My Brilliant Career

 And this week's Friday night movie has been... My Brilliant Career!

Original image located here. Accessed 17th July 2026

Given the passing of Sam Neill earlier this week, this is an obvious watch: His breakthrough role that brought him to attention of the movie-going public. 

And honestly it couldn't have happened in a better film: It seems that this is indeed a classic of Australian cinema, boasting an impressive cast, wonderful cinematography, and showing this country, and indeed the world, how to make a movie about us. 
The thing that stood out of me is just how quiet this movie is: It's telling a story of defying the gender roles of the day but it's less interested in beating the audience over the head with it and more interested in letting everything on screen sink in (case in point: that striking wide shot that ends Sybylla and Harry's final scene). And that's the greatest strength of this movie. 

It's fair to say that Harry Beecham is the Australian answer to the likes of Mr. Darcy and Rhett Butler. And Neill delivers the quiet charisma the role demands - and some. But even then, this movie is still Judy Davis' show, giving her all.

Seems this is a classic of Australian cinema for a damn good reason. 

The Hunt

And this week's Friday night movie has been... The Hunt!

Original image located here. Accessed 12th June 2026

This came recommended to me. So may as well take a look.
So what we have here is a Danish film wherein a school teacher is accused by one of his students for something heinous. The accusation is false but this movie is more concerned as to what happens next.

Clearly this movie is one intent on raising questions: We see the teacher's life collapse, the community turn against him and the words of the accuser flip-flop between truth and dishonesty. The answers aren't always clear, favouring instead to let the audience make up their own mind.

Personally I find this movie was at it's most compelling in showing how a community turns on someone. And it is done with a cold ruthlessness: No indication that this was a bunch of people circling like sharks waiting for blood in the water; no stopping to consider any discrepancies in the child's account; no pausing to stop paternal instincts to ponder on the consequences of one's actions.
Indeed it took me a while to realise there is little to no soundtrack in this movie, favouring instead to let the silence weigh in. 
And it's that coldness that makes this movie so striking. 

Also, if Die Hard is a Christmas movie does that mean this is a Christmas movie as well?

A Star is Born

 And this week's Friday night movie has been... A Star is Born!

Original image located here. Accessed 6th March 2026

I'm going to try an experiment: Given that Hollywood has made four versions of A Star is Born, I will for the month of March, watch and assess all four of them. Indeed, it would be interesting to see how each
of them compare with one another. And which hold up given the passage of time.
And what better place to start than with the the very first, from 1937.

So this movie tells the story of a young actress who is determined to make it as a star in Hollywood. She eventually catches the attention of a veteran actor who then actively supports her career and is the only person who believes in her. And so while her career flourishes, his career flounders...
Perhaps the most striking thing about this movie is that it is clearly a product of it's time. It shows how Hollywood operated in the 1920s/30s (the supposed Golden Age of Hollywood) and the progression of our protagonist. And that in sense, it is odd, even with the passage of nearly nine decades, how this movie is a documentary, a cautionary tale and a propaganda piece at the same time.
And yet it's that honesty that makes this movie so compelling. 

So yes, this movie may be a product of it's time but it has held up well against the march of time. 
And it would be interesting to see how it's offspring measure up...

The Misfits

And this week's Friday night movie has been... The Misfits!

Original image located here. Accessed 16th January 2026

It is impossible to discuss this film without mentioning the fates of it's three stars: Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe and Montgomery Clift. 
For Gable this was his final film: he would suffer a heart attack shortly after completion. Prior to that the one time King of Hollywood had a string of failures and was looking washed up. Similarly, this was also the final film for Monroe as she was in the middle of drug abuse during filming. And Clift would eventually suffer a car accident that ruined his good looks, derailed his career and led to five years of drug and alcohol abuse before his own passing. 
Because of this, I was reluctant to tackle this film: Sure nothing sells like a story to go with the product but would the tragedies surrounding the stars dwarf the film itself? I mean, it's right there in the title....

There's no way around this: This movie is bleak. Sure the three leads are at the top of their game here but this movie is effectively a musing on the collapse of both the American Dream and the Old West. 
Ultimately however I did find this movie somewhat directionless, as I was somewhat stumped as to where it was going and why I should care.
Granted the three stars are compelling to watch but perhaps there's a reason as to why their real-life fates seem more important than the movie itself. 

