Dinner with Oscar

And now, the dishy dishes from my Oscar Party, as photographed by my beautiful girlfriend:


The Black and White Cookie Side
Two different colors, one great taste! Which is more than I can say for the film!


An Eclair
My mother wasn't keen on my ideas for An Education: bananas and/or cherries. So, when we learned that one of the guests was bringing this bunch of eclairs -- which, by the way, are absolutely my favorite edible thing on all the Earth -- I knew this wonderful British film could still have a representation! Because they go to Paris!


Fantastic Mr. Punch
My girlfriend offered this, a recipe from her cousin. It's champagne and some natural flavors: raspberries, oranges, blueberries, etc. This was the real big hit of the evening, and it was gone before Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin finished their opening dialogue.


The Hummus Locker
I can't explain it, really.


Inglorious Saurkraut [sic, but maybe on purpose?]
Sauerkraut balls, a recipe from Great-Aunt Dusty. Balls of sauerkraut which are then fried into deliciousness. They were easily the most popular food at the party.


Julie & Julia Simply Love This Pate
Surely this is self-evident. Look how delighted Meryl and Amy look.


Precious Chicken Fingers
I know what it sounds like. But she eats fried chicken, and chicken fingers were as close as we could get without completely destroying the family's diet. I also requested pig's feet, but most of the party vetoed this.


A Serious Latka [sic]
Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay
Third or fourth batch? Mom makes amazing "potato pancakes". Wish she loved the movie as much as I did.


Up with Jellybeans
So, this recipe, jellybeans on toothpicks, came from a woman's magazine my mother was reading about Oscar treats. This led to my mother wanting to try it, which led to us hosting the Oscar party. So Mom and I came up with some appetizers, Dad made the posters, and my sister puts them on standees.


Up in the Air to Get Peanuts
Like its namesake, this Oscar treat was not popular, but the party wouldn't have been complete without it.

Alas, we had no ideas when it came to Avatar, for after accidentally suggesting Hypnotiq, Mother then quickly nixed the idea. As for District 9, we just weren't going to commit to the expense of crawfish.

Any Oscar appetizers of your own you'd like to share?

Crazy Hearts in the Air for Precious Performances! Nine!

It is with great honor that I direct you to this Sunday's edition of StinkyLulu's Supporting Actress Smackdown. Looking at this year's batch of Oscar nominees, the result is kind of...inevitable. You'll see it on there, of course, but for me, it was no contest. Thanks, of course, to StinkyLulu for once again graciously inviting me to take part in this most exciting of Smackdowns.

I wanted to see how my ratings for now compared to my initial reactions.

My lowest score, one heart, went to Maggie Gyllenhaal. As I wrote:
Maggie Gyllenhaal is fine, playing a vulnerable young woman who always seems to be attracted to the wrong guy. She does not want to love Bridges, but she falls for him, and takes the risk. Sometimes, though, she looks like she wishes she could do more. It doesn't help that the editing, or maybe the screenplay itself, seems to cut most developments, including what attracts her to Bad Blake.

Two hearts to Anna Kendrick, whose nomination still flummoxes me. When I first saw her movie:
Kendrick has certain moments where she shines, reminding me why I like her in Rocket Science and tolerate her in the Twilight movies. But her Natalie Keener is shrill, whiny, and cliched. Some of her dialogue, God help me, sounds like lines written for the middle daughter in Dan in Real Life. As for that breakdown scene midway through the film? Yikes. Talk about overplaying the comedy. She is the least consistent out of all the actors, and there seems to be no throughline for her character. It's all moments. While I didn't hate her, and while I definitely (DEFINITELY) still love the movie, Kendrick's Natalie gets a shake of the head from me.

Penelope Cruz, upon reflection, got three hearts. As I said in my review of her film:
Penelope Cruz is, naturally, sexy and funny, and also surprisingly vulnerable as the mistress. "Call from the Vatican" is a hot number as it is, but Cruz just sizzles. Bring the vapors.

I gave four hearts to Vera Farmiga. My initial reaction:
Vera Farmiga is smart, sexy and confident as Alex, who describes herself to Ryan Bingham as "you, but with a vagina." You love her. You must. I certainly fell for her, and so of course I'm rooting for the coupling all throughout. There are sweet moments between her and Clooney that are charmingly understated. Farmiga gives one of the most relatable, believable performances of the year.

