The Real Best Picture of Each Year

1973:

My Pick: Don’t Look Now (Nicolas Roeg)

Best Picture Winner: The Sting (George Roy Hill)

Don’t Look Now is a masterpiece in atmospheric gothic horror, building tension throughout to a thrilling finale rivaled only by Hitchcock. Donald Sutherland is his usual solid self that carries us through the mystery and Roeg’s nontraditional cinematic techniques. For whatever reason I don’t enjoy most of Roeg’s other filmography, but this one’s a must see. The Sting is a solid, very entertaining Hollywood crime film that is well deserving of its award.

Honorable Mentions: The Sting, The Last Detail, Ali: Fear Eats the Soul, Fantastic Planet

1974:

My Pick: Chinatown (Roman Polanski)

Best Picture Winner: The Godfather Part II

I think The Godfather Part II is even greater than the first, with Al Pacino’s performance being one of the greatest of all time. Still, Polanski put together one of the great mysteries of all time, both in terms of plot and style, with Chinatown. The steamy, labyrinthine neo-noir, starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway as the perfect femme fatale somehow is even better than it is on paper. Another notable picture is A Woman Under the Influence, featuring Gena Rowlands who gives one of the most dedicated performances ever.

Honorable Mentions: The Godfather Part II, A Woman Under the Influence, Phantom of the Paradise

1975:

My Pick: Picnic at Hanging Rock (Peter Weir)

Best Picture Winner: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Milos Forman)

New Wave director Milos Forman hit it big with this adaptation Ken Kesey’s landmark novel, much of which hinged on Jack Nicholson’s legendary performance. While it is a undoubtedly terrific film, Picnic at Hanging Rock is one of a kind picture. This mysterious Australian film follows a girls boarding school who stumble upon an unkown force. It’s ambiguity is it strongest factor, leaving an unsettled, magic atmosphere that sticks with the viewer long after the credits roll.

Honorable Mention: Dog Day Afternoon, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Deep Red, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Man Who Would Be King

1976:

My Pick: Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese)

Best Picture Winner: Rocky (John G. Avidsen)

Rocky is one of the most iconic sports movie of all time, and for good reason as it is truly inspirational. Taxi Driver is the opposite of inspirational. With a twisted script by Paul Schrader and visceral direction by Scorsese it still took a tour de force performance by Robert De Niro to pull off this complex movie. Its challenging content and fresh style brought about a new era in Hollywood, shooting Scorsese and De Niro into Hollywood nobility.

Honorable Mentions: Carrie

1977:

My Pick: Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Steven Spielberg)

Best Picture Winner: Annie Hall (Woody Allen)

While occasionally brilliant, Woody Allen is entirely too neurotic and self-obsessed to garner the acclaim he’s gotten, which is never more apparent than in the semi-autobiographical Annie Hall. While the films nominated against it were not particularly stiff competition, overall there were several much better films. While Star Wars is easily the most iconic science fiction film of all time, Close Encounters, to me, is the greatest. It is movie magic encapsulated, conveying the wonders of the cosmos while still tying it down to reality. Somewhere along the way Spielberg lost the vision or concentration to recreate the effect of this masterpiece.

Honorable Mentions: 3 Women, Suspiria, Star Wars, Eraserhead, Stroszek

1978:

My Pick: The Deer Hunter (Michael Cimino)

Best Picture Winner: The Deer Hunter (Michael Cimino)

This is a really easy choice. Although The Deer Hunter is a little slow to start and quite lengthy, the intensity it builds to one of the most haunting endings in cinema. Featuring a legendary cast including Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, Meryl Streep and the late John Cazale, it is as harrowing a portrait of war as any. The rest of the cinematic output in 1978 was comparatively weak. The only films in the same league as The Deer Hunter were another war film Coming Home and the Walter Hill thriller The Driver.

Honorable Mentions: Coming Home, The Driver

1979:

My Pick: The Warriors (Walter Hill)

Best Picture Winner: Kramer vs. Kramer (Robert Benton)

The Warriors is one of the greatest cult classics, shadowing an ancient story, and imbuing it with iconic style, music and characters. It has launched many careers, inspired countless crime films and even spawned a video game. It is one of my personal favorites for it’s bold imagery that propped up Walter Hill’s legacy. Kramer vs. Kramer is a well made courtroom drama with good performances, but was no more significant then as it is today, nearly completely forgotten. While The Warriors would never have been nominated for an Oscar, there were greater films than Kramer vs. Kramer like All That Jazz and Apocalypse Now.