Rental Family

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Rental Family!

Original image located here. Accessed 9th January 2026

Well, Kiera wanted to see this so, as always, she dragged me along.

So what we have here is the story of an American actor who has been stuck in Japan for seven years. He manages to find work by being part of a rental service where he provides friendship to paying customers (and I have been reassured that this type of thing does indeed exist in Japan).
Of course this description doesn't really do any justice to the film itself: While this is an effective showcase for the Japanese cast and locales, the real meat here is seeing this movie as a meditation of needing connection, how it is found and what one will do to get it. And to that end, this movie is quite the touching one and a delight to see. 

Given that Brendan Fraser is credited as Executive Producer this is clearly something that he genuinely believed in and wanted to see through. Good for him but I have to wonder if this is a bid for the Best Picture Oscar....

The Elephant Man

And this week's Friday night movie has been... The Elephant Man!

Original image located here. Accessed 12th December 2025

Earlier in the year, I watched The Straight Story as it was one I had been meaning to do for some time - and the passing of David Lynch was as good as any reason to get off my lazy arse and watch it. And here, we have a similar situation: This one has gone down as one of David Lynch's finest works, proving that, beyond the veil of his surrealist impulses, lies a deep interest in humanism.

And this is indeed a remarkable film: It's not just the humanist message throughout - keep in mind this was the first time it emerged in Lynch's filmography so many would think he didn't have it in him - but how Lynch coaxed compelling performances out of his leads. Anthony Hopkins is his reliable self but John Hurt does wonders - which is impressive given he's hiding behind a mountain of makeup and effects. Through in some truly staggering black and white imagery and its easy to see why this has gone down as one of Lynch's best. 

And speaking from an autistic perspective, the films most famous line - "I am not an animal! I am a human being!!" does indeed resonate.

Anora

   And this week's Friday night movie has been... Anora!

Original image located here. Accessed 7th November 2025

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 97 (2024) 
(clearly old habits die hard)

Funny thing: If this had never won Best Picture at the Oscars I wouldn't have given this the time of day - call it a case of it slipping under my radar. But I think I am, by now, well-versed enough in Best Picture Oscar winners to give this a look. Maybe, like numerous times before, I will be surprised?

Turns out, I was: Firstly, I will give the Academy credit as this has to be one of the times they show a spine and give the top prize to the most unconventional of candidates. I call this unconventional due to the subject matter and large amounts of swearing.
Secondly, it seems the reign of the 'small-scale-low-budget' trend of winners (that commenced with The Hurt Locker) shows no sign of stopping - Not that I'm complaining. 
Thirdly, this is both funny and sad in equal measure. In fact, I do agree with the observation that this movie owes more to the screwball films of the 1930s than would first appear. Certainly it comes with a coating of over nine decades of change but it's there. And, with said coating, fascinating to see.
Finally, Mikey Madison is indeed a force to be reckoned with.

So yeah, a well deserved winner of Best Picture on all accounts. 

Ikiru

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Ikiru!

Original image located here. Accessed 1st August 2025

This is my 500th post on this blog so here's something that I've been saving for a special occasion. 

Much has been said about this movie already: One of Akira Kurosawa's most famous movies. Kurosawa at his most human. Takashi Shimura giving the performance of his career. The Japanese Its a Wonderful Life. So what can I add to the pile?

What is there to say? This is the story of a boring man who, upon diagnosed with a terminal illness, decides to make his remaining time count. And yet such a description doesn't do the film justice: It isn't predictable and it never once makes our protagonist pathetic or a punchline. And that is some remarkable restraint. 

Certainly this movie touched me on a deep level. As I'm getting older, I do ponder on my mortality and wonder if I will get everything I want to do done. Certainly, it's not the first time I've made such ponderings - I recall doing as many outstanding things as possible back in 1999 - but it still makes for an effective motivator. So there's something to be said about someone using his time to go from a  boring, meaningless life into finding something substantial. 
And there is something universal in that message. And seeing it shown in a movie like this is something else: Certainly there may some who would write this off as insincere but hey, who hasn't been confronted with thoughts on their own mortality?

Truly a magnificent movie. 

And as I close out this five hundredth post, I realise: Maybe there is still more to do...

