Views on 82nd Academy Awards

As we all know, the Oscars are this upcoming Sunday. Might as well share my views on some of the major categories for this year:

Best Picture
For the first time in 66 years, AMPAS is going back to the ten Best Picture nominees. Opinions on the decision were mixed when it was announced last summer, I myself sketchy on the ordeal. But after it sunk in a bit, it wasn't a bad idea (less people griping about a certain movie not getting nominated anyway, like last year); after all, the last time there were ten nominees was when Casablanca won Best Picture.

The nominees for this year are diverse, ranging from sci-fi (Avatar, District 9) to issue dramas (Precious, A Serious Man). And also for the the first since 1991, an animated movie has been nominated for Best Picture (Up).

Fingers crossed for...The Hurt Locker.

Best Director
This should be interesting when they get to this category on Oscar night. Why do I say that? Because Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker) and James Cameron (Avatar) are up against each other. Now it doesn't sound like that big of a deal at first, but once you learn that they were once married then it is. The others are previous nominees Jason Reitman (Up in the Air) and Quentin Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds), and first time nominee Lee Daniels (Precious). Bigelow and Daniels make marks for this year since Bigelow is the fourth woman to be nominated for Best Director (after Lina Wertmuller, Jane Campion and Sofia Coppola) and Daniels is the second African-American to be nominated (after John Singleton).

Fingers crossed for...Kathryn Bigelow.

Best Actor
Having seen four of the five nominees (have yet to see Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker), I'm very positive on who's going to be winning. Along with Renner, the others include past winners George Clooney (Up in the Air) and Morgan Freeman (Invictus), past nominee Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart) and first-timer Colin Firth (A Single Man).

Fingers crossed for...Jeff Bridges. Though I wouldn't mind if Colin Firth won either.

Best Actress
Unlike the Best Actor category, I've only seen one of the five nominees (Carey Mulligan in An Education). Her fellow nominees include Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side), Helen Mirren (The Last Station), Gabourey Sidibe (Precious) and Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia).

Though at first I was supporting Streep to win Oscar #3, it would be interesting to see Bullock win. Maybe she'll finally do a good movie for once...

Fingers crossed for...Sandra Bullock.

Best Supporting Actor
If you've been paying to award season at all, you know that one actor has been sweeping the entire awards circuit for this specific category. The actor? Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds. Other nominees include past nominees Woody Harrelson (The Messenger) and Matt Damon (Invictus), and first-timers Christopher Plummer (!) (The Last Station) and Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones).

Fingers crossed for...Christoph Waltz.

Best Supporting Actress
Much like Supporting Actor, this category has been swept by one actress. This actress is Mo'Nique for her work in Precious. The other nominees include past winner Penelope Cruz (Nine) and first-timers Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air), Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air) and Maggie Gyllenhaal (Crazy Heart).

Fingers crossed for...Mo'Nique.

Best Original Screeplay
This category's interetsing since three of the five nominees focus on war (The Hurt Locker, The Messenger, Inglourious Basterds). The other two are A Serious Man and Up.

Fingers crossed for...Inglourious Basterds.

Best Adapted Screenplay
Unlike the Original Screeplay category, the Adapted Screenplay nominees have topics varying from relationships (An Education), politics (In the Loop), sci-fi (District 9), employment (Up in the Air) and life at home (Precious).

Fingers crossed for...Up in the Air.

Best Animated Feature
Different fields of animation filled the category. From CGI (Up) to hand-drawn (The Princess and the Frog, The Secret of Kells) to stop-motion (Fantastic Mr. Fox, Coraline), this category has it all this year.

Fingers crossed for...Up.

So what do you think?

Reminder

The deadline for the Tim Burton blogathon is next Sunday. Be sure you have your reviews e-mailed (address is on mentioned link).

Freaky Film Fact #5

Oscar winners Kim Hunter and Jessica Tandy both died on September 11 (Hunter in 2002, Tandy in 1994); Oscar winners Marlon Brando and Karl Malden both died on July 1 (Brando in 2004, Malden in 2009).

The connection? They're the original actors of the stage production A Streetcar Named Desire.

List o' Links

This is my first time at this, so bear with me:

Vanity Fair examines the productions of Raging Bull and The Godfather, as well as the career of the late John Hughes.

Esquire profiles Roger Ebert and interviews Leonardo DiCaprio.

GeekWeek lists the best stage-to-screen adaptations. You're gonna love the top one, Univarn.

Supersonic Narcissist looks at the significance of ticket stubs.

USA Today interviews Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio.

