It's pretty hard to deny the ways this film has dated in the thirty years since its release, but similarly, it's pretty hard to deny that at its core, it's still a really effective, affecting film. A lot of that can be put to Jonathan Demme's exquisite direction, but also the dual anchors of Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington, who are genuinely astonishing among a stacked cast. The chemistry and rapport they have as scene partners makes you wonder why they didn't make a hundred films together, they really are just that good, and they take us on these two characters' journeys, together and apart, beautifully. 8/10.

Paul Newman truly is That Actor - boundless charisma and an undeniable screen presence - he always delivers, and does so again here. He actually pairs really well both with Tom Cruise, who's playing the ingenue here in a kinda fun role reversal, and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, who plays a woman hungry for a life bigger than the one she's ended up with. It's got some great and tense action sequences too, and is just overall a pretty fun sports film. 8/10.

I was really expecting to love this one - particularly as a big Monty Python fan - but I don't know. It didn't really do all that much for me. I didn't mind the silliness or the hijinks, and Kevin Kline really is pretty funny in it, but to me it just felt like it kept changing its mind about what it wanted to be in a way that didn't charm me as much as it seems to have others. So yeah. Just not for me, I guess. 4/10.

This is a movie both defined and elevated by its cast - like, god, Henry and Jane Fonda and Katharine Hepburn - does it get any better than this in 1981? They all really deliver moving, rich performances too, and it's a shame that the writing doesn't quite rise to meet them. 7/10.

This is cute! There are definitely elements of it that have not aged well, particularly in the sense of the boundaries between Elliot and Paula, but Richard Dreyfuss and Marsha Mason have such a personable chemistry they mostly pull it off. It's light and charming, and it's genuinely pretty wonderful that there was an era of cinema history where romcoms could be nominated like this. 7/10.

You guys, I am baffled that this not only was nominated to such a broad degree, but that it won so many awards. Like!! Jon Voight winning best actor over Robert De Niro in The Deer Hunter!!!! Or hell, even Gary Busey in The Buddy Holly Story. Jane Fonda, who I usually love, winning over Jill Clayburgh in An Unmarried Woman and Ingrid Bergman in Autumn Sonata!!! Insane. This movie is mediocre at best, the characters ill-defined and the drama dull. As an anti-war film, it's message is heavy-handed, and it never really finds a story to back it up. Just really, really dull, and I kind of hate it for how it swept certain categories, haha. 5/10.

Oof, this movie is another one that feels more relevant than ever. Darkly cynical and acid-tongued, it really unpacks the sensationalism of media and the hunger for views that can - and often does - swallow up integrity. It's full of exceptional performances and some really beautiful cinematography which only elevates an already great script. Definitely one to watch! 8.5/10.

I wasn’t really sold on the premise of this, but I actually really enjoyed the film. Jack Lemmon is always charming, but the film overall captures the themes of disillusionment, loss and delayed trauma in a pretty affecting way. It’s not a perfect film by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s one that feels honest and earnest in it’s intent, and the good performances and loping pace elevate it overall. 7/10.