The Oscars Project

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.

No one does it like Peter Weir!! Man, what a strange, philosophical, deeply feeling film! With a transcendent performance from Jeff Bridges at the centre, only bolstered by tremendous supporting ones from Rosie Perez, Isabella Rossellini and John Turturro, it's a film that asks big questions about life, the universe and faith, while keeping a firm grip on its heart. Just really loved this one. 8/10.

Daniel Day Lewis always delivers! A riveting drama that balances four films in one - psychedelic sixties free love film, harrowing police and prison thriller, compelling legal procedural and furious resistance film. It's anchored with a tender father-son story that it never loses focus of. Could've been a bit tighter in parts, and a bit more time with the supporting players would've been appreciated, but overall a great film. 8/10.

Great cast and a decent Western. It's focus on the subjugation of the Apache people rather than the triumph of the colonisers does give it more power than many of its contemporaries, and certainly a stronger message, but it often loses its way in its depiction of that. Wish it was a better film, because there does feel like there's one in here. 6/10.

It's almost a little hard to watch a movie this optimistic about the American everyman these days, but Kevin Kline largely sells it, which is pretty impressive given the silliness of the premise. There are some genuinely nice moments in the script too, particularly the scenes where Dave talks about how the state of the world can paralyse us and the need sometimes simply to start trying somewhere, but it just didn't really work for me overall. 6.5/10.

A genuinely electrifying documentary, and one that feels like a game changer in the history of the genre. It follows Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign as his team navigates a tumultuous and ugly political landscape with equal parts cynicism, absurdity, self-interest and occasional moments of genuine hope. Incredibly good documentary and a testament to the power of the art form. 9/10.

It’s kind of nuts to me that this came out the same year as Remains of the Day, and yet that’s the one Hopkins is better known for as I really think this is the better performance. He’s deeply moving here as CS Lewis grappling with faith, purpose, love and death, bolstered by a tremendous performance by Debra Winger. It’s a film that wears its heart on its sleeve, but doesn’t let that steer it from deep philosophical questions. I really enjoyed this one. 8/10.

While I'd heard the name Hedd Wyn before watching this film, I knew little about the Welsh poet and his legacy as an anti-war artist, and this film served as a beautiful introduction! Well acted with a poetic lilt to its dialogue and some sumptuous cinematography, it's both a solid bio pic and a portrait of an artist. Unfortunately, it did drag in parts and the supporting players never quite came into their own, but still a solid film. 7/10.

Between the cast, the source material and Ivory directing, I was really expecting to love this one, but I don’t know. There was something missing in it to me, it’s disparate threads never quite weaving together in the way that I hoped. Still, there are plenty of moments of beauty in it, and the sumptuous direction and depth of performances make it worth the watch. 7/10.

One of those films that just washes over you like a beautiful poem. Meditative, sweet, visually stunning, and anchored in moving and subtle performances. I do wish we got to understand Mui a little more deeply, but that parts of her we did still made her a lovely guide to follow through the movie. 8/10.

Truly staggering cinema, I can barely talk about it. 10/10.

A pretty perfect adaptation of a pretty perfect story. It grabs you from the first scene and doesn’t let you go, transcending genre and gender alike. Just so, so good, and Tilda’s really firing on all cylinders, delivering as both otherworldly and all too human in the way she always does so well. Really loved this one. 9/10.

There are so many things to love about this film, from the romantic and familial chemistry, to the gender fuckery to the charm of the script and performances, and I’d be rating it higher if it wasn’t for the egregious blackface sequence with Penelope Cruz smack bang in the middle. A real stain on what is genuinely otherwise a genuinely good film! 5/10.

There's a fun rhythm to the first half of this film, but it's really that last act crescendoing into a pretty perfect two-hander between Will Smith and Stockard Channing where this movie really sings. I'm not sure what I was really expecting, but this deeply feeling exploration of class, race, sexuality and mental illness really got me. It's messy and flawed, but it's elevated I think by its authenticity and it's willingness to see people as who they are, not what they project or what they should be. Maybe Will Smith's best performance too? Really, really enjoyed this one. 8/10.

This film feels in conversation with The Stepford Wives in a way I was not expecting, haha. I enjoyed this one! It's pretty nonsensical in many ways, but it's also grounded in a talented and charming cast and an energy that just pulls you in. It swings for the fences, and while it doesn't exactly work, it is a pretty awesome reminder that the mid-budget thriller was the space where a lot of ideas really got to be tested. A very fun Friday night movie! 7/10.

It was funny to watch this again for the first time in a minute - there was so much I'd forgotten! Particularly how thrilling the game of cat and mouse between Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones is. They really deliver on the performance front too, and Ford in particular puts a lot of grief and anger into the character that feels against type for his better known performances. He's really great. Wish it didn't lean so heavily into the dead wife trope, but still, a pretty pitch perfect thriller. 8/10.

I totally get why people love this movie so much - it's Die Hard on a mountain! - and I mean, a part of me did too, haha, but the wooden performances and the side quests that veered into absurdity put it solidly in its place for me. A fun B-movie! Not really much more than that? Kind of wild it was nominated for an Oscar. 6/10.