CASABLANCA To Be Re-Released in Theaters

Yes you've read that right. Casablanca, one of, if not the best film of all time, will be re-released in theaters for one day to honor it's 70th Anniversary. This screening will take place Wednesday March 21st, hopefully in a local theater near you. I'll give you more details about the theaters presenting the film after the jump. But if it wasn't exciting enough for the film to be back on the big screen for a night, what's even more exciting is that Turner Classic Movies is the one behind the event. TCM is probably the best when it comes to these events, and this will be my first one so I'm beyond excited. 

On March 27th, a three disc Blu-Ray/DVD will be released as well to honor the anniversary. But if you're someone who truly loves this film, I don't see how you could miss something as big as this.

My 2012 Academy Award Predictions

Finally. It's that time of the year. I've been working hard to see every nominee, and I still failed, but I've done my best. I'll let you know what I have watched and what I haven't, as well as I think who should win and who will win. Anywho. Let's get on with this. I'll start off with (in my opinion) least important to most important. I'll also say this, I have not seen any of the short films, so these are based off of the experts opinions.

Best Live Action Short Film

• Pentecost
• Raju
• The Shore
• Time Freak
• Tuba Atlantic

Will Win: The Shore

Best Animated Short Film

• Dimanche/Sunday
• The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
• La Luna
• A Morning Stroll
• Wild Life

Will Win: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Best Documentary Short

• The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement
• God Is the Bigger Elvis
• Incident is New Baghdad
• Saving Face
• The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom

Will Win: Saving Face

Best Foreign Language Film

• Bullhead
• Footnote
• In Darkness
• Monsieur Lazhar
• A Separation

Will Win: A Separation

This is really the consensus choice, as some critics have called this film the best of the year. I plan on seeing it, I just...haven't had a chance yet. Or any of those...

From here on out, I've seen at least two of the whatever amount of films nominated, so I will have it by my ranking (who should win) and then I'll say who will win.

Best Sound Editing

1. Drive

2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

3. War Horse

4. Hugo

Unwatched --

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Will Win: Hugo 

It's nominated for 11 total awards and this is one of the few where it's not competing with The Artist. While I believe Drive deserves the win, I doubt it will get it. It was only nominated in this category, which is rather awful. And because of this, I believe it hurts the chances of Drive coming home with an Oscar.

Best Sound Mixing

1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

2. War Horse

3. Moneyball

4. Hugo

Unwatched --

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Will Win: Hugo

Generally, if a film wins Sound Editing, it will win Sound Mixing. From what I've read, it seems that many people believe Transformers can come in and win here, but due to me being unable to watch the film, I can't exactly judge that. But with Hugo having the best chance at winning Sound Editing, I believe it'll win Sound Mixing.

Best Documentary - Feature Length

1. If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front

2. Hell and Back Again

Unwatched --

Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory, Pina, Undefeated

Will Win: Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory

It's easy to see why this will win: The West Memphis 3 were released before the film came out, and because of these events, this should propel Paradise Lost to a victory. Although I will say that I believe If a Tree Falls could be a spoiler.

Best Original Song

1. Man or Muppet - The Muppets

2. Real in Rio - Rio

Will Win: Man or Muppet

If Real in Rio wins this, I will just burn people.

Best Make-Up

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2

2. The Iron Lady

3. Albert Nobbs

Will Win: The Iron Lady

Any film that can transform Meryl Streep into Margaret Thatcher will probably win everyday of the week. Harry Potter has yet to be recognized as a serious contender in this category, and I just don't see it actually winning this time around, even if it deserves to.

Best Costume Design

1. Hugo

2. The Artist

3. Jane Eyre

Unwatched --

Anonymous, W.E.

Will Win: Hugo

This is a two man race between Hugo and The Artist. We all know that the Academy loves to award this category to a period piece. But The Artist provides us with a twist...while it may be a period piece, it's a film that takes place in America, which isn't as well known for its beautiful clothing and design. This category normally goes to a film that takes place somewhere in Europe, and rightly so. I don't see them changing their views now.

Best Art Direction

1. Hugo

2. The Artist

3. Midnight in Paris

4. War Horse

5. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2

Will Win: Hugo

The creation of George Melies’s movie sets seals the deal for me. The sets in the film came alive and screamed for your attention as much as each character did. This is a race between Hugo and The Artist again, but Hugo wins this one, although it's possible that Midnight in Paris could be a dark horse winner here.

