Oscar Best Leading Actor

Ladies and gentlemen... I've traveled over half our state to be here tonight. I couldn't get away sooner because my new well was coming in at Coyote Hills and I had to see about it. That well is now flowing at two thousand barrels and it's paying me an income of five thousand dollars a week. I have two others drilling and I have sixteen producing at Antelope. So, ladies and gentlemen... if I say I'm an oil man you will agree. You have a great chance here, but bear in mind, you can lose it all if you're not careful. Out of all men that beg for a chance to drill your lots, maybe one in twenty will be oilmen; the rest will be speculators-men trying to get between you and the oilmen-to get some of the money that ought by rights come to you. Even if you find one that has money, and means to drill, he'll maybe known nothing about drilling and he'll have to hire out the job on contract, and then you're depending on a contractor that's trying to rush the job through so he can get another contract just as quick as he can. This is the way this works.


Directed by: Paul Thomas Anderson
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano, Dillon Freasier, Ciarán Hinds, Kevin J. O Connor

Genre: Drama

Running time: 158 minutes




My review:

This is an absolutely superb masterpiece from Paul Thomas Anderson as director and Daniel Day-Lewis in the leading role. Daniel Day-Lewis performance is definitely one of the best performances that I have ever witnessed. For this reason, he did deserve his Oscar. As much as I had hoped Johnny Depp to win, I think Daniel Day-Lewis did deserve it because he was more dramatic than Johnny Depp was. Daniel Day-Lewis was perfect for Daniel Plainview because the character is half hero and half villain. He portrays good villains like he does in Gangs Of New York. His performance is like last years Helen Mirren as The Queen. It was obvious that Daniel Day-Lewis was going to win the Best Leading Actor Oscar. Paul Dano was awesome aswell in this film. I cant believe he didnt get an Oscar nomination. He should have instead of Hal Holbrook in Into The Wild. I think this film deserved every single Oscar nomination including its Oscar winning cinematography and nominated Art Direction, Adapted Screenplay, Best Picture, Best Director, Film Editing and Sound Editing. After watching this film, Daniel Day-Lewis has become one of my favourite actors and Thomas Paul Anderson has become one of my favourite directors aswell. I really really liked this film but I didnt like it as much as No Country For Old Men and Juno for the Best Picture nominees but more than Atonement and Michael Clayton.

You see. You are a doctor and a philosopher. Yes, I do have a good life now. Please, please. Sit here. I come from a very poor family, I think you should know this. My father left me when I was a child. The British Army; became my home. They took me as a cleaner, in the kitchens, cleaning pots. They used to beat me.


Directed by: Kevin MacDonald
Starring: Forest Whitaker, James McAvoy, Kerry Washington, Gillian Anderson, Simon McBurney

Genre: Drama/Thriller

Running time: 121 minutes




My review:

I thought this film was good but not as good as I hoped it would be. There are quite a few reasons for this. I thought that the violence was a bit over the top even though it was true. I hated the bit when Idi Amin orders to hang Garrigan by his skin with meat hooks. I had to walk out of the room at that scene. There are some other gruesome bits I am not going to reveal. You will have to watch the film and wait and see. Forest Whitaker delivers an unforgettable performance as crazed nut and cold Idi Amin. Idi Amin was a man who blamed the people of his country for the reason why Uganda wasnt a very good African country and it is really him that is causing the problems especially when he doesnt realise. Despite the fact that Forest Whitaker was really good in this film, I dont think he deserved the Oscar he won. It should have gone to Leonardo DiCaprio in Blood Diamond. Not because Leonardo is my third favourite actor but he was better in my opinion. James McAvoy was brilliant as Doctor Nicholas Garrigan. I could easily tell that James could play the character really easily and truly looks like a man who is the wrong place. His character was more emotional than I thought it would be. I like these sort of films that can make people think about where they live and who they are around because there are a lot of violent and evil people everywhere. I love biography films. In other words films that are true stories. I wouldnt call it one of the best films of 2006 but one that you should see on an open mind. If you are looking for other films that are like this, then you should try out Hotel Rwanda, Blood Diamond and The Constant Gardener.

