Note: there will be a 1930b as they did a non-calendar year selection criteria, so that will be the next Oscar "year".
Find below an alphabetical list of the movies I saw with a brief review.
Click here for the list of all the awards and nominees and who I though should have won. The winner is always listed first, but I've underlined who I think should have won. Also, keep your eye out for my least favourite movie.
Alibi
This could have been brilliant but just missed the mark. It had a lot of novelty sound but in some places, though, the dialogue was almost inaudible. The editing was poor. There were some great cinematography concepts, like the pressure on the admission and the drive through the city, but it didn't quite work. Chester Morris was the best actor in this movie and did a great job. Most of the others were forgettable or hammy. There was some terrible dancing in this movie, but the smile song was cute. The fight scenes were laughable. There was some good character development and plot twists, and the story was interesting. This would have been rated much higher if all the attempted elements had worked. Bravo for trying, though. Chester deserved his nomination, but the others didn't.
6/10.
A Woman of Affairs
I got the wrong end of the stick with this movie. I'm glad I watched it with my husband, but between the two of us, we made some conclusions that, after reading the plot of the play, we shouldn't have come to. We thought David killed himself because he was in a relationship with Jeffry. In the movie, it was due to theft, and in the play, it was due to syphilis, but we found our version made more sense and excitement! As an early film, we thought a gay romance would not be allowed, so we put two and two together and presumed it was being hinted at. But I think we were wrong. Also, while I presumed Diana had a baby due to the "illness", the hidden nature of it made it less climatic than it could have been if the censors had let more of that storyline shine. I thought the cinematography was excellent and the acting superb from Garbo. The Garbo/Gilbert chemistry is probably the best I've seen in silent films. I loved Garbo's subtle acting, and the time they allowed those emotions to show. It's a bit ho-hum to watch silent movies after delving into talkies. Did it deserve an Oscar Nom-Nom? No for writing, but a big Yes for Garbo's acting. I would take her over Mary Pickford (who won this year) any day.
6.5/10
Coquette
The story is quite good, maybe a little slow-paced, but ok. What lets this movie down is the acting. I get that Mary Pickford would have had a "signature" acting style, but it made her look silly. The other actors weren't great either and the whole thing felt like I was watching a terrible high school play. Mary didn't deserve the win here.
5/10
Dynamite
I loved this movie!! I loved the theme of the movie and it appealed to my morality. While Hagon could be a brute (sometimes uncomfortably so), I wanted Hagon and Cynthia to be together at the end. The acting and cinematography were great, as was set design. The effects for the collapse were great and the whole movie was pretty gripping. Just lost a few points for the overacting in the first scenes and the length of the party scenes. My second favorite movie of the year.
7.5/10
In Old Arizona
The plot was interesting, but the pace let it down. I got so bored in the middle of the movie's third quarter that I stopped caring about the characters, making the ending much less impactful.
The acting was OK. Warner Baxter was far and away the standout. What made this movie so great for me was the fact it was shot outdoors, which was no easy feat for the time. The costumes were fantastic, and the set design was good. It felt like a modern movie. It would have been almost perfect if it wasn't for the boring parts in the middle. All the awards were warranted.
7/10
Madame X
Urgh. I couldn't get into the plot. Too implausible and some sections were way too long and not critical to the story. I couldn't agree with the theme that it was the cheated husband's fault for her downfall. Sorry but she made her choice. I liked Lewis Stone's performance, but the others were the usual over-acting of the time. The dialogue was almost ridiculous at times and the whole thing was shot like a play, which I guess it would have been. The only praise-worthy part for me was the way they developed the characters over time visually, with good hair and wardrobe choices.
4.7/10
Our Dancing Daughters
This movie got better as it went along. I was confused to start with, and I think it took me 30 minutes to work out the gist. The plot was interesting but not gripping. I liked the moral of the movie, but it probably was a bit much for modern audiences. I loved the Art Deco sets. The acting was pretty good, and I can see how this movie projected Crawford into the movie stratosphere.
6.6/10.
Skyscraper
I found this movie to be a bit too ridiculous. The beginning was very interesting; a bit of a time capsule on working on a skyscraper. Very scary with the almost non-existent Health and Safety of the day. I want to know what kind of shoes the lady had, that she could break it off and then easily put it on and go dancing! Seems legit! I found the editing to be very clunky. The story was full of not very funny jokes and toxic masculinity with an abrupt ending. On a positive note, I liked Boyd's acting, and it was a time capsule into that world.
