Kiss of the Spider Woman

Before Brokeback Mountain there was Kiss of the Spider Woman. This film is about two men, two very different men, who probably couldn't be much more different but are stuck in the same jail cell in Spain. One is Luis Molina a flamboyant homosexual played by William Hurt in an oscar winning performance who escapes into this memories of old movies, and there is Valentin Arregui played by Raul Julia, Valentin is a gruff and tough political prisoner. The story starts slowly, but builds into a very interesting study of two men who find themselves in another person entirely opposite them. There is a gay scene, but Valentin is not gay, this is a movie about imprisonment and freedom. It is about people trapped, trapped by love, by bars, by societal expectations, who are desperately seeking a way out. There a slow moments and then ending requires some processing, but once you make it to the end you can not doubt you have seen a beautifully worthy movie. One must also note Sonia Braga's role as 3 different vital roles in the movie all expressing the entrapment of the characters until the end. A hidden gem you must see to understand.

Michael Clayton

Who would have thought during ER's prime that George Clooney would one day receive oscar nominations? Who would have thought after Batman and Robin that Clooney would have any kind of career, look at Chris O'Donnel and Alicia Silverstone. Yet after 2005 with his win for Syriana and his directorial follow-up to Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Good Night, and Good Luck getting a Best Picture nod the world knew this was to spark recurring visits to the ceremony of all entertainment ceremonies. And then came last year, a year full of some of this decades greatest movies with unforgettable performances and movies that will sure forever change filmmaking and it was this small, initially unknown suspense drama that made it into the top 5 along with a nod for George Clooney. Michael Clayton is a movie about a man (you can probably guess his name) who is a fixer for a large and prestigious law firm and gets caught in the middle of a dangerous case. Yet for what sounds like a cliche premise this movie never loses its footing to achieve cheap thrills, but rather hope the viewer is smart enough to understand the levity and danger. Clooney plays the role with stunning precision, but is shown up by two of his supporting actors, Tilda Swinton in an oscar winning perf as a woman working for a company willing to take any means to keep the company above water and Tom Wilkinson as a seemingly crazed lawyer that strips in the middle of a deposition. It is a sharp film, and one of the few movies that looks and feels as smart as it truly is. A definite must-see for any movie buff.

Slumdog Millionaire

With a whole bunch of critic awards under it's belt and rave reviews left and right I decided that I had to see this movie that many are using such praises as "joyous," "triumphant," and "celebratory" to describe. The film trails the lives of a boy named Jamal and his brother Salim through their lives as "slumdogs" in India. Jamal has made it onto Who Wants to be A Millionaire in India and we see his life as a series of flashbacks related to answering the questions and through those flashbacks we meet Latika, the love of Jamal's life. As the last piece of plot I will give away Latika is the reason Jamal went on WWTBAM so that she would see him and be able to find him as he had no idea where she was. The story is wonderful, the performances are perfectly fitted for this movie, never once is an emotion forced out of the audience, and the whole time Director Danny Boyle (28 Days Later, Trainspotting) never loses his directorial flourish. That all the pieces come together so well is one of the miracles of the movie, but the praises extend more to the overwhelming heart and joy and unrestrained passion with which the movie is pulled. It is being touted as the frontrunner of the best picture oscar winner this year and this reviewer thinks it is more than deserving.

Rosemary's Baby by Roman Polanski

We have seen many horror movies made by great directors, we have seen The Shining by Stanley Kubrick, Carrie by Brian Depalma, The Exorcist by William Friedkin, etc. And then there is Roman Polanski's Rosemary's Baby starring Mia Farrow as Rosemary, a woman madly in love, living in a new place and trying to start a family. Yet something darker runs beneath the surface of this new life, the old couple next door stay up late chanting and singing, her husband starts spending more time them, and when Rosemary gets pregnant everyone is only too helpful providing lockets of luck, vitamin drinks, and little cakes. Most of you probably know how the movie ends, but it isn't the surprise ending of revelation that makes the movie scary it is the inevitability with which Rosemary plummets to that final moment. She is caught in a world of conspiracy and fear and paranoia, filled to the brim with satanic cults, witchcraft, and friendly old people. We believe her beliefs and want to scream or help her escape, but it is helpless and we know it, and such is the terror Polanski invokes. It is not an easy movie to watch, but it is a scary one.

Pink Floyd's The Wall

In terms of movie musicals few will argue that the 70s and 80s really revolutionized what a musical could be with Cabaret, All That Jazz, Fame, and A Chorus Line. The Wall revolutionized that even further, though few who have seen this crazy film would call it a musical it is by all arguments and definitions a musical. Most of the time the characters aren't singing the words, and there are no elaborate dance numbers, but there is music and it directly pushes the story forward and it is in the head of the main character. The visuals are crazy and the vision is daring, and well the music is incredible but that goes without saying. Perhaps the only fault with the movie is that it would be better enjoyed with a prior listen through of The Wall the album. If you like Pink Floyd or crazy movies that are also great, check this one out! Oh, and Merry christmas!

Review: Tootsie by Syndey Pollack

A few years after his start making role in The Graduate Dustin Hoffman decided to really throw the acting world for a loop by acting as a woman. So comes Tootsie a movie about a struggling actor who takes a role on a daytime soap as a woman to raise some money and in the process makes a fool of the people he cares for most. The movie is fun and cute, but the real story is Hoffman as Michael Dorsey/Dorothy Michaels. Hoffman has rarely had trouble being convincing as a man in any role he picks up, but the marvel is how convincingly he becomes a woman. In many films requiring men to take on woman roles there is always the annoying question in the viewers head of how none of those closest to the character recognize him. In Tootsie this is not the case. In Tootsie Dustin Hoffman fully and convincingly transforms with his character, oftentimes I thought he could be the best drag queen in history if he wanted to be. It is his performance that elevates a rather quaint story into a delightful romp, not to mention wonderful supporting roles by Bill Murray, Sydney Pollack, and Jessica Lange.

Review: Casino Royale

In the most recent installment of the James Bond franchise, Quantum of Solace, we saw a very Bournesque follow-up to the far superior 2006 film Casino Royale starring Daniel Craig and Eva Green. Casino Royale was supposed to be the reinvention of Bond, and it was for its own part. This film pulled out all the James Bond stops, the bond girl, martinis, a very obvious bad guy with a very bad guy name "Le Chiffre", and M. As I rewatched it I was amazed at how much of the genius was lost in Quantum. Royale is slick in its story, which is very minimal, it is far more about the character of Bond and how he became the man he becomes. The image above is what I feel is the pinnacle scene of the whole movie, the emotional fulcrum, the reason the ending matters. Eva Green as Vesper Lynd sits in the shower fully clothed having just taken part in the death of two men, Bond comforts her. The moment is tender, and it is short, but it could be argued that it is the reason Bond exists and in some ways almost did not exist. Casino Royale is currently the best Bond to date and pretty solid movie outside of the franchise, lets hope the next Bond is more in the vein of Casino Royale and not Quantum of Solace.