I'm walking to my car, and this guy comes up to me. Asks for a light. I say I don't smoke. He says neither does he. So then my heart starts clocking a buck fifty, 'cause there's no one else here except me and him. So then he pulls the knife on me. Says, 'Your wallet or your life, bitch. I'm leaving with one of them'. So I try to brush past him, and that's when he slices me.


Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Starring: Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden

Genre: Crime/Drama/Mystery

Running time: 137 minutes




My review:

I really liked this film first time around, but second time round I loved it even more. This is a masterpiece from master actor and director Clint Eastwood. This film is one of the most depressing and dramatic films that I have ever seen in my life. Driven apart by a childhood trauma, three men meet again when Jimmy's daughter is murdered, cop Sean investigates and loner Dave emerges as a likely suspect. Soon an air of vigilantism begins to poison their Boston neighbourhood. Sean Penn delivers one outstanding performance as Jimmy Markum. He probably did deserve his Oscar but it was a tight one with the other nominees between Sean Penn in this, Bill Murray in Lost In Translation and Johnny Depp in Pirates Of The Caribbean. Seans performance was more of a dramatic performance which probably did get him the Oscar that he deserved. Jimmy is a snobbish ex-con who runs a neighbourhood store. He is friends with Sean who is portrayed by Kevin Bacon and Dave is portrayed by Tim Robbins. Tim Robbins was absolutely fantastic as Dave Boyle. He deserved his Oscar in this film. Dave is like a tortured and an extremely dangerous soul after he was kidnapped and possibly raped by elderly aged male paedophiles. This affects Daves life and never seems to let go and it sort of haunts him. His wife becomes sort of afraid of him and is unsure what he is capable of. He is like possessed because he doesnt know what he has done and he doesn?t know what he hasnt done. Dave is the most emotional character in the whole film and Tim delivers the most emotional performance in this film too. Marcia Gay Harden gives out another emotional performance as Celest Boyle. This film has a place in everyones heart from all of the characters in it. This has now become of my all time favourite drama films and has now become on my favourite films list now. Definitely my favourite Clint Eastwood (director) film so far. Masterpiece!!

So, you play the cello, Dorota. That's nice. And who's your favorite composer? Chopin? Really? Well, you'll have to learn to play his cello sonata, won't you? And what about you, Wladek? Well, perhaps I can accompany? Me on the piano, you on the cello?


Directed by: Roman Palonski
Starring: Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Frank Finlay, Ed Stoppard, Maureen Lipman

Genre: Biography/Drama/Thriller/War

Running time: 150 minutes




My review:

This is one of my all time favourite films. This is a really, really tense. This film is alot like Schindler's List because of all the Jews murders and the taking over of the Warsaw but when Wladyslaw is on the loose trying to escape Warsaw it is a bit like Children Of Men. He was trying to look for shelter, food and to stay as safe as possible just like in Children Of Men. When I heard that Adrien Brody won the Best Actor oscar in 2002, I was quite surprised that he won it, but when I watched it, I thought he definately deserved it. With his performance, it wasnt just the speaking in his performance but the way he was starving and how desperate he looked for shelter and food. I would watch this film over and over again. This is a masterpiece. In my mind this film should have won the Best Picture Oscar instead of Chicago. It was really well directed by Roman Polanski too. When you see Wladyslaw playing the piano it brings alot of brightness into such a depressing and masterful film. Its like it brings hope into the world. Well personally it gives me courage. This film is obviously depressing but this film is beautiful at the same time and brings out a lot of beauty that is in a terrible world.

Today's a training day, Officer Hoyt. Show you around, give you a taste of the business. I got 38 cases pending trial, 63 in active investigations, another 250 on the log I can't clear. I supervise five officers. That's five different personalities. Five sets of problems. You can be number six if you act now. But I ain't holding no hands, okay? I ain't baby-sitting. You got today and today only to show me who and what you're made of. You don't like narcotics, get the fuck out of my car. Go get you a nice, pussy desk job, chasing bad checks or something, you hear me?


