Just in case you didn’t think I was serious about catching up film-wise before the Oscars, here are 8 more. In order of favorite to least favorite:

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Whoever hands out Oscar nominations is clearly an idiot… that’s the only thing that would explain this film being overlooked for a best picture and actor nomination. Pitt’s excellent as a tortured, paranoid, psychotic Jesse James, and a star is born in Casey Affleck’s portrayal of Robert Ford. The cinematography was fantastic… there’s this one scene where you see a train approaching and finally it catches up with the screen and then appears to come through the other side. Ok, bad description, I know, but you’ve got to see it. Amazing stuff and an amazing, amazing film. I highly recommend it. Even at a butt-numbing 2 hrs., 40 min. it held my attention, admiration & interest.

There Will Be Blood. Wow. First off, let me add my voice to the growing chorus of praise for Daniel Day Lewis. Good God can this man act. But there’s so much more to TWBB. The scenes surrounding the burning & collapse of an oil rig are nothing short of visual poetry… literally stopped the movie and went back to watch it again before continuing - it was that spellbinding. The musical score pokes around your cerebral cortex: at some points seeming it doesn’t belong, at others it’s so essential you almost don’t realize it’s there. The overall package is absolutely brilliant.

I’m Not There. Todd Haynes showcases the music and myth of Bob Dylan for all to see. In I’m Not There Dylan is portrayed in stages (mirroring his unparalleled rise to fame)by a bevy of talented actors. Playing the skinny, androgynous Dylan in his early years, Cate Blanchett shines. She has every twitch, ever disdainful look, every sarcastic comment down pat.

There’s also Marcus Carl Franklin as a young, black Dylan struggling to emulate his idol, Woody Guthrie. Then there’s British actor Ben Whishaw, paying tribute to Dylan’s admiration of Arthur Rimbaud. Christian Bale shines as a prophetic version of Dylan, and Heath Ledger delivers an amazing performance as an actor playing Dylan in a movie as his marriage slowly falls apart. Finally there’s Richard Gere as an aging gun slinger who goes into exile a-la Dylan after his 1966 motorcycle crash.

This is high, high art. You’ll hear much about Cate Blanchett’s portrayal, and rightfully so as she nailed it. But pay close attention to Ben Whishaw as well. For me he was the one to shine.

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No End In Sight. With great respect to Michael Moore’s documentary ‘Sicko’, No End In Sight… hands down… deserves an Oscar. Fight the urge to zone out when confronted with all the facts & figures. Concentrate instead on the undeniable truth of what a quagmire the Bush Administration has gotten us into. When you’re not doing that listen to the voices of administration, Iraqi citizens, press and military that were & are there. And if you’re not moved by the closing line of the film where a very intelligent, well spoken marine asks the question “Is this the best America can do?”… then you must not have been paying attention.

Eastern Promises. Solid entertainment, but nothing really resonated other than one uber-violent scene. I felt Vincent Cassel’s performance as a latently gay Russian Mobster’s son far outshone that of Viggo Mortensen, who was good in his own right.

Still, by the end I’d never come to care for the young girl the story centered around or, for that matter, any of the other key players. Violence can be an incredibly effective tool when it comes to telling a story, but violence simply for the sake of violence feels like a cheap parlor trick.

Not great, not terrible… ultimately forgettable.

Juno. Here’s a film that tries too hard, yet still manages to be endearing & entertaining. My primary criticism is the same I had for the television show, Veronica Mars… I have yet to encounter a teenager who’s that witty, intelligent and/or worldly. Cute little knocked-up Juno belts out one-liners like a seasoned comedian.

If you looked up ‘indy’ in the dictionary it would probably say: see Juno. It’s this year’s Little Miss Sunshine and, sadly, it feels a little formulaic these days…

Ratatouille. Two enthusiastic thumbs up from Sydney and I enjoyed Disney’s take on a feminist hard-core chef.

Michael Clayton. Nothing really to write home about. Clooney plays the usual - a man on the brink of moral bankruptcy who somehow finds his humanity in the nick of time. In the case of Michael Clayton the hype never quite lives up to the final product.

It’s time he broke out of his mold. I see nothing in this film deserving of a best actor or picture nomination.

On this day..

• My persona(lity) dna. - 2008