Of course, in lock-step with the Globes, Critics and SAG, my five hearts were awarded to Mo'Nique:
Mo'Nique is her mother Mary. Ho. Ly. Crap.... Mo'Nique...is the mom from Hell. I had chills. Her first monologue, raw and abusive, dropped my jaw. Her final monologue gave me goosebumps. Mark these two on your ballots, people; they're in.

I think my opinion of Gyllenhaal lowers the more I reflect on the movie, whereas after a second viewing, Mo'Nique just gets better and better. Please also note: this is the first time I've ran th whole gamut of hearts. An interesting year, this.

But why read all that when you can just see what the Smackdowners have to say?

The Write Stuff

And your winners for this year's WGA Awards are:

In original screenplay, beating out (500) Days of Summer, Avatar, The Hangover and A Serious Man.....MARK BOAL FOR THE HURT LOCKER!!!

It is as I predicted. The Hurt Locker has now won the prize at all guilds save SAG. People do realize it's been the frontrunner to win Best Picture for, like, ever, right? And if they didn't before, they should now. I would predict it to win the Oscar in this category too, were it not for the pesky presence of Inglourious Basterds, which was deemed ineligible for the WGA.

In adapted screenplay, beating out Crazy Heart, Julie & Julia, Precious and Star Trek....JASON REITMAN AND SHELDON TURNER FOR UP IN THE AIR!!!

Again, as I expected. This ain't rocket surgery. Up in the Air will win at the Oscars, too, as a strange sort of consolation prize for not awarding Clooney, the actresses, or Reitman's director persona. Or Picture. Anyway, this one it has in the bag.

Just two weeks until The Big Night!

The 2010 Oscar Nominees Are....

8:38 AM is such a specific time to do this. I've been up since 8:00AM, after finally trying to get some sleep at 6:30. I'll probably go straight to bed after this, but come on! It's like Christmas morning, Happy Birthday and Easter baskets rolled into one! Hell, last year I was almost late to class on account of this, but it was awesome when my roommate and I came in with the news.

Hey, Ben Lyons! I wanted to get to know someone that's not you! He just said Meryl Streep will get nominated for The Blind Side, alongside Sandra Bullock for....then he look shame-faced, but rather than correct himself, they plow right on with the talk, talk, talk. Hey, Ben Lyons! I want to take a 2x4 to your head!

Ah, here we go! New Presidente Tom Sherak and the beautiful Hollmann Award Nominated Actress Anne Hathaway.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Penelope Cruz, Nine
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Mo'Nique, Precious

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

ACTRESS
Sanrda Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

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

DIRECTOR
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Lee Daniels, Precious
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Camon & Moverman, The Messenger
The Coen Bros, A Serious Man
Docter, Peterson & McCarthy, Up

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Blomkamp & Tatchell, District 9
Hornby, An Education
Armstrong, Blackwell, Ianucci & Roche, IN THE LOOP
Fletcher, Precious
Reitman & Turner, Up in the Air

FOREIGN
Ajami
El Secreto de sus ojos
The Milk of Siorrow
Un Prophete
White Ribbon

ANIMATED
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Princess & the FRog
Secret of Kell
Up

BEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

Holy fuck, Maggie Gyllenhaal is an Oscar nominee! I didn't think that Cruz nom was really gonna happen. District 9 nominated for Picture, which is cool; The Blind Side also, which is....huhn? But Invictus is left out, thank the Lord. Up and A Serious Man made it, too. In the Loop and The Messenger getting screenplay noms is one of the best things to happen this year! I like that lineup for Adapted Screenplay! Secret of the Kells, which barely got a release and which no one has heard of, gets that Animated Feature spot over Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.

The other nominees, via the Oscar official site:

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

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Barry Ackroyd, The Hurt Locker
Christian Berger, The White Ribbon
Bruno Delbonnel, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Mauro Fiore, Avatar
Robert Richardson, Inglourious Basterds

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

DOC FEATURE
Burma VJ
The Cove
Food, Inc.
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers
Which Way Home

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

EDITING
Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious

MAKEUP
Il Divo
Star Trek
The Young Victoria

SCORE
Marco Beltrami & Buck Sanders, The Hurt Locker
Alexandre Desplat, Fantastic Mr. Fox
Michael Giacchino, Up
James Horner, Avatar
Hans Zimmer, Sherlock Holmes

SONG
"Almost There" from The Princess and the Frog
"Down in New Orleans" from The Princess and the Frog
"Loin de Paname" from Paris 36 (!!!)
"Take It All" from Nine (!!!!)
"The Weary Kind" from Crazy Heart

ANIMATED SHORT
French Roast
Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty
The Lady and the Reaper
Logorama
A Matter of Loaf and Death

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

SOUND EDITING
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Up

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

VFX
Avatar
District 9
Star Trek


So little love for Star Trek, actually. Just four tech noms. Strange. Paris 36 and "Take It All" came from nowhere. And I am VERY upset with the full snub at (500) Days of Summer. Not even original screenplay? Disappointing.