Best Visual Effects

1. Rise of the Planet of the Apes

2. Hugo

3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2

Unwatched --

Real Steel, Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Will Win: Rise of the Planet of the Apes

This one is a no brainer. If you watched the film, you'll see exactly how much went into the creation of this film. Also, if you remember, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers went on to win this award when it was nominated due in large part to Gollum. Andy Serkis, who portrayed the creature, plays Caeser, the lead ape. 

Best Animated Feature

1. Kung Fu Panda 2

2. Puss in Boots

3. A Cat in Paris

Unwatched --

Chico and Rita, Rango

Will Win: Rango

This is Rango's to lose. With The Adventures of Tintin not being nominated, this should belong to Rango, which is the consensus pick among critics and fans.

Best Original Score

1. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

2. The Artist

3. Hugo

4. The Adventures of Tintin

5. War Horse

Will Win: The Artist

This one actually isn't fair. With The Artist being a silent film, it relies so heavily on the music...there's never a quiet moment in the film. Don't get me wrong, it's beautiful. But any other year, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy would probably take this one.

Best Film Editing

1. The Artist

2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

3. Hugo

4. Moneyball

5. The Descendants

Will Win: The Artist

Again, it's between the big two. The Artist gets my nod here though since imagine how hard it is to get the beats right when it comes to editing a silent film. It can't be easy...at all. You've got to trust your gut with a silent film, and they did it right.

Best Cinematography

1. The Tree of Life

2. The Artist

3. Hugo

4. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

5. War Horse

Will Win: The Tree of Life

 All I can say is wow. The Tree of Life doesn't have very much dialogue, but it makes up for it with its beautiful visuals and scenery, which can only be attributed to the fantastic camera work. If any other film wins this, I call bullshit.

Best Writing - Adapted Screenplay

1. The Descendants

2. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

3. Moneyball

4. Hugo

5. The Ides of March

Will Win: The Descendants

An incredibly funny and moving film, The Descendants deserves at least one award. Moneyball may spoil Alexander Payne's evening, but I don't see that happening. The Descendants just seems to damn good to be ruined.

Best Writing - Original Screenplay

1. Midnight in Paris

2. The Artist

3. Margin Call

4. Bridesmaids

Unwatched --

A Separation

Will Win: Midnight in Paris

This is as close to a sure thing as you'll get. Midnight in Paris is unlike any other movie I've seen before, and I can only imagine the amount of fun Woody Allen had writing it. I can't see The Artist beating out Midnight in Paris...I just can't.

Best Supporting Actress

1. Octavia Spencer

2. Berenice Bejo

3. Melissa McCarthy

4. Jessica Chastain

5. Janet McTeer

Will Win: Octavia Spencer

One of the best performances of the year, Octavia Spencer truly shines in The Help. I don't know if she'll ever give a performance like this again, and I don't think she'll ever be nominated again, but Spencer is this years Mo'Nique.

Best Supporting Actress

1. Christopher Plummer

2. Nick Nolte

3. Max von Sydow

4. Jonah Hill

5. Kenneth Branagh

Will Win: Christoper Plummer

Another no contest, Plummer is the clear front runner here. His only competition was Albert Brooks, but he was snubbed for a reason I have yet to figure out. If anyone can spoil his evening, it'll be either Nolte or Sydow, but I just can't see that happening.

Best Actress

1. Viola Davis

2. Rooney Mara

3. Michelle Williams

4. Meryl Streep

5. Glenn Close

Will Win: Viola Davis

The Help may be bringing home two acting awards this year, as Viola Davis gives the best performance of the year. I remember when I first saw the film I said to my friend, "If Viola Davis doesn't win, I will quit watching movies." That's clearly a lie, but, you get what I mean.

Best Actor

1. Jean Dujardin

2. Gary Oldman

3. George Clooney

4. Brad Pitt

5. Demian Bichir

Will Win: Jean Dujardin

I really want Oldman to win, but I'm being a realist here. Dujardin did something brilliant this year: he brought a silent cinema character to life and truly embodied the silent film actor. He deserves it...he really does.