Honorable Mention: Stalker, All That Jazz, Being There, Apocalypse Now

1980:

My Pick: Raging Bull (Martin Scorsese)

Best Picture Winner: Ordinary People (Robert Redford)

Raging Bull is Martin Scorsese at his most complex, melding a complex character story with a more classic sports tale. Much of the kudos can also be attributed to Robert De Niro in his greatest role as the boxer Jake Le Motta, as well as the supporting cast including Joe Pesci. It is a heavy but natural feeling film that warrants several viewings. Ordinary People is one of the best suburban family dramas that have graced the Oscars through the years, second only maybe to The Ice Storm.

Honorable Mention: The Elephant Man, Tess, The Blues Brothers, The Empire Strikes Back, Ordinary People

1981: 

My Pick: Raiders of the Lost Ark (Steven Spielberg)

Best Picture Winner: Chariots of Fire (Hugh Hudson)

Between Close Encounters and Raiders of the Lost Ark Spielberg peaked, creating incredibly entertaining blockbusters that still had substance, packed with movie magic. In this case, it helps to have one of the most charismatic movie stars of all time in Harrison Ford iconizing the lead role, cementing Indiana Jones as the untouchable landmark in adventure films. Chariots of Fire is a sappy mess, dependent on politics and an obnoxious soundtrack to be any sort of memorable.

Honorable Mention: Prince of the City, Atlantic City, Das Boot

1982: 

My Pick: The Draughtsman’s Contract (Peter Greenaway)

Best Picture Winner: Gandhi (Richard Attenborough)

Around this time, quality filmmakers dispersed into more varied genres, creating an array of great films, but only a fraction of which would ever be recognized by the academy. Peter Greenaway a bizarre, controversial British director is one who would never be widely known outside of film circles. The Draughtsman’s Contract is an intriguing mystery, one of the director’s greatest and most accessible films. Gandhi is an overwrought biopic by Attenborough who shows he is much more nuanced of an actor than he is director.

Honorable Mentions: The Thing, Fitzcarraldo, First Blood

1983:

My Pick: Nostalgia (Andrei Tarkovsky)

Best Picture Winner: Terms of Endearment (James L. Brooks)

I think that Andrei Tarkovsky is one of the greatest directors of all time and this is the only of his films that i picked as greatest of the year, not because it is his best but because of the strong competition to his other masterpieces. Still, I feel Nostalgia is one of the most underrated works in film, as poetic and beautiful as it is enervating, with my favorite long shot ever. Terms of Endearment, while better than the films nominated against it is a manipulative sob story.

Honorable Mentions: Trading Places, Rumblefish, Scarface, Bad Boys

1984:

My Pick: Under the Volcano (John Huston)

Best Picture Winner: Amadeus (Milos Forman)

Amadeus is an incredible biopic, and really, who cares about historical accuracy in a movie. Milos Forman transformed his New Wave skills into an aggresive, fun period piece. John Husto mastered his late career habit of literay adaptation with Under the Volcano based on Malcolm Lowry’s novel. One of few movies that matches up to its great source material, Huston not only conveys the themes, but captures the essence of the despair amidst the Day of the Dead in this beautiful, tragic tale.

Honorable Mentions:  Amadeus, Ghostbusters, Paris, Texas

1985:

My Pick: Brazil (Terry Gilliam)

Best Picture Winner:  Out of Africa (Sydney Pollack)

While there is no shortage of high concept science fiction films, rarely is one so original with a director whose vision is so strong. It succeeds at world building, but more impressively it drives a compelling story to a conclusive ending, instead of falling apart in the final act like so many others do. Gilliam’s masterpiece is highly unique and memorable while the winner Out of Africa is neither of those things.

