2019
Parasite

My rating: 4/5
Average rating: 4.5/5

I wish I loved this film as much as many people do, but to me it just doesn’t hit perfection. Still, I really enjoy its depiction of income disparity that so many other films either miss or forgive. The acting here is stupendous.

2018
Green Book

My rating 2.5/5
Average rating: 3.9/5

Every generation gets their “racism is bad” film that is built to make white people feel okay about it. Though this is better than movies like Crash or Driving Miss Daisy, it’s still part of that exhausting genre.

2017
The Shape of Water

My rating: 4/5
Average rating: 3.7/5

A simple love story in a non simple way. The visuals and costumes are amazing and the story works for me. The great cast really helps sell the silly premise.

Sometimes I let myself have too much politics too early in the morning and, why do I do this to myself? I know everything is stupid, why do I need to confirm it?

share a GIF from a western you love

2016
Moonlight

My rating: 5/5
Average rating: 4.2/5

This film leaves me so raw every time I watch it. Just a beautiful film, so well acted, with brilliant and painful lines. I could watch it again right now, but I don’t really want to cry again today.

I remember it being a good one. I think I’m due to do a rewatch of whole series.

It’s embarrassing how often I think of a movie I’ve seen and, in recalling the plot, I realize it was an episode of Quantum Leap.

What was that movie with a dancer who is deaf but hiding it?

“Quantum Leap S3E14, Private Dancer”

That show was wonderful and Scott Bakula is a national treasure.

Oh brother, this is embarrassing.

2015
Spotlight

My rating: 4.5/5
Average rating: 4.1/5

Some of the best films I’ve seen in my life are ones that are “just people talking”. 12 Angry Men, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, Rope, and definitely this movie. The fragile nature of the plot is compelling and painful. Loved it.

2014
Birdman

My rating: 2.5/5
Average rating: 4/5

A well acting film let down by the clunky script. There’s so much unnecessary baggage in it that, while I assume they were trying to make the plot complex, just makes it feel clunky and messy. Also, the “ambiguous ending” made me roll my eyes.

2013
12 Years a Slave

My rating: 5/5
Average rating: 4.2/5

Man, what a film. Ejiofor is just brilliant in the lead as is nearly all of the supporting cast (not Pitt). The story is raw and beautifully done. The cinematography, costumes, set designs? All wonderful. I can’t recommend it enough.

2012
Argo

My rating: 3/5
Average rating: 3.7/5

The worst thing a film based on a true story can do is to depict scenes that are less interesting than the real event. I wish the film spent less time with the Hollywood folks and more on character development for the 6 the story is supposedly about.

@bestpicturespod.bsky.social I discovered your podcast after you published your Birdman episode and have now listened to every canon episode. I hope you’re still making episodes.

Thanks for the podcast, you two.

Guy eating a perfect delicious grape: we should step on these with our nasty feet, let the mush ferment, then drink what comes off it

2011
The Artist

My rating: 4.5/5
Average rating: 3.8/5

I’m a mark when it comes to nostalgia bait like this. I get why many people don’t like it but I’m enamored every time I watch it. There are flaws for sure (ie: Why did she buy all his stuff and hide it away? Creepy!) but I love this film.

Remember when we said they wouldn’t stop with targeting trans people and would continue on to gay people? This is what we were talking about. This is continued campaign against anything that isn’t white, cis, straight, and Christian.

2010
The King’s Speech

My rating: 3.5/5
Average rating: 3.8/5

I came into this film dreading it because monarchy rabble usually bores me. Luckily, the acting is good, the finale works well enough, and the movie wasn’t a complete downer which is a pleasant surprise in this era of films.

2009
The Hurt Locker

My rating: 2.5/5
Average rating: 3.7/5

The writing isn’t great. I’m not sure the writer knew what they wanted the story to be. The acting is over the top and below average making me unsurprised some of the actors found their way into Marvel movies. The visuals are good though.

You ever notice how in the Superman the Movie poster, he's got one fist out, and on Superman II he's got two fists out? Well BUCKLE UP, I gave him three and four fists for Superman III and Superman IV, respectively. Hilarious!

They're cowards for not doing this.

Nobody wants to talk about the Argon Quest.

2008
Slumdog Millionaire

My rating: 3.5/5
Average rating: 4/5

In an era of nihilistic Oscar winners, it’s slightly refreshing to have a nihilistic winner with a happy ending. The game show framing device does its function but still feels distracting from the plot until it becomes the plot. Weird.

2007
No Country for Old Men

My rating: 3/5
Average rating: 4.3/5

This film didn’t do it for me. Since it’s also directed by the Coen brothers, I continuously thought of Fargo, a film that should have won in its year. This one just feels like a less comedic, less compelling version of the concept.

absolutely incredible example of AI making up problems to solve that aren’t real problems

nobody needs “inspiration” on how they like their coffee??????? are you serious?????

I’m asking ChatGPT to tell me what tastes good???

“computer, what do I want for breakfast?” this is dystopian actually

2006
The Departed

My rating: 4/5
Average rating: 4.3/5

What a wild ride. It takes a bit to get going, a bit messy, and some silly coincidences keep the plot moving, but dang is that last act brutal and great. It’s really insane that the only acting nomination for the film was Mark Wahlberg.

He*, when *he* took over.

I was a little iffy on Ken when it took over after Trebek, but only because they were such big shoes to fill. Since then, he’s made big leads in my esteem. Big leads.

2005
Crash

My rating: 1/5
Average rating: 3/5

No matter how good actors are, they can't fix stilted dialogue and lazy characterization. This film tries to solve racism by presenting a world where everyone is racist and presents racism as normal. Also, why is it filmed like a cheap soap opera?

When Kermit travels to an alternate universe in the November 2002 TV movie It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, the Twin Towers can be seen outside Miss Piggy's apartment window. According to director Kirk Thatcher, their appearance was not meant to imply that Kermit is somehow responsible for the destruction of the towers, but simply "the background cycloramas/translights that were available in Canada were more than a year old.”

I often think about this fact.

2004
Million Dollar Baby

My rating: 3.5/5
Average rating: 4/5

If I had been aware of where the plot would go at the end, I probably would have enjoyed the film more than I did. I admittedly felt betrayed by what the last act does even if it does it well. Otherwise, a great film with great acting.