One more from the grouch couch- Oscar's

So this year I was a good boy and was actually able to see 4 out of the 5 Best Picture candidates. (And really, truthfully? They coulda been a little more even-fielded, you know? Where are the meaty roles/movies for women?) I also will say I agreed with 90% of those winners across the board (And yo- If you haven't seen "Once" you have no soul. We whooped when it won. That is a lovely little film and I guarantee you'll want the soundtrack.) "Atonement" got the ax, but I'll probably rent the dumb thing so I feel a little more complete. (Green dress yadda and long beautiful tracking shot yadda. I just. I just don't feel it, Keira. I like my woman with a bit o' mutton on'em, luv. And with more than two facial expression's)

"Michael Clayton"- Really, really good. Really. Tom Wilkinson and Tilda Swinton's performances alone will make the movie. And good old George...well he's starting to grow on me. Admittedly I thought he was pulling a Caruso when he started doing movies, but he done good. ****

"Juno"- Quirky. Lot's of heart. Great soundtrack. Great peripheral characters (I'm talking about you, Miss Garnfleck. And you, Mr. "Not Playing J.Jonah Jameson but that's okay". And Allison Janney? You make me swoon) Like I said before, these people were all given really fleshed out characters to play with and they make it work. It just didn't seem "real" to me. There was just some dialogue that made me think twice. (Would, a precocious pregnant 16 year old use the term "Thundercat's are go" when technically she wouldn't have even been born early enough to appreciate them, and they pretty much get nil by way of syndication? I'm just sayin')
***

"There Will Be Blood"-See previous post. Pretty to watch. Interesting soundtrack. Fascinating look at the oil industry from a historical perspective. I thought that DDD was great, as he almost always delivers in every film he does. (I'm waiting for the sequel to "My Left Foot" called "Back to the Foot...ure" F#ck that was so much funnier in my head) There were two glaring things that kept me from saying that the shrink wrap on the DVD won't even be on the floor before I get it in the player was that lousy, over the top and unneccessarily violent ending (Dude. You won. You did it. And in the grossest possible fashion. What you did wasn't even insult to injury. It was just f#cking nuts. Which you weren't.)

And that EMO kid from "Little Miss Frasshine".

Okay, so the story spans what...20 plus years? And There's DDD looking all cirrhosised and old and basically a "real" version of what we assume happens to people consumed by the Dark Side of the Force. And emo shows up all dapper...with pimples. Kid didn't look like he could sport a pube much less facial hair. Heck, when he went to fix himself a drink I had half a mind to ask him for some ID. And? (And this is really trivial. The ending would have sucked either way) And? Kid? When you're in a bowling alley, and you came in through a great big open area? And you run towards the pins? You are exercising logic that borders on re-ray. Dumbass.

**1/2...Points off for bad endings...Points awarded for DDD's killer 'stache and giving me a pop culture phrase that I can apply to any beverage I'm consuming. "I'm gonna drink that Bloody Mary I'm gon' drink it up!"

"No Country for Old Men"- Easily IMHO the best film of the lot. Stark. Panic inducing. The use of ambient sound. The most realized antagonist since Hannibal Lecter...in the first movie. The best ensemble. (No love for TLJ, academy? Or Carla Jean? Heck, even Woodrow McCheers did a pretty good job) Heck, even the ending which caused so much controversy with moviegoers and critics didn't phase me. And as for pop culture phrasology, don't even THINK that Moda is tired of hearing "Llewellen? Whut's in thayut sah-chul?"

****


Additional must see's- "Once" and "Into the Wild"