Honorable Mention: Ran, Back to the Future,

1986:

My Pick: River’s Edge (Tim Hunter)

Best Picture Winner: Platoon (Oliver Stone)

River’s Edge is a hidden gem in the gritty teen movie genre that was so popular in the 1980s. The plot is simple but abnormally dark. A high schooler brutally kills his girlfriend for no reason and his friends grapple with helping him cover it up or turning him in. Woven into the story are ambiguous moral dilemmas and wild, unique characters brought to life by terrific performances notably by Crispin Glover and Dennis Hopper. Platoon is probably the most effective Vietnam film made in the era and by far Oliver Stone’s greatest achievement.

Honorable Mention: Platoon, Stand By Me, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Hannah and Her Sisters, The Fly, Blue Velvet

1987:

My Pick: Robocop (Paul Verhoeven)

Best Picture Winner: The Last Emperor (Bernardo Bertolucci

Bertolucci’s most accessible film is a historical epic with lavish production design, important messages and is an overall crowd-pleaser. Also, due to the political significance of the film improving cultural relations with China, it was a shoe-in to win the first prize. Robocop is an insightful , thrilling science fiction film that gets a bad rap because of its cultural reputation as an action film. While it is awesome in that regard, it also displays a groundbreaking use of effects and biting social satire, typical of Verhoeven.

Honorable Mentions: The Untouchables, Wings of Desire, Au Revoir Les Enfants

1988:

My Pick: Die Hard (John McTiernan)

Best Picture Winner: Rain Man (Barry Levinson)

Not much competition this year. Simply put Die Hard is one of the most iconic and revolutionary films of the last half century, completely re-shaping the action movie genre, and its formula copied to this day. It is a perfectly balanced blend of excitement, thrills while never breaking the plane of possibility. It also shot Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman to stardom. Rain Man is a pretty good film anchored by Dustin Hoffman’s committed performance but definitely not Best Picture of the year.

Honorable Mention: The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Akira, The Bear

1989:

My Pick: Dekalog (Krzysztof Kieslowski)

Best Picture Winner: Driving Miss Daisy (Bruce Beresford)

Driving Miss Daisy is a pretty controversial Best Picture Winner, generally regarded as a safe alternative to Spike Lee’s much greater, edgier film about race relations Do The Right Thing that also came out this year. While that almost one my pick, I couldn’t ignore Kieslowski magnum opus Dekalog, a ten-part film about each of the ten commandments. This polish masterpiece is a poetic, often devastating, moral odyssey set in a Polish city in dreary winter, through separate characters and stories. In scope, power and originality it’s an even greater work than the director’s Three Colors trilogy.

Honorable Mentions: Do The Right Thing, The Cook The Thief His Wife Her Lover, Sex Lies & Videotape

1990:

My Pick: Goodfellas (Martin Scorsese)

Best Picture Winner: Dances With Wolves (Kevin Costner)

Dances With Wolves is a touching, if not a little slow, film that brought about a return of the Western genre. It is certainly Costner’s greatest film and has aged well, even if it is not that well remembered. Goodfellas is Scorsese’s greatest, most famous film. While it lacks some of the heart of his earlier, more raw, masterpieces, it make up for it in scope, smarts and style. The enthralling story of Henry Hill, gangster turned informant, is told through Scorsese’s detailed direction and some of the most memorable performances of the century.

Honorable Mentions: Edward Scissorhands, Wild at Heart, Miller’s Crossing

1991:

My Pick: Homicide (David Mamet)

Best Picture Winner: The Silence of the Lambs (Jonathan Demme)

This was a tough pick. I love both of these movies as two of the most original crime films of the decade, both for completely different reasons. Silence is the flashier of the two, with larger than life serial killers, brutal violence, directed by Jonathan Demme who has one of the most confusing filmographies of any director. Homicide is a more cerebral film, a smart labyrinthine murder mystery from the underrated David Mamet. This is more of a personal taste decision as both are great films.

Honorable Mentions: The Silence of the Lambs, Terminator 2, Beauty and the Beast, The Double Life of Veronique

1992:

My Pick: The Player (Robert Altman)

Best Picture Winner: Unforgiven (Clint Eastwood)

1992 had a lot of good films, but not many great films at all. Unforgiven was one of the few great ones that finally put Clint Eastwood as a respectable director in the public’s eye and brought something new to the seemingly tapped well of Western films. It’s no surprise that it was the favorite over Robert Altman’s scathing satire of Hollywood’s film industry. The Player is my favorite of the director’s, full of witty writing, creative scenes and a career best performance by Tim Robbins (he also gave his second best performance this year in Bob Roberts).