Review: Spider-man

Upon watching Spider-man today it occured to me that this was the movie that began the currently unended superhero movie race. It is with this movie, and not, sadly, with X-men, that movie producers realized "holy crap, superhero movies can draw in a box office and critical raves!" Spider-man is a well constructed movie that has bought into the mythology of Spider-man with dazzling special effects. Tobey Maquire as Peter Parker adds a delightful turn as he downplays the nerd and plays the hidden loveability of Parker. Watch as he listens to "MJ" (a sweet Kirsten Dunst) confess her love for him, inside he is a boy and a hero fighting to do what is right and it shows in Maguires boyish face. The story is a well crafted origin story with enough dramatic oomph and character to spawn a 3 movie franchise that is potentially still growing. While the second may be better, Spider-man is easily one of the best superhero movies to date that is not afraid to be about little else besides a great story.

Review of Rachel Getting Married by Jonathan Demme

It's been 16 years since director Jonathan Demme was nominated for best picture for Silence of the Lambs...an award he also won. This year Demme has release what is perhaps his most beautiful film to date in the form of Rachel Getting Married. The film is so fluid and natural in everything from the camera work to the way the characters speak, after 5 minutes you forget its a movie and become part of the family. All the characters created here by Jenny Lumet(daughter of director Sidney Lumet) in her screenplay are distinct and wholly developed even if they have one line which can often be the situation in family gatherings. Everything is top notch and refuses to become sentimental which is the strength of this movie as it deals with dark family secrets. The true show stealer is Anne Hathaway in the form of Kym, Rachel's just-out-of-rehab sister. Hathaway plays Kym as an unpredictable hurricane of frustration, loneliness, anger, love, and sadness. Kym is dealing with more than we are let on at the beginning and more than the rest of her family can understand even if they know whats going on. Hathaway is truly a revelation in this film as she steps fully and entirely away from her Princess Diaries days as shes been trying to do for years now. Surely this film is one of the true contenders for Best Picture this year and maybe Demme can return to the Kodak Theatre.

#1 Magnolia by P.T. Anderson

Things fall down. People look up. And when it rains, it pours. Magnolia. This film stole my heart years ago and continues to shape and form who I am and how I think and see and feel and respond to the people in my life. It is important to who I am and it is one of the greatest pieces of art in the entire world next to the works of picasso and mozart. That is all I will say as this film has sat at number 1 for as long as i can remember and always will probably.

#2 The Lord of the Rings trilogy by Peter Jackson

What the Dark Knight is to the whole of the film industry Lord of the Rings is to storytelling. No matter of depth or darkness or masterful acting could surpass the excellent storytelling of the Lord of the Rings trilogy which I give one spot to as they are essentially one long movie. From our introduction to the shire to the first time we hear the nazguhl scream to battle at helm's deep to the final battle, not on the fields, but in Frodo's heart Lord of the Rings is the kind of movie I know for fact that I will show my children when I am old and gray and they will show theirs as Wizard of Oz has been passed down from generation to generation and that is a true feat of filmmaking.

#3 The Dark Knight by Christopher Nolan

I'm sure you've seen it, probably twice, maybe three times, and possibly a fourth, but yes The Dark Knight is number 3 on the countdown to my favorite movie of all time. Never have I had as much fun watching a movie as I did watching this. When you've seen as many movies as I have you begin to understand how to read the signs, you understand more how the director will work, what hollywood wants, and how far exactly a movie will go, but The Dark Knight was unreadable. Sometimes it didn't go where I expected and sometimes it went far beyond what I ever expected would come of hollywood to the point where once the joker put detonators in the hands of gotham citizens I had no idea what to expect. Beyond that Heath Ledger's performance was far away one of the superior performances of cinematic history and nothing in the film felt half-way. Everything was top-notch and it all came together to make the best film in american history. Yet it isn't my favorite.

#4 WALL-E by Andrew Stanton

Pixar has been top dog for awhile when it comes to animated filmmaking. They kicked off their shining career with Toy Story and with other greats like The Incredibles and Finding Nemo have become the reigning king of all things wonderful. It was this summer, however, that Pixar took everything to a new level with WALL-E their incredibly deep, socially conscious, and sincerely and simply wonderful tale of a little, lonely robot searching for his place in a big world. There is never moment that isn't to love and in the end we all find a new way to look at the world and each other. I remember telling people that it made me want to hug everyone for a week.

#5 Into the Wild by Sean Penn

I won't say much about this film as there is an inexpressible reason that I love this film, I just want the world to know that this one of the most important pieces of filmmaking in the past few decades.

#6 Almost Famous by Cameron Crowe

This coming of age tale is one of my favorites for its sheer amount of heart. With me a movie with a lot of heart can go a long way and it just helps that it is also jampacked with great music, Kate Hudson, and the age old road movie formula. Crowe wrote this film as his swan song to great filmmaking for the time being as he followed it up with the ambitious though confused Vanilla Sky and the sappy Garden State-wannabe Elizabethtown. Almost Famous is a movie that can reach people on all kinds of levels and it wasn't until the 6th time I saw it that it became a favorite, but from here on out I don't think I could ever lose my love for it.

#7 American Beauty by Sam Mendes

Spoiler alert! The video above is the ending of the movie so don't watch it unless you've seen the movie. American Beauty is one of the undisputable greats in American film history. It is nearly flawless in almost every way and can easily contend with most any movie thrown at it. Its message of unhappiness in a suburban wasteland is profound and universal, its lead performance by Kevin Spacey is nuanced and spectacular and the finale. My Goodness, the finale is one of the most gripping and frustrating and satisfying and beautiful and sad endings. It is everything a movie needs for it.

#8 Amelie by Jean Pierre Jeunet

Paris gets its second visit to my blog in the form of Amelie. Amelie is a delightful, quirky and ultimately feel good movie. It is Audrey Tautou that deserves all the credit for the success of this film. Her portrayal of Amelie is at times frustrating in her timidness, but always lovable for her dreamer like quality and her ability to observe and especially for the idiosyncracies our narrator reveals to us at the beginning such as her love for cracking creme brulee.

#9 Moulin Rouge! by Baz Luhrman

France has long embodied every romantic notion of any person who has dared to dream of finding love. In Baz Luhrman's 3rd feature and his conclusion to his Red Curtain trilogy he takes the wild bohemian world of the Moulin Rouge and Montmarte and transforms it into one of the most lavishly produced, gloriously sounding, and heart wrenching tales of love that conquers all things even money, power, class, and death. Satine and Christian's story is one of true emotional triumph and power. It is a movie that has long kept me dreaming and remembering the ultimate good that love can provide in any form. I will love this film come what may.