Directed by: Antoine Fuqua
Starring: Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Scott Glenn, Tom Berenger, Harris Yulin

Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller

Running time: 120 minutes




My review:

On his first day as a narcotics officer, rookie LA cop, Jake Hoyt is send out on the streets with veteran detective Alonzo Harris for a day that will make or break him. Pass the test he becomes a detective. Fail, its back to traffic duty. As Alonzo pushes his young charge to cross lines and break rules, Jakes misgivings about his superior grow as he begins to suspect that Alonzo does not simply push the boundaries he has become a rogue cop. This film thrilled me a lot because of the tense chemistry between the characters and the events that occur. It made me feel really quite emotional because I find it quite an emotional story to be honest. Denzel Washington delivers an absolutely outstanding performance as Alonzo Harris. He acts like a really tough guy but also a complete b*****d aswell by pushing Jake into real crimes. He really was awesome but I dont think he was good enough for the Oscar win though. Russell Crowe was snubbed of his back-to-back Oscar performance as John Nash in A Beautiful Mind. Ethan Hawke delives another powerful supporting performance as young rookie cop Jake. He looked totally like a typical rookie. I wish Ethan Hawke was in more well known films because he really is a good actor. The direction was fairly descent but could have in my opinion be improved. The script was really well written. This film has one awesome tagline: You wanna go home or jail? It sort of reminds me of the Jules Bible line in Pulp Fiction because it is said by one character on a regular basis. This is one of those films that is just based on one day throughout the whole film. Other films I have seen that are like this are Die Hard and United 93. I really liked the chemistry between Alonzo and Jake because they are both cops but two different types. It is like Alonzo is the bad cop and Jake is the good cop. But Alonzo has more of the power because he is more experienced and it older too so he can easily sway Jake into doing something he is unsure of. There werent really many twists because it was all in one day but there were a few affective scenes and events that occurred that didnt affect everybody. This film was very violent indeed with the fighting and action scenes but was more bad languaged with a lot of very bad and crude swear words that are used. I liked the sound but didnt really like the cinematography or anything like that. This was a winner of one Academy Award out of two nominations. Both were acting: Denzel Washington won Oscar as Alonzo Harris for Best Leading Actor (but Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind should have won) and Ethan Hawke as Jake for Best Supporting Actor. This is probably Denzel Washingtons most famous performance but I liked him more in American Gangster. The thing that disappointed me about this film was that I found it was very slow and was very confusing and I didnt really understand what was going on. Apart from that, it was a descent film that deserves its place as a really good film with great acting and great on-screen partnership.

My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.


Directed by: Ridley Scott
Starring: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed, Richard Harris

Genre: Action/Adventure/Drama/War

Running time: 155 minutes




My review:

I absolutely adore this film. This is my favourite action packed film of all time. This is my favourite Ridley Scott film. This is my favourite Russell Crowe film. I personally think he did deserve his Oscar in this film but it was probably luck that he did. I looked on the Oscar charts of 1st to 5th it said that Tom Hanks would win for Cast Away but Russell Crowe was still awesome in this film though. His performance in A Beautiful Mind is another film with one of his best performances. Joaquin Phoenix was absolutely fantastic in this film aswell in his Oscar nominated performance as Commodus. Despite the fact that this film was very action packed with alot of violence involved it was a beautiful tale with Maximus an his murdered wife and son. In this film, the art direction, cinematography and costume design are absolutely awesome which is expected of an epic film and the colours of the film suit both Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe. Even compared to their films together. This is my favourite Scott-Crowe film. I love A Good Year and American Gangster. I cant wait to see Body Of Lies. This film teaches about what the afterlife could be like when you die just like what Maximus sees in this film. This film is tied with Lord Of The Rings as my favourite epic film. This film deserved every single Oscar it got including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound and Best Costume Design. I think that it should have won Best Art Direction, Best director, Best Cinematography and Best Music Original Score. This film will remain a classic action packed epic film for a very long time that will make you jump out of your skin yet would maybe bring tears to your eyes.

I had always heard your entire life flashes in front of your eyes the second before you die. First of all, that one second isn't a second at all, it stretches on forever, like an ocean of time... For me, it was lying on my back at Boy Scout camp, watching falling stars... And yellow leaves, from the maple trees, that lined my street... Or my grandmother's hands, and the way her skin seemed like paper... And the first time I saw my cousin Tony's brand new Firebird... And Janie... And Janie... And... Carolyn. I guess I could be pretty pissed off about what happened to me... but it's hard to stay mad, when there's so much beauty in the world. Sometimes I feel like I'm seeing it all at once, and it's too much, my heart fills up like a balloon that's about to burst... And then I remember to relax, and stop trying to hold on to it, and then it flows through me like rain and I can't feel anything but gratitude for every single moment of my stupid little life... You have no idea what I'm talking about, I'm sure. But don't worry... you will someday.


