ACADEMY AWARD MANIA!!!

alright, sports fans. here is the list of the 2010 Academy Award Best Picture Nominees. this year i swear. I SWEAR! i am going to see them all and make my predictions before Oscar Night (march 7). the only one i might intentionally bow out on is "push" because it just sounds too hard to watch and i try to avoid movies that wreck me inside and haunt me for days afterward. i've read a lot about it, though, and i think i get a feel for its strengths.

anyway...as always, read my review of the films on the column to your right (unless you're looking at your monitor from behind the computer? then it would be to your left). i will also keep this list up to date with my predictions and thoughts. (in case you care). (you totally know you do).

• “Avatar” - seen it and think it should win for cinematography and art direction, visual effects and maybe even director...but the story and characters and PURPOSE of it were lacking too much for it to win as best pic. But count me not surprised if it does end up winning.
  
• “The Blind Side”- missed (but looks like a made-for-tv movie. just sayin')
  
• “District 9”- missed (have it here from netflix but never got to watch- sigh)
  
• “An Education”- missed (like "the reader" but w/o the nazi's?)
  
• “The Hurt Locker”- scripted but filmed like a documentary. very anxiety-inducing and believable as you follow an American IED squad as they risk life and limb trying to disarm explosives in Iraq. not preachy or melodramatic like a lot of war movies. great characters, cinematography and feel...but not grandiose like the others. kind of simple and to the point, which might not be enough zsa zsa zsu for the oscars.
  
• “Inglourious Basterds”- seen it and think it should win for costumes (though can't since not nominated), maybe original screenplay, maybe cinematography, but def not best pic. it couldn't land on the style it wanted to be and was just sort of long and sloppy. And didn't really feel like Tarantino to me, except for a few random moments.
  
• “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
  
• “A Serious Man”- Coen brothers and their dark world where people suck and luck is bad. The "luck" in this movie is in the form of a curse on the generations of a Jewish family, and how it effects the life of one especially sad sack man. Beautifully shot movie with some moments that would make insanely awesome photographs. Plus the editing, the acting and the script were all really well done. (Except the wife- wasn't crazy about her performance. Just have to put that out there). It doesn't quite have the twisted shock and depravity of "Fargo" or the vastness and viciousness of "NCFOM" but it's a very well put together, satisfying movie. But I don't think it will win.
• “Up” -seen it and think it should def win for animated feature film and maybe music. this movie had it all. it was brilliant animation, fully developed characters and story and just a lot of fun and heart. i don't think this could possibly actually win since it's a cartoon and has talking dogs in it, but that it's nominated gives me some hope in american cinema.
• “Up in the Air”- cool movie. I think this one should win (of the ones I've seen so far). Very cleverly constructed and executed. Thought-provoking and not overly sentimental. Didn't dwell on the heart break scenes, but didn't make nice either. I loved it.
  

..oh, and by all means, PLEASE SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS IF YOU'VE SEEN ANY OF THE FILMS.