Back in 2022 after I discovered letterboxd I decided to try working my way through the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences "Best Picture" Oscar winners that I'd not already seen.

First off, this isn't something I'd recommend doing unless you're keen on ticking off a list - they're some well documented utter stinkers that really aren't worth spending the time to watch, and many good films that whatever reason were passed over by the awards.

At the time I started I'd seen 19 out of the then 94 winning films, and I watched the 95th - Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) - before the 2023 awards.

I was able to watch a few of the remaining films through streaming subscriptions we have or from having previously recorded them from television broadcasts. Most of the remainder I watched as digital rentals from Microsoft, Amazon, or Sky.

The final few: The Broadway Melody (1929), The Life of Emile Zola (1937), Gigi (1958), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), and Million Dollar Baby (2004) were not available to stream anywhere at the time but I was able to obtain them on DVD. A couple of those titles were available to 'buy' - essentially perpetual rentals - but I'm skepical of the longevity of those. If I'm going to spend more than I would for a rental I'd rather get a disk I can actually keep.

Before watching The Return of the King (2003), I also watched The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), and The Two Towers (2002), the first of which I'd already seen.

I won't try to review every film I've watched, but I do want to mention a few that I particularly enjoyed.

Wings (1927)

A remarkable film, both the first winner of the prize and, until The Artist in 2011, the only Silent Film to do so. Predating the development of model photography, all the flight sequences were performed with real aircraft and assistance from the Air Corps.

Grand Hotel (1932)

A simple plot weaved between a cast of characters in a Berlin hotel, elevated by fantastic performances by some big stars of the day including Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford.

An American in Paris (1951)

The story feels dated now but it's more than made up for by the great song and dance sequences.

The Godfather (1972)

One of those films I feel that I ought to have seen already and a bit of an odd experience as I'd seen many of the notable sceenes clipped out in documentaries or parodied in other media.

The King’s Speech (2010)

As a stammerer, this was a stressful watch. Firth manages to convey perfectly just how frustrating it is when the words you have to say just won't come out no matter how hard you try.

CODA (2021)

On one level a run of the mill coming of age story, but the centering of Deafness in the story adds an interesting angle to it.