Best Picture nominations

Predicted nominees:

• Avatar
• District 9
• An Education
• The Hurt Locker
• Inglourious Basterds
• Invictus
• Precious
• A Serious Man
  
• Up
• Up in the Air

I would nominate:

• An Education
• The Hurt Locker
• Inglourious Basterds
• The Messenger
• Moon
• Precious
• The Road
• A Serious Man
• A Single Man
  
• Where the Wild Things Are

Little movies without studio hype machines are often overlooked by the Academy in this category. There were several great ones this year, particularly Moon and The Messenger. I hope that I'll be proven wrong and that these two get nominations on Tuesday, but I'm not counting on it.

Where the Wild Things Are will probably miss the cut as well. Not everyone can deal with ten-foot-tall muppets in serious cinema. But this movie is fascinating, visually remarkable, and surprisingly moving, gently prodding viewers to confront their own deep-seated childhood fears. It's a wonderful film.

I've seen Up in the Air twice, trying to figure out why the reviews are so rapturous. Other than a great supporting performance from Anna Kendrick, the movie left me cold. The most affecting part of the movie for me was the footage of actual laid-off workers. Maybe I would have preferred a documentary about them.

Avatar has amazing visuals, but the story is beyond awful, so I can't stomach putting it on my list of favorites. But the flying dragons, especially the big red-orange-yellow one, totally rocked my world. A more palatable and interesting sci-fi movie this year was District 9. The political backdrop gave the movie gravitas. I think it would have made my top ten list if not for the cutesy E.T.-phone-home ending.

A Serious Man is a difficult film. It's not for everyone. I loved the cinematography, art direction, costumes, lighting, even the make-up. The scene inside the house of the sexy neighbor was insanely gorgeous, making me want to time-travel back to the 60's.

I have now seen A Single Man twice, and I liked it more the second time. Tom Ford's visual style is breathtaking, but the real treasure here is Colin Firth's perfectly measured performance, full of nuance, deeply moving. He is perhaps at his best in his solo scenes at home, which he narrates as if from the great beyond. The home of Julianne Moore's character is supremely gorgeous and perfect for her well-defined character. But my favorite scene takes place in the parking lot of a convenience store....

Precious and An Education keep fighting it out inside my head for my favorite movie of the year. An Education has so many wonderful elements and no apparent flaws. Superbly drawn supporting characters, a clear narrative arc, wonderful costumes and sets, beautiful camera work, a complicated and satisfying ending...and Emma Thompson! But at the end of the day I think I have to go with Precious because it is like nothing I've ever seen, because of the totally unique and fascinating lead performance by Gaboureh Sidibe, because of a truly shocking and heartbreaking story, and because of the unexpected excellent supporting work by several celebs who previously hadn't been known for their acting talents: Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz, Sherri Shepherd, and most of all Mo'Nique. Precious is a vitally important film with sweeping social relevance, but simultaneously it's an incredibly intimate story. Shocking, devastating, dazzling, hopeful. Fantastic. Also, openly gay director!