Best "Best Picture Winners" - Part 1 of 4

-of the past 40 years. 1) Because most readers don't seem interested in anything before 1970; 2) I don't remember 1968's Oliver! that well; and 3) So much has changed cinematically since the pivotal year of 1967 and 1969's Midnight Cowboy seems like the first Best Picture winner of a new era. I'll go from worst to best (obviously, given #40). 40-31 are today. Expect 3 more posts before Slumdog Millionaire sweeps on Oscar night (Feb. 22).

40. Crash – (2005) – People express racist thoughts openly and offensively to people of other races directly to their faces. People act in ridiculous and unbelievable ways in every scene. And the contrivances in the second half could sink #38 without the iceberg.

39. Million Dollar Baby – (2004)
The lighting is great in a few of the early and middle scenes, but everything else is riddled with clichés – Maggie’s family, the mentally-challenged guy, Morgan Freeman’s performance, Maggie’s boxing rival, etc., etc. Until the end when the film takes a hard left turn and everyone gives up on life.

38. Titanic – (1997)
The script is the only thing that wasn’t nominated for an Oscar and that’s my major problem with the film. All of James Cameron’s other scripts have memorable lines, inventive situations, and many moments of humor. But this is his only film based on real events and this must have confined him in both time and place. The first 2 hours are painful, but at least the last hour has an immediacy that makes you feel like you’re on the boat. Then the grating Celine Dion kicks in on the soundtrack and the old lady drops the jewel in the ocean for absolutely no reason.

37. The English Patient – (1996) – To be fair, I haven’t seen it in over 10 years, but I remember a lumbering plot with unexpected violence and nudity. The flashbacks didn’t connect for me and the performances by Willem Dafoe, Ralph Fiennes, Kristen Scott Thomas, and Juliette Binoche seemed too reverent and respectful.

36. Out of Africa – (1985) – Meryl Streep has a farm in Africa and Robert Redford has the worst English accent in film history. John Barry’s score is moving and the dialogue shows a proper intelligence, but the film is a little preachy and stiff and way too long.

35. Slumdog Millionaire – (2008) – My recent review is here. Lawyer liked it better. I’ll check it out when it makes it to cable and try to dissect it. But films described as “a great time at the movies” rarely age well. What's that you say? It hasn't won yet? Hasn't it?

34. Chicago – (2002)
I thought showing the dance numbers as part of Roxie’s imagination was an interesting conceit by director Rob Marshall and the film is paced well. Some of the singing and dancing numbers are entertaining (especially the last one). The cynicism of the film is also well done. But it’s still the "all-singing-all dancing crap of the world" that Tyler Durden talks about.

33. Gandhi – (1982) – Thoughtful and interesting throughout. It’s about an important individual who we shamelessly know little about in the West. Ben Kingsley carries the weight of the film well. But it’s still more suited for a 3 hour history class than a “film”.

32. The Last Emperor – (1987)
Comparing Pu Yi’s life as a young emperor (where he felt like a prisoner) to his later life as an actual prisoner is intriguing. The film is visually stunning under the direction of Bernardo Bertolucci. It gets bonus points because it seems Scorsese ripped of Pesci’s Goodfellas death scene from this film. But it’s still more suited for a 3 hour history class than a “film”.

31. A Beautiful Mind – (2001)
I’m giving this one the benefit of a doubt for now until I see it again. I like all of the performances (especially by Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly) and Ron Howard’s direction is better than you might expect. The audio and visual cues are well done and Howard’s shoots in different film styles depending on Crowe’s stage in life. And from a medical standpoint, the schizophrenia stuff is handled well.

Films by decade thus far:
2000s: 5
1990s: 2
1980s: 3
1970s: 0