5/10
The Broadway Melody
I didn’t understand the plot of this movie. The story seems to progress with no reasoning behind it. People have weird and toxic relationships. Nothing seems realistic or genuine. The men are all creeps. Why Queenie would go with Ed astounds me. There were no stand-out actors for me. Bessie Love was ok when angry, but I didn’t buy the sad scenes. I liked the opening with the various suites of music. They are showing off this new technology well. However, this movie's so-called professional musicians are terrible and amateur. The only performances I liked were the quartet at the dance and the Wedding of the Painted Doll number, which was a good audio-visual spectacular. The costumes were great, and the set design for the theatre was cool. I can’t believe it won! It has the lowest score on IMDB for all the Oscar Best Picture winners. I’m not surprised. I’m okay with Bessie Love’s nomination and even the directorial nomination, but I think there were no winners here.
6/10.
The Divine Lady
I liked the story of this movie. I didn't know the tale of Emma Hamilton before. There was lovely cinematography, and the ship battles were exciting. The soundtrack was interesting but a little repetitive in places. The acting was ok. It ranks in the top movies for me from this year, but I think it's ultimately a bit forgettable. But it was well done, and I learned a bit about history.
7/10.
The Hollywood Revue of 1929
This wasn't a movie; just a bunch of acts, and therefore I don't think it should have been eligible for the Best Picture Oscar. I think it would have been fantastic for people of the day to see their favourite stars in this kind of production. It had some pretty cool acts. My favourite was the contortionists/dancers and I loved Marie Dressler. But overall, I found it pretty boring, but I understand that this would have amazed people of the day.
5/10.
The Last of Mrs. Cheyney
I really loved Basil Rathbone in this movie and Norma Shearer was very good too. I loved her very 1920's dresses. The character of Lord Elton was annoying, but he was meant to be, and I thought that was well done. But I didn't like the plot. The way it resolved itself was not plausible to me. The way the criminals worked was just weird. As a satire against the nobility, I think it didn't go far enough to make any decent point. I would only recommend this movie to Rathbone or Shearer fans.
6/10.
The Leatherneck
This is the worst film I've watched on my Oscar journey so far. It's not a story that lends itself to the silent style. Is it the first flashback movie I've watched? Maybe. This movie has no plausibility! It also has terrible editing and zero chemistry. I'm giving it 2 stars - 1 for the lighting in the firing squad scene, and 1 for the beautiful dresses worn by Tanya (especially the exquisite wedding dress). The actress reminds me of Penelope Keith. Does it deserve an Oscar Nom-Nom? - Nope; that story was way too far-fetched.
2/10
The Letter
I really like Jeanne's acting. Reginald Owen was also very good. It was interesting to see how sound was used this early in talkies history. You can tell it was used sparingly as it was "turned off" on parts without dialogue, so that action was still silent. I wonder if the microphone was on a boom because many actors seem to be talking with their noses in the air. The sound was clunky at times, but it is bound to be and this stage. But the beauty of sound is that these courtroom dramas can be made into movies. I liked the blackmail in the movie, which was very well-paced. One of the shorter movies I've seen. Why are there kids in a cage? The ending was very abrupt! I was expecting a little more.
This movie isn't technically ground-breaking, but it is a good example of courtroom drama. It has some fairly racist elements and a few plausibility issues, but I found it entertaining, topped off by a beautiful acting display from Jeanne.
6/10.
The Valiant
This was too melodramatic for me! The sets were good, but the story was implausible, and there was no context. It wouldn't have been an issue with DNA today. I just felt like every character in this movie was a bit stupid. I like the moral of the story, but even at an hour, it still took too long. I wanted to see why he killed a man, what he had done after leaving, why he left, etc. Just a bit shallow for me.
5/10
Thunderbolt
I loved this movie! While the sound wasn't perfect, the music was well done. The costumes were great. What I loved most was the lighting which gave it such a great criminal filter. I thought the actors had progressed in their skills. I prefer George in this than Underworld, and I could grasp the character development and the revelation of his good heart throughout the movie. Richard Arlen was also very good, and I feel he acted better than in Wings. My favourite actress in the movie was Eugenie Besserer. I didn't really like her as the mother in the Jazz Singer, but she did a fabulous job here. I wish she had been nominated for it. I couldn't guess all the plot points in this movie, and I enjoyed watching it, even more so as the last few I've watched have been rotten. George deserved his nomination. I think Eugenie Besserer should have been nominated. Robbed. Also, I think it definitely should have been nominated for Best Picture.
8/10.