Directed by: Sam Mendes
Starring: Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, Mena Suvari

Genre: Drama

Running time: 122 minutes




My review:

All of the Oscars that this film has won and been nominated for are deserved universally for the cast and crew of this film. It deserved Best Picture but if I had to choose one of the nominees it would be The Green Mile. That is a tear between what I like more. One of my favourite films ever!! This is one of the best film directing debuts of all time. This is without a doubt a film that can easily catch peoples attention and it has challenged with a lot of other brilliant films for the film of the year. 1999 was an amazing year in film. Kevin Spacey is brilliant with his edgy, almost psychotic creation. Lester makes my laugh alot with his sarcasm with his wife because I know how much he hates his wife. It is hard that Lester and Carolyn dont get on with each other but nobody can tell who the villain between the two of them is. I think Carolyn is because she is obsessed with her interests and doesnt really involve herself with her husband and daughter. Also when Carolyn starts to cheat on Lester with another housing guy from an estate agent it sort of proves that she is the villain of the film but Annette played her so well because you could feel sorry for Carolyn but could just say she is a total bitch! Lester is just tired of it and is flattered. Some say that Spaceys performance as Lester Burnham offsets for the scripts weakness. When Lester was beginning to imagine having sex with his daughters friend Angela, this moment in this film became a major turning point. Lesters wife Carolyn is a bit like but obviously a woman. She is under stress and she doesnt love Lester anymore because they dont get along with each other anymore. Lester and Carolyns daughter Jane is like under a lot of stress in this film because she is a teenager and she doesnt really like her dad that much anymore because he doesnt really do anything fun with her like a normal father would do. American Beauty is about self-discovery of what a man can create when he rebuilds his life when he is the middle of a mid-life crisis like Lester is. Teenagers, Thora Birch (Jane), Wes Bentley (Ricky) and Mena Suvari (Angela) also take reprising roles in this dramatic masterpiece. After 14 years working in the same office, Lester Burnham is about to get canned. After two decades married to the same woman, he cant stand her anymore. Carolyn is no more fond of him. And as for their daughter, shes just dying from the embarrassment of it all. Quitting his job, he takes stock of what hes lost, and he begins to bench press, smoke pot and have fun flirting with Janes best friend Angela. It might be madness, but at least he can look after himself in the mirror without cringing. This is a masterpiece of filmmaking!!

You died on a Saturday morning. And I had you placed here under our tree. And I had that house of your father's bulldozed to the ground. Momma always said dyin' was a part of life. I sure wish it wasn't. Little Forrest, he's doing just fine. About to start school again soon. I make his breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day. I make sure he combs his hair and brushes his teeth every day. Teaching him how to play ping-pong. He's really good. We fish a lot. And every night, we read a book. He's so smart, Jenny. You'd be so proud of him. I am. He, uh, wrote a letter, and he says I can't read it. I'm not supposed to, so I'll just leave it here for you. Jenny, I don't know if Momma was right or if, if it's Lieutenant Dan. I don't know if we each have a destiny, or if we're all just floating around accidental-like on a breeze, but I, I think maybe it's both. Maybe both is happening at the same time. I miss you, Jenny. If there's anything you need, I won't be far away.


Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright-Penn, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson, Sally Field

Genre: Comedy/Drama/Romance

Running time: 142 minutes




My review:

