#oscars 60

[theoscarsproject]

Maurice (1987). Two English school chums find themselves falling in love at Cambridge. To regain his place in society, Clive gives up Maurice and marries. While staying with Clive and his wife, Maurice discovers romance in the arms of the gamekeeper Alec.

Can anyone direct sensuality like James Ivory? God, this is so, so good, just breathless with its own sprawling passion and it's alternating need to repress and experience and sometimes, eventually, to share too. Ivory's firing on all cylinders here, both as a director and a writer, and he brings out the best in a pretty stellar cast. This might just be my favourite Hugh Grant role? Just - - yes! Cinema! 9/10.

[theoscarsproject]

Babette's Feast (1987). During the late 19th century, a strict religious community in a Danish village takes in a French refugee from the Franco-Prussian War as a servant to the late pastor's daughters.

Just so sumptious and brimming with love. It's not hard to see why this is considered one of the best food films of all time, but it was the love stories within it that just hit me in the right spot. It's beautifully acted and tenderly told, and leans into the idea that not every love story is consumated or requited, but it doesn't mean they're not felt. Just a really, really beautiful film. 8/10.

[theoscarsproject]

Matewan (1987). A labor union organizer comes to an embattled mining community brutally and violently dominated and harassed by the mining company.

Movies about American unions, particularly American unions in coal country, are remarkably common, but few manage the level of grit, honesty and hope that Matewan does. What a great film! Really drums home the resilience of this community and the challenges of unifying workers when those at the top are all too willing to exploit differences of race, gender and class in order to divide. Just a great, well-made film. 8/10.

[theoscarsproject]

The Dead (1987). Gabriel Conroy and wife Gretta attend an early January dinner with friends at the home of his spinster aunts, an evening which results in an epiphany for both of them.

One of my favourite things about John Huston as a director is his ability to create a sense of lived-in intimacy between characters who sometimes don't particularly like each other, and that's really on show here. From all the warmth and bickering and petty grievances of the dinner party, to the powerfully affecting final act in Gabriel and Greta's bedroom. It just oozes a tenderness and empathy for these characters and their experiences, and its in that atmosphere I think that the movie really sings. The story's slight, but the emotions are big, and Anjelica Huston under her father's direction is a bit of magic. 8/10.

[theoscarsproject]

Robocop (1987). In a dystopic and crime-ridden Detroit, a terminally wounded cop returns to the force as a powerful cyborg haunted by submerged memories.

This is a) so much better than I was expecting, and also b) so much better than it has any right to be? Sure, it's partly copaganda, but it's also a pretty scathing indictment of corruption in the police force and how capitalistic interests inherently treat people as disposable. Plus! It's a fun sci-fi movie! Plus the VFX are pretty darn sick. 7/10.

[theoscarsproject]

Mannequin (1987). A young artist, searching for his vocation, makes a mannequin so perfect he falls in love with it. Finding the mannequin in a store window, he gets a job there and his creation comes to life.

Must a movie be good to be great? Look, this movie is bonkers and there's certainly a lot to be said about the literal objectification of it's leading lady, but it's also full of dressing up montages (a personal fave), and Kim Cattrall and Andrew McCarthy have great chemistry which sells a romcom better than a good concept ever could. 7/10.

[theoscarsproject]

Pathfinder (1987). A young Sámi man witnesses a band of vicious raiders slay his family and flees to a nearby village, where he learns he must become a Pathfinder.

Watching this for the Oscars Project (it was nommed for Best Foreign Language Film in '88!), I didn't realise until afterwards the film's significance in helping preserve the Sámi language and culture - wonderful! I love the capacity cinema has in sharing history, language and cultural dialogue, particular those which have been silenced by colonialism. 

Also! This is great! A really thrilling adventure, albeit a straightforward one. There's a real warmth between many of the dynamics - a nice contrast to the icy surrounds - and it beautifully folds together folklore and realism to tell just a really good story. Highly recommend it! 8/10.

[theoscarsproject]

Innerspace (1987). A test pilot is miniaturized in a secret experiment, and accidentally injected into a hapless store clerk.

The cartoonish premise and pacing really wouldn't work without an actor like Martin Short in the lead role, and the decision to cast him is probably one of the better ones in 80s sci-fi. This really is a bonkers movie, but it gets away with it more often than not - it's genuinely funny, and the design feels pretty innovative and high quality for the era. Also I might have an extra sweetspot for it given it spawned one of my favourite episodes of Futurama haha. Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan's storyline didn't do much for me at all though. 7/10.