84th Annual Academy Awards Recap

Last night's Oscar telecast went (pretty much) as expected. "The Artist" walked away with the top awards, but not before "Hugo" picked up a slew of awards earlier in the evening. Both films act as a reverie to the golden age of Hollywood, so it was fitting they went home with five awards each considering the theme of this year's ceremony.

The entire telecast revolved around feelings of appreciation and nostalgia for the art of filmmaking with interludes of actors revealing favorite movie moments of their past. The stage was even set up to replicate an old fashioned movie theater. So, it was as if the show was purposely modeled after the films the producers knew would take the most awards -- and with the show's renewed sense for a love of cinema, it felt fitting.

Not to mention the return of veteran host Billy Crystal who, while definitely nothing too exciting to tweet about with no real jokes to remember, he was congenial enough and kept the night moving along. He opened with a medley introducing the nine Best Picture nominees, and while it was rushed and awkward it worked fine. Not only as a moderate distraction but as a reminder to the Academy to just cut it back down to the usual five nominees already. Besides, his old shtick fit right in with the evening's theme of film throwback. Hey look, it's the Oscar host from the early 90s!

"The Artist" took home the awards for Best Picture, Director for Michel Hazanavicius, Score, Costume Design and Best Actor for Jean Dujardin who during his acceptance speech proclaimed, "I love your country!" and then ended it with an explosion of French. He was the first ever Frenchman to win in the category, and "The Artist" winning marked the first time a black and white silent movie has taken the top prize since 1928.

"Hugo" garnered awards early in the night nabbing plenty of technical awards including both Sound Editing and Mixing along with Art Direction as expected, but then it surprised by taking Cinematography out from under "The Tree of Life" leaving Malick's prestigious film with nothing. It then swooped in and snagged Best Visual Effects from the frontrunner of "Rise of the Planet of the Apes."

The biggest technical surprise, however, went to "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" winning Best Editing over the likes of both "Hugo" and "The Artist." My question: if "Dragon Tattoo" was good enough to not only get nominated for Editing but win in that category, then why wasn't it good enough to at least get nominated for Best Picture? I mean, "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" got nominated, and the majority of the evening was spent trying not to remind the audience that it did.

The supporting acting awards went without a hitch. Christopher Plummer, 82, became the oldest actor to ever receive an Oscar getting his predicted Best Supporting Actor award for "Beginners." He received a well-deserved standing ovation along with Best Supporting Actress winner Octavia Spencer for "The Help." They both had the most heart-warming speeches of the night, especially Spencer who burst into tears.

The third standing ovation went to Meryl Streep. Yes, for her Best Actress win for "The Iron Lady" over frontrunner Viola Davis for "The Help." They thankfully didn't cut to Davis who most likely was wearing a crushed expression upon her loss. I was rather irate at Streep's win realizing to myself I had forgotten the rule of the biopic; that is, if a renowned actor/actress plays a real life person, they most likely win.

My anger subsided, however, when Streep provided us an instance of comedic brilliance. Upon reaching the mic (which had annoying digital feedback for most of the night), she joked how half of America was probably grumbling to themselves thinking, "Aw c'mon, her again?!" She then paused briefly and concluded with a non-chalant, "But whatever!" It was a perfect moment that made up for poor Davis' snub.

Critics are already calling last night's telecast a dud. Let me be the one to remind everyone that this is an award show. It's hard to pump it with pizzazz, especially considering they scrapped all shreds of musical performances. Save, however, for the Cirque du Soleil performance which turned out to be quite thrilling and extravagant. And, for me at least, the night was full of memorable moments.

Can we talk for a second about, say, Angelina's right leg? Not ten minutes after Angelina Jolie was on stage to present the award for whatever she was presenting an award for (sorry, I was distracted by her right leg the whole time), a Twitter page was created in honor of her protruding ligament.

The ladies of "Bridesmaids" were certainly a treat sprucing up the presentation for the short films which are otherwise dreaded categories to sit through. Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph managed to sneak in penis jokes while Melissa McCarthy and Rose Byrne created a Martin Scorsese drinking game right on stage.

When Emma Stone presented next to Ben Stiller and when Zach Galifianakis and Will Ferrell appeared with their silly cymbal crashing, they were all making strong cases as to why they should perhaps host in future years. Producers, take note.

While last night certainly didn't reclaim the spirit of Oscar we've lost over the years, it was at least a step in the right direction reminding audiences why films like "The Artist" and "Hugo" might have been such a big deal. Last year certainly was about reclaiming the magic of going to the movies, and last night's telecast captured that feeling. And before you complain about Billy Crystal, just think back to how the hosting went last year.

As for my predictions, I came out with a rather solid 19/24 categories predicted right. Go me.

Check out the full list of winners from the 84th Annual Academy Awards, and revel in the fact that we don't have to talk about this for at least a few more months!

