madness! Madness!

Lots of awards here. Does it equate to movies that are worth a damn? Find out...

The Irishman (2019) - "An old man recalls his time painting houses for his friend, Jimmy Hoffa, through the 1950s-70s."

Source: I borrowed the Blu-ray from the public library
I watched it because: it's an all-star cast and a brilliant director - what could go wrong?
IMDB: 7.8/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 95% Audience: 86%

notable quote: "You might be demonstrating a failure to show appreciation."
story: Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro) recalls his time 'painting houses' for his friend Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino), maintaining connection to the Bufalino crime family primarily through Russell (Joe Pesci), a mid-level boss.
costumes, hair & makeup: brilliant. The effects to de-age the actors were amazing.
acting: well done, but...

intangibles: at three hours and 29 minutes, this is the longest mainstream film released in over twenty years. Has Martin Scorsese had an unfilmed cinematic thought in over twenty years? Type the phrase "Irishman too " into Google (with a space after) and see what you get. It's not terrible, but it's just way. too. damned. long. (And I still don't understand the "painting houses" reference. Am I that naïve?)
Academy Award nominee:
• Best Director—Scorsese
• Best Supporting Actor—Pacino

• Best Supporting Actor—Pesci
• Best Adapted Screenplay

• Best Cinematography
• Best Costume Design

• Best Production Design
• Best Film Editing

• Best Visual Effects
• Best Picture
overall: recommended with strong reservations

Shakespeare in Love (1998) - "The world's greatest ever playwright, William Shakespeare, is young, out of ideas, and short of cash, but meets his ideal woman and is inspired to write one of his most famous plays."
Source: I own the DVD
I watched it because: I was in the mood for something romantic, funny - and guaranteed to be what I thought it would be
AFI: 100 Years ... 100 Passions (2002) #50

IMDB: 7.1/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 92% Audience: 80%

notable quote: "Strangely enough it all turns out well.'

    'How?'

    'I don't know. It's a mystery.'"
story: sweet, sweet, sweet. Will's a writer who can't write. Viola's an aristocrat who wishes to be an actress - but cannot (is not allowed to) act. Chemistry happens!
visuals: gorgeous, sumptuous, delicious
costumes, hair & makeup: oh, to wear those dresses just for one day!
acting: this time around, Joseph Fiennes (Will Shakespeare) and Tom Wilkinson (Hugh Fennyman) caught my heart

intangibles: I've seen this film at least a half-dozen times, and each time it charms me, makes me laugh, tears me up, and makes me love it just a little bit more. It's kinda magical.
Academy Award winner:
• Best Picture

• Best Actress—Gwyneth Paltrow (Lady Viola De Lesseps)

• Best Supporting Actress—Judi Dench (Queen Elizabeth)

• Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

• Best Art Direction - Set Decoration

• Best Costume Design

• Best Music, Original Musical or Comedy Score
Academy Award nominee:
• Best Supporting Actor—Geoffrey Rush (Philip Henslowe)

• Best Director—John Madden

• Best Cinematography

• Best Sound

• Best Film Editing

• Best Makeup
overall: so recommended

Adam's Rib (1949) - "Domestic and professional tensions mount when a husband and wife work as opposing lawyers in a case involving a woman who shot her husband."
Source: I borrowed the DVD from the public library
I watched it because: it won some awards

AFI: 100 Years ... 100 Laughs (2000) #22

10 Top 10 (2008) Romantic Comedy #7

IMDB: 7.5/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 96% Audience: 86%

notable quote: "Lawyers should never marry other lawyers. This is called in-breeding; from this comes idiot children and more lawyers."

story: a married couple, both lawyers, face off in the courtroom. Though they are both relatively reasonable people, the situation clearly puts each at their worst and spills over into their home.
costumes, hair & makeup: classic
acting: Spencer Tracy (Adam Bonner) made a believable and sympathetic attorney

intangibles: I did not love this. Katharine Hepburn played some roles that were too strident to be funny, too obnoxious to be appealing. This is one of them. I liked it for the (completely unrealistic) legal thread, but the relationship aspect made me want to hurl.
Academy Award nominee: Best Writing, Story and Screenplay
overall: recommended reluctantly

Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) - "Young love and childish fears highlight a year in the life of a turn-of-the-century family."
Source: I borrowed the DVD from the public library
I watched it because: it won some awards, and I very occasionally enjoy a good musical
AFI: 25 Greatest Movie Musicals (2006) #10

IMDB: 7.6/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 100% Audience: 87%

notable quote: "'Nice girls don't let men kiss them until after they're engaged. Men don't want the bloom rubbed off.'

    'Personally, I think I have too much bloom. Maybe that's the trouble with me.'"
story: very well-to-do Gilded Age family sings and dances their way through a year of ups and downs
visuals: shot in some particularly vibrant Technicolor, this is a big, splashy and nicely-shot film
costumes, hair & makeup: foofy and ridiculous, but fun to watch when they dance. The hairstyles are God-awful, particularly the short bangs on the women. 
acting: the great Mary Astor plays Mrs. Anna Smith, simultaneously regal and warm

intangibles: watching this movie is like eavesdropping on someone else's fancy party. If you're into that sort of thing, you'll like it.
Academy Award winner: Outstanding Child Actress of 1944—Margaret O'Brien (Tootie Smith)
Academy Award nominee:
• Best Writing, Screenplay

• Best Cinematography, Color

• Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture

• Best Music, Original Song ("The Trolley Song")
overall: recommended

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) - "British POWs are forced to build a railway bridge across the river Kwai for their Japanese captors, not knowing the Allied forces are planning to destroy it. ... This complex war epic asks hard questions, resists easy answers, and boasts career-defining work from star Alec Guinness and director David Lean."

Source: I borrowed the DVD from the public library
I watched it because: it's been on my "to watch" list for many years

AFI: 100 Years ... 100 Movies (original list 1998) #13

100 Years ... 100 Thrills (2001) #58

100 Years ... 100 Cheers (2006) #14

100 Years ... 100 Movies (10th anniversary edition 2007) #36

IMDB: 8.1/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 95% Audience: 93%

notable quote: "What have I done?"
visuals: astoundingly realistic 
acting: every member of this cast is terrifically good. And while I adore William Holden and think he's wonderful as Shears, Alec Guinness' Colonel Nicholson is brilliant, perhaps the best performance I have ever seen on film. My heart was broken.

intangibles: this is an extraordinary movie. Anyone who likes history should see it.
Academy Award winner:
• Best Picture

• Best Actor—Guinness 

• Best Director—Lean

• Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium

• Best Cinematography

• Best Film Editing

• Best Music, Scoring
Academy Award nominee: Best Supporting Actor—Sessue Hayakawa (Col. Saito) - he should have won!
overall: most highly recommended

[the title quotation is from The Bridge on the River Kwai]