I can't believe this film won Best Picture

Rating: 4/10 (15 July 2001)

This movie winning best picture is an example of how corrupt the Academy Oscar Award system must be, even Russell Crowe should not have won best actor (or even have gotten nominated period). Tom Hank's performance in Cast Away was far better even if he has two oscars already and Cast Away itself wasn't that great. Don't get me wrong though I believe that Crowe is a good actor and I would have given him a nomination for his role in L.A. Confidential. Gladiator is a summer movie and that is all it was. This movie was incomplete and full of cliches, and then out of no where the film ends abruptly, with of course a show down between Crowe and Phoenix. I believe that Roger Ebert is a great critic, and have no problem with the rating he gave this film (one and a half stars), but I don't agree with how he rates certain films such as summer movies. When a filmmaker makes a film such as a summer movie they usually aren't going after best picture, they're more going after giving you a ride, and if this is the case you should critique the film on this basis, and not judge it as though it was meant to be some kind of masterpiece in the art of film, however even on this basis Gladiator still somewhat fails. I was given this film on DVD and I sold it without even watching it. In order for a film to be worthy of beset picture or even good, the film must be tied up and have no loose ends, all issues should be dealt with and after the movie being almost 3 hours it actually has no story. When I first (the only time I watched it) watched Gladiator I thought that there was going to be some kind of inventive story line and then out of no where the film turns into a senseless basher movie. And if the Academy is going to allow films like this to continue to get nominations, some other film festival should be deemed more prestigious. This kind of thing is just scary, the next thing you know Pearl Harbour will get a nomination or probably even win. Here's how it is, Gladiator is an alright (two stars) summer movie, but for a well made movie of Best picture quality watch something like Chocolat or Enemy at the Gates instead.
PS. Just for the record, I have no problem with summer movies winning Best Picture as long as they're made properly, up to now the "Empire Strikes Back" is still my favourite film and I would have given it BP, and "Star Wars" also got a nomination because they were great and well made!