Gladiator
Let’s just get it out in the open right now. I am not a fan of movies like this. Never cared for gladiator films. I actually think they are extremely boring. They are somewhat torture for me to sit through.
Anyway, I saw this only once before. That was when it was out in the theaters. I was with a guy who was determined to go see it. I really didn’t want to, but he knew he was going to get me to agree just because Joaquin Phoenix was in it.
If I had one problem with this film, I wish it wasn’t as long. I think some of the fight scenes could’ve been cut down. Of course a true gladiator film should have gladiator fights, but some of it was too much. I don’t remember feeling that way when I first saw the film, but as I know I mentioned a few days ago, I wasn’t well while I watched these. So maybe I was a little more impatient during such scenes for that reason. I don’t know.
I personally think it is a beautiful-looking film. The story is fine. I always like something that has a bit of a Shakespearean feel to it. The performances are good, too. While Russell Crowe was very good as Maximus, I wouldn’t have given him the Oscar. I will always stand by my opinion that Geoffrey Rush was robbed of the award. He was, in my opinion, the most deserving in Quills. Joaquin Phoenix, on the other hand, was robbed for his performance in this film. I honestly thought he was going to get it that year. He deserved it. Case closed. He plays the role of the twisted Commodus so well (and, as a bonus, he looks so damn good while giving this excellent performance) that I actually find myself feeling a bit of pity for the guy. I could be wrong, but I have kind of come to the conclusion that Joaquin will be one of those actors that will never be given any respect until he lives long enough to congratulate him for doing so by giving him a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Anyway, this movie may be better than other gladiator films for me because the story is much more interesting. As I said, I think it has a Shakespearean feel to it and that always helps make me more interested in stories that are set this far back in time.
Out of all the films that were nominated that year, I think this was the most deserving. I also think it was a weak year for films. I really didn’t care for anything else that was nominated. And I am not saying that Gladiator was weak in any way (I think it is a very strong picture, actually). It is just that the others were SO weak to me that I don’t think there was any sort of competition for it. Even if there was, I think this still may have ended up the winner that year.
Let’s just get it out in the open right now. I am not a fan of movies like this. Never cared for gladiator films. I actually think they are extremely boring. They are somewhat torture for me to sit through.
Anyway, I saw this only once before. That was when it was out in the theaters. I was with a guy who was determined to go see it. I really didn’t want to, but he knew he was going to get me to agree just because Joaquin Phoenix was in it.
If I had one problem with this film, I wish it wasn’t as long. I think some of the fight scenes could’ve been cut down. Of course a true gladiator film should have gladiator fights, but some of it was too much. I don’t remember feeling that way when I first saw the film, but as I know I mentioned a few days ago, I wasn’t well while I watched these. So maybe I was a little more impatient during such scenes for that reason. I don’t know.
I personally think it is a beautiful-looking film. The story is fine. I always like something that has a bit of a Shakespearean feel to it. The performances are good, too. While Russell Crowe was very good as Maximus, I wouldn’t have given him the Oscar. I will always stand by my opinion that Geoffrey Rush was robbed of the award. He was, in my opinion, the most deserving in Quills. Joaquin Phoenix, on the other hand, was robbed for his performance in this film. I honestly thought he was going to get it that year. He deserved it. Case closed. He plays the role of the twisted Commodus so well (and, as a bonus, he looks so damn good while giving this excellent performance) that I actually find myself feeling a bit of pity for the guy. I could be wrong, but I have kind of come to the conclusion that Joaquin will be one of those actors that will never be given any respect until he lives long enough to congratulate him for doing so by giving him a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Anyway, this movie may be better than other gladiator films for me because the story is much more interesting. As I said, I think it has a Shakespearean feel to it and that always helps make me more interested in stories that are set this far back in time.
Out of all the films that were nominated that year, I think this was the most deserving. I also think it was a weak year for films. I really didn’t care for anything else that was nominated. And I am not saying that Gladiator was weak in any way (I think it is a very strong picture, actually). It is just that the others were SO weak to me that I don’t think there was any sort of competition for it. Even if there was, I think this still may have ended up the winner that year.
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I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity - Edgar Allan Poe
I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity - Edgar Allan Poe