The Wrestler

And this week's Friday night movie has been... The Wrestler!

Original image located here. Accessed 16th May 2025

A lot has been said about this movie, with it being the resurrection of Mickey Rourke's career and being one of the best movies of the 2000s. So it therefore becomes difficult to bring something new to the table.
Personally I enjoyed it and think the approach of making this movie comparable to a documentary worked wonders. Rourke is in top form and credit is due to taking wrestling seriously. 

So is this movie the evil cousin of Rocky and Raging Bull? Well that's one way of putting it. But personally I find it fitting that this movie came out the same year as Iron Man: Both movies

• star an actor who had fallen out of favour, 
• delivering a performance that effectively breathes new life to their career 
• in which they play someone who mirrors their personal life.  

But ultimately this wasn't an easy watch so next week I think I might watch something more fun *checks schedule*....Oh hello.....

CODA

And this week's Friday night movie has been... CODA!

Original image located here. Accessed 13th December 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 94 (2021)

Seems I was wrong: Nomadland wasn't the endpoint of the trend of Best Picture Oscar winners being small-scale/budget movies. Well one more for the road I guess. 
So that this movie won was something of a milestone in that it's the first time the winning film was one that was exclusively available on a streaming platform. Seems that in nearly a century of the Academy Awards there is still plenty of room for firsts. 

So anyway, I have nothing but good things to say about this movie. Key to it's success is that we are watching disabled who are being treated with dignity: they have wants, needs and are able to run a business. You know, like proper human beings. See? It's not that hard.

But this is still the story of a young adult leaving the nest and forging their own path. Sure one might think that story has been told countless times before however, as is often the case, it's not the tools but what one does with them.
The family dynamic works a treat and Emilia Jones does a great job with her performance.

So here we finally reach the end of this particular run of Best Picture Oscar winners. Where do we go from here? Well we have two Fridays left of the year....

Nomadland

   And this week's Friday night movie has been... Nomadland!

Original image located here. Accessed 6th December 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 93 (2020)

I am somewhat perplexed by this movie: On one hand, the strengths of this movie come through with it's beautiful photography, it's sensitivity of showing people struggling, the use of non-actors and it's realistic approach. 
But on the other hand, this does seem meandering in it's outcome. Granted that may be point given this is a film about the wanderer lifestyle but some scenes drag on and ultimately come out pointless.

Maybe I'm missing something? Most certainly but I feel it is fair to say that this is the point where the trend of honouring low-budget, low-box office movies - a trend started with the Hurt Locker - has come to an end. The model has outworn it's use and now a new one is required. 

It's always the quiet ones you have to watch out for....

Moonlight

 And this week's Friday night movie has been... La La L-sorry, Moonlight!

Original image located here. Accessed 22nd November 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 89 (2016)

I have spoken many times how I doubt the movie-going public will ever forgive Shakespeare in Love for winning Best Picture over Saving Private Ryan. So how does said public feel about Moonlight winning over La La Land? Granted the circumstances of that victory were different but it isn't much of a stretch to imagine at least some bitterness.
But in a way, perhaps it was fitting that Moonlight won instead of La La Land as it represented a change of the times: The musical - a genre that has been a tried and tested Oscar winner - lost out to something different and radical.

I said last week that the 2010s represented a time when message movies were gaining traction at the Oscars and this is no different. It shows the life of a gay black man, from childhood to adulthood. Granted such experiences are completely foreign to my own but I was still very impressed with this movie. It certainly has a sense of solemnity to it that is akin to being in church and it is fascinating to see life play out in such a manner. It is also compelling to see one's choices in life and, at the end of the movie, the offering of the question of what one would do differently.

Really this movie is a triumph of taking very little and doing a lot with it. Indeed, there's something to be learned from that..

Spotlight

 And this week's Friday night movie has been... Spotlight!

Original image located here. Accessed 15th November 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 88 (2015)

It's quite daring to have this movie to win Best Picture. Not only was a small winner (it won only one other award) but it also faces down the Catholic church. But then again, this is the 2010s where message movies are the norm. 

However get past the first impressions and this film is remarkable: It less about condemnation and more about the journalistic team working to uncover this case. It is an ensemble drama with all present clearly working outside of their comfort zone and giving committed performances. Also it's nice to see Mark Ruffalo in a role that both isn't the Hulk and allows him to flex his acting muscles. 