My number 2 favourite film of all time. Forrest Gump is truly a worldwide phenomenon that touches peoples hearts in all sorts of different varieties of ways. Forrest Gump is a film that always makes me feel absolutely fantastic and inspires me every single time I watch it. This film changed my life a lot because of its beautiful story with beautiful characters and such a beautiful script with beautiful quotes and taglines. I find a lot of things hard in life but this is the one film that encourages me to overcome all of the obstacles that lie in front of me. I have a few problems with myself because I was born with a disability (not like Forrests disabilities and I don?t talk anything like him). I talk normally. Forrests childhood was sort of similar to mine as far as the bullying and how people treated me is concerned. That is one of the main reasons why Forrest Gump is my favourite film character of all time. When he looses things and yet earns things that is a very similar way that I would react particularly when Forrest finds out he has a son. Tom Hanks is perfect for that and he like portrays my emotions on occasions which has confirmed Tom Hanks as my favourite actor and Robert Zemeckis as my fourth favourite director. Enough about me with this film, I am going to write about Forrest Gump. Forrest Gump (Hanks) is short on I.Q. points but long on heart, a pure and simple soul who follows a straight path through the world, ever true to the homely advice of his mother (Field) - the source of guiding Gumpisms such as Stupid is as stupid does - and to his elusive lifelong love Jenny (Wright). He begins his serendipitous skirmishes with destiny in childhood by unconsciously giving ideas to the as-yet-unknown Elvis Presley, and goes on to become, unintentionally, a professional American-football player, a college graduate, a war hero, a professional ping pong player, a national celebrity, a long runner and a shrimping boat captain. Forrest has a dream life that everyone wishes to have. I could easily tell that Forrest was like blessed with having this well achieving and yet tragic life. He has a mother who appreciates him for who he is and tries her very best to help him, he has a very good childhood friend Jenny who treats Forrest like her only friend and also without Forrest she acts really lonely which is what Jenny is really like in this film. Also, he meets Bubba and Lieutenant Dan and he becomes great friends with both of them. Now, I am going to say about the characters, Forrest Gump is a innocent young boy who has a low I.Q. of 75. Because of this, he cant go into an ordinary public school until his mother has sex with the principal and he reconsiders. Forrest was born with extremely strong legs but with a crooked spine so he had to wear leg braces so support his back. Despite of his physical and mental conditions, his mother told him not to let anyone tell him they are better than him and that he is the same. Basically stating the famous quote Stupid is as stupid does. Forrest always was close to his mother and didnt just treat her like his mother but as a very close friend. His lifetime journey into the world began when he started dancing to Elvis Presley and it gave Elvis a brilliant dancing style. When he first starts school, he meets Jenny Curran who he completely falls in love with the first time he sees her. Jenny is young little girl who helped and accepted Forrest for who he was by helping him to read and help him stand up to the bullies who were harassing him. She lives with her father and sisters (it doesnt confirm how many sisters she has). Her father was an abusive and aggressive alcoholic who molested Jenny and her sisters. She eventually went to live with her grandmother. Because of her fathers abusive ways, Jenny becomes drug addicted and became a prostitute which wreaks her life and her friendship with Forrest. She goes back to visit Forrest but she cant keep away from the drugs and the sex. When she finds out she is pregnant her life changes but not for long. She marries Forrest and meets Forrest great friend Dan Taylor. Lieutenant Dan Taylor is a Lieutenant during the Vietnamese war. Many of his previous ancestors have died in wars with honour and Dan wanted to achieve that but when Forrest saves him from death, Dan refers that Forrest cheated him out of his destiny to die in battle with honor and then rendering him crippled. After that moment, they both become great friends. They both have something in common and that is that they both have problems with how they act and appear. Dan has no legs and Forrest has a low I.Q. When they both reunite near the end of the film, they both smile at each other and see that both of them have got a wonderful life and have made their destinies. Well, Dans destiny really wasnt to die in battle but to get married and life with his wife and possibly have children. Dan gets appreciated for who he is by his fiancé because of him being legless and disabled. Another great friend that Forrest makes is a young black man named Benjamin Buford Blue with the nickname Bubba who grew up knowing everything about the