#OW12: The Grand Finale

It's Oscar Sunday! Which means, ready or not, my #OW12 series is officially complete.... and I'm ready. I know, I know, I didn't watch Amour, but that's alright. If it shocks the world and wins one of the big awards, I'll go back and watch it, but I highly doubt that will happen. So, without further adieu, here are the official timmmc.com Oscar Watch 2012 picks.

Best Director

Steven Spielberg, Lincoln

This is an award that SHOULD be going to Ben Affleck for Argo. But that's neither here nor there (yet... do read on). This is an award that I would rather see go to David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook) or Benh Zeitlin (Beasts of the Southern Wild). But since Affleck isn't nominated (!), Spielberg will probably take home his third Oscar in the category. I don't mean to take away from Spielberg by naming three other directors that I'd rather take the honor, as his work on Lincoln was exemplary, but that's how I feel. Ang Lee winning for Life of Pi wouldn't surprise me too much, either, as that film certainly was something to see.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Anne Hathaway, Les Misérables

This category is so much of a landslide that I actually had to look up who else was nominated as a refresher to write this (for reference: Field, Adams, Hunt, Weaver). I would be absolutely floored if Hathaway doesn't take the award home. IF there is an upset, I'll go on a limb and say it'd be Amy Adams (The Master). Or Sally Field (Lincoln). Actually, Field would probably be more likely, but Adams would be the better choice.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook

De Niro is, literally, my third different pick for this award.... and I haven't filled out my pool picks for the Oscar party I'm attending tonight. At first I figured Tommy Lee Jones was going to ride the Lincoln wave, but the Lincoln wave has seemed to subside. Then I thought Django Unchained's Christoph Waltz would take it, as he was the only one to really show me something new in the category, but then my attention was brought to De Niro. All of the nominees in this category are former winners, but De Niro hasn't won since 1981. So, I'm making that my tie breaker. When I fill out my pool later, Philip Seymour Hoffman from The Master may well be my pick. I'm so indecisive with this category! And to round it out, the last time Alan Arkin received an Oscar nomination, people questioned how that happened... and he won. People are questioning how he got one this year, too...

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Daniel Day Lewis, Lincoln

I wish I could write Hugh Jackman here... but his at times shaky vocals in Les Misérables quite likely will be his undoing. DDL, however, was spot on 100% of the time in Lincoln, so I'd really be quite surprised to see anyone else winning this one. 

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook

This is a category where I had to make a very tough call. Lawrence was spectacular, Jessica Chastain was spectacular in Zero Dark Thirty, Quvenzhane Wallis was spectacular in Beasts of the Southern Wild, and I hear Emmanuelle Riva and Naomi Watts were spectacular in Amour and The Impossible, respectively. Lawrence, however, is the "it" actress at the moment, lining up big gig after big gig, and starring in two huge franchises on top of them. I assume that means she is as well loved around Hollywood as I love her. So, she's my pick.

Best Picture

Argo

I really, really loved Argo. I would indeed say that it was my favorite of all the films nominated this season, by a healthy margin, actually. But, I would say this award is due to the Academy's politics almost as much as it is about how fantastic the film really is. I'm not going to speculate as to why Ben Affleck wasn't nominated for Best Director, because obviously, I have no idea. Snubs are often largely treated with a "we're sorry for you", but then a shrug... but it hasn't seemed like that has happened with Affleck's snub. In fact, it really seems to me that Hollywood has rallied around Affleck and the film, as evidenced by the film winning every single major Best Picture award so far (or, the equivalent of it), and Affleck all the Best Director awards. In any other year, I would actually pick Zero Dark Thirty for top honors due to it's timeliness as much as it's content, but this is Argo's year.