Orange You Glad?

Two weeks ahead of the Oscar nominations, the BAFTAs have announced their own picks for the year's best. They've kept their Best Picture list to five, the ungreedy bastards. The BAFTAs will always be awesome for giving the award to The Purple Rose of Cairo and for nominating Big Fish, although they have been matching Oscar more closely as of late, especially in their acting honors. Last year, Mickey Rourke was the only one of their winners not repeated at the Oscars, many f the nominees in the categories were different (Freida Pinto and Tilda Swinton for Supporting Actress, Dev Patel for Actor). Always exciting to see an awards group's nominations though, eh?

BEST PICTURE
Avatar
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Precious
Up in the Air
Who would've thought Precious would do so well across the pond? The other four are understandable, though it intrigues me that Inglourious Basterds is not here. Did the Brits not love it as much as they should have?

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
An Education
Fish Tank
In the Loop
Moon
Nowhere Boy
It's nice to finally see In the Loop and Moon getting mentioned at a major awards show. Fish Tank was just released in America Saturday, and we've still got to wait Nowhere Boy. Methinks, then, that An Education has a slight edge here.

DIRECTOR
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Neill Blomkamp, District 9
James Cameron, Avatar
Lone Scherfig, An Education
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
And yet the Basterds show up here. That's cool, at least. Even cooler is the inclusion of Blomkamp and Scherfig, two of the more deserving directors this year. Glad to see them honored!

ACTOR
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
Andy Serkis, Sex & Drugs & Rock 'n' Roll
Serkis gets a mention for a movie not yet in America, but which the Brits went crazy for. I hear tell Serkis will probably get in for the 2010 Oscars, too. A nomination for Renner is absolutely stunning, amazing, deserving; so, too, of course, are the noms for Clooney and Firth. Still need to see Crazy Heart, though I hear that's not coming to my town until mid-February (i.e., well after the nominations are announced).

ACTRESS
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Saoirse Ronan, The Lovely Bones
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Audrey Tautou, Coco Before Chanel
Now this is a neat lineup. I am surprised to see Streep there, since I know Julia Child wasn't as popular in the UK as she was here. BAFTA keeps up their trend of honoring international cinema with a surprising nod at Tautou. Also present is young Ronan, one of the better things about the disappointing Lovely Bones. And again, I didn't expect Precious to do as well overseas -- maybe it's not a strictly American piece after all.

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Alec Baldwin, It's Complicated
Christian McKay, Me and Orson Welles
Alfred Molina, An Education
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Baldwin, McKay and Molina? MOLINA? Thank God! This is a pretty cool list (though I still need to see Me and Orson Welles). Waltz and Tucci are set, of course, but the other three were welcome surprises.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Anne-Marie Duff, Nowhere Boy
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Mo'Nique, Precious
Kristin Scott Thomas, Nowhere Boy
A lot of vote-splitting here, overkilling it to the same result. But now I'm really excited about Nowhere Boy.

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
Ethan Coen & Joel Coen, A Serious Man
Pete Docter & Bob Peterson, Up
Jon Lucas & Scott Moore, The Hangover
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Well, this is a fun lineup. The Hangover is doing pretty damn well this season, isn't it? Otherwise, the expecteds are here -- at least I hope the Coens can be expected to be honored for their amazing screenplay time and again.

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Ianucci & Tony Roche, In the Loop
Neill Blomkamp & Terri Tatchell, District 9
Geoffrey Fletcher, Precious
Nick Hornby, An Education
Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air
Of course the Brits find love for their own, In the Loop. The rest will probably be repeated at the Oscars.

BEST MUSIC
Stephen Bruton & T-Bone Burnett, Crazy Heart
Alexandre Desplat, Fantastic Mr. Fox
Michael Giacchino, Up
James Horner, Avatar
Chaz Jankel, Sex & Drugs & Rock 'n' Roll
This category is always funny because pre-written music is eligible, for some reason. This year, that's Jankel, who co-wrote music for the Blockheads with Ian Dury, the subject of Sex & Drugs & Rock 'n' Roll. Desplat's mention for Mr. Fox is a welcome surprise, and then there's the usual-usual.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Barry Ackroyd, The Hurt Locker
Javier Aguirresarobe, The Road
Mario Fiore, Avatar
Trent Opaloch, District 9
Robert Richardson, Inglourious Basterds
Is it strange that my only reaction here is that Aguirresarobe also shot New Moon?