So how does the Catholic church emerge from this? Well, they are largely unseen. Granted this is perhaps to make sure this movie got a major release but this narrative isn't about them: It's about the victims, having endured physical and spiritual abuse. It is a wise decision to not show the journalistic team in a heroic light and instead focus on the people they are trying to reach. Indeed, that list at the end does hit like a truck.

Truly a remarkable movie. 

Birdman

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Birdman (or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)!

Original image located here. Accessed 11th November 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 87 (2014)

Clearly the major selling point of this movie was movie was it was shot in a way that conveys the impression it was done in one continuous take. A tall order since I saw, and adored, Russian Ark and that was the real deal. So what does this movie do?

Well the edits are there and you will need a sharp eye to spot them. But this is still a remarkable film: Sure the technological aspect of it is impressive but the real meat is the notion of a washed up actor who is trying to be taken seriously. Yes there is a thinly veiled dig at the MCU and the nods to Batman are hard to miss but this is still staggering in what it's conveying. 
When you see as many movies have I have it does get to a point where you see so much it's hard to see something that leaps out at you. Thankfully this is one such movie. 

Slumdog Millionaire

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Slumdog Millionaire!

Original image located here. Accessed 4th November 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 81 (2008)

Part of the reason I am doing this year long undertaking is that I am approaching these movies with fresh eyes, divorced from trends, politics and passage of time. Indeed, there's something to be said for watching a movie as just that: a movie.

However by watching this movie, it did occur to me that it's cut from the same cloth as fellow Best Picture winner The Last Emperor: Both are movies made with a non-white cast, telling a non-white story which is handled by a white director who is anything but an Oscar favourite. And, racial politics aside, both films come across as unique entrants in the history of Best Picture Oscars. 

On paper, this movie sounds awful: A movie that tells a story where Who Wants to be a Millionaire is utilised as a framework? Come off it. And the questions facing the protagonists are built around his life experiences? Are you joking?
And yet this movie works: It is well crafted, compelling and there are numerous nods to Bollywood (least not the dance sequence at the end). The cast is great and it is never once dull.

So yeah, it's a superb movie although I have to wonder that if it wasn't for this movie, Lion wouldn't exist...

Million Dollar Baby

  And this week's Friday night movie has been... Million Dollar Baby!

Original image located here. Accessed 4th November 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 77 (2004)

This one has been a long time coming. 
I guess comparisons to Rocky are inevitable as both are built around boxing and tells the story of an underdog giving it their all. The difference this time however is Clint Eastwood is in the director's chair and he is, for me, a favourite: This is due to the fact that Clint has proven time and time again he can eschew flashiness for taking what he has and doing a lot with it. 

Actually, I feel there this is one important similarity between Million Dollar Baby and Rocky: Both resemble a boxing movie but they aren't really about boxing. And that is the case here: Sure it's a compelling watch but it's only in the final half hour that it shows it's hand. I won't give too much away but throughout the movie there are meditations on poverty, striving to obtain a better life, knowing one can do better than their current situation, and dealing with those who try to disparage - and leech off of - one's success. 
It's a compelling watch with great acting all around, superb direction and a punch-in-the-gut finale. 

Truly a well-deserved winner of Best Picture.

Terms of Endearment

 And this week's Friday night movie has been... Terms of Endearment!

Original image located here. Accessed 4th November 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 56 (1983)

And now I face another case of a movie with a fearsome reputation: Seems this is one of the undisputed weepies ever made. And it came from one of the people who got the Simpsons made: James L Brooks. Still I am willing to give it a shot...

So what I found is that this is a movie about a mother/daughter relationship. Granted such a scenario is completely out of my field of expertise but I was still able connect with this movie. Certainly the humour works and the emotional parts of it hit like a truck, as befitting this movie's reputation, but for me this movie works as an example of a parent/child relationship (particularly as I limp through middle age). That this movie goes against various trends is better still. 

It's a movie with red, raw heart.

Ordinary People

  And this week's Friday night movie has been... Ordinary People!