shrimping business. Bubba asks Forrest to be his first mate on the shrimping boat when they get out of the army. Unfortunately, it wasnt to be because Bubba gets killed in combat so Forrest becomes the shrimping boat captain with Lieutenant Dan as his first mate. Enough about the characters, I am now going to write about the acting in this masterpiece. Tom Hanks isnt just playing Forrest Gump, he is Forrest Gump. Tom was the perfect choice for the character and there is no actor in the world that could have portrayed Forrest Gump any better than Tom Hanks. His performance as Forrest Gump is my all time favourite leading male performance of all time because Forrest Gump and Tom Hanks are the perfect match for me. Anthony Hopkins and Hannibal Lecter are a perfect match aswell. Tom Hanks very much deserved his second back-to-back Oscar in this film which he won the previous year for his performance as Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia. Everything of how Forrest appears like his hair, the nerdy clothes and his voice and accent really suits Tom Hanks as a person which is one of the reasons why I truly idolise Tom Hanks. Tom Hanks makes iconic images like him sitting on the bench of where he tells his life story to complete strangers and also when he is sitting on the muddy floor with Jenny. They wouldnt be iconic images and this film wouldnt be a masterpiece without Tom Hanks. I was impressed with Robin Wright-Penns performance as Jenny Curran because I thought she really was depressed and was in great depth with drugs and sex. Jenny is imagined to look like Robin Wright-Penn. I cant believe she wasnt even a contender for an Oscar nomination in this film but she did deserve a Golden Globe nomination as Jenny. Gary Sinise deserved his Oscar nomination as Lieutenant Dan Taylor. Gary Sinise = Lieutenant Dan. Just like Tom Hanks = Forrest Gump. I loved the scene where Dan pulls Forrest out of his bed and onto the floor. At that moment, Dan is angry at Forrest because he saved him but he is also crying at the same time. That is the most emotional performance Gary gives and it is his best scene as Dan. Also, that is one of my favourite emotional scenes of all time. I could easily tell that Gary was acting really devastated about not dying with honor in battle. Gary was absolutely awesome but wasnt good enough to win Oscar. Despite of how good I thought he was in this film he wasnt as good as Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction who was one of the Oscar nominees for Best Supporting Actor in 1994 but was better than actual winner Martin Landau in Ed Wood (not saying that Landau was good). I really liked Sally Field as Mama Gump because I really liked Sallys typical American accent. It made me laugh in some ways. I think Sally Field was better than Robin Wright-Penn because Sally Field delivers a more emotional performance and a funnier performance. If I had to choose who should have the Oscar nomination between the two women I would go for Sally Field. It is quite weird because Sally portrays Forrests mother and Forrest is Tom Hanks. It is very weird also because in real life Sally Field is only 10 years older than Tom Hanks who plays her son in the film. But they both made a very good partnership in this film. Their best scene together I thought was when Mama Gump revealed that she was going to die and she tells Forrest about making your own destiny. That is my favourite emotional scene of the film but favourite scene is where Forrest finds out he has a son. Despite of how depressing this film sounds, this film is really funny aswell because of what Forrest says and because of some of the mistakes he says aswell. I would probably say that this film has 80% drama and 20% comedy. I went to New York City about 4 years ago and went inside the Bubba-Gump Shrimp restaurant. I didnt eat anything, I hadnt seen the film that time and yet I never knew anything about it either. It was a tight year for the Oscars because a lot of people were unsure what would win Best Picture 1994. The favourites were Forrest Gump and Pulp Fiction but The Shawshank Redemption was a close one too. I sort of knew that Forrest Gump was going to win because it had a lot of things in this film that make us think of a lot of things in life and teaches us a lot of lessons about what could happen in the future in your life. But Pulp Fiction was more original and it was cooler. That is one of my favourite films too. Forrest Gump made me cry not just with dramatic twists but because of the beauty of it and the real inspiration that it made change my life forever. I watch this film every single time when I am either upset or nervous about anything because it makes me feel strong and more confident aswell. I have passed exams and tests just from watching Forrest Gump. I can make an easy guarantee that Forrest Gump will always be my favourite drama film, my favourite Zemeckis film, my favourite Hanks film and my favourite film from the 1990s. At the moment, this film is my number 2 favourite film of all time. Masterpiece!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.