The big shocker, of course, is the lack of love for Nine, which I kind of thought they would appreciate. Invictus, thank God, is nowhere to be seen. Full list of nominees here.

Welcome, Surprises!

I am so sorry for the lateness of this, but I am a mere college student with neither Blackberry nor iPhone to assist me in these endeavors. BUT - be that as it may, I am still around to tell you what many of you have probably already heard: the nominees for the Writers Guild Association Awards.

Now, keep in mind that the WAG declared a great number of screenplays ineligible due to registration problems, paperwork stuff, bullshit. This means that many of the year's front-runners, scripts that will surely be represented at the Oscars, did not even qualify for a shortlist: Inglourious Basterds, An Education, A Single Man, The Road, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Up, etc. So what we have here is...well, a surprise, certainly.

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Ethan Coen & Joel Coen, A Serious Man
Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber, (500) Days of Summer
Josh Lucas & Scott Moore, The Hangover
Well, obviously the pleasant surprise here is The Hangover, which is hilarious. Avatar got in despite people citing the screenplay as its weakest element (still haven't seen it, though -- will the buzz kill my ability to judge it properly?). The Hurt Locker will win this and the Oscar. How happy am I to see two of my Top Five entries here? Very effin' happy.

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Scott Cooper, Crazy Heart, from the novel by Thomas Cobb
Nora Ephron, Julie & Julia, from the memoir by Julie Powell and My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex Prud'homme
Geoffrey Fletcher, Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire, from the novel Push by Sapphire
Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci, Star Trek, from the television series created by Gene Roddenberry
Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air, from the novel by Walter Kirn
While Up in the Air and Precious were easy to see coming, it is a pleasant surprise to see Julie & Julia and Star Trek in the mix (haven't seen Crazy Heart, so cannot gauge excitement properly). Up in the Air will most likely win this, though secretly (well, not anymore now) I hope Julie & Julia pulls an upset. Alas, 'tis but a fancy of mine.

Of course, Fantastic Mr. Fox was ineligible, but no Public Enemies? Really? Not even a Bright Star?

When the Oscars come, The Hangover and Avatar will leave to allow Inglourious Basterds and Up in. An Education will get in instead of Star Trek for sure...but I could see the other four making it as well.

Producer's Guild Noms

The Producer's Guild Association have announced their nominees for their annual awards. Like the Oscars' Best Picture category, the Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award has ten slots to fill. Last year, the nominees matched the Best Picture slate 4/5, with The Dark Knight edged out in favor of The Reader; this also occurred at the DGA and WGA awards. But then, the PGA does tend toward money-makers, being producers and all. Will their Big Ten match the Academy's? I mean, probably not exactly, but, you know...

The nominees are:

Avatar
I believe I am the sole person in Christendom who had yet to see it.
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Invictus
What's the appeal? The more I think about it, the more this movie irritates me.
Precious
Star Trek
Oh, rocking! This and District 9 getting in is...well, it's actually a testament to their financial success, right? But it's also the quality; I don't see Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen getting a PGA nom, do you?
Up
Up in the Air

That's five movies that made it into my Top 25. Now, I don't necessarily believe that this is the Best Pic lineup as well, as I still believe the ten-wide option gives Nine an edge. But this is a pretty solid lineup, with only one dud out of the nine I've seen. Avatar will probably win this.

The Best of 2009, For Sure

And finally, after much delay and suspense, my Top Ten Films of 2009. These are the movies what made me happy that I spend as much time at the movies as I do. It's no coincidence that I experienced all of these in a movie theater -- it is, after all, the way films were meant to be experienced. I've struggled with my Top Three, having changed and rearranged it multiple times. Hell, my ranking of those three could change between now and now-oh-one. But I'm going to commit myself.

My Top Ten Films of 2009:

10. JENNIFER'S BODY

For nailing the insecurity of adolescence. For using horror to explore eating disorders, perceptions of beauty, and teen sexuality. For the subtle looks between Needy (Amanda Seyfried) and Jennifer (Megan Fox). For proving Diablo Cody earned that Oscar. For "Through the Trees", one of the best songs written for a movie ever.