The Shawshank Redemption

As The Mad Hatter once pointed out, sometimes the classics weren't as great when they first came out. The three main movies that fall into that category are Citizen Kane, It's a Wonderful Life and The Shawshank Redemption, the latter I will be reviewing.

Banker Andy Dufrense (Tim Robbins) is sentenced to two life sentences after murdering his wife and her lover. Despite his pleas, he is sent to Shawshank State Prison, where there are violent prisoners, abusive guards and a corrupt warden. While serving his time, he becomes friends with fellow prisoner Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding (Morgan Freeman).

It's interesting. I've seen some of the greatest movies ever made, and some of them didn't leave the same impact The Shawshank Redemption had on me. I will admit I was slightly appalled that it lost Best Picture (who wasn't?), but at least it got recognized.

My Rating: *****

Days of Wine and Roses

Alcoholism: a habit that is frowned upon by many and is something nobody wants to admit they're suffering from. For Hollywood standards, it's considered award bait.

Kirsten Arnesen (Lee Remick) is a proclaimed non-drinker. That is, until she meets Joe Clay (Jack Lemmon). They marry and have a child, but the only thing keeping their marriage together is their love of alcohol.

There's one scene in Days of Wine and Roses that had me floored. Joe, returning from a night of drinking, enters his infant daughter's room to stop her crying. Looking at her, he realizes he's looking at innocence, soon noticing the loss of his own. That's heartbreaking stuff there.

This had to be nteresting for both Lemmon and director Blake Edwards. Both of them are getting off of high-profile lighthearted romantic movies (Lemmon in The Apartment, Edwards Breakfat at Tiffany's), and here they are doing an outstanding but bleak movie about alcoholism. Not bad.

My Rating: *****

Plans for 'BOOK VS MOVIE'

You may noticed once a month I do a segment where I compared a movie with the book it's based on. I will admit I'm running out of books and movies to compare, but I am working on reviews for A Streetcar Named Desire and The Maltese Falcon. And thanks to the handy-dandy Internet, I managed to find a few more to do. What's underlined means I have to watch the movie; if there's a star (*) I have to read the book:

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
East of Eden
High Fidelity*
Love Story*
Flowers for Algernon
Suddenly Last Summer*
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof*

Hmm, looks like I need to catch up on my movie-watching. Also, I'm thinking about doing a slight twist on the segment called 'ORIGINAL VS REMAKE'. Rather obvious, actually. I compared a remake to the movie it's based on. Thinking about starting the segement with Seven Samurai and The Magnificent Seven (once I've seen the latter). So let me hear what you think about these plans.

Readers' Request Part 2

Okay, since last time was less than helpful, I ask you this: what movies/books do you want to see reviewed?

Seven Samurai

Last year, I developed a greater appreciation for foreign films. I saw Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal, Francois Truffant's The 400 Blows and Fedrico Fellini's 8 1/2. And just recently, I saw Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece Seven Samurai.

A village is at risk for being pillaged by a group of bandits. Several of the villagers go to another town to find samurai to guard their village. After seeing the heroic deeds of Kambei (Takashi Shimura), they ask him to help the village. He accepts, and soon five more samurai are recruited. It isn't until the clownish but determined Kikuchiyo (Toshiro Mifune) joins in and complete the troupe.

Sure, the movie's over three hours long, but it goes by like that due to the strong story-telling by Kurosawa. The action is gripping and the movie is beautifully shot. Now I know why a certain blogger is so in love with this piece of cinema history.

My Rating: *****

Readers' Request

I think I'm starting to lose interest from the readers. So here's my question to you: what would you like to see more of from Life of a Cinephile and Bibliophile?

The Aviator

With Shutter Island coming out later this week, I thought it would appropriate to review another movie Martin Scorsese did with Leonardo DiCaprio.

Howard Hughes (DiCaprio) has managed to become a well-known name, thanks in part to his aviation accomplishments, the movies he backed, and his relationships with Katharine Hepburn (Cate Blanchett) and Ava Gardner (Kate Beckinsale). However, Hughes also managed to become a well-known name from his bizarre behavior brought on by his obssessive-compulsive disorder, and the trouble he got in with Pan American Airlines owner Juan Trippe (Alec Baldwin) and Senator Owen Brewster (Alan Alda).

This was a helluva performance from DiCaprio. I mean, one minute he's the pretty boy from Titanic, next minute he's exposing his dramatic side (and then some). Blanchett was also outstanding for her work as Katharine Hepburn, though seeing a movie featuring Hepburn prior to seeing The Aviator would be helpful.

My Rating: ****1/2

It Happened One Night

I find it interesting that I once vowed to only watch recent releases. Now I'm watching movies that came out when my grandparents were my age. In closing, I shall be reviewing the oldest movie I've seen to date, It Happened One Night.