Directed by: Jonathan Demme
Starring: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine, Anthony Heald

Genre: Crime/Thriller

Running time: 118 minutes




My review:

Young FBI agent Clarice Starling is assigned to help find a missing woman to save her from a psychopathic serial killer who skins his victims. Clarice attempts to gain a better insight into the twisted mind of the killer by talking to another psychopath Hannibal Lecter, who used to be a respected psychiatrist. FBI agent Jack Crawford believes that Lecter who is also a very powerful and clever mind manipulator have the answers to their questions to help locate the killer. Clarice must first try and gain Lecter's confidence before he is to give away any information. This film really scared me because of the psychotic Dr. Hannibal Lecter. There are a lot of close camera angles towards Lecter that actually show Lecters true colours. It is mostly because Lecter tries to manipulate Clarice by questioning her about her past and childhood. Buffalo Bill makes me feel really scared aswell because of his psychotic intentions for the women he kills. This film touched me a lot too because it teaches us about self discovery which is what Clarice achieves with herself. When Clarice confronts Buffalo Bill it becomes a very tense and a scene that makes The Silence Of The Lambs one of the greatest thrillers of all time. Most people would say that this film is a scary horror film just like Psycho and Jaws but I dont think it is like it is a really tense thriller. Well, it is like a psychological thriller. Sir Anthony Hopkins delivers one of the greatest performances in film history as Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Anthony makes Lecter his own character and has made Lecter an extremely fearful character that everybody would fear. Hopkins doesnt just make Lecter a scary psycho that has a taste for human flesh but also a man who you dont want inside your head. He will haunt you even though he is inside a prison cell. Hannibal will question someone a bad memory about their past or anything else. If that person doesnt want to answer, Hannibal somehow finds a way to do this. Anthony Hopkins deserved his Oscar for his performance but personally I think it was luck because he did not win neither BAFTA nor Golden Globe. Jodie Foster delivers another outstanding performance and is another on the list of greatest performances of all time. Jodie makes Clarice a very emotional and a quite powerful and stubborn woman who will get what she needs to get. When Clarice is with Lecter and she talks to him, she sort of looks tortured because he manipulates her and tries to scare her but she doesnt let him scare her. Jodie and Anthonys on screen partnership in this film is one of my favourite partnerships of all time. I also really liked Ted Levine as Buffalo Bill because Ted had everything that a psychopath should have. Ted has that evil style who would do anything to get what he wants. But the one thing that is ever so dark about Ted with Buffalo Bill is Teds extremely deep and booming voice. Because of that, Buffalo Bill makes a terrifying character also just like Hannibal Lecter. Jonathan Demme became a very unknown director at the time of this film but after this film was released, he became even better known afterwards. Also, after he directed Oscar winning film Philadelphia (Best Actor for Tom Hanks). The Silence Of The Lambs wouldnt have been any better that it already is if Demme was directing it. I liked The Silence Of The Lambs the most of the Hannibal Lecter films not because it won Oscars including Best Picture but because it had that very new style that nobody has ever seen. It isnt just a really tense thriller that seems like a horror film but it is also quite a depressing and dramatic film too. The other Hannibal Lecter films like Hannibal (which is sequel to Silence Of The Lambs) and Red Dragon arent taken as seriously because of in my opinion the bad acting (not from Hopkins) particularly from Julianne Moore and Edward Norton but also I thought that the stories werent as powerful as The Silence Of The Lambs. But The Silence Of The Lambs was the most disturbing. Hannibal nor Red Dragon made the audience for some bizarre reason actually think that they are no match compared to The Silence Of The Lambs. To me, those two films are spoofs/re-makes of it. I liked Red Dragon more than Hannibal because that was like a really bad sequel to such a great film. But Red Dragon brings that back in such a great way. The relationship between Hannibal and Clarice is very personal. Hannibal tries to reveal Clarices past out of her. They both have hidden hate for each other even though neither character shows it. Clarices relationship with Buffalo Bill is just in one scene and it the most tense scene of the whole film. It makes the characters secretly wanting to kill each other until Clarice finds the moths in his house after they were part of Buffalo Bills victims. A twist occurs about Hannibal with his prison cell that changes everything. Also, when we first see Buffalo Bill and he kidnaps Catherine Martin who is the daughter of Senator Ruth Martin. As far as Clarice is concerned, the biggest twist that concerns her is when she finds out what Buffalo Bill does with his women victims. This film was very violent mostly when Hannibal escapes his cell when there are blood and guts all over the place. There arent any sex scenes but there are some sex references that involve Clarice and one of the other prisoners in the same block as Lecter. There is obviously a lot of typical bad language that every 18 film has. There werent any visual effects really. There was outstanding sound and good make-up too. Cinematography and art direction was amazing aswell. This film was a winner of 5 Academy Awards: Best Picture 1991, Best Actor (Anthony Hopkins), Best Actress (Jodie Foster), Best Director (Jonathan Demme) and Best Adapted Screenplay. This was only the third film in history to have won all five after It Happened One Night and One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest. This is my favourite from the Hannibal Lecter series. This can affect people about self discovery and learning who they really are inside. This film didnt disappoint me at all. This film is nothing more than a masterpiece and a dark thrilling phenomenon that will always be remembered as one of the greatest thrillers of all time.

