We recently saw the movie Nuremberg with Russell Crowe as Hermann Goering.

Based on the 2013 book, The Nazi and the Psychiatrist by Jack El-Hai, it’s the story of psychiatrist Douglas Kelly (Rami Malek) who comes to the post-war ruins of Germany to interview Nazi second-in-command Hermann Goering (Russell Crowe) and determine if he is fit for trial.

It’s an interesting take on the psychology, the science of the mind and of the mental states and processes at the trials, and Russell does a great job.

At our local cinema there was very long lines waiting to get in. They delayed the start of the movie for 30 minutes till most people were seated.

Nuremberg is not easy viewing, at times it’s brutal and leaves the packed audience in stunned silence at others. But it’s a formidable piece of work and could transform into a career defining performance for Crowe and possible early contender for an Oscar.

Readers will understand when I say, there was many elderly Jewish people waiting patiently in the queue. I looked at some of their faces, it was though they had to see this movie, after their own experiences in Europe in WW2. It runs 2.5 hours.

So how come Nuremberg hasn’t received ONE single nomination at the 2026 Hollywood Oscars and yet the movie directed by James Vanderbilt and starring Russell Crowe, has earned SIX spots on the 79th 2026 EE BAFTA Film Awards highlighting its critical and commercial success.

The film is recognised for Best Film, Best Actor (Crowe), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Costume Design, and Best Makeup & Hairstyling, to be decided on Sunday 22nd February 2026.

At the 2026 AACTA International Awards: Nominated for Best Film and Best Lead Actor (Russell Crowe) but didn’t win either. But it did receive the Ateneo Guipuzcoano Award at the 2026 San Sebastián International Film Festival in Spain.

The two-and-a-half-hour drama maintains a 95% to 96% Rotten Tomatoes audience score and is ranked as the second most popular movie on Amazon and Apple TV.

Makes you wonder about what really goes on in Hollywood and at the Oscars?

Sometimes the awards tell you more about the judges than they do about the entrants.

Andrew

More about the social and moral values of the countries involved, I venture to suggest!

At any rate. I thought it was a great movie. A chilling reminder of where some of our world could be heading once again. The mirror of history warns us yet again.

Does this exchange from the film ring any alarm bells?

Statement: "And on coming to power, you immediately banned parliamentary government in Germany." Question: "After you came to power, you found it necessary to suppress all opposition parties?" "Correct?" Goering replies. "We found it necessary to no longer permit opposition." Question: "And you also considered it necessary to establish concentration camps?"

Need I say more?

Chris Young

No you don’t Chris, the current U.S. admin. is a worry in a lot of areas. I’m following the fortunes of Russell Crowe. He originally hailed from New Zealand, actually went to the same school as my wife, Mt. Roskill a suburb of Auckland.

When he first arrived in Sydney, Russell made a living doing voices for radio and tv commercials and he came into Black Inc. studios a few times doing a good job. I got to know he was self opinionated, and he invariably arrived late.

One example I’ve told at dinner parties over the years: an advertising agency booked 2 actors and Russell to read a few commercials at BI. Australian Actors Equity rules say, the studio time starts when the last actor arrives for the booking. In this instance the other 2 arrived on time but Russell was late. I asked the other 2 if they had another booking right after our job and thankfully they didn’t. Russell arrived 15 minutes late and apologised, but I had to read the riot act, which I did. However I’d looked at the commercials and I figured we could get them finished in the next 45 minutes, if the agency guy complied. He did and we did, just in time.

Russell Crowe went on to fame and fortune in Hollywood winning his best actor Oscar in 2001 for the film Gladiator. Back in Sydney, now he and actor Jack Thompson have put together a proposal to build 5 large $650 million film sound stages and associated buildings at Coffs Harbour north of Sydney. Russell lives in the area and in August 2025 the NSW state government committed $5.5 million for the construction of a 450-metre acoustic barrier along the Coffs Harbour Bypass to block all the traffic noise to the sound stages.

The ‘Pacific Bay Resort Film Studios’ team is currently finalising the required planning documents and an updated Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARS) request now that they have the certainty of the noise barrier.

Most of us here recognise it’ll be Russell’s legacy, and he’s just the guy to do it. We’re all hoping Trump will come to the party and he won’t go ahead with his 100% tariff on imported films. Meanwhile we’ll all see how Russell goes at the upcoming 2026 BAFTAS.
Click film studios map to enlarge.
Cheers.

Hi all, well you go to bed at night and it’s all different in the morning.

James Vanderbilt’s 2025 film Nuremberg did not receive any nominations for the 2026 EE BAFTA Film Awards.

Although the historical drama was Longlisted in six categories on 9 January 2026, very surprisingly it failed to make the final shortlist in any one of them, when nominations were announced on 27 January 2026.

Critics noted that Nuremberg was the only film in the BAFTA Longlist "Top Ten" to be completely shut out of the final nominations.

Maybe Hollywood does have great influence. Russell Crowe can get on with his new Aussiewood film studio project.
Cheers.