By Cody Pomeranz, ’11, Sports Section Editor
In light of the Academy Awards, here are 13 Oscar-worthy (and in some cases, Oscar-winning) titles for your Netflix queue or next trip to Hollywood Video.
1. The Hurt Locker (2009) – An intense look into the Iraq War that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Once you watch this film, you’ll know why it beat Avatar for Best Picture.
2. Up in the Air (2009) – A witty, heartening comedy/drama that is the perfect film for our tough economic times. George Clooney gives the best performance of his career as a guy who flies across the country firing people. Vera Famiglia, another frequent flier Clooney meets and begins a relationship with, and Anna Kendrick, a young, ambitious coworker, support Clooney in performances that earned them well-deserved Oscar nominations. Up in the Air is a unique, funny, and heartfelt film that takes on the human condition.
3. 500 Days of Summer (2009) – An offbeat romantic comedy that takes a piece out of you (even if you hate romcoms like me). This is a film that is hard not to love. From its soundtrack to its quirky, heartfelt characters, 500 Days of Summer is a movie that will make you smile, especially the ending.
4. Frost/Nixon (2008) – An intriguing political/historical film about a President that committed a crime and the man who forced him to admit his wrongdoing to the world.
5. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) – The greatest action thriller of the past two decades and far-and-away the best of the amazing Bourne trilogy.
6. Zodiac (2007) – A modern-day Seven, David Fincher, the same director, directs to perfection a crime thriller about the real life infamous Zodiac serial killer. Not only is the film 100% true to the real story, but performances by Jake Gyllenhal, as a cartoonist that takes an obsessive interest in the killings, Robert Downey Jr., as an alcoholic journalist, and Mark Ruffalo, as the cop working the case, make Zodiac a fascinating crime drama.
7. Fracture (2007) – This edge-of-your-seat legal thriller did not receive much attention. But its clever script and memorable twist ending make it a must-see. Anthony Hopkins, a man trying to get off for shooting his wife, and Ryan Gosling, the lawyer prosecuting him, play a cat and mouse game that gives the foundation for a brilliant film.
8. Blood Diamond (2006) – Leonardo DiCaprio plays a diamond hunter in Africa trying to coax Solomon Vandy, played brilliantly by Djimon Hounsou, into giving him the giant diamond he found when he was forced into labor after being captured by a warlord. This is a thrill-a-minute film with a beautiful but brutal message.
9. The Constant Gardner (2005) – Tragic, heartfelt, thrilling, The Constant Gardner is an amalgamation of a million feelings and messages into one. Rachel Weisz plays Tessa Quayle, an outspoken humanitarian who is killed while in Africa trying to expose a pharmaceutical company that is knowingly selling harmful drugs. Her husband, played by Ralph Fiennes, tries to undercover the conspiracy that got his wife killed. Weisz earned an Oscar for her performance for good reason. This movie is meant to shake you, and it does.
10. V for Vendetta (2005) – A futuristic look at an totalitarian government in England, a masked vigilante trying to stop it, and the girl (Natalie Portman) who falls in love with him. V for Vendetta is a thrilling masterpiece
11. Big Fish (2003) – Tim Burton’s masterpiece, plain and simple. Big Fish is a beautiful film about the difference between truth and fantasy, told through the story of reconciliation between a dying father and his estranged son.
12. Runaway Jury (2003) – A great legal thriller with a perfectly crafted twist ending and a star-studded cast, including Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, Rachel Weisz, and John Cusack.
13. Catch Me If You Can (2002) – Leonardo DiCaprio shines in this thrilling, based-on-a-true-story film about a brilliant con artist. The performances by DiCaprio and Tom Hanks make Steven Spielberg’s movie an underappreciated classic.
Hurt Locker photo courtesy of iconocritic.com. Blood Diamond photo courtesy of celebrityscreenshots.com.