I remember those cheers / They still ring in my ears / After years, they remain in my thoughts. / Go to one night / I took off my robe, and what'd I do? I forgot to wear shorts. / I recall every fall / Every hook, every jab / The worst way a guy can get rid of his flab. / As you know, my life wasn't drab. / Though I'd much... Though I'd rather hear you cheer / When you delve... Though I'd rather hear you cheer / When I delve into Shakespeare / "A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse", I haven't had a winner in six months.


Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci, Frank Vincent, Nicholas Colasanto

Genre: Biography/Drama/Sport

Running time: 129 minutes




My review:

This is without a doubt the greatest sports film of all time and the best boxing film of all time because I think all of the characters in this film are absolutely fantastic. Also, it is a true story about the life of Jake La Motta. This is probably Robert De Niros most famous performance along with Godfather part 2 but this is my favourite Robert De Niro film without a doubt. He did deserve his second Oscar in this film though. This film is a lot about jealousy and betrayal. Robert De Niro plays really good villains and bad ass characters as he does in this, Taxi Driver, Casino, Heat, Cape Fear and more films. I think this is the only black and white Martin Scorsese film. Joe Pesci and Cathy Moriarty were awesome in both of their Oscar nominated performances as Joey La Motta and Vickie Thailer/La Motta. This is a film that probably isnt like a classic boxing film like Rocky is because of the Jake La Motta character and person he really is and he had a lot of aggression and anger within him. And because of this, he starts to fall out with his brother Joey and wrecks his marriage to Vickie. Also, this is very different from Rocky because this I thought this film was better than Cinderella Man, Million Dollar Baby and the Rocky series aswell. My second favourite Scorsese film, favourite Scorsese-De Niro film and favourite De Niro film too.

So the other morning, I'm at the refrigerator... you know, getting Billy ready for school. So I'm just in my underwear and he notices I've lost weight. And he comes in and pats me. He comes up to here, and he says "Daddy, you've really lost a lot of weight", he looks up at me and he says "And it's all gone to your nose."


Directed by: Robert Benton
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Justin Henry, Jane Alexander, Howard Duff

Genre: Drama

Running time: 105 minutes




My review:

When I first saw this film, I rated it 4.5 star but after I watched it for second time I have rated it 5 star and it has now become one of my favourite films. This film has a lot of lovely warm hearted moments and yet it has a lot of dramatic moments aswell. Dustin Hoffman delivers an outstanding performance as Ted Kramer but it isnt his best film though. I preferred his performance in Rain Man. Ted is a troubled business man. When his wife leaves him and leaves him with their son he becomes a different person and more of a loving person. His wife Joanna Kramer is portrayed by Meryl Streep in one of her first films and is my favourite performance from her. Joanna is a confused mother who starts to fall out of love with her husband Ted and is getting trouble with her son and starts to get stressed out of being around him but she says she loves Billy. Meryl Streep delivers one of my favourite Supporting Actress performances of all time. When the scene with the courts and the lawyer is questioning her, Meryl shows her real emotion and heartbreak incase she loses her son. Justin Henry is awesome as Billy Kramer. He delivers one of my favourite performances from a young actor/actress of all time. Dustin and Meryl deserved their Oscars but Justin should have won his Oscar in this film. This film is perfect for people who are single parents because it teaches you a lot of things about that. Also it teaches about what divorce is. It is also brilliant for peoples parents who have divorced in the past like mine have. This film is extremely underrated! I thought that this film deserved Best Picture because of the warm hearted story of the whole film. Apocalypse Now is a film I need to watch again and then I will decide properly then when I watch it again. Kramer Vs. Kramer is a brilliant family masterpiece!!