84th Annual Academy Award Winner Predictions

Perhaps it's a sign of the times that the Oscar telecast really does need to happen much sooner after the nominations announcement. Between the nominee reveal and Sunday's ceremony, it gives the experts all the time in the world to have the race completely figured out -- and this year is no exception. So, here we have my predictions for this year's Oscar winners containing perhaps no surprises at all.

Best Picture: "The Artist" hands down. No other film is even close for an upset.

Director: Michel Hazanavicius for "The Artist." Martin Scorsese could squeak in for "Hugo" or Terrence Malick for "The Tree of Life" as the dark horse, but both are highly unlikely.

Actor: Jean Dujardin for "The Artist." George Clooney had it locked down before but no longer.

Actress: Viola Davis for "The Help" with Meryl Streep still tailing close behind for "The Iron Lady." It could be the one upset of the night.

Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer for "Beginners"

Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer for "The Help"

Animated Feature: "Rango"

Original Screenplay: Woody Allen for "Midnight in Paris"

Adapted Screenplay: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash for "The Descendants" -- although you might think "Moneyball," it's not true now that it didn't win the WGA.

Sound Editing: "Hugo"

Sound Mixing: "Hugo"

Film Editing: "The Artist"

Documentary Feature: "Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory"

Foreign Language Film: "A Separation"

Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki for "The Tree of Life"

Makeup: "The Iron Lady"

Costume Design: "The Artist"

Visual Effects: "Rise of the Planet of the Apes"

Original Song: "Man or Muppet" from "The Muppets"

Original Score: Ludovic Bource for "The Artist"

Art Direction: "Hugo"

So there it is. "The Artist" will lead with a total of six wins out of its ten nominations and "Hugo" will come in second with three wins followed by "The Help" celebrating its actresses with two wins. Let's hope returning veteran Oscar host Billy Crystal can spice up the night with us usual comedic flair.

Tune in to watch the telecast of the 84th Annual Academy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 26 at 8 p.m. on ABC!

84th Annual Academy Award Nominations

It's as if the Academy knew we became tired of being able to predict all the nominations because this year things are definitely shaken up. The announcement this morning for the 84th Annual Academy Award nominations provided a hefty number of surprises most notably when the Best Picture nominee title cards flipped over to show a symmetrical eight...and then a ninth. So there you have it: the first year not five, not ten, but nine films have been nominated for Best Picture.

The only thing not surprising was "Hugo" leading the nominations with 11 closely followed by "The Artist" with ten, then "Moneyball" and "War Horse" tied at six, "The Descendants" and "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" tied at five and finally "The Help" with four.

The biggest surprise of the morning goes to "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" which was originally thought to be left out of the race. Instead, it was the ninth nominee to be included for Best Picture along with "The Artist," "The Descendants," "The Help," "Midnight in Paris," "Hugo," "War Horse," and yes, "The Tree of Life" got recognized.

Best Director paired these nominees down to which ones really matter and included Martin Scorsese for "Hugo," Michel Hazanavicius for "The Artist," Alexander Payne for "The Descendants," Woody Allen for "Midnight in Paris" and Terrence Malick for "The Tree of Life" who clearly won over Steven Spielberg for "War Horse."

The renewed love for "Tree of Life" should come as no surprise, but it did seem like it might had been forgotten considering previous award show proceedings.

Every acting category but one provided a surprise. Let's start with the not-surprise of Best Supporting Actress which went to Janet McTeer for "Albert Nobbs," Jessica Chastain and Octavia Spencer for "The Help," Berenice Bejo for "The Artist" and yes, Melissa McCarthy for "Bridesmaids." I'm ecstatic about McCarthy's nod but equally upset over the snub for Shailene Woodley in "The Descendants."

Now for the surprises. In Best Actress, Rooney Mara for "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" managed to edge out Tilda Swinton for "We Need to Talk About Kevin," a switch that I'm absolutely thrilled with. With Mara were the expected nominees of Viola Davis for "The Help," Glenn Close for "Albert Nobbs," Michelle Williams for "My Week with Marilyn" and Meryl Streep for "The Iron Lady." It's between Streep and Davis for taking this win.

The Best Actor category included not Leonardo DiCaprio for "J. Edgar" nor Michael Fassbender for "Shame" but instead accompanying the expected George Clooney for "The Descendants," Jean Dujardin for "The Artist" and Brad Pitt for "Moneyball" were the surprises of Gary Oldman for "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" and Demian Bichir for "A Better Life."

The Best Supporting Actor category gave "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" its second nomination, this time for veteran Max von Sydow. Joining him were the front-runner Christopher Plummer for "Beginners," Jonah Hill for "Moneyball," Kenneth Branagh for "My Week with Marilyn" and Nick Nolte for "Warrior." The fact that trailers can now proclaim Academy Award-nominated Jonah Hill still baffles me.