#10 Pan's Labyrinth by Guillermo Del Toro

Guillermo Del Toro has created with Pan's Labyrinth what Tim Burton did with Edward Scissorhands only better. It is a fantasy based in the realities of our world and it's ignorance and hatred of good and innocence. Del Toro's film is full of beautiful imagery, heartbreaking storytelling, a haunting score, and a finale that rivals that of the cinematic greats like Casablanca or the Godfather. A memorable ending indeed to one of the best films of the past decade.

#11 Chicago by Rob Marshall

There hasn't been a movie since Chicago that has looked or felt quite like Chicago. It is a movie that is candy for eyes in all of its dancing, singing glory. The story is there, but more as a set piece for spectacular song and dance sequences and yet it never feels disconnected, cheap, or worthless. In fact a deeper look points to commentary on the judicial system and on criminal celebrity. In all subjectivity I love this movie, its such a fun and smart movie musical that as an adaptation is the best musical adaptation to this day.

#12 Children of Men by Alfonso Cuaron

Aside from Blade Runner this is the only movie on my list dealing with the future, but this is the near future. It is a future where women can't have children, and the youngest living person has just died. The canvas Cuaron paints is bleak with people who are not the everyday heroes of ultimate good intentions, instead we get Theo, a man with nothing to lose, and Kee a snotty girl who happened to get pregnant. What makes the movie work is that we don't care if they are likeable we care that they live to get the baby to the Tomorrow, a ship that is supposed to be working on the cure for infertility. We believe so badly in the world created for us that we wouldn't care if it was Hitler carrying a baby to the ship, thats how strongly we believe in this world. This movie goes beyond its premise though to be a commentary on immigration, governments, mortality, heroes, and ultimately hope. The most striking scene in this film and probably in any in the past few years is a miraculous cease fire due to the sounds of a baby's cry. I dare you to watch and not be moved.

#13 All That Jazz by Bob Fosse

All That Jazz is what many call "viciously" inventive and original, that is it holds nothing back in its brash vision. In some cases such an auteuristic approach would lead to a flimsy film caught up in the directors narcissism, but All That Jazz is about exactly that, a narcissistic director, in fact its about its own director. If for no other reason this film deserves a spot for the director Bob Fosse's relentless self-deprecation. This film still stands up to today as a film about a man who everyone loves and hates at the same time, a man caught up in himself, a man who is losing himself, and we as the viewer are fascinated. Some call Cabaret Fosse's masterpiece, I say nay.

#14 Fame by Alan Parker

There have been countless movies made about students in high school. Countless others about artists making it, but few if any about students in a high school for the arts trying to make it any way they can. There is something so poignant in the quiet desperation that Fame paints in each of the characters as they have no other dream, no other hope, but to make it. The stories feel real and characters are the people you grew up with and come graduation day there isn't a bunch of happy feelings or sad eyes, but an explosive farewell that is to say "Here I come world, whether I'm ready or not. I'm gonna shine."

#15 Pulp Fiction by Quentin Tarantino

What Quentin Tarantino has created with Pulp Fiction is the kind of thing only horror movies and Adam Sandler movies can do in all their silliness and that is to become more than a movie but part of popular culture. Tarantino's masterpiece, however, is not the silly schlock that Sandler and horror movies are, but it is a film that is aware these other films exist, it is entirely self-aware yet clever, intelligent and always engaging. Many critics comment on Tarantino's adept skill at writing dialogue and this film bears witness to the reasoning behind such praises.

#16 Stranger Than Fiction by Marc Forster

Stranger Than Fiction isn't nearly as strange as it's title suggests, but that isn't to say to it's not an innovative or vastly entertaining movie. No, this film is about as fun as a thoughtful metanarrative can get, and boy is it a great load of enjoyment. Will Ferrel stars as Harold Crick, a man caught up in a repetitive, mundane life pummeling with all certainty to his death and he knows it thanks to Karen Eiffel (Emma Thompson). The plot is thick with narrative invention such as how do you change a masterpiece of a novel to save someones life? How much do you sacrifice for art? Ferrell is sensitive and charming as Crick and the audience genuinely cares about this doofy auditor. The supporting cast of Queen Latifah, Maggie Gyllenhal, Dustin Hoffman, and Emma Thompson all fill their roles dutifully to bring about a unifying cohesive ending that is just as beautiful and simple as the preceding story.

#17 Edward Scissorhands by Tim Burton

This film showed up on my first top 10 list a couple years ago and hasn't returned until now. While some may argue against Tim Burton's ability and judgment this film is to the credit of Burton's vast imagination and genius. There have been few modern fantasies that have told such an endearing tale as the one witnessed in the sadly romantic and whimsical Edward Scissorhands. Even when I was younger I was able to resonate with the plight of such a gentle person confined to his prison of lonely outcast. Today I look at it as a commentary of suburban america and while it isn't as upfront as American Beauty or the like it is probably just as unforgiving. To this day I still anticipate the ending in hope that Edward and Kim could somehow be together, but alas it was not meant to be.

#18 Blade Runner by Ridley Scott

Over the many years of film there have been a great number of movies about the future. Some have been fun, cheerful and full of fantasy, others have been gritty and bleak; some have been good, and others have been awful. Without argument, however, Blade Runner is the peak of these films. It is truly visionary in its dark view of the future of humanity, it is full of fantastic elements and yet grounded in a believable and human story and setting. We see Harrison Ford in a role that leaves him more vulnerable than his heroic identities of Dr. Jones or Han Solo; we see Dennis Hopper playing a maniac who in the end winds up being the victim of a cruel fate, and we see ourselves calling into question what is just, what is love, and ulimately what is life?

#19 Brick by Rian Johnson

Maybe I am blinded by its sheer amount of vision, but to me Brick is an amalgamation of all things great about the noir genre updated to a contemporary setting and right on rhythm with its inspirations. This film helped set Joseph Gordon-Levitt into the light of serious acting post 3rd Rock from the Sun days, and boy is he great. The twists and turns will boggle you and then intrigue you until you can't tell left from right, and then when the end hits you want to watch it all over again with what you know now.

#20- The Sound of Music by Robert Wise

The Sound of Music is often considered THE musical outside of West Side Story and in my opinion it is far superior. It has wonderful music, the beautiful and gargantuan talent of Julie Andrews, and a story about the effects of World War II. Besides, there has been so few on screen couples with the chemistry of Andrews and Plummer in this film. Give it a chance and even you will be hearing music in the hills.

Coming Soon: The New Top 20

Yes my avid readers it has been a few months of processing, thinking, and personal change since my last top 20 list and so over the next week or so you will be witnessing a new list.