Honorable Mentions: Unforgiven, Reservoir Dogs, Porco Rosso, Man Bites Dog

1993:

My Pick: Jurassic Park (Steven Spielberg)

Best Picture Winner: Schindler’s List (Steven Spielberg)

Spielberg had been in a bit of a dry run for a while before 1993 when he came out with two of his crowning achievements in the same year. Schindler’s List is the more important film in terms of subject matter and for it Spielberg proves that he can be an intellectual auteur when he wants. It is the most harrowing film made about the Holocaust and some unforgettable moments. Jurassic Park, however, is the more important film in terms of cinema, bringing about the reign of otherworldly computer effects, and delivering one of the most iconic adventure films at the same time.

Honorable Mentions: Dazed and Confused, Naked, Schindler’s List, Carlito’s Way

1994:

My Pick: Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino)

Best Picture Winner: Forrest Gump (Robert Zemeckis)

1994 is often cited as one of the greatest film years simply because it has Pulp Fiction, Forrest Gump and The Shawshank Redemption. Pulp Fiction is acclaimed for good reason, turning the tides in favor of gritty, indie filmmaking, launching Tarantino to master status. Shawshank is a very powerful film worthy of it’s status, if not a bit saccharine. Forrest Gump is cheese to the max and overstays it’s welcome. Not many other great films came out this year.

Honorable Mentions:  The Shawshank Redemption, Ed Wood, Crumb, Three Colors: Red

1995:

My Pick: The Usual Suspects (Bryan Singer)

Best Picture Winner: Braveheart (Mel Gibson)

By choosing Pulp Fiction and The Usual Suspects in a row I feel like I sound like a teenager who’s just discovered their love of film. Maybe it’s just my penchant for crime films, because I know the film has its faults, but it succeeds so well in areas that many films attempt and fail I can’t help but love it. The execution of the build up and reveal is so perfect that is erases any shortcomings that precede it. Braveheart is a terrific film as well, with the grandeur of a Hollywood Oscar Drama mixed with ambitious action.

Honorable Mentions: Braveheart, Underground, Leaving Las Vegas, La Ceremonie

   

1996:

My Pick: Breaking the Waves (Lars von Trier)

Best Picture Winner: The English Patient (Anthony Minghella)

Seinfeld got it right, The English Patient is a pretty boring romance. Fargo would have been a much more deserving choice for the Academy, a pitch black comedy that delivers thrills and great performances. Breaking the Waves is one of the most emotionally wrenching movies of all time, but would never win Best Picture. It’s a miracle that Emily Watson’s showstopping performance as the wife of a bed-ridden oil worker driven to horrific extremes even got nominated, although it really should have won.

Honorable Mentions: Fargo, Big Night, Scream, The Rock

1997:

My Pick: Perfect Blue (Satoshi Kon)

Best Picture Winner: Titanic (James Cameron)

When compared to other Best Picture Winners, Titanic is more similar to the spectacle driven musical and epics of the first half of the 20th century and lacks the substance that has driven the awardfs more recently. I don’t blame the Academy for choosing it though, for the lack of conventional competition was pitiful. There were some great films, like Satoshi Kon’s twisted thriller Perfect Blue and John Woo’s Face/Off but those types of movies will be ignored by the Oscars forever.

Honorable Mention: Face/Off, Lost Highway, Boogie Nights

1998:

My Pick: Happiness (Todd Solondz)

Best Picture Winner: Shakespeare in Love (John Madden)

Shakespeare in Love is a famously undeserving winner and most agree that, of the films nominated, it should have gone to Saving Private Ryan, Spielberg’s ambitious WWII epic. While the film was one of the greatest, most realistic war movies ever, a far more original movie is Todd Solondz’s ironically named Happiness. In fact, it one of the most boldly depressing movies ever made. An ensemble picture of interweaving unhappy lives, packed with helpless victims and monstrous predators. It is so upsetting that is almost unwatchable, except it is also brilliantly funny and features great performances.