What about Albert Brooks for "Drive," you ask? Well, much like the rest of the film he got snubbed. "Drive" walked away with only one nomination -- for Sound Editing. It's a shame it couldn't even land a Best Cinematography nod.

The Animated Feature category made absolutely no sense to probably everybody. With nominees like "A Cat in Paris" and "Chico & Rita," it left people scratching their heads. No "Adventures of Tintin" to be found. "Kung Fu Panda 2" made it in along with "Puss in Boots" next to the front-runner "Rango." Except perhaps "Rango" is no longer the front-runner maybe replaced by one of the unknowns from abroad. "Cars 2" getting shut out marks the first time a Pixar movie has not been nominated. That's what you get for selling out.

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' score for "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" got ignored over Best Score nominees "The Adventures of Tintin," "The Artist," "Hugo," "Tinker Tailor Solder Spy" and "War Horse."

"Dragon Tattoo" made up for it in other technical categories, however, including Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Film Editing and Cinematography.

Although it deserved much more, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" made its appearance in the usual "Harry Potter"-nominated categories including Best Makeup, Art Direction and Visual Effects.

And what of the Best Original Song nominees? Only two? And the song nominated from the "Muppets" was "Man or Muppet?" The other nominee went to "Real in Rio" from the not-nominated animated feature "Rio." At least it could supposedly make for a shorter ceremony without as many performances.

The Best Adapted Screenplay nominees included "The Descendants," "Hugo," "Moneyball" and the surprises of "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" and even "The Ides of March."

"Bridesmaids" represented comedy at the nominations this year with its Best Original Screenplay nod alongside "Margin Call," "The Artist," "Midnight in Paris," and finally, the foreign language "A Separation" which leads in its Best Foreign Language Film category.

So what can we take away from all of this? The Academy decided to sufficiently surprise us this year without really throwing a wrench in the whole thing. Yes, the "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" Best Picture nomination will cause an uproar if it hasn't already (I, for one, am over the moon about it). And yes, the re-emerged love for "The Tree of Life" is welcome to many. Still, though, "The Artist" will be the prize winner of the night come time for Oscar Sunday. The nominations may be switched up, but the winners remain the same.

It's the last stop, everybody! Tune in for the 84th Annual Academy Award ceremony on Sunday, February 26 at 8 p.m. on ABC. And check here for a full list of the Oscar nominations.

84th Annual Academy Award Nomination Predictions

Here I'll be predicting all the major categories for the 84th Annual Academy Award nominations which get announced tomorrow morning!


Best Picture
1. The Artist
2. The Descendants
3. Hugo
4. The Help
5. Midnight in Paris
6. War Horse
7. Moneyball

I predict there will be seven nominees, but here's the rest if it gets expanded to ten:

8. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
9. Bridesmaids
10. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Best Director
1. Martin Scorsese, "Hugo"
2. Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"
3. Alexander Payne, "The Descendants"
4. Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris"
5. Steven Spielberg, "War Horse"

Best Actor
1. Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"
2. George Clooney, "The Descendants"
3. Brad Pitt, "Moneyball"
4. Leonardo DiCaprio, "J. Edgar"
5. Michael Fassbender, "Shame"

Best Actress
1. Viola Davis, "The Help"
2. Michelle Williams, "My Week with Marilyn"
3. Tilda Swinton, "We Need to Talk About Kevin"
4. Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"
5. Glenn Close, "Albert Nobbs"

Best Supporting Actress
1. Berenice Bejo, "The Artist"
2. Octavia Spencer, "The Help"
3. Jessica Chastain, "The Help
4. Melissa McCarthy, "Bridesmaids"
5. Shailene Woodley, "The Descendants"

Best Supporting Actor
1. Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"
2. Albert Brooks, "Drive"
3. Kenneth Branagh, "My Week with Marilyn"
4. Nick Nolte, "Warrior"
5. Jonah Hill, "Moneyball"

Best Original Screenplay
1. 50/50
2. Midnight in Paris
3. The Artist
4. Bridesmaids
5. Beginners

Best Adapted Screenplay
1. Moneyball
2. The Descendants
3. Hugo
4. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
5. The Help

69th Annual Golden Globe Award Winners

I guess when Ricky Gervais was surprisingly invited back to host the Golden Globes, it was under the condition that he would do his opening monologue and then disappear for the rest of the evening -- because that's exactly what happened. His opening zingers were actually great and not too harsh or cynical like last year. Bashes toward Kim Kardashian were a must, and Gervais was smart about knocking the HFPA itself as opposed to his celebrity spectators.

A quick hit on first presenter Johnny Depp was perfect allowing Gervais to pick up right where he left off last year. "Have you seen 'The Tourist' yet?" he asked Depp.

And then he jabbed, "The Golden Globes are just like the Oscars but without all the esteem." It also was two-and-a-half hours before he got bleeped, and that was right around the time Meryl Streep warranted herself a bleep. Penis jokes were aplenty most notably during George Clooney's speech when he gave a shout out to Michael Fassbender's full nudity in "Shame."

