Russell Crowe: A Filmography In Review

We've come to the conclusion of 26 Days of Russell Crowe in which I reviewed all 26 of Russell's films that I had yet to review.  First off I'd like to thank you all for taking your time to follow along with me and even to those few of you who commented.  To call this endeavor a success would be an understatement, the main post for this series is officially the most viewed post ever on this site and the readership has been unbelievable.  Major thanks to Russell Crowe's official site Murphsplace.com for mentioning this series, I think someone on twitter alerted them and they let everyone know, much appreciated.  So without further ado I'm going to wrap up this series with a brief quote from each review which briefly sums up my opinon of each film, my rating and the link to the full review. And sometime this weekend I'll officially wrap up the series by posting my Top 10 favorite Russell Crowe films, so think of your Top 10 and have them ready to discuss at that time!

Prisoners of the Sun (1990) - 6/10

Crowe's appearance alone simply doesn't warrant a viewing and there are so many better war and post war films out there that I'd be hard pressed to recommend running out and renting this. Full review

 


The Crossing (1990) - 6/10

The Crossing isn't a great film, and if Russell Crowe hadn't been the lead I doubt I'd even be reviewing it. The plot is incredibly simple, the story is rather slow moving and the characters aren't very well developed. Full review

 


Proof (1991) - 7/10

Proof is one of those films that starts off fantastic and then gradually degrades to mediocre.  The first half of the film is a must see... the last half of the film simply isn't as interesting as the first. Full review

 



Brides of Christ (1991) - 7/10

The characters are very believable, the performances are very authentic, and the stories have enough going for them that it didn't make this mini-series boring. Full review

 

The Efficiency Expert (1992) - 7/10

It's simply the range of characters that make this film worth checking out, only unfortunate that the story is such a convoluted mess that it hinders the film from being a real diamond in the rough comedy. Full review

 

Romper Stomper (1992) - 7/10

Many people say this film is hard to watch, I would disagree, in some ways I actually found the film rather rewarding as for me it was really a story of injustice getting a taste of it's own medicine. Full review

 
Hammers Over the Anvil (1993) - 4/10

Hammers Over the Anvil is a mediocre film with a very subdued and average performance by Russell Crowe, and seeing that most of Crowe's earlier films are only worth watching because of him alone, I have to say most people would probably be better off passing on this one. Full review

 

Love in Limbo (1993) - 5/10

[Russell's] by far the most entertaining character in the film, yet his role is so minor and limited that the character hardly gets a lot of time to develop, still he manages to deliver most, if not all, of the film's comedy. Full review

 


The Silver Stallion (1993) - 5/10

The Silver Stallion is really a film for the horse enthusiast... Russell plays a pivotal character, [but] it's not a performance that's going to make you love the film if nothing else about it appeals to you. Full review

 

For The Moment (1993) - 6/10

For the Moment is a film that suffers from two opposite extremes.  The first half of the film is incredibly slow and uneventful, while the second half is over-the-top drama with nothing but dying, crying and goodbying. Full review

 
The Sum of Us (1994) - 5/10

...the final twenty minutes where Jeff's relationship and love for his father is really explored... was my favorite part of the film, it was the most interesting, the most emotional and the best performed, where the first hour simply drags on a bit too much and relies too much... Full review

 

The Quick and the Dead (1995) - 9/10

The cast of characters is rather impressive as Russell Crowe, Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman and Leonardo Di Caprio lead the way... one of my top 10 favorite westerns of all-time! Full review

 

No Way Back (1995) - 5/10

No Way Back must have been a direct to video release, because it's too awful and low budget to have been released on the big screen.  Campy direct to video action films are easily discernible by awful music, a convoluted story and horrible acting, it's all here. Full review

 

Virtuosity (1995) - 4/10

Virtuosity is a pretty awful film, there's really no getting around that but it gets points solely on Russell Crowe's performance which is extremely sadistic, creepy and would give Health Ledger's Joker a fight to the death. Full review

 


