Lawrence of Arabia(1962) or And Now... For that review I promised all those weeks ago before the Migraine.

Directed by David Lean

Starring: Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, Alex Guiness, Anthony Quinn, Jack Hawkins, and Claude Rains.

Let me just get this out of the way: Lawrence of Arabia is the best movie. Ever.

I get asked often, 'Nick, What is your favorite movie?" To which I stare blankly into space for about five minutes, then turn with a grin and say 'Why I don't think I can answer that question. It all depends on what mood I am in, and what I want to watch at that particular moment." My friends... That is now a cop out. Lawrence of Arabia is my favorite movie. Of all time. And not by narrow margins.

There is a lot that I can say, but that has almost already been said. If you want a real good review go read Roger Ebert's Great Film section on the Chicago Sun-times website. No I'm not going to pimp you a link. No yet*. I am not going to talk about the sweep of the camera or the startling beauty of the images. That's all been said, and as I said earlier in this run on paragraph, its been said better.

I just cannot seem to get this movie out of my skull. The sequence where Lawrence walks out into the desert at night, sits beneath a palm tree gripping a rock and thinks... Well it sounds stupid in print, but its thee pivotal scene of the movie. What he decides to do after that is was drives the first Act. That scene wouldn't have worked without Peter O'Toole as Lawrence. If you have never seen Peter O'Toole act, See this performance. Its breathtaking.

People talk about "Oscar worthy performances." "Star Making turns..." "Roles of a lifetime..." etc etc. Peter O'Toole, in one of the Academy's more foolish decisions, did not win Best Actor for this movie. He was Nominated but he did not win. In 20 years whatever a film won or did not win or was or was not nominated for will not matter. Off the top of anyone's head can you tell me who beat out O'Toole in 1962 for this Oscar? I have the Internet at my finger tips and I cannot tell you without looking. You know why? Cause all awards and accolades are just dust in the wind. In the 44 years since this films release the Oscars it won have not made this movie any better or worse. O'Toole is so brilliant that for 228 minutes he is prefect. And that is better than any award or critique one can hope to win.

I do not have the adjectives nor the acumen with which to use them to describe this movie. You just have to see it. Everything good thing you've heard about this movie is true. I am literally bouncing in my seat just thinking about the movie. It is The epic to beat all epics.

If this movie doesn't grip you, move you, rivet you, and capture your imagination you have no imagination. You have no soul. You have no heart. You should not be watching movies of any kind and this includes Dude, Where's my Car?. This movie is why film was invented.

-N

*Okay here's the link: Ebert's Review.