It was nice that the evening didn't feel entirely all about "The Artist," although it's still the one to beat at the Oscars. Instead, Alexander Payne's "The Descendants" closed out the night with a win for Best Picture Drama. "The Artist," however, still led a total number of wins at three followed by "The Descendants" with two.

"The Artist" took home awards for Best Score, Best Picture Comedy or Musical and Best Actor Comedy or Musical for Jean Dujardin. It only made sense for Dujardin to win in his category because all of his actor competition landed their nominations under Drama. This included George Clooney who won Best Actor Drama for "The Descendants." He's now the one to beat at the Oscars, and Dujardin is his closest competition.

The love was pretty widespread including a Best Director win for Martin Scorsese ("Hugo") over Michel Hazanavicius for "The Artist." Meanwhile Woody Allen took home the award for Best Adapted Screenplay ("Midnight In Paris"). For whatever reason, "The Adventures of Tintin" won over "Rango" for Best Animated Feature perhaps to get Steven Spielberg up on the stage.

The other surprise of the night was Meryl Streep for "The Iron Lady" winning Best Actress Drama over Viola Davis for "The Help." I still believe Davis is the front-runner for the Oscar, however. Streep gave a blind speech having lost her glasses. George Clooney made an attempt to pass them up, and they made it to David Fincher...and stayed there. Perhaps it was his anger toward Streep for winning over Rooney Mara.

Wins for Octavia Spencer for "The Help" and Christopher Plummer for "Beginners" further cemented them as the clear front-runners in their respective Best Supporting categories at the Oscars. Spencer's speech was exceptionally moving and timely touching on the MLK holiday.

Morgan Freeman received his tribute with the Cecil B. DeMille award, and everyone was disappointed when he didn't do the voiceover for his own career montage. Helen Mirren also managed to make a drunken fool of herself introducing him.

So it comes down to "The Artist" and "The Descendants" over what's going to nab the top prize at the Oscars. The former is still the clear leader, but last night's wins for the latter pushes up its potential.

Check here for a full list of the 69th Annual Golden Globe Award winners, and stay tuned for the announcement of the 84th Annual Academy Award nominations on Tuesday, January 24.

The Best Films of 2011

It was a year that started out slow but gained last-minute momentum come time for December. Before that, though, was summer which gave us welcome surprise hits such as "Crazy, Stupid, Love." and "The Help" along with the best comedy of the year, "Bridesmaids."

It was also a year reflecting on the magic of cinema. J.J. Abrams' "Super 8" reminisced about the old Amblin films of Steven Spielberg, and then the year closed out with a reverie to old-fashioned filmmaking from the director himself with "War Horse." Martin Scorsese directed his first children's film, "Hugo," but it was really only under the guise of a children's film. More a reflection on cinema's early history, his film merely skirted the surface of what Michel Hazanivicius' glorious black and white silent film achieved with "The Artist." A gimmick gone right.

And then there's Alexander Payne who, after seven years, gave us a rare treat starring George Clooney. It was certainly his and Ryan Gosling's year with Gosling's turns in "Drive," "Crazy, Stupid, Love." and the Clooney-directed "Ides of March." It was also a year of girl power with strong female casts in both "Bridesmaids" and "The Help" not to mention an American reincarnation of power hacker Lisbeth Salander from Rooney Mara in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo."


12. The Help

With excellent performances from both Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis, this tale of black maids in the Deep South hit all the right notes. It stands as the year's crowd-pleaser striking a balance between light humor and poignant pathos following the heartfelt narration of a maid named Abigail. What's most impressive is the way the movie effortlessly breaks the bounds of its Oprah book club wrapping.

11. My Week with Marilyn

The film's obvious centerpiece is an Oscar-worthy lead performance from Michelle Williams as the iconic screen goddess Marilyn Monroe. She is absolutely magnetic and luminous taking the smart route of not trying to figure out who Monroe was but rather emanating everything she was about -- the way she made people feel to be around her. And the film's power is the way it makes you feel what they must've felt.

10. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

David Fincher returns to gritty crime noir with his adaptation of the first entry in Stieg Larsson's international best-selling "Millenium" trilogy. And while not any better or worse than the Swedish adaptation from last year, what makes it different is Fincher putting his personal stamp on it. He infuses the dark, winding tale with his signature style that gives the film a feel all its own. And Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander? She's dynamite and reaches into complexities of the character even Noomi Rapace didn't manage.

9. Beginners

Providing the most honest screen romance this year, Ewan McGregor and Mélane Laurent are a couple trying to figure out what makes them both happy. Writer/director Mike Mills has total control over the tone of his film with the ability to introduce a talking dog without disrupting any realism set in place. And with a stand-out performance from Christopher Plummer as the main character's late-blooming gay father, the film hits you with a waft of poignancy.