Best Director

1. Martin Scorsese

2. Michel Hazanavicius

3. Woody Allen

4. Alexander Payne

5. Terrence Malick

Will Win: Michel Hazanavicius

I want Marty to win since Hugo was a masterpiece. He won't though. And it's unfortunate since both men deserve to win (all five actually deserve it...all five films were great...kind of...coughtreeoflifecough...)

Best Picture

1. Hugo

2. The Artist

3. Midnight in Paris

4. Moneyball

5. The Descendants

6. The Tree of Life

7. War Horse

8. The Help

9. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Will Win: The Artist

This is the year of the silent movie. The Artist, which has been the front runner over the past few months, will be victorious this year. But in my opinion, Hugo is the best film of the year.

TV Review: Rob

Please note that even though my first two reviews were posted back to back my turn around rate for blogging will vary.  I'm going to do my best to provide you with up to date a relevant reviews but sometimes life intervenes.

Rob

I’m going to be completely honest before writing this review and say that I originally had absolutely no intention in watching this show.  A few weeks before the debut of Rob Schneider’s new self-titled show Rob, I saw him do a promotional interview with the main cast and became instantly intrigued.  The idea for the show came from Schneider’s wife, a Mexican telenovela producer named Patricia Azarcoya Schneider.  Rob Schneider took the idea to his friend Lewis Morton and ran with it.

Storyline             2.5/5

During the interview, Schneider made it seem like the idea for the show was absolutely genius but from what I see it’s far from original but the dynamics are somewhat fresh.  Rob focuses on a newly eloped couple (Schneider and Claudia Bassols) that have only known one another for a very short time.  Schneider’s character Rob has a father who is too busy getting married and divorced over and over again while little is known about his mother.  Bassols’ character Maggie, on the other hand, comes from a close-knit Mexican family that knows everything about one another and meddle in everything ala Everybody Loves Raymond.  Upon marrying, Maggie takes Rob to meet her family which consists of her parents, her uncle, and her grandmother who all live in the same house.  Her family is absolutely furious that they weren’t present at the wedding and know absolutely nothing about Rob.  Thus, begins the journey from strangers to family which I don’t consider new on any level.  I do give the storyline credit because there hasn’t been a mixed culture show in a while.  What Rob does do well is that it gives a new light to the Latino community showing how traditional and family oriented Latinos really are.   

Writing                 2.5/5

I’m rather disappointed by the writing especially since the head writers are Rob Schneider and Lewis Morton.  For those of you unfamiliar with Morton’s name, he has written for other television series such as Futurama, SNL, NewsRadio, and Big Lake.  I expected laugh out loud nonstop comedy but instead I got gentle chuckle one liners.  The writers do give the episodes a touch of originality but in the end fall back on Latino stereotypes that either fall flat or leave me feeling a touch offended.  I can’t think of anything redeeming to say about this except that it could be a lot worse. Well, there is one thing about the writing that is good and it’s the lines delivered by Eugenio Derbez who plays Uncle Hector.  It’s either his acting or the writers simply favor his character and save the real laughs for him.  I’ll get more into Derbez in the Casting section of this review.

Casting                 4/5

I am absolutely awestruck by the names that made it onto this sitcoms casting list.  There are so many comedic greats that it actually makes me angry to see their talents not being used to their fullest potential.  Let’s start out with the names you are all most familiar with.  There’s Rob Schneider, Cheech Marin, Lupe Ontiveros, and Diana Maria Riva.  All of them are acting greats in the Latino community with incredible range and outstanding comedic performances.  This is why I blame the lack of laugh out loud moments on Rob on the writing.  These actors were born to be funny but it the words they are being told to read aren’t neither are they.  It’s like trying to turn iron into gold.  You can’t make the unfunny funny no matter who you are.  Then there’s Eugenio Derbez who is the funniest man in Latin America.  I grew up watching him on the Latin American sketch comedy shows that would air during primetime.  He is a Latin American treasure and this is his first taste of LA and American television.  Before seeing him on the promotional interview, I had no idea the man even knew English.  The fact that he manages to be funny in a language that he has only recently learned absolutely astounds me.  He is the saving grace of this show because as the screw up uncle who is always asking for money but still knows how to have a good time, he truly shines.  The one serious gripe that I have about the casting is the role Diana Maria Riva has been given.  She plays Rob’s mother in law which I cannot wrap my head around.  She is only ten years older than Claudia Bassols who plays her daughter and 6 years younger than Rob Schneider.  How they could cast an obviously very youthful looking woman as the mother of a middle aged daughter is beyond me. 

