Oscar Night

Before the show begins, here's my rundown on 2009's movies.
I like to do a top ten list, but I just didn't see enough good ones to justify such a long list. No depth and very low quality at the top. No Lives of Others, no The Visitor, no movie that really changed the way I'll look at or think about the world. But, here goes.

Top Five
1. In the Loop - very funny (the angry British head of PR should have gotten an acting nomination) and scary relevant.
2. An Education - I have a total bias for Nick Hornby, I loved the setting, and it had Kate and I talking for hours about gender politics and choices and how the world has changed and how it hasn't, etc..
3. Fantastic Mr. Fox - we had just finished reading the Dahl book with the kids. The movie is even better, and definitely not just for kids. It's a robbery that Up will win the animated award over this one.
4. Crazy Heart - Jeff Bridges is great and the rest is pretty good.
5. Precious - I'm only halfway through it, but I'm provisionally putting it on the list. Poignant, powerful story which seems to avoid the overdone, overly-emotional manipulation that is typical of the genre.

Nominated Movies I Haven't Seen
- Avatar - I'm surprised more hasn't been made of this year's most embarrassing moment (yes, even worse than Captain Kirk and Alex P. Keaton at the Olympic closing ceremonies) - James Cameron's acceptance speech at the Golden Globes, when he switched into the Avatari language. Hard to believe there is a blowhard billionaire even more nerdy and arrogant than Bill Gates. I'll be cheering against this one just because of Cameron.
- Blind Side - can't watch this one because the book was beyond offensive. Author doesn't disclose until the afterword that he's childhood friends with the "hero" of the story, a wealthy, right-wing, university booster. Michael Oher, the football player at the centre of the story, has led a fascinating life, but the book would have you believe that he was an idiotic blank slate before being saved. Reminds me of the old history books describing the first nations people as noble savages whose history began the day Columbus arrived. But I digress.
- A Single Man - really want to see this one
- Last Station and The Messenger - neither were very well reviewed

Nominated Movies I Just Can't Get Behind
- Hurt Locker - not in the top 20 of all-time war movies. I'm supposed to get attached to a character who's a total psycho soldier? Or surprised that people in the middle of a war are nuts?
- Inglourious Basterds - if anyone can tell me why I spent two hours watching this one, I'd love to know what I was supposed to get out of the experience
- Invictus - Morgan Freeman is good and Nelson Mandela is awe-inspiring but the movie itself is sappy and shallow.
- Up In the Air - a moderately amusing date movie. Nothing more.
- A Serious Man - one of the Coens lesser efforts. As my bro-in-law said, if they win an award it should be half an Oscar and they can claim the other half when they bother to write an ending to their movie.
- District 9 - an average action movie with disturbingly racist overtones

Who am I Cheering For?
- Bridges or Firth for actor
- Plummer for supporting (embarrassingly possibly because of my enduring feelings for Sound of Music)
- Anyone but Bullock for actress
- Mo'nique for supporting
- Fantastic Fox for animated
- Precious for directing - by process of elimination
- Education for Picture
- In the Loop for Adapted Screenplay