Best Picture This

Mike and Brian celebrate their 100th episode by kicking off a brand new miniseries -- this time on the films of 2007! First up: the momentum- and mood-forward "Michael Clayton," a Best Picture-nominated corporate thriller starring George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson and Tilda Swinton. In this centennial episode, Mike and Brian discuss the Oscars' ongoing evolution, screenplays that challenge the viewer to keep up with them, George Clooney's particular brand of controlled cool, and whether or not...

What was the best movie of 2006? The Academy awarded that title to director Martin Scorsese's "The Departed," but in this series finale episode, Mike and Brian shake things up. They recap the year that was, rank the nominees for Best Picture, kick the ones that don't belong and discuss their personal top fives. www.bestpicturethis.com Want to curate a future episode? BECOME A PATRON. Agree or disagree with our takes? EMAIL BestPictureThis@gmail.com And for 16 years of Golden Takes, head...

Released in between "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight," "The Prestige" stands out as a bold, personal choice for director Christopher Nolan. In this episode, Mike and Brian talk about Nolan's obsession with obsession, magic as a standin for cinema, the all-consuming power of creativity and if Nolan's film about magic and magicians deserves a place in the top five of 2006. www.bestpicturethis.com Want to choose an movie for a future episode? BECOME A PATRON. Agree or disagree with our...

Is "The Departed" Martin Scorsese's best movie? It's the only one of his films that has won Best Picture at the Oscars, and the only one for which he's won for Best Directing. So it's gotta be his best! ... Right? In this episode, Mike and Brian put on bad Bostonian accents to talk identity, machismo, pulpy genre, love triangles, self-seriousness as humor, corruption, organized religion, over-the-top performances and rats ... oh, so many rats. Then they decide if "The Departed" really does...

Director Clint Eastwood released two films in 2006, both about a pivotal battle in World War II -- except, one movie ("Flags of Our Fathers") was told from the American perspective, while the other ("Letters from Iwo Jima") explored the Japanese experience. In this episode, Mike and Brian discuss what analyzing the two movies through the scope of the multi-film project brings to the experience, which packs a more powerful punch and, what telling a story from a foreign perspective adds to...

Director Alfonso Cuaron's "Children of Men," starring Clive Owen, Julianne Moore and Michael Caine, is full of stunning action sequences shot entirely in long takes. But is the movie more than visual spectacle? In this episode, Mike and Brian talk technical achievements in cinematography, biblical and prog rock allusions, and trivia, before deciding if this film belongs in the top five of 2006. www.bestpicturethis.com Want to choose an movie for a future episode? BECOME A PATRON. Agree...

Nominated for Best Picture and winner of Best Screenplay of 2006, "Little Miss Sunshine," directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, was a surprise smash hit, both critically and commercially. But has its charm worn off in the 16 years since its release? In this episode, Mike and Brian talk screenwriting "tricks," the power of an ensemble cast and what qualities give a comedy "weight," before deciding whether or not this film belongs in the top five of the...

Is "Pan's Labyrinth" director Guillermo del Toro's best movie? In the years since its release in 2006, the Academy has embraced this director, awarding him Best Picture for "The Shape of Water" (2017) and nominating his "Nightmare Alley" in 2021. Although "Pan's" was only recognized with awards for its visuals (cinematography, art, makeup), the beauty here goes deeper than surface level. In this episode, Mike and Brian discuss the movie's relationship with storytelling as a force for both...

Director Alejandro González Iñárritu's Best Picture-nominated "Babel," starring Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Rinko Kikuchi and others, explores cultural divides through several converging narratives. In this episode, Mike and Brian hone in on how Inarritu uses the power of misery to connect his characters, they dig into the movie's deeper meanings, talk trvia, and then decide if the film belongs in the top five of the year. www.bestpicturethis.com Want to choose an movie for a future...

Can a "messy" movie also be "great"? Adam Sandler's career leading up to "Click," in 2006, was a defined by slapstick comedies made for teens, with only occasional dabblings in more "serious" fare ("Spanglish" and "Punch-Drunk Love"). "Click," however, tried to do both: be dumb fun, and make the audience feel something real. In this episode, Mike and Brian argue over whether or not that risk paid off; they talk expectations vs. reality, as well as the role marketing plays in molding a...