8. The Muppets

The cheerful and colorful reunion of Jim Hansen's Muppets was the perfect movie for the times, the ideal pick-me-up that everybody didn't even know they needed -- that is until they went out to see it. With glowing and bubbly performances from Jason Segel and Amy Adams and an unabashed love for the Muppets from Segel who co-wrote the movie, it was the feel-good sensation of 2011. It marked a return to simplicity, the joy of watching song and dance. And with a slew of big celebrity cameos, the movie felt like a collaboration on something meaningful and inspirational -- more than you might ever imagine coming from a gang of puppets.


7. Crazy, Stupid, Love.

The chemistry between Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone in one titular scene in this movie is enough to make the list. This movie marked Ryan Gosling as not only a valuable actor but one with a great knack for comedy, too. He's excellent with Emma Stone, and likewise Steve Carell and Julianne Moore shine as a married couple on the outs. The movie is unassuming about the level of depth it goes into analyzing contemporary relationships, and it came off as the biggest welcome surprise of the summer.


6. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Childhood ended with the finale to J.K. Rowling's epic fantasy franchise in Steve Klove's visually thrilling and emotionally satisfying conclusion. Set up nicely with the dark rolling clouds of "Part 1," Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint grew into mature actors since their humble beginnings a decade ago providing the necessary weight to say farewell to our favorite Hogwarts students. Alan Rickman also deserves recognition for his long standing role as Severus Snape whose character comes to tragic full circle in this installment. The film rightly represents the vast accomplishment of the Harry Potter series as a whole.


5. Young Adult

The re-collaboration with screenwriter Diablo Cody and director Jason Reitman proves their previous film "Juno" was no fluke. This pitch black comedy about a disgruntled woman returning to her high school hometown to rekindle with an old flame might be cringe-inducing, but it's also truthful and smart entertainment breaking conventions of Hollywood storytelling. Charlize Theron as Mavis Gary gives a ferocious and raw performance as a completely unlikable protagonist who, amazingly enough, earns our sympathy. Patton Oswalt gives an equally effective performance as the guy who recognizes Mavis is crazy but also knows she's just as miserable as him even if she doesn't realize it.


4. The Artist

What could've come off as merely a gimmick becomes so much more than that. Michel Hazanavicius' tribute to black and white silent cinema is also a tribute to the universality of film. It feels like something kept preserved in a time capsule with performances from French actors Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo that are genuine to the era. It's a rousing achievement both thematically and technically reminding audiences that there's so much value to be garnered from film no matter if it's without words or color.


3. Drive

Again defining 2011 as the year of Ryan Gosling, this slow-burning character study starring Gosling as a nameless getaway driver was powerful stuff. With a sleek and subdued European sentiment from filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn, the film creeps along hauntingly with Gosling's impenetrable calm at its center and a menacing turn from Albert Brooks as a cold-blooded villain. The film is a carefully crafted beast, a moody and gradual escalation with hyper-violent and ultra-stylized eruptions fueling its engine.


2. Bridesmaids

"Bridesmaids" is hands-down the best comedy of the year. More than just the female "Hangover," the movie marked a turning point in modern comedies. The hilarious and bold comedy from director Paul Feig, actress/writer Kristen Wiig and her co-writer Annie Mumolo shows us women can be drunk, insecure, vulgar and pathetic not like men but like women. It's a triumph in equality and entertainment both sexes can easily embrace. Full of embarrassing outbursts, lavish gross-out toilet humor and a star-making turn from Melissa McCarthy, the movie is easily among the very best of the year.


1. The Descendants

It took him seven years, but writer/director Alexander Payne returned with another great piece of American filmmaking with signature Payne-ian style à la "Sideways." It's a miracle how effortlessly Payne captures the messiness of life performing a carefully choreographed balancing act between sharp comedy and shattering drama. He uses the exotic island location of Hawaii not to promote it as a tourist hot spot but instead what it really is: just another place to live. George Clooney in the leading role gives his best performance to date. Throwing away his usual charming demeanor, he displays a father struggling to keep his family from falling apart. Shailene Woodley is a revelation as the oldest daughter sporting typical teen angst with something a little deeper and soulful. What makes this film the best of the year is its bittersweet message not only acknowledging flaws in humanity but celebrating them because we've all got them.

69th Annual Golden Globe Award Nominations

Unlike last year when the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) included completely out-there nominees in the Best Comedy or Musical categories -- hello, "The Tourist" -- the films included this year are legitimate award contenders, which really makes things interesting.

Leading the nominees for the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards were "The Artist" with six, "The Descendants" with five, and tied at four were "The Ides of March," "Midnight in Paris," "The Help" and "Moneyball."

The nominees for Best Picture Drama were "The Descendants," "The Help," "Hugo," "The Ides of March," "Moneyball" and "War Horse." The surprise here is the inclusion of George Clooney's "Ides of March" which otherwise hasn't been getting any awards attention. It'll be curious to see whether the acknowledgement from the HFPA here can bolster its chances at the Oscars. Probably not considering the snub for "Drive," which has great award presence elsewhere.

