Great movie? Yes! Best picture? Hmmmm...

Rating: 7/10 (28 April 2001)

I saw Gladiator last May and really enjoyed it. I have never seen a movie of this scope and dealing with this subject, so I thought that it was original for today's types of movies. I am a big fan of Russell Crowe and thought that he did a great job in the title role of Maximus. He is a very strong character who follows his own path and ideas, but shows a tender side in his desire to be with his family. The majority of the cast was great, especially Joaquin Phoenix as Commodus. He has a very strong talent and will be sure to make an impact in movies in the future. However, I thought that Connie Neilsen's Lucilla was a bit weak and while she did display some independence in her actions and thoughts, she still held true to the standards of typical women's roles. While I did think that the movie was great, it was hardly the best picture of 2000... but I'm not sure what would be instead. It was a fairly weak year for the movies in comparison with recent years, especially 1999. It was nice to see Russell Crowe win the Oscar for best actor, but he should have received it LAST year for his stirring portrayal of Jeffrey Wigand instead of Maximus. His performance in Gladiator was excellent, but somehow it did not measure up to his former role. I still believe that Tom Hanks was robbed for not getting an Oscar instead!
7/10