9. EASY VIRTUE

For bringing classic wit to a modern screen. For its gorgeous production values. For making every character real human beings instead of comic caricatures. For revealing Jessica Biel's gifts as an actress. For making "Car Wash" and "Sex Bomb" into 1920s foxtrots.

8. UP IN THE AIR

For knocking the wind out of me with its finale. For making George Clooney vulnerable. For fine supporting turns from Vera Farmiga and Amy Morton. For delighting and upsetting me simultaneously. For a surprisingly great score.

7. THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG

For bringing Disney magic back into my life. For the incredible voice cast. For fantastic songs like "Dig a Little Deeper". For the sheer beauty of 2D animation. For an ending that got me misty-eyed.

6. JULIE & JULIA
(Number Nine on 25 Most Anticipated)

For making something delightful and fun out of an atrocious book (the titular one, not Julia Child's memoir). For the costumes. For Alexandre Desplat's score. For the chemistry between Stanley Tucci and Meryl Streep. For being worth three viewings.

5. BRIGHT STAR

For engaging performances by its ensemble. For the sexless yet sexy passion between Fanny (Abbie Cornish) and John Keats (Ben Whishaw). For Greig Fraser's breathtaking cinematography. For Jane Campion's light yet ever-present touch. For haunting me with its beauty.

4. A SERIOUS MAN

For finding the absurd in the awful. For its use of Jefferson Airplane. For the Rabbi scenes. For an ensemble firing on all cylinders.For "accept the mystery".

3. (500) DAYS OF SUMMER
(Number Ten on 25 Most Anticipated)

For giving me just what I need at the time I saw it. For a realistic portrayal of a modern relationship. For that dance number. For using wardrobe and set dressing to accentuate Zooey Deschanel's eyes. For being a romantic-comedy that didn't condescend to the audience.

2. FANTASTIC MR. FOX

For dancing foxes. For Wes Anderson finding the perfect medium for his style. For that wonderfully offbeat sense of style. For making a kid's movie into a caper comedy for adults. For being a cussing great movie.

1. PUBLIC ENEMIES

For Colleen Atwood's costumes. For Johnny Depp's haunted performance. For turning a mainstream genre into cinematic art. For Elliot Goldenthal's period-perfect score. For that devastating final scene. For playing with the facts to give us a gripping story. For just being the best at what it did.

Up in the Air

Jason Reitman really surprised me with this one. I've read the book, see, and I kind of figured it wouldn't be a straight adaptation, but God! He and co-writer Sheldon Turner certainly do a number on Walter Kirn's source novel, making up characters (Anna Kendrick's Natalie) while building up others (Vera Farmiga's Alex). It was a lot like Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood, adapted from Upton Sinclair's Oil!. The main themes and protagonist were all on hand, but expounded on and developed...differently. But effectively.

I like a lot of things about the movie. George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, a man whose life is the hotels and planes he spends time in on his way to firing people for "pussies". And it took me a while to see it, but it really is one of his more nuanced performances. It surpassed his Michael Clayton, and is at least on par with Bob Barnes and Fred Friendly (2005's Syriana and Good Night and Good Luck, respectively). Seeing him as vulnerable as he is here was a real change, and he did it so subtly. I love the look on his face when he sees his sister's husband-to-be (Danny McBride) ask her to be his co-pilot. Love it. Probably my favorite moment in the movie.

Vera Farmiga is smart, sexy and confident as Alex, who describes herself to Ryan Bingham as "you, but with a vagina." You love her. You must. I certainly fell for her, and so of course I'm rooting for the coupling all throughout. There are sweet moments between her and Clooney that are charmingly understated. Farmiga gives one of the most relatable, believable performances of the year.

The movie threw me for a loop. Its ending...that's a great ending. It left me speechless, sitting in the theater with my friend, until we finally walked back to the car -- silently. I love it when a movie can knock me flat on my ass without my expecting it. And truly, Up in the Air did just that. It got me emotionally involved without me realizing it. I would definitely see it again: for the acting, the writing, the directing, for Rolfe Kent's score, for the cinematography by Eric Steelberg, etc. It's stunning.

And now the negative. From Videohound's picks of best supporting performances, 2009:

"In the hands of 99 out of 100 actresses, Natalie Keener is a shrill, whiny, cliché of a character – a cocky young lady who learns a serious life lesson from the more experienced older man who mentors her. Yawn. We've seen that before. The tough assignment...was to take that character model and make it feel genuine."

