There’s an eight-and-a-half-pound gold trophy. Revered and celebrated by the best and the brightest from the world of films at a star studded event. We’re of course talking about the Academy Awards.
Glamour apart, we can definitely credit Oscars for having the best picture picks from around the world, year after year. And it so happens, that we have all the time in the world right now, to watch some of these masterpieces. So get your popcorn in place, because we have a list of the 12 best Oscar winning movies you can watch during the lockdown.
1. No Country For Old Men (2007)
This classic noir film offers us one of the finest from the masters of contemporary cinema, the Coen brothers. There’s suspense and thriller and scenes set with dark and seedy undertones, which will have you at the edge of your seats. Starring Josh Brolin who takes the cash of a drug deal gone wrong, and Javier Bardem as a bolt gun-weilding psychopath in lead roles, this movie serves for an interesting watch.
2. West Side Story (1961)
One of the best musicals of all time. West Side Story has an infectious energy that cannot be matched. If you’re a hardcore romantic like us, then this Oscar winner should be on your weekend watch list. A Romeo and Juliet story, but set in New York City’s West Side with peppy songs and dance numbers, you just won’t be able to stop clicking your fingers.
3. Moonlight (2016)
You think heart-wrenching, you get Moonlight. What a movie, this one. Split into three distinct acts, with each one focusing on a different time period in the main character’s life. This is a movie of the main lead struggling to understand his own sexuality and it leaves you heartbroken. Director Barry Jenkins makes sure that all the three actors portraying the main character in the movie are in perfect tandem with each other. Just make sure to have plenty of tissues handy.
4. The Artist (2011)
For this movie, French filmmaker Michel Hazanavicius teamed up with actor Jean Dujardin for an ambitious and a romantic salute to the silent era. The Artist shows us just how powerful movies can be and how love can help us overcome the biggest of difficulties in life. And all of it is shot in a yummy black-and-white tone. Also, does anyone have an extra flapper costume?
5. On The Waterfront (1954)
On the Waterfront is based on the real-life story of a whistleblower, jammed with the tale of corruption at the docks. Director Elia Kazan gives us strongarm dramatics that contrasts two conflicting ways of looking at the world and especially at taking responsibilities. Don’t mean to be preachy, but watch this one just for the inspiration to have the courage to stand up against the corrupt and the evil.
6. The King’s Speech (2010)
With this movie about a king with a stutter and his speech therapist, Director Tom Hooper does something to our minds, which cannot be explained. The inspiration you will get from watching this movie will hit every little cell in your body. And a special mention for the impeccable chemistry between the two leads in the movie who are poles apart.
7. Rocky (1976)
Rocky, upon its release was the highest grosser of the year back then and turned Stallone into a global star. And we aren’t surprised. From his determination to succeed, to his air-punch at the top of the museum steps, there’s not one thing about the movie that will not have you cheering for Stallone throughout.
8. Gone With the Wind (1939)
‘Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.’ The man certainly made a point and probably the first time that he stood up to his lady love for his dignity. This grand, majestic picture won eight Oscars and remains a cornerstone of cinema. A lush and a melodramatic tale of romance and injustice during the American Civil War, starring the evergreen beauty Vivien Leigh and Clarke Gable in leads.
9. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
All Jack Nicholson fans raise your hands! This movie is a classic for a reason. Nicholson plays a wise-cracking con artist, who walks into a mental institution to escape a harsher prison term. And he plays it with sheer brilliance, so much so that he manages to somehow uplift your soul and break your heart at the same time.
10. The Apartment (1960)
The Apartment was an instant game-changer when it came out. In this movie an insurance agent lets his colleagues use his apartment to entertain their mistresses. This, while struggling to find love himself, until he meets a beautiful and smart elevator operator. There are self-depreciating one liners and of course the movie also teaches you a little something about how romance used to be in the good ol’ days.
11. Annie Hall (1977)
One of the best romantic comedies you would ever come across. Woody Allen ventured into romance for the first time with this one. And it was perhaps his best decision to cast Diane Keaton as the title character. Annie Hall is carefree, cool and quite a trend setter when it comes to fashion. We had the most fun seeing Annie discuss her next date with the neurotic Alvy Singer. And we’re pretty sure you will love it just as much.
12. All About Eve (1952)
This evergreen classic showbiz drama has some powerful messages about ambition and betrayal. Trading on the insecurity of an ageing actress, Eve Harrington becomes her indispensable confidante. But it all soon turns sour as Harrington attempts to launch her own career in Broadway. Bette Davis and Anne Baxter come together in this timeless story about our resistance to growing old and we seriously couldn’t have asked for a better star cast.
So which one are you going to start with?