When news broke that Robert Pattinson, the sparkly vampire from the "Twilight" franchise, was cast to play Bruce Wayne in the latest Batman film, some fanboys were in a tizzy. What those fans might not have realized, however, is that, post-"Twilight," Pattinson broke away from the mainstream to make a series of art films (like "Good Time" and "The Lighthouse"), many of which explored the darker side of the human psyche. That experience is part of what made him a perfect fit for this version...

Dame Helen Mirren won the Oscar for Best Actress in playing Queen Elizabeth II in director Stephen Frears' "The Queen," which was also nominated for Best Picture in 2006. But how does the film stand up to other biopics released in the early 2000s? In this episode, Mike and Brian dig into how the film dialogues with grief, public relations, leadership and cultural change, before deciding if it belongs in the top five of the year. www.bestpicturethis.com Want to choose an movie for a future...

A remake of the 1947 film by the same name starring Tyrone Power, director Guillermo del Toro's "Nightmare Alley" earned four Oscar nominations, including one for Best Picture. In this episode, Mike and Brian analyze the movie's film noir roots and art direction, break down Bradley Cooper's character's motivations and dark past, and then decide if the film belongs in the top five of the 2021. www.bestpicturethis.com Want to choose an movie for a future episode? BECOME A PATRON. Agree or...

Director Adam McKay's star-studded "Don't Look Up" (Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchet, Jonah Hill) earned four Oscar nominations, including one for Best Picture. But is the Netflix original feature a legitimate contender for the best film of 2021? In this episode, Mike and Brian examine the fine line between satire and smugness, debate McKay's intentions, and then decide if the film belongs in the top five of the year. www.bestpicturethis.com Want to...

Director Jane Campion's first feature in 12 years, "The Power of the Dog," based on the book by Thomas Savage, is shaping up to the be the darling of Oscar season, boasting a total of 12 nominations, including one for Best Picture. But does it really live up to the hype? In this SPOILER-FILLED episode, Mike and Brian analyze the performances by Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-McPhee. They dig into the movie's visuals, debate its unsettling ending and...

In spite of releasing simultaneously in theaters and streaming on HBO Max, director Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi epic DUNE performed well enough with audiences for a sequel to already be confirmed. The film also impressed critics, earning a slew of Oscar nominations, including one for Best Picture. In this episode, Mike and Brian dig into the film's dense mythology, compare it to David Lynch's version, released in 1984, and decide if the movie belongs in the top five of...

What was the best movie of 2005? The Academy awarded that title to director Paul Haggis' "Crash," but in this series finale episode, Mike and Brian shake things up. They recap the year that was, rank the nominees for Best Picture, kick the ones that don't belong and discuss their personal top fives. Plus, trivia, Golden Takes and more. www.bestpicturethis.com Want to curate a future episode? BECOME A PATRON. Agree or disagree with our takes? EMAIL BestPictureThis@gmail.com And for 16...

Before "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," before "Looper," Rian Johnson broke onto the scene with a micro-budget neo-noir starring Joseph Gordon Levitt. BRICK put the young director on the map. In this episode, Mike and Brian analyze the movie's gritty style and debate if and how its genre subversion serves greater thematic purposes, they nerd out to the script's snappy dialogue and decide if the movie belongs in the top five of 2005. www.bestpicturethis.com Want to choose an movie for a future...

What was it about director Paul Haggis' CRASH that resonated with the Academy in 2005? In this episode, Mike and Brian dig into the film that won the Oscar for Best Picture, dissect its twisting narratives, and then decide whether it holds up as a top-five film of the year. www.bestpicturethis.com Want to choose an movie for a future episode? BECOME A PATRON. Agree or disagree with our takes? EMAIL BestPictureThis@gmail.com And for 16 years of Golden Takes, head over to Letterboxd.

In focusing on broad political issues, Steven Spielberg's "Munich" (2005) feels like an outlier in his filmography -- but it's not without its stylistic flourishes. In this episode, Mike and Brian talk what makes a film "classy" or "difficult," they dig into the movie's themes of cognitive dissonance and narratives, then decide whether "Munich" will make their top fives of 2005. www.bestpicturethis.com Want to choose an movie for a future episode? BECOME A PATRON. Agree or disagree with...