This is what Videohound's Turk182 wrote about his pick for Best Supporting Actress, Anna Kendrick in Up in the Air. What's funny is that I completely disagree. Kendrick has certain moments where she shines, reminding me why I like her in Rocket Science and tolerate her in the Twilight movies. But her Natalie Keener is shrill, whiny, and cliched. Some of her dialogue, God help me, sounds like lines written for the middle daughter in Dan in Real Life. As for that breakdown scene midway through the film? Yikes. Talk about overplaying the comedy. She is the least consistent out of all the actors, and there seems to be no throughline for her character. It's all moments. While I didn't hate her, and while I definitely (DEFINITELY) still love the movie, Kendrick's Natalie gets a shake of the head from me.

I will throw my hat into the ring for Amy Morton as Cara, Ryan's sister. Like I always say: if I can find a real-life counterpart to your role, your doing your job perfectly. Morton, who was nominated for a Tony for her work in August: Osage County, plays my aunt beautifully. She's taken over the mother role, yet she is just as vulnerable as anyone else. Exasperated at her brother's aloofness, she nevertheless strives to keep the family together. A small but wonderful bit of actressing.

Screen Actors Guild Nominees

The Screen Actors Guild has given us their noms from on high. Let us peruse. Amen.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Matt Damon, Invictus
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
This list looks familiar, doesn't it? Alfred Molina (An Education) should be on here, I want to say. But I haven't seen those center three, either. A win for Waltz.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Penelope Cruz, Nine
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Diane Kruger, Inglourious Basterds
Mo'Nique, Precious
Oh Em Gee, Diane Kruger is there! That makes me so happy! Easily my favorite of the Basterds ensemble! Penelope Cruz is here for Nine, so that's interesting; maybe she will make it to the top. No Samantha Morton for The Messenger, which I thought they'd go for in a big way. A win for Mo'Nique.

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
Respectable list. Glad to see Renner is here. Tough call here. Bridges, I think.

BEST ACTRESS
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
That's it: Abbie Cornish's performance in Bright Star is dead, kaput, no more. The Bullock nom is actually going to happen. Mulligan, Sidibe and Streep all deserve to be here, Mulligan especially. Streep wins here.

BEST ENSEMBLE
An Education: Dominic Cooper, Alfred Molina, Carey Mulligan, Rosamund Pike, Peter Sarsgaard, Emma Thompson, Olivia Williams
The Hurt Locker: Christian Camargo, Brian Geraghty, Evangeline Lilly, Anthony Mackie, Jeremy Renner
Inglourious Basterds: Daniel Bruhl, August Diehl, Julie Dreyfuss, Michael Fassbender, Sylvester Groth, Jacky Ido, Diane Kruger, Melanie Laurent, Denis Menochet, Mike Myers, Brad Pitt, Eli Roth, Til Schweiger, Rod Taylor, Christoph Waltz, Martin Wuttke
Nine: Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Daniel Day-Lewis, Judi Dench, Fergie, Kate Hudson, Nicole Kidman, Sophia Loren
Precious: Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz, Mo'Nique, Paula Patton, Sherri Shepherd, Gabourey Sidibe
Holy crap, is this a strong list or what? Only Basterds and Precious have multiple acting nominations, though An Education is deserving of more. Oh, and hey, did Cara Seymour disappear from An Education since I've seen it? Because she's the only cast member not in the ensemble list. I love the inclusion of veteran actor Rod Taylor in the official Basterds ensemble. And the Each One Teach One girls should've gotten a mention in the Precious ensemble, but I'm also happy Sherri's there. Precious wins here.

No huge surprises, ugly or otherwise. Very safe, tow-the-line list. Glad Kruger showed up.

The Golden Globes Nominations

Finally caught up with reviews, and now I will have caught up with the precursors. SAG announces tomorrow, but yesterday morning the Golden Globes brought out their noms:

BEST SCREENPLAY
Neill Blomkamp/Terri Tatchell, District 9
Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
Nancy Meyers, It's Complicated
Jason Reitman/Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
I did not expect District 9 to do so well in this category. Of course, we've still not heard from the WGA or Academy, but it is becoming difficult to ignore. I hope Meyers and Reitman/Turner did a damn good job, though, because the Neustatder/Weber team behind (500) Days of Summer is stellar. Boal wins, I bet. It's The Hurt Locker's year.

