I actually liked the Oscar picks. Lots of movies got some award love, including many truly great films that I feared would not get anything. I certainly was happier about this year’s nominees than I was about the nominees in the last couple of years.
However, there is always some worthy films and performances that get […]

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If you are looking for the nominations, they can be found at this page. Some quick, initial thoughts:

In the Foreign Language Film category neither Volver nor The Black Book got nominated. Volver is a shock, especially considering that Penelope Cruz got in as best actress. I guess Pan's Labyrinth now has a chance […]

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God, The Departed has a lot of great quotes.

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I kind of wish Deja Vu didn’t have anything to do with time travel. Sure, before that particular element is introduced the movie is just a cop drama. But it is a cop drama with unusually good characters, dialogue, acting and directing. It isn’t ground breaking, but it works, it keeps you interested. The […]

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In what was quite a bit of a surprise, Little Miss Sunshine won the Producers Guild of America’s top feature film award . The film is pretty much a lock to be nominated as best film when the Oscar’s nominations are announced tomorrow.
We built so now we must tear it apart watch: The Angelina Jolie […]

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Writer Guillermo Arriaga and Director Alejandro González Iñárritu have a style. The three movies they have done together (Amores Perros, 21 Grams and Babel ) tell three or four distinct stories that intercept at some key points. They also tend to jump around in time and to tell the same situation from multiple […]

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OK, so perhaps I should say interesting directors get interesting projects, but they are big … in my heart (cue emotional soundtrack).
Mira Nair, director of Monsoon Weedding (which I thought was lovely) and vanity Fair (which I didn’t see) is teaming up with Jhonny Depp to make Shantaram. The film, based on the […]

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So, I see this headline: One Sheet: Eagle vs. Shark. Immediately I'm thinking "Oh My God, this going to be the best film ever!" Unfortunately, it turns out that Eagle Vs. Shark isn't a movie about the deadly confrontation between mutant versions of two of natures most ferocious animals. It's just a quirky romantic comedy […]

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Well, The Hitcher didn't really screen for critics in advance, but now that it is out there the reviews are starting to pour in. And some of them are really good. Take these excerpts form the review of Jeffrey M. Anderson   from Cinematical:

… the new remake of The Hitcher left me feeling […]

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Slim pickings in terms of new releases and expansions this week.
The Hitcher
The Players: Sophia Bush, Sean Bean and newcomer director Dave MeyersThe Story: Pretty much what the title implies. Couple picks up a hitcher who ends up terrorizing them. Rotten Tomatoes: Not screened for critics.Trailer
Yes, yet another remake that doesn't add much to […]

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