Honorable Mentions:  Saving Private Ryan, The Big Lebowski,

1999:

My Pick: The Straight Story (David Lynch)

Best Picture Winner: American Beauty (Sam Mendes)

If you know anything about David Lynch it’s that he is a director of strange, often disturbing films. The Straight Story is, as it’s name implies, a departure from his common fare. It tells the, somewhat, normal story of an old man who drives cross country on a lawnmower to see his estranged brother for the first time in years. It is incredibly gentle and touching, with only the slightest quirks. American Beauty is a dark, scathing satire of the American dream, coupled with contemporary taboos.

Honorable Mentions: Toy Story 2, American Beauty, Fight Club

2000:

My Pick: Almost Famous (Cameron Crowe)

Best Picture Winner: Gladiator (Ridley Scott)

Despite claims against it historical accuracy (who really cares?) Gladiator is a wildly entertaining swords and sandal epic, filled with political intrigue and impressive battle scenes. Of the other films nominated, the only that came close was Traffic, Steven Soderbergh’s ensemble drama about the war on drugs. Almost Famous is one of those rare gems where the director has such a personal attachment with the work that it gains an unmatched energy. This coming of age story about a young reporter on the road with a band is a landmark of the genre, so perfectly encapsulating the bittersweet emotions of growing up, as well as capturing an era.

Honorable Mentions: Werckmeister Harmonies, Battle Royale, Gladiator, Best in Show

2001:

My Pick: Mulholland Drive (David Lynch)

Best Picture Winner: A Beautiful Mind (Ron Howard)

A Beautiful Mind is a very inventive film for Ron Howard who regularly sticks to pretty straightforward fare, and Crowe gives one of his best performances as the troubled genius. There were several better movies this year, however, including the first Lord of the Rings film, Hayao Miyazaki’s masterpiece Spirited Away and, my winner, Mulholland Drive, David Lynch’s surreal-mystery fantasia that breaks all conventions of storytelling.

Honorable Mention: Spirited Away, The Fellowship of the Ring, Ocean’s 11

2002:

My Pick: The Two Towers (Peter Jackson)

Best Picture Winner: Chicago (Rob Marshall)

Chicago is a stylish, high production value musical, always a favorite with the voters, but this was still somewhat of an upset. Gangs of New York and The Pianist were both greater films by legendary directors. They all pale in comparison to the second film in the Lord of the Rings series. This film splits up the party into different groups of differing dynamics, and explores in unmatched detail the folklore and some of the greatest battles in Middle Earth. Despite all the technological innovations in effects, the Lord of the Rings series remains one of the most impressive visual cinematic feats.

Honorable Mentions: City of God, Minority Report, Gangs of New York

2003:

My Pick: The Return of the King (Peter Jackson)

Best Picture Winner: The Return of the King (Peter Jackson)

The Return of the King is tied for the most awarded film at the Oscars and for good reason. While the awards were really for the entire series, it was certainly deserving as the brilliant climax to one of the greatest series in film history. Despite it being an easy choice, it was a very good year for film, including Clint Eastwood’s masterpiece Mystic River and the great revenge thrillers Kill Bill and Oldboy.

Honorable Mentions: Mystic River, Kill Bill Vol. 1, Oldboy,

2004:

My Pick: The Incredibles (Brad Bird)

Best Picture Winner: Million Dollar Baby (Clint Eastwood)

2004 was not a bad year for movies but the best movies were not in the usual categories. The acclaimed dramas of the year have not held up over time. Million Dollar Baby is a good film but pales in comparison to Eastwood’s best work, and the same can be said for Scorsese’s The Aviator. The greatest, most memorable movies of the year were goofy comedies like Napoleon Dynamite and Anchorman. My pick for greatest of the year was the animated superhero film The Incredibles which proved that animationwas as much fun for adults as it was for children.

Honorable Mentions: Napoleon Dynamite, Anchorman, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

2005:

My Pick: Grizzly Man (Werner Herzog)

Best Picture Winner: Crash (Paul Haggis)

Crash is the most infamously undeserving Best Picture winner in recent history. While it has some good moments, and Matt Dillon gives a career reviving performance, it’s heavy handed and out of touch social message is at best sloppy, at worst cringeworthy. It was a weak class of film in general, and frankly none of the films nominated were really worthy of the prize. Instead the greatest film was Werner Herzog’s fascinating and original documentary about flying too close to the sun.