Top 10 Directors Younger Than 60

1. Paul Thomas Anderson

2. Guillermo Del Toro

3. Baz Luhrman

4. Peter Jackson

5. The Coen Brothers

6. Alfonso Cuaron

7. M. Night Shyamalan

8. Quentin Tarantino

9. Tim Burton

10. Marc Forster

Honorable Mentions: Sophia Coppola, Wes Anderson, Cameron Crowe, David Fincher, Danny Boyle, Jean Pierre-Jeunet

The Fall Oscar Potentials!

Yes, my avid reader, the time has come to look at our oscar hopefuls as they ready to enter the cinemas. We were lucky enough to observe a solid summer of blockbuster critical successes with Iron Man, Wall-E, and The Dark Knight to name a few, but now we move into the time of the year where studios flash their dramatic teeth. Do not look for this list to be the definitive list, but these are the ones I think have a chance.

My Top 5 Contenders(as of right now and not including The Dark Knight):
1. Revolutionary Road by Sam Mendes
Revolutionary Road looks to be an intense character drama about a fading marriage in the 50s starring Leo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, the former Titanic lovers. An early trailer that has been taken offline showed some extremely raw and phenomenal perfs from these two.

2. Australia by Baz Luhrman
This film looks to be typical Luhrman in the best way, it looks to take a cliche and overdone genre and revamp it with a new flair and passion only Baz could create. An added bonus is his reuniting with Nicole Kidman after their masterful collaboration in Moulin Rouge!

3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by David Fincher
Here we have a much underrated director helming a risky screenplay with Cate Blanchett, the critical darling, and Brad Pitt, Jolie's darling. This will either be a huge success or an ugly flop.

4. Milk by Gus Van Sant
As a christian this is the hardest movie for me to put on here, BUT I have to say I am looking very forward to it because it is a challenging topic with the universal theme of the underdog. Penn looks great in the role and is backed by a phenomenal supporting cast including Emile Hirsch and Josh Brolin who have had busy years.

5. Changeling by Clint Eastwood
Why? Well it's Eastwood, he's gold. Plus how cute would it be to see Pitt and Jolie nominated in the same year ::wink wink:: In all seriousness Jolie looks stunning in this role and the story seems fascinating.

Don't Count These 5 Out

6. The Road by John Hillcoat
No Country for Old Men won last year, and Cormac McCarthy's book is highly acclaimed so with the right resources this could be an intense contender.

7. Doubt by John Patrick Shanley
Meryl Streep is beloved by the academy, Phillip Seymour Hoffman is working his way to academy fame after his win for capote, and Amy Adams needs some love. These 3 actors plus a hot topic screenplay should provide some buzz.

8. Frost/Nixon by Ron Howard
Howard hasn't had much luck with the academy lately, but this is based of an award winning play with two very strong performances. This could be the small actor vehicle that goes all the way visa vie Capote.

9. The Soloist by Joe Wright
After scoring with critics for both Atonement and Pride and Prejudice Wright has moved into contemporary times drawing on the revival of Robert Downey Jr.'s career and the fading star of Jamie Foxx for sentimental drama. The sentimental part worries but Wright has been good at avoiding that so far so this could be the audience winner.

10. The Wrestler by Darren Aronofsky
This is probably the riskiest prediction as Aronofsky has a very spotted resume when it comes to critical and audience responses, but this film seems to be being carried on the wave of festival success and Mickey Rourkes performance.

George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead

Yes, I've been on a horror-monster-gross kick when it comes to movies and Diary of the Dead is the next on my list. This movie follows right in line with Cloverfield and Blair Witch Project in that we see the entire narrative through the lens of one filmmakers camera as the world is slowly dissolved by the undead. As with all Romero films we are given equal amounts of gore and politics and here he gets to comment on the media, on the lies we are fed by the media, on widespread panic based on the media. While this film doesn't feel as authentic in the storytelling as Blair Witch or Cloverfield as far as truly feeling like these people are real and are truly being terrorized, it does bring new life to the slightly stale line of Dead movies after the gorefest of Day of the Dead and the cheesefest of Land of the Dead. Welcome back Romero.

Cloverfield

Cloverfield is a movie that, like many others, is the child of what the Blair Witch Project brought into the light as a possibility for scares. Sure, in BWP you never see the witch or anything aside from sticks and you can't help but be creeped way out and in Cloverfield you get to see the monster from many angles allowing the fear to take a tangible image. Cloverfield isn't so much about the fear of the monster as it is the fear of not understanding. It is about a few people thrown into something so preposterous and unthinkable that there is no way to understand it so they grasp to the things they do understand like friendship and love. One thing that could be said of the incredibly thin characters presented here is that they do indeed care for each other. Cloverfield does it's job well outside of character development, it provides a different take on the Godzilla story from a different perspective and leaves you thinking afterward. What was the monster, where did it come from, why, what happens when the crap monsters bite you? Doesn't matter, this is just meant to be a small story of the larger terror leaving us in the dark as it does it's own characters.

Speed Racer

Speed Racer may not have the depth that other movies this year will undoubtedly have, but what it lacks in depth it makes up for in visual flair and heart. This movie is one of the fastest paced, visceral, and still sensitive movies I've seen in awhile. Here we see the Wachowski brothers taking on something so different from the matrix and accomplishing one of the few movies of this year i know I will buy on DVD.

Iron Man

Tony Stark is Iron Man and Robert Downey Jr. is Tony Stark and boy is he ever. I mention this first and foremost because never has Downey Jr. been cast in such an iconic and perfect role and he has the most fun with it this side of how serious Bale takes Bruce Wayne. With that aside Iron Man is one of the best superhero movies in memory and really sets the bar for the summer blockbuster season. Now this isn't to say it is better than Batman Begins but when looking at the more fun-filled superhero movies this takes the cake over Spider-man, Fantastic Four, or X-Men. Another note to make is the remarkable turn by Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, I haven't seen her in such high caliber since Royal Tenenbaums. Good job team, this mission was a success.

#1 Magnolia by P.T. Anderson

Magnolia. This movie will never move from first place. No matter how much I want to shock people when I say something has beat it I cannot bear to move it from it's mantlepiece. PT Anderson has proven time after time he is one of the most fired up and skillfull directors in hollywood, and after his huge acclaim for There Will Be Blood I think everyone knows that now. Yet, however technically awesome There Will Be Blood was and no more how enrapturing Daniel Day-Lewis was, it is Magnolia's heart, enormity, power, and passion that make it my number one film of all time and my number one PT Anderson film.