BEST DIRECTOR
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Clint Eastwood, Invictus
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Once again, the Globes find Clint irresistible. Guilds, Academy: Resist. Resist! This could be Bigelow's year at the Oscars, but why do I feel Reitman is getting the Globe?

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Matt Damon, Invictus
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Two of these are not in release. The Messenger has yet to arrive in either my college town or my hometown. Despite my reservations concerning Invictus, I will once again call the Damon nom well-deserved. And Waltz, of course, is unstoppable. Count on him to win it.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Penelope Cruz, Nine
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Mo'Nique, Precious
Julianne Moore, A Single Man
Look for Cruz to be sidelined in favor of Samantha Morton in The Messenger come Oscar Nom Morn. Mo'Nique, like Waltz, is unstoppable, and that is truly awesome. Award-winning actress Mo'Nique. What a sentence.

BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL/COMEDY
Matt Damon, The Informant!
Daniel Day-Lewis, Nine
Robert Downey, Jr., Sherlock Holmes
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, (500) Days of Summer
Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man
Damon, Gordon-Levitt and Stuhlbarg are all deserving of noms. Hell, they'd be deserving of Oscar noms, with the other slots filled by Sam Rockwell (Moon) and...hm....either Johnny Depp (Public Enemies) or George Clooney (Fantastic Mr. Fox). Anyway. No telling who would win this, really. Day-Lewis? But probably Stuhlbarg. I'll go with Stuhlbarg.

BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Tobey Maguire, Brothers
The more I hear about how good Brothers (and Maguire) is....the more confused I get. The trailers look AWFUL. Freeman is still deserving, he just wouldn't be on my list. Where's Rockwell? Where's Depp? What is this? Bridges gets it.

BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL/COMEDY
Sandra Bullock, The Proposal
Marion Cotillard, Nine
Julia Roberts, Duplicity
Meryl Streep, It's Complicated
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Holy crap, someone remembered Duplicity! That's the big news here, really. Well, that and the Streep times two. I suppose her performance as Julia Child will get her the Globe. I really can't wait to see It's Complicated, though. I am ashamed to say I have not seen The Proposal or Duplicity yet. Perhaps during my Christmas break...? Amy Adams, by the way, gave a truly great performance in Sunshine Cleaning. Just saying.

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
So...is this Bullock nom happening? Strange, sexy thought, that. I love that Blunt is coming out of the woodwork. I don't love Abbie Cornish (Bright Star) being left out in the cold. Mulligan wins, and everyone is happy.

BEST PICTURE - MUSICAL/COMEDY
(500) Days of Summer
The Hangover
It's Complicated
Julie & Julia
Nine
Nine wins, of course. What a delightful group this is. I know: I haven't seen It's Complicated or Nine. But the other three rock. So there.

BEST PICTURE - DRAMA
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
Up in the Air
The bookends are unseen by me. The three in the middle are fine. I did expect them to like An Education more than Precious. This lack of attention to the former has me fearing a Sally Hawkins-esque snub. Knock on wood.

The Broadcast Film Critics Association Nominees

I'm late to the party, as usual. But it is better to be late than to not show up at all, right?

The complete list of nominees can be found here.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Wes Anderson/Noah Baumbach, Fantastic Mr. Fox
Neill Blomkamp/Terri Tatchell, District 9
Tom Ford/David Scearce, A Single Man
Nick Hornby, An Education
Geoffrey Fletcher, Precious
Genre fare finally getting its due at awards season. I'd like to take a look-see at the Mr. Fox and District 9 screenplays. I have the others, I just haven't perused them yet. I've yet to see A Single Man, but the others are admirable films in their own right, so kudos.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
Ethan Coen/Joel Coen, A Serious Man
Pete Docter/Bob Peterson, Up
Scott Neustadter/Michael H. Weber, (500) Days of Summer
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Ladies and gentlemen, your Oscar slate.

BEST ENSEMBLE
Inglourious Basterds
Nine
Precious
Star Trek
Up in the Air
Glad to see Star Trek getting in, too. JJ Abrams and the actors were really what made it work. Zachary Quinto is excellent.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Matt Damon, Invictus
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Christian McKay, Me and Orson Welles
Alfred Molina, An Education
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
I can support the noms for Damon, Molin and Waltz. Damon is truly magnetic in Invictus.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Marion Cotillard, Nine
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Mo'Nique, Precious
Julianne Moore, A Single Man
Samantha Morton, The Messenger
Minus Cotillard, this is your Oscar slate. I don't think the Nine girls are in -- far too many. But that's sight unseen, then again. Nor have I seen Up in the Air or The Messenger. It's just a feeling I have, but that's been known to lead me astray before. Besides, isn't Cotillard being campaigned for lead?