Final timmmc.com Oscar Watch 2012 Rankings

With all my reviews so far, I've added a star system. These were done arbitrarily and not really relative to anything. Here's that ranking:

5 stars:  Argo

4.5 stars:  Zero Dark Thirty, Looper

4 stars:  Beasts of the Southern Wild, Silver Linings Playbook, Moonrise Kingdom, The Dark Knight Rises, Les Misérables, Skyfall, The Perks of Being a Wallflower

3.5 stars:  Django Unchained, Lincoln, The Life of Pi

2.5 stars:  The Master

Obviously, not really relative to each other. I'm not going to rank ALL the movies I watched for this year's project, but I did rank the Best Picture nominees (save for Amour), so I'll share that:

1. Argo
2. Zero Dark Thirty
3. Silver Linings Playbook
4. Les Misérables
5. Beasts of the Southern Wild
6. Django Unchained
7. Lincoln
8. The Life of Pi

And with that, #OW12 is officially completed. As I've written before... I absolutely love it. I already look forward to #OW13!

#OW12: Beasts of the Southern Wild

Screenplay by Lucy Alibar & Benh Zeitlin

Directed by Benh Zeitlin

Starring Quvenzhané Wallis and Dwight Henry

Released June 27, 2012

Watched February 7, 2013

timmmc.com score: 4/5 stars
Contenders: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Wallis)

Beasts of the Southern Wild… what a curious movie! Was unsure for at least 95%, but completely enchanted by the end. #timmmcreviews
— Timm McIntosh (@timmmc) February 8, 2013

What a curious, curious film.

The film runs a crisp 93 minutes long. The opening of the film, in which young Hushpuppy (played by the truly spectacular Quvenzhané Wallis) introduces her world of "The Bathtub" (it's not what it sounds) is absolutely spellbinding in every way. I'd say that runs around 5 minutes. As the film went on, however, I found my mind wandering, checking the clock, wondering what the point was of the film, why such random things were happening on the screen. Then came the last 5 minutes of the film. Without spoiling anything, I found myself in tears, absolutely captivated by the way everything came together and formed something so wonderful. Now, I sit here in awe of how indifferent I was to the film as I watched, but how much I really enjoyed it looking back.

Curious indeed!

I don't think I can say enough about Quvenzhané Wallis's performance. And to look at her Wikipedia page and to learn that this was her first acting gig, and she's only 9 years old (6 when the film was made)? Unreal. I know who my sentimental favorite is on Oscar Sunday!

#OW12: Silver Linings Playbook

Screenplay by David O. Russell

Directed by David O. Russell

Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver & Chris Tucker

Released December 25, 2012

Watched January 14, 2012

timmmc.com score: 4/5 stars

Contenders: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Lawrence), Best Actor (Cooper), Best Supporting Actor (De Niro)

Ah, the token indie movie Best Picture Nominee.

Actually, that's not fair. Well, it kinda is. Is this considered an indie film? Regardless, it's not a token nomination... I really, really enjoyed just about every aspect of this film, more so than most of the films I've seen as part of this year's Oscar Watch. 

The whole thing absolutely starts and ends with Jennifer Lawrence's performance. To me, Lawrence's performance wasn't calculated, wasn't manufactured, wasn't just thought out... it was. She completely got her character, and simply lived it. The end product was raw, personal, and absolutely real, much like Christian Bale's Academy Award-winning performance in David O. Russell's last effort, The Fighter. And like Bale, Lawrence should walk away from the ceremony with some hardware. If there's any question that Jennifer Lawrence is on the way to being one of the greats of her generation, this performance erases all doubt.

On the topic of The Fighter, there are a lot of similarities here, but one major difference: Silver Linings Playbook is an absolutely wonderful film (do recall I really did not enjoy The Fighter). Here, Russell's screenplay is much more focused, the plot much more engaging, the style much more engaging. I'm usually not a fan of the romantic genre sappiness, but here, it's just right. Great work by Russell.