#2 Into the Wild by Sean Penn

Sean Penn has for years been an academy favorite as an actor and a critical failure as a director. This past year, however, Penn crafted one of the most assured, beautiful, and moving pieces of cinema to come along and shake the american psyche in years. In the tragic tale of a youth fed up with our culture and his parents we are delivered a shaking powerhouse performance by the young Emile Hirsch who carries us through to the end with such sincerity even though, as an actor he knows his character is doomed, he never lets his character know. We are swept up in the character of Christopher McCandless's passion and the passion by which Penn directs. There is so much power here and so much truth and America just needs to open up their eyes.

#3 Almost Famous by Cameron Crowe

In Almost Famous we see coming of age master Cameron Crowe at the tip-top of his game. We are presented with perhaps an unfamiliar story of a boy beyond his years touring the country with a band as a journalist, but for how unfamiliar that concept might be the concept of growing up is one we all know and we also all know the pains, frustration, and heartbreak that comes with it. If I had to rank my top performances by an actress Kate Hudson's performance in this would rank pretty darn close to number 1, if she wasn't supported by such a tremendous cast she would've downright stolen the show, but as it turns out there are many distinctly wondrous turns in this enthralling, engaging, and all together wonderful coming-of-age tale.

#4 American Beauty by Sam Mendes

Here is without a doubt one of the most acclaimed contemporary classics in American cinema that is bound to forever be a trademark in the "American tragedy" genre. In this film about a lonely man living a suffocating life, we see what is one of the most dysfunctional and sad families put on screen, and then we realize "my goodness...thats me" in some degree. At the same time the director gives us relief and release in moments of heartbreaking insight and heart swelling beauty. Truly a complex masterpiece of the American culture and cinema.

#5 V for Vendetta by James McTeigue

V for Vendetta is perhaps the strongest and most visionary dystopian film put to screen. It is helped along by strong visuals reminiscent of a Nazi Germany, and a tremendous performance by Natalie Portman as Evey. It is hard to explain why this film speaks so tremendously over others of it's type in previous years, perhaps it is cultural relevance that will pass with time, or it is because there is hope here. Because this film offers a large amount of hope when others feel the need to fight against the idea that we can change the world. In 1984 by George Orwell he mentions that the power is in the proletariat, but doesn't allow that vision to come through, but McTeigue and Moore give humanity more credit.

#6 Atonement by Joe Wright

Here is the next film on my list to derive from this previous year's amount of phenomenal films. Atonement is THE epic romance. It takes the passion of Titanic, the enormity and tragedy of The English Patient, and smashes them together adding a lot of its own flair and you have what is undeniably the most accomplished literary adaptation/love story/tragedy I can say I've ever seen. Truly remarkable is the turn of Saoirse Ronan as the youngest Briony, her ability to transform into that little girl is almost disturbing in a good way. Watch out for her in the future. Watch out for my Joe Wright because if he keeps getting better nothing will stop him.

#7 Moulin Rouge by Baz Luhrmann

With Moulin Rouge, director Baz Luhrmann's love child, we see an exuberant burst of visually elegant bombastic storytelling. When I said Chicago was one of the most brilliant stage to screen musicals this is the most brilliant musical on the silver screen. Based off of every romantic cliche and love story in history, using a large variety of contemporary love songs, this film is swept off its feet by the passion of its actors and director into an amazingly sincere and heartbreaking film that has yet to meet its counterpart. As Luhrmann moves into the production of Australia, his next film, I wait in anticipation to this viciously creative directors follow-up film.

#8 Lord of the Rings Trilogy by Peter Jackson

The Lord of the Rings trilogy belongs on every top 10 list in the world. This is a sure classic that years from now will still be phenomenal and every current teen will be showing their children as adults. What Peter Jackson has done with the rich source material by J.R.R. Tolkien is magical. He has crafted a thoughtful, visually stunning, epic masterpiece. This is surely one of those film sagas no one will dare touch even 75 years from now.

#9 Fargo by the Coen Brothers

While many will call No Country for Old Men the masterpiece of the Coens I would disagree. Fargo, while perhaps to not as masterful in all of its skill is a far more engaging, well paced, and ultimately touching meditation of life, greed, and happiness. What stands strong in all Coen movies is the use of dark humor and here we see it played out wonderfully with employing Buscemi as the loud mouth bad guy and Frances McDormand as the candy-sweet hearted officer Marge Gunderson. Both of these first-rate actors pull off astoundingly sincere performances in making their over-the-top characters into realistic portraits of the two sides of humanity. Here, I believe, is the Coen's true masterpiece.

#10 Amelie by Jean Pierre Jeunet

Welcome to the long delayed top 10. To kick it off we have the delightful bundle of love and joy Amelie. Straight to our shores from France this beautiful film is all about finding love, falling in love, and in some cases falling out. Always clever, never too much so, and a sheer delight for all the senses.

Check this Trailer Out!

#11 The Sixth Sense by M. Night Shyamalan

Here we have the debut of a filmmaker I call the Hitchcock of today's cinema. I must warn you to not watch it only as a scary movie if you must at all, but rather as a touching story about what it means to accept one's ghosts and let go. Shyamalan will be one of those directors who years from now will be looked back upon as a pioneer in storytelling and rightfully so.

#12 Children of Men by Alfonso Cuaron

A lot of people will complain about the ambiguity of the ending to this film, but thats foolish because the purpose is to make you complete the story. Children of Men challenges the viewer in more ways than just the ending, but I'll let you watch it to understand. I simply wish to say that in this film we see an extremely brilliant approach to the end of mankind in a film that has a lot to say on mankind's existence.

#13 Chicago by Rob Marshall

Chicago is without a doubt the most inventive adaptation from stage to screen as far as musicals go, but thats not all it has. This film is story with enough bounce, flare, and firecracker performances to ignite the entire town of Hollywood which it did winning it the Oscar for Best Picture. This is one of the more unforgettable film experiences I've ever had from the opening seduction of "All That Jazz" to the closing explosive "Nowadays" sheer genius and razzle dazzle.

#14 The Incredibles by Brad Bird

The Incredibles is not only one of the best movies of all time but THE best animated/cgi movie ever made in my humble opinion. How well this film appeals to both parents and children is a testament to the perfection in writing, animation, drama, comedy and downright superb storytelling(which pixar is known for). The Incredibles was undeniably snubbed for a best picture nomination.

#15 Pan's Labyrinth by Guillermo Del Toro

Not many people would've considered Guillermo Del Toro an oscar worthy name before Pan's Labyrinth and understandably so with movies like Mimic and Hellboy(I enjoy this movie a lot, but its just not oscar fodder) preceding this one. However, Del Toro turned the industry on its head with this starkly unique fairy tale. This film showed a movie can be violent, dark, sometime creepy, and still be a beautiful fairy tale, and moreso a coming of age tale. As usual with Del Toro the imagery is the first, most obvious note to make about this movie, and boy are the visuals inventive and wonderful. This film challenged me and then stole my heart and now its stolen the 15 place on my countdown to the best film of all time.

