances from both Diana Ross and the always charming Billy Dee Williams. The movie is a bit top heavy, and it ends in a way that’s a little abrupt, but overall it’s a compassionate look at a complicated woman’s complicated life. 7/10.

This is such a well-made documentary, with an incredible use of archive footage and a stirring voice over by James Earl Jones. Being an Australian, I didn’t know that much about Malcolm X beyond trivia, so this exploration of who he was and what he stood for, done in such an artful way, was really compelling, and it felt as relevant today as it likely did at the time. I really recommend it! 8/10.

It’s not really a secret on here that Westerns just....really aren’t my thing. That’s not to say that I don’t appreciate a good one, but they’re not a genre I feel overall much of a connection to, and I find they need to be really good for me to get into them. This one’s fine? It’s certainly bolstered by the charisma of Paul Newman and Ava Gardner, and it works fine as a slightly different take on the iconic genre and certainly has an opinion about loneliness and lawlesness, but yes. Just not really my thing. 6.5/10.

This is a fun little political drama that speaks to the emptiness of campaigning and the way politicians with good intentions compromise and spin for the sake of the vote. It’s well-shot, and Robert Redford is as charismatic as ever, but it’s themes never really extend beyond the superficial, so it doesn’t quite live up to its central premise. 7/10.

I’m not really into these sorts of oddball, travelling adventure movies, and this one isn’t an exception. It’s sort of fun? Sometimes? Dame Maggie Smith is forever a delight though, and she chews the scenery beautifully as an eccentric con woman, but the supporting cast is a bit dull really, and the locations don’t quite hold your attention. 5.5/10.

This is an okay heist movie, coasting mostly on Robert Redford’s charisma and a few dynamic chase scenes. In that sense, it’s not a bad way to spend a couple of hours, but it’s not exactly one you need to seek out. With its low emotional stakes, and meandering plot, it works as a sort of chill, afternoon wind-down movie more than anything else. 6/10.