Honorable Mentions: Batman Begins, A History of Violence

2006:

My Pick: The Departed (Martin Scorsese)

Best Picture Winner: The Departed (Martin Scorsese)

This one was another clear winner with little competition. Scorsese proves once again that he is the king of the gangster movie, this time with a brand new crop of talented actors. Despite Jack Nicholson chewing the scenery it was Mark Wahlberg and Matt Damon who stole the show. Even more impressive is Scorsese’s direction who managed to elevate an already great film (Infernal Affairs) and make it a bona fide masterpiece.

Honorable Mentions: Pan’s Labyrinth, Paprika, United 93, Inland Empire, Casino Royale

2007:

My Pick: There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson)

Best Picture Winner: No Country For Old Men (Joel & Ethan Coen)

No Country For Old Men is one the Coen brothers’ most powerful film for many reasons. It has a great source material by Cormac McCarthy, terrific performances, especially by Javier Bardem and it isn’t distracted by their trademark comedy. Still, Paul Thomas Anderson made the greatest movie of the decade with There Will Be Blood, a harrowing tale of greed set in the early days of oil. Daniel Day Lewis stars in one of the greatest performances by any actor, and is supported by the underrated Paul Dano. Anderson surrounds the cast with a gritty environment you can feel and a deep, gripping plot. Also this year was Pixar’s greatest film, Ratatouille.

Honorable Mentions: Ratatouille, No Country for Old Men, Darjeeling Limited, Zodiac

2008:

My Pick: The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan)

Best Picture Winner: Slumdog Millionaire (Danny Boyle)

This is the snub that increased the limit of Best Picture nominees. Both a critical and popular success, The Dark Knight remains the high watermark for superhero movies, despite all that Marvel tries. Not only does it feature the otherworldly performance by Heath Ledger as the Joker but it is an all around masterpiece. Like most Nolan films, the weak link is a hammy, stiff script, but the cast is good enough to get past these limitations. Slumdog Millionaire is the last great film by once renowned director Danny Boyle, but really pales in memory compared to the genre defining Batman film.

Honorable Mentions: Gran Torino, Tropic Thunder, Taken

2009:

My Pick: Up (Peter Docter, Bob Peterson)

Best Picture Winner: The Hurt Locker (Katherine Bigelow)

The Hurt Locker is a great modern war film, showing the harrowing combat as well as the psychological toll it takes on the soldiers. Another great, less serious, war film released this year was Inglourious Basterds, Quentin Tarantino’s underrated World War II masterpiece. But the greatest film of the year was Up, the poignant tale of age and adventure from Pixar.

Honorable Mentions: Inglourious Basterds, The Hurt Locker, District 9

2010:

My Pick: The Social Network (David Fincher)

Best Picture Winner: The King’s Speech (Tom Hooper)

The King’s Speech is one of my least favorite Best Picture winners ever. It is a predictable, cheesy drama. The directing is stale and unimaginative and even the acclaimed performances are overrated. The Social Network on the other hand is a near perfect portrait of modern culture and ambition. David Fincher’s crisp direction, Aaron Sorkin’s smart script and a minimalist soundtrack by the Nine Inch Nails front man combine for one of the most complete cinematic achievements and a front runner for greatest film of the 21st century.

Honorable Mentions: The Fighter, Toy Story 3

2011:

My Pick: The Descendants (Alexander Payne)

Best Picture Winner: The Artist (Michel Hazanavicius)

The Artist was one of the most talked about movies of the year because of it’s gimmicky premise and has been almost completely forgotten about. There were many greater, more memorable films that deserved the award more. The Descendants is a terrific family drama in the style of older eras, with a simple but clear plot and complex performances, including George Clooney in his greatest role. Also this year was Terrence Malick’s ambitious and polarizing film Tree of Life and the genre changing action film The Raid: Redemption:

Honorable Mentions: The Raid: Redemption, Tree of Life, Jiro Dreams of Sushi

2012:

My Pick: The Master (Paul Thomas Anderson)

Best Picture Winner: Argo (Ben Affleck)

Argo is a great thriller in modern, realist style. The tension is constantly building, the performances feel real and who really cares if liberties were taken with the story. Given the other nominees, Argo was the most deserving film. The Master is an enigmatic film that has an impact that can’t be described. Even if the slow, philosophical nature is not your cup of tea, the great performances and cinematography cannot be denied.