Heiress Ellie Andrews (Claudette Colbert) runs away from her father (Walter Connolly) after he protests her marriage to King Westley (Jameson Thomas). While escaping, she meets out-of-work reporter Peter Warne (Clark Gable).

If you're a movie buff like myself, you know that It Happened One Night was the first of three movies to win the "Big Five" at the Academy Awards (Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Screenplay). Smart decision once you think of it. It Happened One Night has it all: smart dialogue, great acting and one sweet romance story.

My Rating: *****

Casablanca

Casablanca. When that title is uttered, a number of quotes come to mind: "We'll always have Paris", "Here's lookin' at you, kid", "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship", "Play it, Sam. Play 'As Time Goes By'", "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine", to name a few. But amid all the quotes lies a love story that's truly unforgettable.

As World War II rages on, some civilians find refuge in thw Moraccan city of Casablanca while waiting for a chance to go to America. Nightclub owner Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) comes upon two letters of transit, just as his former lover Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) re-enters his life, along with her husband Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid).

Many people consider Casablanca as the greatest romance movie of all-time. Who could blame them? Bogart and Bergman have great chemistry throughout. In a word, Casablanca is poignant.

My Rating: *****

The Graduate

In my opinion, 1967 was a landmark year for movies. Just that year, you had Bonnie and Clyde, In Cold Blood, Cool Hand Luke, In the Heat of the Night, and, my personal favorite, The Graduate, which I shall be reviewing.

Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) has recently graduated from college and is unsure what to do with his life. That is, until he's seduced by Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft), the wife of his father's business partner. He succumbs to the temptation and takes part in a sordid affair. The affair is short-lived, but memories of it come back to haunt Benjamin when Mrs. Robinson's daughter Elaine (Katherine Ross) enters the picture.

If you noticed my reviews for other classic romantic comedies, you may have noticed that I usually praise the screenplay and the acting. I mean, today's romantic comedies tend to have god-awful screenplays and performances eligible for a Razzie. Anyway, The Graduate is definitely a movie worth checking out.

My Rating: *****

The Way We Were

Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. Billy Wilder and Jack Lemmon. Ingmar Bergman and Max von Sydow. What do these directors and actors have in common? The names listed are all famed movie collaborations. Another one to add is Sydney Pollack and Robert Redford. Anyway, I'm reviewing one of the seven movies they've done together.


Katie Morosky (Barbra Streisand), a vocal Marxist Jew with strong anti-war opinions, first meets Hubbell Gardiner (Redford), a carefree WASP, at college in the 1930's. They meet again at the end of World War II and form a relationship. Their relationship begins to look shaky from Kate's political views.


I liked the movie, but some parts were weak. The work from Streisand and Redford were reasonably good. Overall, The Way We Were was not bad but not great.

My Rating: ****

Annie Hall

Many consider Annie Hall Woody Allen's best movie. I kinda agree (I'm more of a Manhattan person myself), but it is very good.

After breaking up with his girlfriend Annie Hall (Diane Keaton), comedian Alvy Singer (Allen) goes on a stream of consciousness journey through his memories of their relationship, trying to find out what caused them to part ways.

I like the psychological aspect of the movie, by that I mean the dissection of a failed relationship. The performances from Allen and Keaton were very good. I could definitely see how it won Best Picture (though I'd be happier if Star Wars won).

My Rating: *****

Moonstruck

Usually, I'm not a big fan of romantic comedies. Moonstruck, however, is different.


Loretta Castorini (Cher) is a widow in her late thirties who decides to remarry. She accepts the proposal of Johnny Cammareri (Danny Aiello), who, after proposing to Loretta, flies off to Italy to visit his ailing mother. When in Italy, Johnny calls Loretta to tell her to talk to his brother into coming to the wedding. Loretta goes to talk to Johnny's brother Ronny (Nicolas Cage), who has a grudge against Johnny because he claims he lost his hand and fiancee because of him. Loretta finds an interest in Ronny's poetic and passionate ways, and falls for him.


The movie itself was very good, as was Norman Jewison's direction. Cher and Olympia Dukakis were also very good and earned the Oscars. Though I'm unsure why the Academy overlooked Cage's performance, which I thought stood out more.

My Rating: *****

When Harry Met Sally...

Like I said before, it's really hard to find a movie that both men and women will watch. But now and then, there are some good ones.

Harry Burns (Billy Crystal) and Sally Albright (Meg Ryan) are friends that have known each other since college. Harry asks the question if a man and a woman can stay friends without sex getting in the way, to which Sally finds a bit offensive.

