My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, Commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.

That's my favorite scene in Gladiator. It's a good movie, but it still doesn't sit with my that it picked up a best picture Oscar. Sure, it's good - but was it really the best movie of 2000? Couldn't be do better?

That said I don't feel as aprehensive about Crowe winning best actor for the movie. He really did a great job, with a lot of good facial acting. But Juaquin Phoenix is just over the top as a bad guy. I went over and read Gladiator's abridged script half expecting all of Juaquin's lines to be "I just want them to love me!" But Rob didn't pick up on that theme and went a different way with his script.

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