OVERALL              2.5/5

I don’t love this show but I don’t hate it either.  I wouldn’t choose to watch it even though I did stick with it for 3 episodes.  I have a feeling that I mainly watched it out of convenience since there was nothing else I wanted to watch. It was, as I stated, conveniently and obviously strategically scheduled to air right after the vastly successful Big Bang Theory which would obviously draw in rolled over viewers.  I say skip it unless you don’t have anything else to watch.

You may enjoy Rob if you watch any of the following…

George Lopez

Everybody Loves Raymond

King of Queens

TV Review: The Inbetweeners

The Inbetweeners

I recently watched the first series of The Inbetweeners.  It’s a British comedy that debuted in 2008 and produced three hilariously witty series.  Here’s how it rates in my book…

Storyline             3/5

The Inbetweeners chronicles the lives of four British teen boys in their quest for social acceptance and their hopes of one day attaining lots and lots of sex.   The show progresses from episode to episode through the narration of its main protagonist William McKenzie(Simon Bird).  The narration is a tad reminiscent of J.D. from Scrubs minus the internal monologues but it’s still a great touch to move the story along.  I do find that the storyline lacks a touch of creativity.  It’s the tale of teens in high school which has been portrayed on television so many times that this seems a tad redundant.  The only saving graces for this storyline are the writing and the fact that its main characters are all ragingly horny males and that’s a perspective that has yet to be seen.

Writing                 5/5

The dialogue written by the show’s creators, Damon Beesley and Iain Morris, is natural and filled with brilliantly witty yet atrociously crude remarks.  The foul language used through the series enhances the writing rather than degrading it.  Beesley and Morris integrate well known British slang that even I as a Yankee can easily understand by the context and laugh along with the beat.  I never felt lost or disconnected from the show even though my familiarity with the slang isn’t as native as the writers’ target audience.  Even though the writers are well out of school the writing never seems out date or out of touch with the lives of teens and young adults today. It had me laughing from the get-go and reminiscing about my glory days in high school.

Casting                 3.5/5

In watching the series one opener, I was drawn in by how easy it was to relate to the lead characters and I think that’s all due to casting.  I believe that each lead role was perfectly cast.  This relatively fresh crop of actors is brimming with talent. The leading men in the series are Simon Bird as William McKenzie, James Buckley as Jay Cartwright, Blake Harrison as Neil Sutherland, and Joe Thomas as Simon Cooper.  Bird is absolutely brilliant as the former prep school rich kid Will who is  trying to keep himself from going insane by all the “stupidity” that he seems to be surrounded by in his new public school.  I give Buckley kudos for his portrayal of Jay. He delivers the foulest and crudest lines in the show and each word comes out with such fluidity that you can’t imagine it being scripted. Harrison’s Neil is the quieter one of the bunch but the constant berating that he receives from his friends who believe his dad is gay makes him absolutely loveable.  He has the ability to play the victim and then deliver a clever clip within the same dialogue without missing a beat.  Thomas as Simon is the hopeless romantic hoping to someday win over his longtime crush even though his mouth and his friends always seem to ruin all his chances.  This sad sap portrayal is the sweet to the sour that comes from the foul language glittering the series.  As much as I adore the casting of the leading roles I do believe that the female counter parts cast in the series are more than lackluster.  Emily Head as Carli D’Amato, Simon’s crush, is not a good fit.  Most of her lines fall flat and I can tell that it is her causing the drabness in the writing rather than the writing itself.  In my own opinion, I also think that a better casting job could have been done for the role of Will’s mother.  She is supposed to be the mother that all the school boys lust after but I don’t find her sexy.  The actress portraying her is Belinda Stewart-Wilson.  She is an attractive woman but I wouldn’t call her the kind that anyone would lust after, especially not school boys.  Overall the casting was well done with a few minor slips.

OVERALL              4/5

I think the writing and lead casting makes the series a worthwhile watch. I had more than my fair share of laughing fits despite the few downsides.  I recommend The Inbetweeners for viewers who don’t mind foul language and are okay with crude and toilet humor.