Knowing Rob Reiner, I know he can direct a hell of a movie (others I've seen are The Princess Bride and A Few Good Men). And with a screenplay by Nora Ephron, who knows what'll happen? I mean, apart from making one of the better movies from the '80s.

My Rating: *****

Jerry Maguire

Now and then, it's hard to find a movie that both men and women will be willing to watch. But there are a few diamonds in the rough, one of them being Jerry Maguire.

After suffering a nervous breakdown from stress and a guilty conscience, sports agent Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) ends up writing a mission statement on dishonesty in the sports management business and how he feels it should be run. His co-workers greet him with applause the next business day, although some are planning to fire him. That happens, and Jerry's competing with Bob Sugar (Jay Mohr), a co-worker, to get more clients. Jerry can only get through to Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding, Jr.), the wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals who finds his contract inferior to his teammates'. After his chat with Rod, Jerry announces he's starting his own agency, and the only person that goes with him is single mother Dorothy Boyd (Renee Zellweger).

The movie had its moments, most of them with Gooding. And, of course, it's unbelievably quotable. Oh, as if you haven't said "Show me the money!" at least once in your lifetime.


My Rating: ****1/2

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

I've seen a lot of surreal movies recently. Some movies include 8 1/2, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (which I'll be reviewing later) and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, the latter I'll be reviewing.

Joel Barish (Jim Carrey) has discovered that his ex-girlfriend Clementine Kruczynski (Kate Winslet) has had memories erased from her mind. He decides to undergo the same treatment. But while undergoing the treatment, he realizes he want to keep the memories of Clementine and their relationship.

Boy, this had to be interesting for Carrey and Winslet. I mean, he's mostly known for playing off-the-wall characters and she's mostly known for playing sophisticated roles. Here, they're doing the complete opposite of what they usually play. And it definitely works.

My Rating: ****1/2

Brokeback Mountain

On January 22, 2008, Hollywood lost a rising star. That star was Heath Ledger. Two years later, I decided to commemorate the occasion by watching the movie that got Ledger serious recognition. That movie was Brokeback Mountain.

Ennis Del Mar (Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) are hired as sheep herders in the summer of 1963. After spending weeks in the mountains, Ennis and Jack form a sordid affair. Years later, both have gotten married, Ennis to Alma (Michelle Williams) and Jack to Lureen (Anne Hathaway), and had kids. But after Jack re-enters Ennis' life, they revive their affair.

As most people remember, Brokeback Mountain lost Best Picture to Crash. And I will admit I wasn't pleased by the results for that category; it definitely should've won. But at least it won Director, Adapted Screenplay and Score. Anyway, I loved the movie, performances, story and cinematography.

My Rating: ****1/2

Vertigo

Alfred Hitchcock is one messed-up man. It's like every movie I've seen by him (The 39 Steps, Rear Window, Psycho, Vertigo) gets more progressively messed-up. And to prove it, I will be reviewing, in my opinion, Hitchcock's most messed-up film, Vertigo.

After retiring from the police force due to his fear of heights, John "Scottie" Ferguson (James Stewart) is hired by a friend to watch over his wife Madeleine Elster (Kim Novak). Scottie agrees, but soon finds himself attracted to her, even though she seems possessed by a spirit of the past.

Man, this had a whole level of weird. Knowing Hitchcock, what do you expect? As for Stewart's performance, he managed to scare the hell out of me by the end of the movie.

My Rating: *****

Announcement

Having been on the Internet more now than ever before, there's one website (which shall remain nameless) that I plan on canceling my account for. The site mostly consists of users' reviews, and I've managed to get a few on there. Anyway, my point is I'm tranferring the reviews from that site to here. Those movies are (lines throught them mean I've reviewed them here already):

Ed Wood
Moonstruck
Dave
Hannah and Her Sisters
The Producers
American Graffiti
Chaplin
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Murder on the Orient Express
Good Will Hunting
Back to the Future
Jerry Maguire
Batman
Annie Hall
Crimes and Misdemeanors
When Harry Met Sally
The Fugitive
A Beautiful Mind
Batman Returns
Edward Scisscorhands
A Fish Called Wanda
Groundhog Day
Ghostbusters
Beetlejuice
Rocky
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
On the Waterfront
Days of Heaven
The Graduate
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Ordinary People
12 Angry Men
Field of Dreams
Bruce Almighty
The Untouchables

So what do you think?

Annoucement

Okay, with Valentine's Day coming up (psst, I'm available), I plan on reviewing several romantic movies for this upcoming Sunday. Those movies are:

~Casablanca
~Moonstruck
~Brokeback Mountain
~Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
~The Graduate

So what do you think?