#16 Pulp Fiction by Quentin Tarantino

This is the movie that made Tarantino both an acclaimed director/writer and a household name. From this movie we understand what it means to "Tarantino it" and are much more able to follow a nonlinear story structure. This film is full of smooth, unbeatable dialogue that whips you in the face as much as it caresses you. Tarantino's story is a force to be reckoned with as it tells one of the most inventive "redemption narratives" there is without reaching for the ultra-feel good ending.

#17 All That Jazz by Bob Fosse

From Bob Fosse, the visionary creator of Cabaret, Chicago, and Pippin, comes this overly self-indulgent, masochistic, and extremely unique film. In All That Jazz we watch as the Fosse double Joe Gideon destroys his life through his drugs, work, and constant womanizing, however this film is so much more both visually and thematically all topped off by a shattering performance by Roy Scheider (of Jaws fame) and Fosse's typical brilliant direction.

#18 Lars and the Real Girl by Craig Gillespie

As a testament of how great this past year in filmmaking is how many of those movies made it onto this list with Lars and the Real Girl being the first to make it onto this list. This film is a beautiful study of a lonely man and his journey to understanding life and love, Ryan Gosling gives one of the best performances of the year and was robbed of an acting nod.

#19 Blade Runner by Ridley Scott

Before Gladiator and American Gangster there was Ridley Scott and an immensely brilliant vision of our dark future called Blade Runner. With his mind Scott has created one of the most visionary and groundbreaking neo-noir sci-fi stories about robots, cops, toys, genetics, and love. This gets the number 19 spot for its entire vision constructed in flawless perfection that stands up even to this day in a post-star wars world.

The New Top 20

#20. Casablanca












Casablanca is a true giant in cinematic history that still stands up today as superb storytelling. From the introductory narrative to the final sad scenes Casablanca entombs its audience in sheer perfection. This is the oldest film on my top 20 and only one other is older than the 90s

Welcome to the 2008 Movie Season

Yes, yes I know. The movie season started on January 1st, but honestly most intelligent people know that nothing good comes out in those first months, maybe a hit here and there, but nothing that can't be amended in review. So here I am to give you guys, my 2 faithful readers, a preview of things to come:

A BRAND-SPANKIN' NEW top 20 Movies of All Time list

As usual, a running a commentary of the year's Oscar race

Reviews of Speed Racer, The Happening, Revolutionary Road, The Married Life, and many more

***NEW*** this time around I will do director spotlights for the uneducated yet interested

Also keep your eye out for my 3R(Recent Rental Reviews) where i take older movies I've not seen and review them to respark an interest in them.

Welcome to the 2008 Movie Season and here's to you Hollywood.

Best Picture

Winner: No Country for Old Men

Reaction: Way to go Coen Brothers, you guys deserved it...this was one of the many worthy winners.

Best Director

Winner: Joel and Ethan Coen

Reaction: They deserve it...but so does PTA.

Best Actor

Winner: Daniel Day-Lewis

Reaction: AWESOME!!!!!!!! Best performance ever...safely said.

Best Original Screenplay

Winner: Diablo Cody for Juno

Reaction: Rags to riches woot woot!

Best Documentary Feature

Winner: Taxi to the Dark Side

Best Documentary Short Subject

Winner: Freeheld

Best Original Score

Winner: Dario Marianelli-Atonement

Reaction: I knew it would win.

Best Cinematography

Winner: Robert Elswit- There Will Be Blood

Reaction: Oh yeah, thats right, GO THERE WILL BE BLOOD!

Best Original Song

Winner: Falling Slowly from Once

Reaction: WOOT, they deserved it, soooooo happy.

Best Editing

Winner: The Bourne Ultimatum

Best Actress

Winner: Marion Cotillard

Reaction: Nice, a foreign language role and the beauty-goes-ugly role go you Marion Cotillard...sorry Ellen Page.

Sound Mixing

Winner: Bourne Ultimatum

Sound Editing

Winner: Bourne Ultimatum

Best Adapted Screenplay

Winner: Joel and Ethan Coen

Reaction: Hey, who is surprised honestly?

Best Supporting Actress

Winner: Tilda Swinton

Reaction: WOAH! Phenomenal performance definitely deserved the recognition, I am really shocked and really excited for Swinton, way to go.

Best Animated Short Film

Winner: Peter and the Wolf

Live Action Short Film

Winner: Le Mozart De Pickpocket

Best Supporting Actor

Winner: Javier Bardem

Reaction: Duh.

Achievement in Art Direction

Winner: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Reaction: Stunning art direction=deserving award.

Best Visual FX

Winner: The Golden Compass

Best Achievement in Makeup

Winner: La Vie en Rose

Reaction: The first win for La Vie en Rose, good for them because I don't think Cotillard is going to bring it home.

Best Animated Feature

Winner: Ratatouille

Reaction: Pixar is always good and Ratatouille continues to show that growth that Pixar has to show to stay on top.

Achievement in Costume Design

Winner: Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Reaction: Hey man, those are some elaborate designs.

Reactions Tonight!

So in about 25 minutes the oscars will begin, hopefully I will be able to give a running commentary on the winners.

STAY TUNED!

Who Will Win/Who Should Win/Who Should've Been Nominatinated

BEST PICTURE

WILL: No Country for Old Men- This movie has taken every precursor and critics award that it could. With a phenomenal ensemble, amazing techs, and a constantly engaging storyline this movie has it in the bag.

SHOULD: There Will Be Blood- This movie took is, to me, only slightly better than No Country for Old Men, but it has everything No Country has and the addition of a powerhouse performance that will be remembered for as long as Orson Welles or Marlon Brando, and a supporting role by Paul Dano that more than held its weight against Daniel Day-Lewis. Please Academy, choose the better man.

SHOULD'VE BEEN: Into the Wild- This is the best picture of 2007, not only should it have been nominated but it should have won. With an ensemble cast far superior to any this season and a story that was intelligent, epic, intimate, relevant, and heart wrenching this was the film to beat.

BEST ACTOR
WILL/SHOULD: Daniel Day-Lewis- This was no just a performance it was the birth of an entirely new person, this kind of performance will be remembered with Orson Welles or Marlon Brando.

SHOULD'VE BEEN: Ryan Gosling- Lars and the Real Girl was a story that could've gone haywire in any other hands except Gosling's who saw this story as a tender character study of man terrified of the world, easily one of the best of the year.

BEST ACTRESS
WILL: Julie Christie- Industry respect and a raved role will push her into the win.

SHOULD: Ellen Page- Her situation is similar to Gosling's except she has the chance to win. Juno is a tough role to play and play it with depth and dimension which is exactly what Page does and ever so dutifully.