Original image located here. Accessed 4th November 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 53 (1980)

And now we enter the eighties.
I can't say I was looking forward to this decade as it seems to have gone down in history as one of, if not the weakest decade of Oscar Best Picture winners. Granted it is sandwiched between two heavyweight decades, the 1970s and 1990s, but between them, they have plenty of standouts - the 1980s not so much. Furthermore, it appears that if there have been complaints about the disconnect between what was popular at the box office and what was popular with the Academy voters then the 1980s may have been the starting point of it (a problem that still persists to this day).
Still I did this year long undertaking to see movies I wouldn't have normally seen and am willing to be surprised so best foot forward...

So we have Ordinary People: A film that was Robert Redford's directorial debut and which, famously, beat out Raging Bull for Best Picture. But I will argue that time has been kind to this movie for it's representation of mental illness. In recent years, mental health has become a talking point like never before and such concerns do echo those raised in this movie. Redford shows a capable hand with his directing and shows his subjects in a manner that is sympathetic & far removed from soap opera melodrama. Great acting all round too, especially from the late great Donald Sutherland.

Perhaps it is fitting that this should follow Kramer vs Kramer as both films show a collapse of the traditional family unit. Seems the era of New Hollywood wasn't prepared to leave just yet...

Kramer vs Kramer

 And this week's Friday night movie has been... Kramer vs Kramer!

Original image located here. Accessed 4th November 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 52 (1979)

Actually forget what I said about The Sting: This has a more compelling case for being the 'forgotten' movie of 70s Best Picture winners. So while everyone props up the other eight, The Sting and Kramer vs Kramer are left fighting over the table scraps.

Still, this movie has plenty going for it: Firstly it is showing a divorce in process which is already a ballsy move.
Secondly, we are seeing a lousy dad slowly improving himself to become a better dad.
And thirdly there is a degree of nuance that would be foreign to modern audiences: Both the mother and father are treated well and not made out to be the bad guy. 
Its certainly a bold move to show divorce on screen and how it effects the people involved, socially and psychologically. Certainly it seems that a lot of people can relate to the situations being put forth on the screen - so if the film has resonated in such a manner, it must be doing something right.

It seems to me that other people are annoyed that this won Best Picture over Apocalypse Now. But to me, there's something to be said for the long, bombastic film losing out to smaller film. 

And with that, we leave the 1970s, it's cynicism and the era of New Hollywood behind. Ahead lies.... *checks schedule*....Hoo boy....

The Deer Hunter

And this week's Friday night movie has been... The Deer Hunter!

Original image located here. Accessed 4th November 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 51 (1978)

I was dreading watching this movie. Largely for two reasons:
Firstly, this movie is notorious for being the progenitor of 'Oscar Bait'. For those who don't know this movie, upon release, was deemed a hard sell due to it's depressing nature and it's length. Producer Allan Carr decided that if the movie was nominated for Best Picture, then people will go and see it. So the movie received a nomination after achieving the bare minimum requirement - along with Carr's own heavy campaigning for the movie. And it worked - The movie won Best Picture and, in turn, has inspired similar campaigns in it's wake.
And secondly, this is the movie that gave director Michael Cimino success - which he followed up with Heaven's Gate. This one was a notorious flop, with a oversized budget and seemingly never-ending production cycle. And it was enough to bring about the end of the New Hollywood era. I personally have never seen Heaven's Gate but my dad did - and he hated it, regaling me with stories of pointless scenes that dragged on. 
Thing is though, these two obstacles are ultimately outside factors: They don't say much about The Deer Hunter itself so there is still grounds for me to assess this movie on it's own terms.

What is striking is that there are three parts to this movie. The first introduces the protagonists and their bonds. The second catapults into the Vietnam War and gives us the infamous Russian Roulette scene. And the third examines the fallout of our protagonists retuning home and struggling in various forms. 
Really this movie left me with a lot of mixed feelings: On one hand there are some sequences that drag out and seem pointless. But on the other hand, there are some intense scenes (like the war portion) and some moments of sensitivity - both of which prove that Cimino knows what he's doing and the cast are delivering some career best performances. 
Some strong ideas to be sure but sadly bogged down with some baffling meandering.

Still, I will give props that the Academy awarded Best Picture to a movie about the Vietnam War - long regarded as 'the unpopular war'. Seems they were going against the grain but, as it would turn out, it's not the last time the Vietnam War would walk hand in hand with the Best Picture Oscar...