Gladiator
A magnificent epic whose only competition with how I’ve used that word is Apocalypse Now and Hero. This 2.5 hour long powerhouse really doesn’t seem to have any fat that could be trimmed to make it a better movie. Every actor is very good. Joaquin Phoenix barely has to be mentioned bc it’s just obvious but still, it is incredible how he embodies a character full of so much crippling doubt and insecurity masking it all with attempted but ultimately failed swagger and elegance. Some of these sequences are just beyond incredible, namely the dream sequence on the way to Africa. I was just floored by that. There are also some absolutely impeccably written and delivered lines, several of them regarding dust and all of them are cool. I’ve never seen Ben Hur, but FUCK BEN HUR. This movie fucking rules. I totally understand why Ralph Cifaretto got so obsessed with this movie in that one season of the sopranos. I said “that should be me” like 30 times while watching this