Honorable Mention: Argo, The Act of Killing, Django Unchained, Holy Motors

2013:

My Pick: The Wolf Of Wall Street (Martin Scorsese)

Best Picture Winner: 12 Years A Slave (Steve McQueen)

Okay so I my have a soft spot for Martin Scorsese, but this crime-comedy epic is a marvel, somehow being incredibly entertaining, meaningful throughout a staggering three hour runtime. Leonardo DiCaprio gives the most wild performance of his career, Jonah Hill wows against type and of course Margot Robbie shot to fame with her revealing role. 12 Years a Slave is a very powerful film, with brilliant artistry, important themes and intense acting.

Honorable Mentions: 12 Years a Slave, American Hustle, The Conjuring

2014:

My Pick: Whiplash (Damien Chazelle)

Best Picture Winner: Birdman (Alejandro G. Innaritu)

Birdman is really one of the most original dramas to come out in a long time. A return to form for the underrated Michael Keaton, weaving surreal fantasy with grim reality and a colorful cast of characters. It is a must see and personal preference is the only reason I chose Whiplash over it. Whiplash is a taut, fast paced film about ambition and personal growth. Mostly talked about for J.K. Simmons’s brutal performance, the entire film is world class with the most exciting ending in modern cinema.

Honorable Mentions:  John Wick, Birdman, Nightcrawler, Grand Budapest Hotel, The Raid 2, Boyhood

2015:

My Pick: The Lobster (Yorgos Lanthimos)

Best Picture Winner:  Spotlight (Tom McCarthy)

Spotlight is a pretty bland film, but it is well written, well acted and politically charged so without a clear favorite, it made since that is would win. In fact almost none of the films nominated for Best Picture this year would be nominated in most other years, and almost none are even ever talked about. The Lobster is a science fiction dark comedy, which basically excludes it from contention already, but is really one of the funniest, most clever movies in recent years. Although it’s not my favorite Lanthimos film, it benefits from not having any good competition.

Honorable Mentions: Mad Max: Fury Road

2016:

My Pick: Elle (Paul Verhoeven)

Best Picture Winner: Moonlight (Barry Jenkins)

Moonlight is one of the most unusual Best Picture winners ever. Despite a typical dramatic premise, Barry Jenkins takes the genre and takes us on a freeform artistic journey through the life of a troubled man, but like many arthouse films the description just not do it justice. Still, the greatest film was a nuanced, controversial thriller by Verhoeven. The Danish director is a prime example of a genius director who makes great and terrible films. The same director of the garbage fire Showgirls, gave us this twisted, complex thriller that subverts all expectations. Also, Isabelle Huppert gives a world class performance, but that’s expected.

Honorable Mentions: Arrival, Moonlight, The Nice Guys, La La Land

2017:

My Pick: Phantom Thread (Paul Thomas Anderson)

Best Picture Winner: The Shape of Water (Guillermo del Toro)

If there is a film that surpasses There Will Be Blood as best film of the 21st century, it would be P. T. Anderson’s other crowning achievement Phantom Thread. Again he teams up with Daniel Day Lewis whose performance is as impressive here, and much more nuanced. While the plot is slower, it is just as gripping thanks to Anderson’s cinematography and Johnny Greenwood’s masterful soundtrack. The Shape of Water is an interesting fable, but the script is a very sloppy to be Best Picture material.

Honorable Mentions: The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Dunkirk, John Wick Chapter 2, The Disaster Artist, Coco

  

2018:

My Pick: You Were Really Never Here (Lynne Ramsay)

Best Picture Winner: Green Book (Peter Farrelly)

Lynne Ramsay’s artsy brutal drama was probably never going to win best picture, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t deserve it. Not only did Joaquin Phoenix deliver a raw but restrained performance worthy of an award, the direction is daring and visionary. Green Book is not a particularly memorable film, but is perfectly inoffensive and features some great performances. It was chosen over many more deserving films like A Star is Born and Roma.

Honorable Mentions: Roma, A Star is Born, BlaKkKlansman, Into the Spiderverse

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