SHOULD'VE BEEN: Amy Adams- Bringing the Disney princess of Gisele to life is a great feat in and of itself once again showing Adams' range, but perhaps the academy wants to see her really push into a dramatic role and show off her chops there.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
WILL: Javier Bardem- Like Day-Lewis this guy is a steamroller of a performance overshadowing the rest of the cast in the opinion of the academy. Bardem creates a monster so horrific and so memorable we are sooner to forget Hannibal Lector than Anton Chigurh

SHOULD: Bardem/Hal Holbrook- I think both should win, yes I know that is a cop out but give me a break, Holbrook shined in a movie full of strong performances and weighty messages, he was the cherry on the top of the Into the Wild sundae. At the same time Bardem deserves the award for the sheer individuality and challenge of his role.

SHOULD'VE BEEN: Paul Dano- In There Will Be Blood Dano proved that he was no teenage miscreant, or meant to live in the shadow of Abigail Breslin, but instead showed that his acting ability is immense and deserving of an award for simply being memorable against Day-Lewis.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
WILL: Cate Blanchett- Her performance is another very memorable performance, she drove a lot of the film I'm Not There, and the academy loves the cross-gendered actor, but she's won in this category recently and perhaps the academy wants a new face (or an old one).

SHOULD: Saoirse Ronan- Thats right folks, no Ruby Dee here or Amy Ryan, no, instead I have chose the young girl from Atonement. She was the jewel on an already beautiful crown and deserves an award for being the most remember of 3 extraordinary performances of the same character and for driving one of the year's most beautiful films.

SHOULD'VE BEEN: TIE: Catherine Keener, Vanessa Redgrave- Two women from two of my favorite films this year, both wonderful in different ways. Keener is simply spectacular in Into the Wild where she way outshines her performance in Capote which she was nominated for, and Redgrave delivers the devastating conclusion to Atonement with so much conviction and presence its hard to believe we only see her for maybe 8 minutes.

BEST DIRECTOR
WILL: The Coen Brothers- Their work in No Country is being called unrivaled and groundbreaking, and I would agree for the most part, they have truly outdone themselves.

SHOULD: Paul Thomas Anderson- Sure, perhaps I am a bit bias. PT Anderson has shown with There Will Be Blood that he isn't simply a brilliant writer, but an artist. I mentioned earlier Dano's performance and how great it was, and then thought about the fact that maybe Dano isn't great alone like DDL is, but neither is Adam Sandler, but PTA managed to yank the most sincere performance of Sandler's career out of him and THAT is true directorial skill.

SHOULD'VE BEEN: Sean Penn- In keeping with the theme of a few of my other categories, I believe Sean Penn stringed together the most beautiful, passionate, perfect film of the year in Into the Wild and deserves his recognition.

Some Movie Trailers for You Guys!

The Happening


The Dark Knight


Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull


WALL-E


Hellboy II: The Golden Army


Iron Man


Speed Racer

Top 10 Best Picture Snubs

My top 10 favorite best picture nominees that got the boot:

1. Shawshank Redemption
2. Moulin Rouge
3. Fargo
4. Life is Beautiful
5. Moonstruck
6. All That Jazz
7. Network
8. Bonnie and Clyde
9. The Graduate
10. Raiders of the Lost Ark

Top 10 Best Picture Winners

In honor of the Academy Awards coming up at the end of the month, here are my favorite 10 best picture winners of all time.

1. American Beauty
2. Forrest Gump
3. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
4. Titanic
5. Chicago
6. The Godfather
7. Casablanca
8. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
9. The Sound of Music
10. Crash

Top 5 Movie Musicals

1. Moulin Rouge


2. Chicago


3. Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street


4. Hairspray


5.The Lion King

Pixar Movies

Keeping with the Pixar theme and in light of Wall-E coming out later this year, here is my ranking of the 8 Pixar movies thus far:

1. The Incredibles
2.Monsters Inc.
3. Finding Nemo
4. Toy Story
5. Ratatouille
6. A Bug's Life
7. Cars
8. Toy Story 2

Ratatouille

With Ratatouille Pixar proves once again that they cannot do anything wrong. From the very first time we meet Remy we are once again totally immersed in Pixar's brilliantly animated heart-stuffed world. This movie does for french food what The Incredibles did for superheroes and Cars did for Nascar it makes it lovely, enjoyable, and for the entire family. While this movie doesn't have the fast paced energy of The Incredibles or the wandering wonder of Finding Nemo it has the ability to make you taste the animated food with savory splendor.

Waitress

Keri Russel has been robbed of an oscar nomination for this role just as Jennifer Aniston was years earlier for a very similar role in The Good Girl. This movie, however, is a little sweeter and less contemplative. We have a girl trapped in a loveless marriage, looking to escape. Her eyes carry the weight of the world and her composure is solid as a rock, Jenna is probably one of the cutest, most loveable characters on screen this year and we definitely yearn for her freedom. The plot is fairly simple, and fully charming as we see a woman fighting to survive an abusive marriage while falling in love with her OB GYN as she continues to get more pregnant(notice a theme this year?) and bakes the most delicious(or so we're told) pies around with very fun names like "I Don't Want Earl's Baby Pie." This film had a fairly quiet release, but is definitely a great movie to check out right now, especially as we deal with the schlock of January releases in theatres.

There Will Be Blood

Right now I am sure of only one thing about this movie...it is stunning. Yet, for every amazing aspect of it it isn't my favorite movie this year. It does however deserve every oscar it is up for. Daniel Day-Lewis is frightening in his portrayal of a man driven by greed into isolation and madness, and Paul Dano does more than just hold his own against such a powerhouse. There are moments of sheer terror, and moments of disbelief, and 2 and a half hours of awe as PT Anderson plows down every convention set he has ever followed and most conventions any filmmaker follows to tell a deeply disturbing, brilliant, perfect story. This film is flawless, but it is hard to call such a dark, disturbing movie my favorite of the year so I guess it'll settle right under Into the Wild and Atonement.

The Real Nominations Are In and Here are My Predictions!

Performance by an actor in a leading role
George Clooney in "Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.)
Daniel Day-Lewis in "There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax)
Johnny Depp in "Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DW/Paramount)
Tommy Lee Jones in "In the Valley of Elah" (Warner Independent)
Viggo Mortensen in "Eastern Promises" (Focus Features)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Casey Affleck in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" (Warner Bros.)
Javier Bardem in "No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage)
Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Charlie Wilson's War" (Universal)
Hal Holbrook in "Into the Wild" (Paramount Vantage and River Road Entertainment)
Tom Wilkinson in "Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.)