Notice the absence of "The Artist" above because it got included instead within the Best Picture Comedy or Musical category along with "Midnight in Paris," "50/50," "My Week with Marilyn" and "Bridesmaids."

The one I don't understand here is "My Week with Marilyn" because -- although I haven't seen it yet -- I'm willing to bet there's about as much humor in that as there is in "The Descendants," which was included in Drama. In any case, including movies here that have potential in other categories, too, edged out other worthy comedy or musicals such as "Crazy, Stupid, Love." and "The Muppets."

The split between Best Picture Drama and Best Picture Comedy or Musical has divided up big contenders that will otherwise be competing in the same category at the Oscars. Now "The Artist" has been completely removed from the equation against other films -- which is nice, giving others a chance such as "The Descendants" -- but it doesn't help in predicting what will take the top prize with the Academy.

Best Director is also a telling category. The HFPA really has faith in "The Ides of March" opting to include George Clooney in the list. Joining him were Woody Allen for "Midnight in Paris," Martin Scorsese for "Hugo," Alexander Payne for "The Descendants" and Michel Hazanavicius for "The Artist." No Steven Spielberg for "War Horse."

David Fincher's "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" got completely left out aside from a Best Actress nomination for Rooney Mara and another for Best Score. Even more curious was the complete absence of Stephen Daldry's "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close." Does it have something to do with having such a late entry? Also absent is Gary Oldman and "Tailor Tinker Soldier Spy," which will most likely get redeemed through BAFTA awards.

Joining Rooney Mara for Best Actress Drama were nominations for Glenn Close for "Albert Nobbs," Viola Davis for "The Help," Meryl Streep for "The Iron Lady" and Tilda Swinton for "We Need to Talk About Kevin." Where's Michelle Williams, you ask? She's included within the Best Actress Comedy or Musical category along with the film in which she starred. Joining her were two nominees from "Carnage," Jodie Foster and Kate Winslet, and Kristen Wiig for "Bridesmaids." It's interesting that the HFPA went for Wiig over Melissa McCarthy who has the most Oscar pull.

The nominees for Best Actor Drama were Michael Fassbender for "Shame," George Clooney for "The Descendants," Leonardo DiCaprio for "J. Edgar," Brad Pitt for "Moneyball," and surprisingly enough, the HFPA went for Ryan Gosling in "The Ides of March" over his performance in "Drive." Swap out Gosling and throw in Jean Dujardin, and this could be our Best Actor Oscar race.

Dujardin instead appears in the category of Best Actor Comedy or Musical once again making it hard to decipher how he'll stand up to his competition at the Oscars. With him were Brendan Gleeson for "The Guard," Joseph Gordon Levitt for "50/50," Owen Wilson for "Midnight in Paris," and -- thank goodness! -- Ryan Gosling for "Crazy, Stupid, Love." Well deserved.

Albert Brooks marks the only "Drive" recognition with his nomination for Best Supporting Actor alongside Kenneth Branagh for "My Week with Marilyn," Viggo Mortensen for "A Dangerous Method," Christopher Plummer for "Beginners" and Jonah Hill for "Moneyball." Hill could have the potential at this point to make it to Oscar, but I have a feeling it's going to be another Mila Kunis for "Black Swan" and will get left off at the end.

Best Supporting Actress nominees included Berenice Bejo for "The Artist," Jessica Chastain for "The Help," Janet McTeer for "Albert Nobbs," Octavia Spencer for "The Help" and Shailene Woodley for "The Descendants." This very well could mirror the Best Supporting Actress race at the Oscars unless McCarthy can edge out McTeer.

And, finally, the HFPA decided to nominate "Cars 2" among the Best Animated Feature nominees. Why, exactly?

Check out the full list of nominations, and tune in to watch the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, January 15 at 8 p.m. on NBC!

18th Annual SAG Award Nominations

The announcement of the 18th Annual Screen Actor Guild Award nominations this morning threw a wrench into things. First and foremost were the snubs for Shailene Woodley for Best Supporting Actress and Albert Brooks for Best Supporting Actor. I'm pressed to say that the the SAGs have it wrong here, and the Academy will not overlook either of them.

The overall lack of love for "Drive" outside of Brooks was a bit surprising considering its prevalence elsewhere.  Also notable was the absolute love for "Bridesmaids" as Melissa McCarthy keeps gathering nominations for Best Supporting Actress, and the movie received a Best Ensemble nomination -- the SAG equivalent of a Best Picture nomination.

Among "Bridesmaids" for Best Ensemble were "The Artist," "Midnight in Paris," "The Descendants" and "The Help." This one will probably end up going to "The Artist" as both Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo received nominations in their respective categories. However, Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer made it into their respective categories for "The Help" not to mention Jessica Chastain, as well. It could be a tighter race between the two.

