griggs's - Oscar-winning films: Best Picture List

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The Hurt Locker is an intense portrayal of elite soldiers who have one of the most dangerous jobs in the world: disarming bombs in the heat of combat.

When renegade Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner) takes command of a highly trained bomb disposal unit, he frequently risks the lives of himself and those around him with his suicidal methods and a complete disregard for danger. Caught in the middle are his subordinates Sergeant J.T. Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty), who can only watch as their leader descends further into addiction: an addiction to war.

Jamal Malik, an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India's 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?' Arrested on suspicion of cheating, he tells the police the incredible story of his life on the streets, and of the girl he loved and lost.

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When a man stumbles on a bloody crime scene, a pickup truck loaded with heroin, and two million dollars in irresistible cash, his decision to take the money sets off an unstoppable chain reaction of violence. Not even west Texas law can contain it.

Based on the novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Cormac McCarthy.

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Rookie cop Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) grew up in crime. That makes him the perfect mole, the man on the inside of the mob run by boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). It's his job to win Cosello's trust and help his detective handlers (Mark Wahlbery and Martin Sheen) bring Costello down.

Meanwhile, SIU officer Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) has everyone's trust. No one suspects he's Costello's mole. Now these covert lives cross and collide is at the ferocious core of the widely acclaimed The Departed. Martin Scorsese directs, guiding a cast for the ages in a visceral tale of crime and consequences. This is searing, can't-look-away filmmaking: like into the eyes of a con - or a cop - with a gun.

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A powerful and extraordinary film... undoubtedly one of the best films of the year. An unflinching look at the complexities of human conflict in America. A Brentwood housewife and her DA husband. A Persian store owner. Two police detectives who are also lovers.

A black television director and his wife. A Mexican locksmith. Two car-jackers. A rookie Cop. A middle-aged Korean couple. They all live in L.A. and in the next 36 hours, they will all collide...

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In the wake of a painful estrangement from his daughter, boxing trainer Frankie Dunn has been unwilling to let himself get close to anyone for a very long time - then Maggie Fitzgerald walks into his gym.

In a life of constant struggle, Maggie's gotten herself this far on raw talent, unshakable focus and a tremendous force of will. But more than anything, she wants someone to believe in her. The last thing Frankie needs is that kind of responsibility - let alone that kind of risk - but won over by Maggie's sheer determination, he begrudgingly agrees to take her on. In turns exasperating and inspiring each other, the two come to discover that they share a common spirit that transcends the pain and loss of their pasts, and they find in each other a sense of family they lost long ago. Yet, they both face a battle that will demand more heart and courage than any they've ever known.

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The final battle for Middle-earth begins. Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin), led by Gollum (Andy Serkis), continue their dangerous mission toward the fires of Mount Doom in order to destroy the One Ring.

Aragorn struggles to fulfill his legacy as he leads his outnumbered followers against the growing power of the Dark Lord Sauron, so that the Ring-bearer may complete his quest.

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Sexy stars Catherine Zeta Jones and Renee Zellweger heat up the screen with Hollywood favourite Richard Gere in a dazzling spectacle that glides between the intrigue of rivalry and betrayal to sensational fantasies of music and dance! At a time when crimes of passion result in celebrity headlines,

nightclub sensation Velma Kelley (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and spotlight-seeking Roxie Hart (Renee Zellweger) both find themselves sharing space on Chicago's famed Murderess Row. They also share Billy Flynn (Richard Gere), the town's slickest lawyer with a talent for turning notorious defendants into local legends. But in Chicago, there's only room for one legend! Velma and Roxie will stop at nothing to outdo each other in the obsessive pursuit of fame and celebrity!

A Beautiful Mind stars Russell Crowe in an astonishing performance as brilliant mathematician John Nash, on the brink of international acclaim when he becomes entangled in a mysterious conspiracy. Now only his devoted wife can help him in this powerful story courage, passion and triumph.

Forced into slavery by the corrupt, incestuous heir to be throne, Roman general Maximus (Russell Crowe) becomes a gladiator. His prowess in the arena will eventually lead him to Rome, the Colosseum and a vengeful showdown with the new emperor.

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Look closer at the most talked about film of the year. A funny, moving and shocking journey through life in suburban America. Look closer at fortysomething ad man Lester Burnham and his status-seeking wife, Carolyn, as their marriage and lives slowly unravel.

Lester's wife hates him, his daughter Jane regards him with contempt, and his boss is positioning him for the axe. Look closer as Lester decides to make a few changes in his life; the freer he gets, the happier he gets. But Lester is about to learn that the ultimate freedom comes at the ultimate price. Look closer at an acclaimed cast led by the brilliant performances from Kevin Spacey as Lester and Annette Bening as Carolyn.

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'Shakespeare in Love' is a romantic comedy for the 1990's set in the 1590's, telling the witty, sexy story behind the creation of the greatest love story of them all - Romeo and Juliet.

Young Will Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) is the up and coming playwright of the time but has been disastrously struck by the bane of the writer's life - writer's block. His comedy "Romeo and Ethel the Pirate's Daughter" is not going anywhere and the playhouse is under threat of closure. What will needs is a muse - and she appears in the form of the beautiful and (and betrothed) Lady Viola (Gwyneth Paltrow). The path of true love doesn't run smooth for young Will, however - Viola is engaged to be married to the insufferable Lord Wessex (Colin Firth) at the command of Queen Elizabeth (Judi Dench). The joys and tragedy of his own life find their way onto the page in a moving, witty and spellbinding tale.

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Rose (Kate Winslet) is a young upper-class woman suffocating under the thumb of her arrogant fiance. Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) is the free-spirited artist who opens Rose's eyes and steals her heart.

When the ship collides with an iceberg in the frigid North Atlantic, the young lovers' journey is transformed into a breathtaking race for survival.

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After a badly burned pilot (Ralph Fiennes) is pulled from the wreckage of his plane in the Sahara Desert, he's placed in the care of an army nurse (Juliette Binoche) and identified only as "the English patient".

As his memory slowly returns, a passionate and consuming love affair with a married woman (Kristin Scott Thomas) is unveiled, and lives from both the past and the present become inextricably altered.

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Mel Gibson stars in and directs this sweeping saga about Scotland's brutal battle for independence in the 13th century. When William Wallace's (Mel Gibson) wife is ravaged and murdered by English troops, his quest for revenge quickly turns into an impassioned fight for his country's freedom.

Tales of Wallace's bravery inspire every commoner to take arms against the English and escalate their crusade into a full scale war.