best film: L.A. Confidential with The Insider close behind. L.A. Confidential isn’t auteur cinema but the narrative is one of the strongest of the 90’s and it features transcendent acting and writing. It’s a film that could have come out in the 30’s, 40’s, 70’s, 90’s or now—absolutely timeless.
best performance: L.A. Confidential though really there’s very little separating performances 1-5 below. Still, his performance as Bud White, a bruiser of a cop, I think goes down as Crowe’s best (at least to date). It’s a strong physical performance and Crowe’s career highlight coincides with supreme work from Kevin Spacey, Guy Pearce, James Crowell and career-best work from Kim Basinger as well.
stylistic innovations/traits: Ten years ago, in 2008, it looked like Crowe was on his way to be an all-timer. His run from 1997-2003 especially features five films that are amongst the very best of their respective years. The Academy agrees with me and after getting overlooked in 1997 for Confidential he was nominated in three consecutive years (1999-2001) winning in 2000 for Gladiator. He’s struggled since. I need to see Romper Stomper again (it’s been ages) but Crowe’s intensity, furrowed brow and piercing eyes and large physical frame are his trademarks. He can play intelligence (Insider, a beautiful mind) and a bruiser (la confidential, cinderella man, 3:10 to Yuma, gladiator) and both (Gladiator).
directors worked with: Sir Ridley Scott (2), Ron Howard (2) and then Michael Mann and Peter Weir once.
Top 5 Performances:
- L.A. Confidential
- The Insider
- Gladiator
- Master and Commander: Far Side of the World
- A Beautiful Mind
- 3:10 to Yuma
- American Gangster
- Cinderella Man
Archiveable films
| 1997- L.A. Confidential |
| 1999- The Insider |
| 2000- Gladiator |
| 2001- A Beautiful Mind |
| 2003- Master and Commander: Far Side of the World |
| 2005- Cinderella Man |
| 2007- 3:10 To Yuma |
| 2007- American Gangster |
What about Les Miserables and The Nice Guys?
@ Tom — Thanks for visiting the site and the comment. I’ve seen both and found some redeeming qualities in both (Tom Hooper has a talent for close-ups and Shane Black can absolutely write two-man dialogue) but ultimately found them just short of getting into the archives. Perhaps another viewing will change that.
Him,Spacey, and Guy Pearce deserve Oscar Nominations for L.A. Confidential
a beautiful mind is a great film, masterpiece in myopinion and to me the best picture of the year. i’m sure it won by the voters for all the wrong reasons, but the visuals from howard were excellent, and there was some great direction, writing, editing, narrative, and performances.(i don’t think ron howard is kubrick and many of his films, like the han solo, are pretty bad, but this was truly a marvel)/ this is the film that introduced me to crowe and he is absolutely stellar in it. puts him in the top 100 for me.
also i was wondering if you ever had a film not in the archives than you changed it to masterpiece or must see or whatever. or vice versa. (example i thought tarantino’s reservoir dogs was a masterpiece, now i think it barely would deserve a spot in the archives.)
@m — thanks for the comment as always. Interesting– so I have at least 15 films from 2001 ahead of “A Beautiful Mind” – http://thecinemaarchives.com/2017/12/15/2001/ . I wonder why we’re so far apart on “A Beautiful Mind”– I thought it was a very good film— rock solid– but cinematically unexceptional.
As for your question on whether I’ve ever changed my mind like you describe— absolutely. I’ve been taking film seriously for 18-20 years now and have changed my evaluation on a film and filmmaker many times- too many to count. I think this whole thing is about studying — it has been a process. I think I’m stronger now so I’d like to think the times I “miss” on a film or filmmaker happens less often but it absolutely still happens which is why i try to go back and rewatch films, read, find out what I’m potentially missing and rewatch. Am I missing something? Are the critics/writers? Why? —- Ozu and Dreyer are two notables– it took me a very long time on both but now my top 100 is peppered with their films. I thought Gertrud from Dreyer was nothing special the first time I saw it. Now i have it as the #38 film of all-time. For a more recent one– I wasn’t blown away by Steve McQueen’s Shame or Hunger when I first saw them (both in 2011) and now I’m sufficiently blown away by them. Cal Me By Your Name was another. I thought it was a well-acted drama the first time. Now I think it’s a borderline masterpiece. The ones that I’ve moved away from don’t stick out quick as clear in my memory. Lady Bird is a recent one I guess. I still like it but it’s not as good as that original buzz I had the first time in the theater. I thought it was a Must-See film the first time I saw it and when I went back for a closer look I didn’t really find enough there to warrant that evaluation and moved it down a little. I’ve downgraded some of Billy Wilder’s films over the years. I think he makes great films– but they’re largely built on writing and acting and I just think other auteurs achieve more artistry in their work.
There’s a small film called Romper Stomper that you missed – one of his finest
@RayP– thanks for the comment and for visiting the site. I’ve seen Romper Stomper- it’s been a decade or so since I’ve seen it– so perhaps I should revisit it—but I didn’t add the movie to the archives at the time.