You may enjoy The Inbetweeners  if you enjoyed watching any of the following…

-The League

-Freaks and Geeks

-Shameless

New Blogger!

I apologize for not being able to keep up with this blog like I used too, but, my work load for both my school and my internship have gotten to be a lot. I'm still aiming to do the best I can though, and I'm happy to announce that I will have one person helping me out. Her name is Michelle Tulcan, and she'll be heavily focused on writing about current TV shows, cancelled TV shows that are important, and...well...she's the TV specialist. That's all you'll have to know.

As for myself, I'll continue my Oscar analysis as well as finishing up watching all of the films. I still have these films to watch before the Oscars:

• Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
• Moneyball
• A Better Life
• Albert Nobbs
• My Week with Marilyn
• Beginners
• Bridesmaids
• The Ides of March
• Every documentary
• Every foreign film
• Every animated film

I'll work on getting to all of them before the 26th. But, if I can't, I'll just give predictions to the best of my abilities.

Oscar Nominee Analysis: Best Supporting Actress

Best Supporting Actress

Berenice Bejo

The Artist

Janet McTeer

Albert Nobbs

Jessica Chastain

The Help

Melissa McCarthy

Bridesmaids

Octavia Spencer

The Help

This sounds about right as far as the key nominees go. I am slightly disappointed to see that Shailene Woodley, who came out of nowhere (yes, I consider The Secret Life of the American Teenager nowhere), was snubbed, but it was expected. While she gave a pretty fantastic performance alongside George Clooney in The Descendants, if anyone were to be left out, it would be her. But aside from Woodley, there were really no other snubs. Berenice Bejo was absolutely charming in The Artist and it's great to see her recognized for her fantastic work (for those of you who feel like you may recognize her, think back to A Knight's Tale.) It is a pleasent surprise to see Melissa McCarthy nominated for her role in the raunchy comedy Bridesmaids, and while she may not win, it's truly a situation that just being nominated may change the perception of the type of role that's generally considered "Oscar Bait." Another thing, it's great seeing Jessica Chastain being recognized after the year that she had with The Tree of Life, The Help, Taking Shelter, Coriolanus (may not have been released but it was scheduled for 2011 at first), The Debt, and who knows what else she may have been in that I forgot.

Films I Haven't Seen: Albert Nobbs, Bridesmaids

Snubs:

Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

Oscar Nominee Analysis: Best Supporting Actor

Best Supporting Actor

Christoper Plummer

Beginners

Nick Nolte

Warrior

Max von Sydow

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Jonah Hill

Moneyball

Kenneth Branagh

My Week with Marilyn

Christoper Plummer? Check. Jonah Hill? Check. Kenneth Branagh? Check. Albert Brooks? Ch--oh. Wait. What? How does this make any sense? Albert Brooks gives one of the best performances of the year in Drive, and the people of the Acadamy decide to miss it? How in the hell? Seriously. How in the hell do they miss that? Brooks gave a performance that some actors wish they could give, and he does it with such ease, it's as if he was in the mob at some point in his life. Brooks was suppose to compete with Plummer for the award, but I think it's safe to say that Christopher Plummer will win his very first Oscar. Several other nominees that could have snuck their way in would have been Ryan Gosling for Crazy, Stupid, Love and Patton Oswalt for Young Adult. But if you're looking for a HUGE stretch, Alan Rickman for his portrayel of Severus Snape in the final Harry Potter film.

Films I Haven't Seen: ...All of them...

Snubs:

Albert Brooks, Drive

Ryan Gosling, Crazy, Stupid, Love

Patton Oswalt, Young Adult

Alan Rickman, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

(I apologize that this may seem centered...having trouble with blogger...)