A Single Man

I just want to get something off my chest: I'm a supporter for gay rights. Having said that, I don't feel uncomfortable seeing same-sex interaction in the media. And to answer your question, no, I'm not a homosexual.

English professor George Falconer (Colin Firth) is slowly recovering from the death of his lover Jim (Matthew Goode). Throughout one day, George plans a suicide. Planning out his day, he sees his close friend Charley (Julianne Moore) and student Kenny Potter (Nicholas Hoult) for a final time.

I give Tom Ford kudos for several things. One, the use of brighter colors when George sees something that pleases him. Two, the immense detail in the 1960s-era outfits. And three, for directing an absolutely beautiful yet heartbreaking movie. And the score by Abel Korzeniowski is just breathtaking.

My Rating: *****

Good Will Hunting

Matt Damon probably wouldn't have pictured that a screenplay he originally wrote for an English class while attending Harvard would garner critical acclaim. Well, he did and received an Oscar, along with his friend Ben Affleck, for writing it.

Although Will Hunting (Damon) has a high IQ, photographic memory and a gift for mathemathics, he has a job as a janitor at MIT and lives in a rundown building in a South Boston neighborhood. His talents are discovered by Professor Gerald Lambeau (Stellan Skargard), a Fields Medalist. After Will is arrested for getting into a brawl, Lambeau gives Will an offer: either go to jail, or be released under Lambeau's personal supervision and see a therapist. Will chooses the latter, although he believes he doesn't need therapy. After going to five different therapists, Lambeau desperately goes with Sean Maguire (Robin Williams), his college roommate.

I really liked much of the movie, particularly Williams' performance. In my opinion, Williams and the screenplay were the highlights of Good Will Hunting.

My Rating: *****

Academy Award Nominations

Impressive list this year. Here are all the nominees for the 82nd Academy Awards. What's in bold is my prediction:

BEST PICTURE
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

BEST DIRECTOR
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Lee Daniels, Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

BEST ACTOR
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

BEST ACTRESS
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire
Meryl Streep, Julie and Julia

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Matt Damon, Invictus
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Penelope Cruz, Nine
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Mo'Nique, Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The Messenger
A Serious Man
Up

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
District 9
An Education
In the Loop
Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire
Up in the Air

BEST ART DIRECTION
Avatar
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nine
Sherlock Holmes
The Young Victoria

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Avatar
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The White Ribbon

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Bright Star
Coco Before Chanel
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nine
The Young Victoria

BEST FILM EDITING
Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire

BEST MAKEUP
Il Divo
Star Trek
The Young Victoria

BEST SOUND EDITING
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Up

BEST SOUND MIXING
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Avatar
District 9
Star Trek

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Avatar
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Hurt Locker
Sherlock Holmes
Up

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
"Almost There", The Princess and the Frog
"Down in New Orleans", The Princess and the Frog
"Loin de Paname", Paris 36
"Take It All", Nine
"The Weary Kind", Crazy Heart

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and the Frog
The Secret of Kells
Up

BEST ANIMATED SHORT
French Roast
Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty
The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)
Logorama
A Matter of Loaf and Death

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT
The Door
Instead of Abracadabra
Kavi
Miracle Fish
The New Tenants

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Burma Vj: Reporting from a Closed Country
The Cove
Food, Inc.
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers
Which Way Home

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province
The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner
The Last Truck: The Closing of a GM Plant
Music by Prudence
Rabbit a la Berlin

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
El Secreto de Sus Ojos
A Prophet
The White Ribbon
Ajami
The Milk of Sorrow

Interesting array among the Best Picture nominees, particularly District 9 and The Blind Side. This should be really interesting when they get to the Best Director category on the night of the ceremony. James Cameron himself thinks that Bigelow will win.

So what do you predict for the Oscars?

BOOK VS MOVIE: Ordinary People

Most people know Robert Redford's directorial debut as the movie that won over Raging Bull. Chances are they've probably never watch the movie, or read the book it's based on for that matter.

The Jaretts are a suburban family recovering from a loss. Buck, the eldest son, has died in a boating accident. Conrad, who was with Buck when he died, feels responsible for his brother's death and has attempted suicide due to his guilt. Beth, the mother who preferred Buck, has shut off her emotions to her family and friends. Calvin, the father, tries to keep the family together in its time of recovery.

The book I found a little slow-paced (probably because I read it after I saw the movie), but I still liked it. The movie I found more engaging, particularly with strong dramatic performances from Timothy Hutton, Mary Tyler Moore (!), Donald Sutherland and Judd Hirsch.

What's worth checking out?: I'd go with the movie.