Crowe followed the Oscar/Hollywood formula

Rating: Null/10 (3 April 2001)

People are constantly talking about how Gladiator deserved to win, *considering* "the slew of movies that came out last year". To this, I must argue. If you're going to talk about Gladiator in its own right, then I guess it's a good film, if all the other films'celluloid and tapes and DVD's were burned and Gladiator was the only film anybody could ever watch ever again. But I can instantly say it is not the Best Pic of 2000 when compared to the other films that came out.
Unlike many people who say Phoenix overacted his part, I have to say he's the only good part about this movie. I heard that Ridley Scott had Russell Crowe in mind for Maximus the whole time when he first chose the project. I don't understand this, so then I must not understand what everyone saw with his performance. I thought he sucked major d***. Just because you didn't win for The Insider and people feel bad for their mistake, it doesn't mean you're a shoe-in for next year's big-budget epic-tale-lead-actor award! In reality, this is the process of how to win an Academy Award. Just start off your American movie-career by being in a real underdog, socially-moral movie that does only OK at the BO while praised by critics (The Insider), where yu have to gain about 35 pounds, add wrinkles and grey hair, basically look bad just so you can bring out your artistic side. Then lose at the Academy awards. This is the first step of playing at their game. The next year, after you've finally given in to the plotless stupid-script, hugely-advertized flick, the Academy gives you the award in a way of saying, "Good boy!" No matter if you acted like total crap, you've played by the Hollywood game of having people award you out of pity for your last film. Let's see when Russell Crowe will ever win another Oscar.
Unlike most people, I thought Joaquin Phoenix was the best part of this movie. I don't think he overacted (as we've all learned in history, how are you supposed to act the role of a deranged Roman emperor? Those guys were f** crazy) He was awesome, and I would watch Gladiator again only to see his acting.
Traffic was much better than , but Wo hu zang long should've won for Best Picture. Anybody who has seen both films cannot tell me they'd be more entertained by watching Gladiator again than Crouching Tiger.