Oscar Nominee Analysis: Best Actress

Best Actress

Glenn Close

Albert Nobbs

Meryl Streep

The Iron Lady

Michelle Williams

My Week with Marilyn

Rooney Mara

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Viola Davis

The Help

The biggest snub here is Tilda Swinton for her performance in We Need To Talk About Kevin. The reviews for her performance are glowing, and I was really shocked to see that she was the one who was left out. The battle for that last spot would have been between her and Rooney Mara for her daring portrayel as Lisbeth Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I really can't argue with the snub though, as I've seen Dragon Tattoo twice, and each time the best part of the film was Mara. Another snub was Charlize Theron, who starred in the Jason Reitman dark comedy Young Adult, in which she was pretty much, well, a total bitch. This will be a very, very tough battle between all of the nominees. Each nominee, aside from Rooney Mara, is really just Oscar bait. Glenn Close plays a man in Albert Nobbs. Michelle Williams plays the iconic Marilyn Monroe in My Week with Marilyn. Meryl Streep plays the lone female Prime Minister of Britain in the awful film The Iron Lady. And Viola Davis plays the help during a time of racial tension in, well, The Help. This will be an exciting battle, and one that I'm not sure I'll be able to predict.

Films I Haven't Seen: Albert Nobbs; My Week with Marilyn

Snubs:

Tilda Swinton, We Need To Talk About Kevin

Charlize Theron, Young Adult

Kirsten Dunst, Melancholia

Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene

Oscar Nominee Analysis: Best Actor

Best Actor

Demien Bichir

A Better Life

Brad Pitt

Moneyball

Gary Oldman

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

George Clooney

The Descendants

Jean Dujardin

The Artist

I'm completely fine with this, although I am suspecting that it's becoming an Oscar tradition to just throw in one Spanish actor our of nowhere. Last year it was Javiar Bardem for Biutiful, which he was pretty damn good in. I can't really speak for Demian Bichir though since I have not seen A Better Life yet. It is a shame (heh, get it) Michae Fassbender was not nominated for his portrayal of a sex addict in Shame. But I am extremely happy to see that Gary Oldman was nominated for his very first Oscar. If anyone deserves to be nominated, it's definitely him. Michael Fassbender wasn't the only actor to be snubbed for a nomination. Leonardo DiCaprio was one of the favorites to be nominated for his portrayel of J. Edgar Hoover in the Clint Eastwood directed film J. Edgar. Even if everything may have went wrong in that movie, he was the one thing that went right, even with a glob of make-up on his face. Also, the It-Man of the year, Ryan Gosling, was looked over for his roles in Drive and The Ides of March. It seemed as if he was a shoo-in with all of the great things he's been a part of in 2011, but the Oscars voters obviously felt differently and ignored this beautiful man.

Films I Haven't Seen: A Better Life; Moneyball

Snubs:

Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar

Michael Fassbender, Shame

Ryan Gosling, The Ides of March; Drive

Oscar Nominee Analysis: Best Picture

To help myself stay sane, instead of doing EVERYTHING right here and right now, I'm going to break down each category day-by-day, beginning with the biggest award of the Oscars, Best Picture.

Best Picture

The Artist

The Descendants

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

The Help

Hugo

Midnight in Paris

Moneyball

The Tree of Life

War Horse

For the most part, the Academy did pretty well here. For the first time in history, there are nine films nomination for Best Picture; and out of the nine, there is only one I didn’t fully expect: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Now, how could a film like this be nominated? Three reasons: 1) Scott Rudin is one of the most well known, and best liked movie producers in the business; 2) Stephen Daldry is loved by the Academy; 3) Screenwriter Eric Roth, who has brought to life films such as Forrest Gump and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. What would I do to fix this? Take out Extremely Loud, include either Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Tinker Tailor, or Drive, and that would be my remedy. I know War Horse is getting a lot of heat for being nominated, but it was a pretty good movie so I won’t argue against it, and I feel the same way with The Help. I will say, it was a pleasent surprise to see The Tree of Life here. Many others, including myself, could not have predicted it being there, but this may be due to the fact that the Academy loves Malick. It also would have been nice to see love for what's being hailed by critics as the best film of the year, A Separation, but that would be asking too much of the Academy to give a foreign language film a Best Picture nom. A nice surprise would have been Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 gathering a nomination, but the Academy wouldn't do that.

Films I Haven't Seen: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close; Moneyball

Rottentomatoes Ratings: 
The Artist: 97%
Moneyball: 95%
Hugo: 94%
Midnight in Paris:93%
The Descendants: 89%
The Tree of Life: 84%
War Horse: 77%
The Help: 76%
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close: 47%

Snubs:
A Separation: 99%
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2: 96%
Drive: 93%
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: 87%
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: 84%