BEST ACTOR
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Viggo Mortensen, The Road
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
Don't you love that Crazy Heart got a new release date a month before it came out and now it's got the must-see performance of the year? Oscar season. No Sam Rockwell for Moon? Someone throw the guy a bone!

BEST ACTRESS
Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Saoirse Ronan, The Lovely Bones
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Blunt? Really? People have seen that movie? It's actually coming out? Thank the maker, but still...it's been practically invisible. Oh, also: Abbie Cornish in Bright Star. WTF?

BEST DIRECTOR
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Lee Daniels, Precious
Clint Eastwood, Invictus
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
With the exception of noms for Freeman and Damon, both of whom are deserving, the Invictus party train must be derailed at all costs. Eastwood is NOT one of the Best Directors of the Year. Invictus is a mess, anchored only by two actors with amazing instincts. Eastwood doesn't direct actors, he just puts a camera in front of them. Thus the uneven performances in his movie. (That said, it means all that much more when a real actor shows up to give a great performance: Laura Linney and Kevin Bacon in Mystic River, for example).

BEST PICTURE
Avatar
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Invictus
Nine
Precious
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air
I still doubt Up's chances past these critics' awards. Five extra slots does not mean the Academy will suddenly change. I've already had my Invictus rant. Fun category. Can't wait for the show.

National Board of Review

And now the National Board of Review chimes in with its Top Ten...well, Top Eleven really. The NBR gives a Best Picture prize in addition to their Ten of the Year, which is bizarre, but I guess they can do what they want, right?

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Jason Reitman/Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air

Great novel. I hope their adaptation does it justice. It helps that I have a lot of faith in Reitman, who is two-for-two as far as I'm concerned.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Ethan Coen/Joel Coen, A Serious Man

Yes! Keep those awards rolling in! A Serious Man is surely the best Coen Brothers movie since The Big Lebowski, maybe ever.

SPOTLIGHT AWARD FOR DIRECTORIAL DEBUT

Duncan Jones, Moon

Oren Moverman, The Messenger

Marc Webb, (500) Days of Summer

Jeez, do I really need to see The Messenger? The world seems to demand it. Congrats, of course, to Jones and Webb. I've met Webb, a well-spoken and down-to-earth kind of guy, so more power to him!

BREAKTHROUGH ACTOR

Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

Amen to that.

BREAKTHROUGH ACTRESS

Gabourey Sidibe, Precious

As expected. She's going to sweep these, I bet. It's like when Directorial Debut awards in 2007 were exclusively Ben Affleck/Sarah Polley; this category is going to be Sidibe/Carey Mulligan.

BEST ENSEMBLE

It's Complicated

Well. Way to get me even more excited, NBR.

BEST DIRECTOR

Clint Eastwood, Invictus

Cool, cool. I mean, perfectly harmless. The movie's not out yet, so I really can't judge.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Woody Harrelson, The Messenger

Curious: they misspelled Zombieland. Is this movie going to come to Tally? Or will I have to catch it in SoFla over Christmas?

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air

And yet, all I can do is think of her in New Moon. I know what sins against cinema I'm committing in admitting that.

BEST ACTOR

George Clooney, Up in the Air

Morgan Freeman, Invictus

As far as actors go, this is probably the safest tie ever. Still: I need to see the films.

BEST ACTRESS

Carey Mulligan, An Education

I don't know if she's my pick (not yet), but I will whole-heartedly support any award thrown at her.

BEST FILM
Up in the Air
In limited release tomorrow. Limited does not mean my city, though. Poop.

TOP TEN

(500) Days of Summer

An Education

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

Invictus

The Messenger

A Serious Man

Star Trek
Up

Where the Wild Things Are

OK, so I haven't seen Invictus or The Messenger. But otherwise....pretty cool Top Ten. Star Trek was on mine until Fantastic Mr. Fox came into my life. Inglourious Basterds, A Serious Man and (500) Days of Summer are on mine (so far). Where the Wild Things Are and An Education came pretty close in mine. The Hurt Locker is a solid film. The odd man out here is Up, which I like OK. I mean, you know, it's decent, kinda, I guess. This is big for The Messenger though, which looks like it may be the little indie that could for this year. Precious, meanwhile, is M.I.A. How curious.