One big surprise came in the Best Actor category which included Demian Bichir for "A Better Life" which baffles me because that film was included in last year's Oscars, which I thought meant the film would not be in contention for any awards this year.

Best Supporting Actor contained some surprises including Jonah Hill for "Moneyball" and Armie Hammer for "J. Edgar." This is also the first time "Albert Nobbs" has received acknowledgement with Glenn Close receiving her Best Actress nod along with Janet McTeer for Best Supporting Actress.

Check out the full list of nominations, and tune in to the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday, January 29 at 8 p.m. on TNT and TBS.

HUGO Named Best Film by NBR

The National Board of Review announced their winners for this year. And while they don't have too much bearing on the overall awards landscape, they still are worth taking a look at -- especially this year considering what got decided as Best Film.

Martin Scorsese's "Hugo" was named Best Film, and Scorsese received Best Director.

Looks like "Hugo" is more of a year-end awards contender than I had at first anticipated, which means I need to get myself to a theater quickly to see it for myself.

Other notable wins include all those for Alexander Payne's "The Descendants." It took home Best Screenplay as well as Best Actor for George Clooney and Best Supporting Actress for Shailene Woodley. I see a trend, and one that could very well make its way to Oscar.

THE DESCENDANTS Review

It has been seven years since we've received a film from writer and director Alexander Payne. The last was 2004's Best Picture nominee Sideways. His new film, "The Descendants," is exactly what we've come to expect from Payne as a filmmaker and a guaranteed Best Picture contender at this year's Oscars. It is a miracle how effortlessly Payne captures the messiness of life. He is a master at digging deep and bringing out rich meaning and emotion out of situations that also make you laugh. In all of his films he performs a carefully choreographed balancing act between wit and poignancy, sharp comedy and shattering drama -- this one is no different and could even be considered Payne's best yet.

Adapted from the 2009 novel by Kaui Hart Hemming and co-written by Payne, the movie takes place in Hawaii not just for the hell of it. The setting of Hawaii plays a major role, and an opening voiceover from Matt King (George Clooney) describes the misconceptions of living in such a tropical and exotic locale. It's not a 24-hour vacation, and people living there aren't immune to life's challenges. It's no paradise, and the Hawaii we see is the real thing thanks to cinematographer Phedon Papamichael. "Fuck paradise," Matt says. Just as Payne used the specifics and peculiarities of Nebraska in "About Schdmidt" or California wine country in "Sideways," he allows Hawaii to play into the film's themes on family ties.

Matt has a wife and two daughters. His thrill-seeking wife, Elizabeth (Patricia Hastie), suffered a boating accident and lies in an irreversible coma. This forces Matt, the self-proclaimed back-up parent or understudy, to step up and care for the girls. The younger one, 10-year-old Scottie (Amara Miller), is angry and confused. Alex (Shailene Woodley of TV's "The Secret Life of the American Teenager"), her 17-year-old sister, had trouble with drugs in her past and just seems plain angry. Matt doesn't know what to do with either of them, but he starts by bringing Alex back home from her boarding school which resides on another island. As Matt says, his own family resembles the archipelago of Hawaii. Like the islands, they are in loose proximity but remain separate and alone ever so gradually drifting away from one another.

It's ironic because Matt's family tree stretches all the way back the earliest white settlers in Hawaii. As a descendant of this land-owning family and the sole trustee, he must personally decide whether or not to open up a vast tract of gorgeous forest land on Kauai to tourist or condo development. The rest of his bloodline has devolved into a group of men in floral shirts and sandals, his cousins who support or hate him in whatever decision he makes in how to develop the land -- or to sell it at all. And though this subplot is the biggest news to the locals, for Matt it's a mere distraction from tending to his family.

Matt's personal predicament plays out as equal parts unpredictable, moving and humorous. This is especially true once his oldest daughter Alex lays a bomb of a revelation on him. She caught her mom cheating. So, not only does Matt have to face his wife's impending death, but now her past infidelity. Sometimes there is no reasoning to the way we react to a circumstance, especially in the midst of a crisis or tragedy. How we deal with guilt, regret, anger, jealousy, remorse, sadness -- it's all unstable. So Matt's impulsive trip to stalk his wife's lover feels just right. There are moments of absurdity that still feel genuine in the context. For example, Matt lets Alex keep her idiot pseudo-boyfriend (Nick Krause) around for the ride; the youngest, Scottie, spurts obscenities regularly; and upon discovering the news about his wife, Matt slips on loafers and does an awkward brisk shuffle over the neighbor's house to find out more.

As we follow Matt's emotional, legal and family issues, we eventually find out they're all linked. Payne handles this with great finesse, and it doesn't feel at all forced. He could've allowed for an onslaught of melodrama because the plot and subplots do have that potential, but instead he takes the smarter route -- the route he always takes in his filmmaking and that is of low-key observation. Every moment in the movie feels utterly true to life. That includes Matt's confrontation with his wife's lover, Brian Speer (Matthew Lillard). Just when you think you have the scene trajectory figured out, Payne manages to surprise with unexpected eloquence.