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Warner Baxter – In Old Arizona as The Cisco Kid
George Bancroft – Thunderbolt as Thunderbolt Jim Lang
Chester Morris – Alibi as Chick Williams
Paul Muni – The Valiant as James Dyke
Lewis Stone – The Patriot as Count Pahlen
I'm not against Warner Baxter here, and the win is justified. But I felt that George Bancroft in Thunderbolt delivered a more believable character that I could like and hate simultaneously.
Best Actress
Mary Pickford – Coquette as Norma Besant
Ruth Chatterton – Madame X as Jacqueline Floriot
Betty Compson – The Barker as Carrie
Jeanne Eagels (posthumous nomination) – The Letter as Leslie Crosbie
Corinne Griffith – The Divine Lady as Emma Hart
Bessie Love – The Broadway Melody as Harriet "Hank" Mahoney
For me, the best performance was Norma Shearer in The Last Mrs. Cheyney. I think the only reason Mary Pickford got this Oscar was as a token of all her years of good work in the silent era. Also, there are a few that believe she bought her award. Of those nominated, while not perfect, I preferred Jeanne's performance, and I would have given her the nod. I think Garbo should have been nominated too. I found Ruth's performance too over-the-top, and Corinne's role wasn't very taxing or memorable.
Best Picture
The Broadway Melody – Irving Thalberg and Lawrence Weingarten for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Alibi – Roland West for United Artists
The Hollywood Revue of 1929 – Irving Thalberg and Harry Rapf for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
In Old Arizona – Winfield Sheehan for Fox Film Corporation
The Patriot – Ernst Lubitsch for Paramount Pictures
My choice - Thunderbolt
Thunderbolt wasn't nominated, but it was my highest-rating movie of the year. I think Broadway Melody got the nod as it was so innovative for the time, but now it looks dated and hasn't passed the test of time. My second choice (and the highest of those nominated) was In Old Arizona.
My top three movies of the year were 1) Thunderbolt, 2) Dynamite, and 3) Joint - In Old Arizona and The Divine Lady.
Worst Picture
My least favourite movie of the year was The Leatherneck. (Is there something about leather I don't like, as last year's worst picture for me was The Patent Leather Kid?!). Implausible, with terrible acting and no chemistry.
Best Art Direction
The Bridge of San Luis Rey – Cedric Gibbons
Alibi – William Cameron Menzies
The Awakening – William Cameron Menzies
Dynamite – Mitchell Leisen
The Patriot – Hans Dreier
Street Angel – Harry Oliver
Dynamite did a wonderful job of conveying the worlds of two different characters through sets and wardrobe.
Best Cinematography
White Shadows in the South Seas – Clyde De Vinna
Four Devils – Ernest Palmer
The Divine Lady – John F. Seitz
In Old Arizona – Arthur Edeson
Our Dancing Daughters – George Barnes
Street Angel – Ernest Palmer
While I liked the sets in Our Dancing Daughters and The Divine Lady, the feat of filming with new technology outside is of enough merit to get this award.
Best Director
Frank Lloyd – The Divine Lady
Harry Beaumont – The Broadway Melody
Frank Lloyd – Drag
Irving Cummings – In Old Arizona
Lionel Barrymore – Madame X
Ernst Lubitsch – The Patriot
Frank Lloyd – Weary River
I loved the feel of The Divine Lady. It did most things very well. The sets, cinematography, and story were great and the acting wasn't too bad. The sound was innovative for the time.
Best Writing
The Patriot – Hanns Kräly, based on Ashley Dukes' translation of the play Der Patriot by Alfred Neumann, and the story "Paul I" by Dmitry Merezhkovsky
The Cop – Elliot Clawson
In Old Arizona – Tom Barry, based on the story "The Caballero's Way" by O. Henry
The Last of Mrs. Cheyney – Hanns Kräly, based on the play by Frederick Lonsdale
The Leatherneck – Elliot Clawson
Our Dancing Daughters – Josephine Lovett
Sal of Singapore – Elliot Clawson, based on the story "The Sentimentalists" by Dale Collins
Skyscraper – Elliot Clawson, based on a story by Dudley Murphy
The Valiant – Tom Barry, based on the play by Halworthy Hall and Robert Middlemass
A Woman of Affairs – Bess Meredyth, based on the novel The Green Hat by Michael Arlen
Wonder of Women – Bess Meredyth, based on the novel Die Frau des Steffen Thromholt by Hermann Sudermann
I'm not impressed with any of the nominees and I haven't seen The Patriot, so I'll just agree with the Academy.
