Extra! Extra! Oscar has done something RIGHT. Now I would switch out Star Trek for District 9 (Hay! I can hear you booing!). However, that is not the point. For the first time ever a list of nominees actually represents the breadth of film in America. Quality is no longer held hostage to standards based on the latest trend of assessment. Which in the past decade has equated to quality=melancholy ending, or melancholy ending after a string of bodies.
You want a populist, box office smash, or technical evolution nominee? Look no further then Avatar. How about a populist feel good? Then there is Blind Side. Have we ever had not one, but two (three if you count Up) Sci-Fi films? Well with District 9 you get that and controversial social commentary on a low budget. So your old fashioned and you need something with a little bit more edge, and more reality. Well how about An Education. That's fine but where is the brake out performances that everyone is talking about. What about Precious? Check. But we are a country at War and we really aren't happy about it...Hurt Locker, check. Hay where is the Coen brothers?...oh wait, A Serious Man IS there. That's fine, but what we really need a film that is topical, a good character study, with brilliant quirky performances and great indy dialogue. You got it, Up In the Air. Fine, but years ago film evolved into an all of the above to incorporate a a wide gamut of emotions and takes us to familure territory, but in a totally new way...reinventing story, history, our emotions. Thus Inglourious Basterds, must be on the list. There all the bases are covered, Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi, Box Office, Populist, Light, Heavy, Indy, Strait, Quirky, Smart, Great Acting, Great Dialogue...wait a second. What about Animated and perfect storytelling (Avatar does not count)?...hay there is one more...my pick (Up in the Air a close second...name similarities aside)...UP!
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Nerd! You haven't even seen them all yet.
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