It appears George Clooney just keeps getting better. Here is another career-topping performance. He is out of his comfort zone from his usual self-composed cool demeanor such as in "Up in the Air." As Matt King, he is flustered, overwhelmed and uncertain. Clooney has never been better, and he roots himself into this character and gives an unabashedly raw performance. Payne is gifted in drawing a keen essence out of each actor's performance including Robert Forster as Elizabeth's permanently enraged father and Judy Greer as Brian Speer's wife who has a scene of bottled up force. The most notable performance stands right up there with Clooney in terms of award consideration, and that's from young actress Shailene Woodley. She is biting, smart and tough giving off the air of teenage angst while also sincerely caring for her father.

"The Descendants" closes rather poetically with a scene of solace, and it could've ended there. But Payne decides to add one more, a quiet coda that sums up the mood. The closing shot brilliantly encapsulates the condition of many families today. Here's a film that not only acknowledges but celebrates the flaws in humanity because we've all got them. Might as well embrace it.

Most Anticipated Movies of Fall 2011

10. My Week with Marilyn

What gets me so excited about this one is Michelle Williams playing the titular role of Marilyn Monroe. This performance will hopefully get her the recognition she has so long deserved, especially since she was overlooked for "Blue Valentine."

9. J. Edgar

Another heavy lead performance Oscar movie with Leonardo DiCaprio at its head. From the looks of the trailer, this latest outing from director Clint Eastwood is going to soar with critics as a rich biopic with a talented supporting cast. This is also no doubt DiCaprio's Best Actor vehicle, but I'd like to think it has more going for it than just that.

8. Paranormal Activity 3

I loved "Paranormal Activity" and although obviously lacking in originality, its sequel had even more effective scares. And so I can't help but get excited for the third installment from the directors of "Catfish." They basically promoted that viral pseudo-documentary as a horror flick, so just imagine them actually tackling one. That Bloody Mary part in the trailer alone had me peeking through my fingers.

7. The Rum Diary

I don't generally like Johnny Depp, but I sure did like him in this year's "Rango" -- even though he was voicing an animated lizard. And speaking of "Rango" with its undertones of Hunter S. Thompson, this latest starring Johnny Depp is actually an adaptation of a Thompson novel. The trailer is misleading at first, but then divulges what the film is really about: that substance-induced blurring between fantasy and reality. I'm intrigued.

6. Melancholia

Although I despised almost everything about Lars von Trier's "Antichrist," the director still has me roped in and anticipating his next feature. It seems much more subdued and contemplative than his last one, and Kirsten Dunst earned herself a Best Actress award at this year's Cannes. It's been getting underwhelming reviews, but with all that slow-motion and hoopla about the end of the world, I'm hooked.

5. War Horse

The teaser for Steven Spielberg's "War Horse" couldn't be any more of an announcement to the world that, hey, he's back in the game and going for an Oscar! But can you blame him? The movie looks magnificent. A sweeping historical piece as directed by the one and only Spielberg trumpeted by a resounding score from John Williams, and it's all just in time for Christmas.

4. Young Adult

After director Jason Reitman's "Up in the Air," he's now reunited with screenwriter Diablo Cody ("Juno") for his next feature. It stars Charlize Theron, and the first image of her from the film has been released along with a poster -- but not much else. I'm anxious for a trailer to see if the tone is going to match up with the overly quirky "Juno," or if it'll be a little more down-to-earth. Here's to hoping for the latter.

3. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

There has been almost nothing released about this adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer's best-selling novel. All we know is that it's directed by Stephen Daldry ("The Reader") with a screenplay by Eric Roth ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"), and Tom Hanks is in it. I read the novel and fell in love with it, but it's also something that seems impossible to adapt for the screen. But don't they all? The film is also in talks of being the front-runner at this year's Oscars. Only time will tell.

2. The Descendants

Another Alexander Payne film, and his first in seven years? Well, count me in. Starring George Clooney, this film appears to be another Payne-ian look at human relationships à la "Sideways" and "About Schmidt." It received mixed critical reception from the festival at which it premiered -- some even called it Payne's worst effort -- but my hopes remain high.

1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

David Fincher's remake of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" is easily my most anticipated movie of the fall. Ever since Rooney Mara's transformation into gothic bisexual hacker Lisbeth Salander graced the cover of magazines, I knew this adaptation of the Swedish novel would absolutely nail it. And then came the first teaser trailer with a rocking track from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the tagline, "The feel bad movie of Christmas" to hype up the anticipation. Not to mention that revealing initial poster with Rooney Mara and co-star Daniel Craig, and now the official trailer which perhaps runs a little long but still proves that Fincher definitely has a handle on the ideal tone for what this movie is all about. Gritty, grisly stuff.