Rough Magic (1995) - 6/10

...there's nothing inherently great about Rough Magic, but it's a film that's so insanely odd that it can't be helped but be enjoyed in some bizarre manner. Full review

 

L.A. Confidential (1997) - 9/10

Bluntly put L.A. Confidential isn't a great film, it's quite possibly one of the greatest crime thrillers ever made. Full review

 


Heaven's Burning (1997) - 7/10

Heaven's Burning has the gritty vibe and the mixture of bizarre storyline with extreme violence and subtitle comedy that makes it hard to stop watching. Full review

 

Breaking Up (1997) - 3/10

Ultimately this film left me bored, while Crowe and Hayek give good performances it's pretty much wasted on a story that goes completely no where... Full review

 
Mystery, Alaska (1999) - 6/10

For what the film has to offer, two hours is way too long, especially for a film that takes an hour before it even gets moving in the right direction. Full review

 


The Insider (1999) - 4/10

...the film's style and content appeals to the more mainstream film enthusiasts and critics, which I've never claimed or wanted to be. Full review

 

Gladiator (2000) - 10/10

Visually stunning, musically inspiring, and two amazing performances by two outstanding actors, not to mention a wonderful supporting cast. Full review

 


Proof of Life (2000) - 7/10

Surprisingly Proof of Life turned out to be an average entertaining thriller, sometimes appearing to be a tad over-the-top, it's still quite enjoyable... Full review

 

A Beautiful Mind (2001) - 10/10

The role of John Nash is in my opinon Crowe's best performance easily topping Gladiator.  It's in this film Crowe experiences the full spectrum of emotions and insanity, it's a role I couldn't imagine anyone else able to pull off. Full review

 

Texas: 30 Odd Foot of Grunts (2002) - 7/10

...a perfect score on the enjoyment factor of the music, and an average score on the DVD, the video quality is average, and aside from the musical performances and some of the history on the band it's not necessarily something I'd revisit often. Full review

 

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) - 8/10

Master and Commander is a serious film with top notch acting, the best nautical battle scenes I have ever seen and by far the best portrayal about what life was like for the sailors of this period. Full review

 

Cinderella Man (2005) - 10/10

Cinderella Man, is a great story about a man fighting to give his family a better life, to get back what they had lost, a man who never gave up when people didn't believe in him because he believed in himself. Full review

A Good Year (2006) - 9/10

A Good Year is simply another example of the versatility of Russell Crowe, an actor who appears to be bound by no genre, able to turn every character he takes on significantly different and unique. Full review

 

3:10 To Yuma (2007) - 10/10

As for the film itself, 3:10 To Yuma may have a simple plot, but what makes it amazing is it's ability to take that plot and weave within it a very well crafted and entertaining story that's able to keep the viewer interested for 2 hours. The acting is top notch, the action is exhilarating, the scenery and musical score amazing and the conclusion jaw dropping. Full review

 
American Gangster (2007) - 7/10

While American Gangster has glitz, glamor and a massive amount of talent, it doesn't have a story that reflects it. With a run-time of two hours thirty-seven minutes (twenty minutes more for the extended cut) the story doesn't offer half as much as a film like L.A. Confidential... Full review

 
Body of Lies (2008) - 7/10

Body of Lies is worth a watch, the acting is very good, the action scenes are exhilarating, and the concept of the story is interesting but to me it ends up being another political thriller that runs out of steam before the film runs out of time. Full review

 




Tenderness (2009) - 7/10

As a thriller, Tenderness isn't too unpredictable.  It's pretty easy to connect the dots... Full review

 

State of Play (2009) - 8/10

State of Play is a nice addition to the political thriller genre. The film does a nice job of keeping you guessing about the outcome, and the performances by Russell Crowe, Rachel McAdams and a couple of the other well known supporting cast members make this a film worth watching multiple times. Full review

 
Robin Hood (2010) - 8/10

Robin Hood is a good portrayal of the man before he became a legend, the cast is great, the story is good, the flow is okay, the action is average. Full review