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Cate Blanchett in "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (Universal)
Julie Christie in "Away from Her" (Lionsgate)
Marion Cotillard in "La Vie en Rose" (Picturehouse)
Laura Linney in "The Savages" (Fox Searchlight)
Ellen Page in "Juno" (Fox Searchlight)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Cate Blanchett in "I'm Not There" (The Weinstein Company)
Ruby Dee in "American Gangster" (Universal)
Saoirse Ronan in "Atonement" (Focus Features)
Amy Ryan in "Gone Baby Gone" (Miramax)
Tilda Swinton in "Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.)

Best animated feature film of the year
"Persepolis" (Sony Pictures Classics): Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney): Brad Bird
"Surf's Up" (Sony Pictures Releasing): Ash Brannon and Chris Buck

Achievement in art direction
"American Gangster" (Universal): Art Direction: Arthur Max; Set Decoration: Beth A. Rubino
"Atonement" (Focus Features): Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
"The Golden Compass" (New Line in association with Ingenious Film Partners): Art Direction: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
"Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount): Art Direction: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Art Direction: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Jim Erickson

Achievement in cinematography
"The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" (Warner Bros.): Roger Deakins
"Atonement" (Focus Features): Seamus McGarvey
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn): Janusz Kaminski
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage): Roger Deakins
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Robert Elswit

Achievement in costume design
"Across the Universe" (Sony Pictures Releasing) Albert Wolsky
"Atonement" (Focus Features) Jacqueline Durran
"Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (Universal) Alexandra Byrne
"La Vie en Rose" (Picturehouse) Marit Allen
"Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount) Colleen Atwood

Achievement in directing
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn), Julian Schnabel
"Juno" (Fox Searchlight), Jason Reitman
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.), Tony Gilroy
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage), Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax), Paul Thomas Anderson

Best documentary feature
"No End in Sight" (Magnolia Pictures) A Representational Pictures Production: Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
"Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience" (The Documentary Group) A Documentary Group Production: Richard E. Robbins
"Sicko" (Lionsgate and The Weinstein Company) A Dog Eat Dog Films Production: Michael Moore and Meghan O'Hara
"Taxi to the Dark Side" (THINKFilm) An X-Ray Production: Alex Gibney and Eva Orner
"War/Dance" (THINKFilm) A Shine Global and Fine Films Production: Andrea Nix Fine and Sean Fine

Achievement in film editing
"The Bourne Ultimatum" (Universal): Christopher Rouse
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn): Juliette Welfling
"Into the Wild" (Paramount Vantage and River Road Entertainment): Jay Cassidy
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage) Roderick Jaynes
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Dylan Tichenor

Achievement in makeup
"La Vie en Rose" (Picturehouse) Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald
"Norbit" (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount): Rick Baker and Kazuhiro Tsuji
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (Walt Disney): Ve Neill and Martin Samuel

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
"Atonement" (Focus Features) Dario Marianelli
"The Kite Runner" (DreamWorks, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and Participant Productions, Distributed by Paramount Classics): Alberto Iglesias
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.) James Newton Howard
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney) Michael Giacchino
"3:10 to Yuma" (Lionsgate) Marco Beltrami

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
"Falling Slowly" from "Once" (Fox Searchlight) Music and Lyric by Glen Hansard and: Marketa Irglova
"Happy Working Song" from "Enchanted" (Walt Disney): Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
"Raise It Up" from "August Rush" (Warner Bros.): Nominees to be determined
"So Close" from "Enchanted" (Walt Disney): Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
"That's How You Know" from "Enchanted" (Walt Disney): Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz

Best motion picture of the year
"Atonement" (Focus Features) A Working Title Production: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Paul Webster, Producers
"Juno" (Fox Searchlight) A Dancing Elk Pictures, LLC Production: Lianne Halfon, Mason Novick and Russell Smith, Producers
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.) A Clayton Productions, LLC Production: Sydney Pollack, Jennifer Fox and Kerry Orent, Producers
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage) A Scott Rudin/Mike Zoss Production: Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax) A JoAnne Sellar/Ghoulardi Film Company Production: JoAnne Sellar, Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Lupi, Producers

Achievement in sound editing
"The Bourne Ultimatum" (Universal): Karen Baker Landers and Per Hallberg
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage): Skip Lievsay
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney): Randy Thom and Michael Silvers
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Matthew Wood
"Transformers" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro): Ethan Van der Ryn and Mike Hopkins


Achievement in visual effects
"The Golden Compass" (New Line in association with Ingenious Film Partners): Michael Fink, Bill Westenhofer, Ben Morris and Trevor Wood
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (Walt Disney): John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson and John Frazier
"Transformers" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro): Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Russell Earl and John Frazier

Adapted screenplay

"Atonement" (Focus Features), Screenplay by Christopher Hampton
"Away from Her" (Lionsgate), Written by Sarah Polley
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn), Screenplay by Ronald Harwood
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage), Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax), Written for the screen by Paul Thomas Anderson

Original screenplay

"Juno" (Fox Searchlight), Written by Diablo Cody
"Lars and the Real Girl" (MGM), Written by Nancy Oliver
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.), Written by Tony Gilroy
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Brad Bird; Story by Jan Pinkava, Jim Capobianco, Brad Bird
"The Savages" (Fox Searchlight), Written by Tamara Jenkins

Last Minute Predictions

The Oscar nominees are announced tomorrow, here are my last minute guesses!

Best Picture
Atonement
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood
Into the Wild
Michael Clayton

Best Director
The Coen Brothers-No Country for Old Men
Julian Schnabel-The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
P.T. Anderson-There Will Be blood
Sean Penn- Into the Wild
Tony Gilroy-Michael Clayton

Best Actor
Daniel Day-Lewis- There Will Be Blood
George Clooney-Michael Clayton
Emile Hirsch-Into the Wild
Ryan Gosling-Lars and the Real Girl
Viggo Mortensen- Eastern Promises

Best Actress
Ellen Page-Juno
Amy Adams- Enchanted
Marion Cotillard- La Vie en Rose
Angelina Jolie- A Mighty Heart
Julie Christie- Away From Her

Best Supporting Actor
Javier Bardem-No Country for Old Men
Hal Holbrook-Into the Wild
Paul Dano-There Will Be Blood
Tom Wilkinson-Michael Clayton
Casey Affleck- The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett- I'm Not There
Saoirse Ronan- Atonement
Amy Ryan-Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton-Michael Clayton
Catherine Keener- Into the Wild

Best Original Screenplay
Juno
Lars and the Real Girl
Michael Clayton
Ratatouille
I'm Not There

Best Adapted Screenplay
No Country for Old Men
Atonement
Into the Wild
There Will be Blood
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Best Original Music, Score
There Will Be Blood
Enchanted
Into the Wild
Atonement
Ratatouille

Best Original Music, Song
Enchanted
Once
Into the Wild
Hairspray
American Gangster

Best Cinematography
No Country for Old Men
Into the Wild
Atonement
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
There Will Be Blood