All that said, the movie doesn't feel like Best Picture material if that makes sense. That's kind of where the "token indie movie nominee" description is particularly apt. Is it a better, more enjoyable film than most of the other nominees? Yes. But does it have the right feel to it for the Oscar? Not really. I certainly wouldn't mind being wrong about it, though...

#OW12: Zero Dark Thirty

Screenplay by Mark Boal

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow

Starring Jessica Chastain

Released December 19, 2012 (limited)

Watched January 8, 2012

timmmc.com score: 4.5/5 stars

Contenders: Best Director, Best Picture, Original Screenplay, Best Actress

Forgot #timmmcreviews last nite: #ZeroDarkThirty. Great stuff, though the middle act wandered a bit. Huge payoff, Chastain wonderful.
— Timm McIntosh (@timmmc) January 9, 2013

This film pretty easily breaks down into three segments: the torture, the 'we can't torture anymore', and the military action. The first and third segments are truly spectacular, especially the treatment of the Seal Team Six military activity.

My slight problems with the film lie in the middle segment. I understand the content and the purpose of what goes on, but to me, it felt like the plot was a bit choppy, a bit wandering. Again, I understand why, but I didn't feel the surge to the end game like I'd ideally want. But all that said, if I were to score all the segments, it'd be a 9-8-10. Only a slight dip. But enough of one.

Also, I'd be negligent if I didn't single out Jessica Chastain's performance. I don't think I could find enough praise... she's that good. I'd be very surprised if she doesn't leave the Oscars with a statuette.

#OW12: Moonrise Kingdom

Written by Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola

Directed by Wes Anderson

Starring Edward Norton, Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton and an ensemble cast

Released May 25, 2012

timmmc.com score: 4/5 stars

Contenders: Best Picture, Original Screenplay, Best Director

Of all the films that made "the cut" for my preliminary list, this is probably the most quaint and charming of the bunch. It's a quirky depiction of young love that quite likely speaks on a whole bunch of different levels, but frankly, I was too caught up in the great look and tone of the film. I would love to revisit this film at a later time to fully appreciate it. I'm not sure there's much by the way of Oscar love coming for the film, but it's definitely a winner in the "little flick that can" category.

#OW12: Django Unchained

Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino

Starring Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington and Samuel L. Jackson

Released December 25, 2012

Watched January 1, 2013

timmmc.com score:  3.5/5 stars
Contenders:  Original Screenplay, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Foxx), Best Supporting Actor (Waltz, DiCaprio)

Django Unchained wasn’t without its faults, but I enjoyed the hell out of it. #timmmcreviews
— Timm McIntosh (@timmmc) January 2, 2013

That tweet pretty much sums up my thoughts on this film. I really enjoyed the old school Western type feel to the vast majority of this film, juxtaposed with the obvious Tarantino staples. Foxx is just right as the title character, and Christoph Waltz has to be a shoo in for a Supporting Actor nom. Sure, the movie is filled with all sorts of offensive content (and if Tarantino doesn't cross the line, he jumps up and down on it singing... well, something racist), but it'd be damn hard to tell this story without it.

Spoiler from here on out...
That said, I did take issue with the big climactic shootout scene, mostly because it is completely different in tone with the rest of the film. I understand that Tarantino includes tons of violence in his films, but that's not my issue; my issue is that the graphic violence was completely out of step with the rest of the film. The film switched from a sort of stylized realism to cartoony blood and gore and then back. It took me out of the moment too much. What happens by the end of the scene is obviously vital to the film, but the content didn't work.

#OW12: The Dark Knight Rises

Written by Jonathan & Christopher Nolan

Directed by Christopher Nolan

Starring Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman and Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Released July 20, 2012

Watched July 20, 2012

timmmc.com score: 4/5 stars

Contenders: Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay

This probably isn't a film I would normally include in my Oscar Watch series, but it was on my initial list, and it IS the last of the trilogy... so why not. 

Simply put, TDKR is a film that didn't live up to expectations, but probably couldn't have. The second film in the trilogy, The Dark Knight, was quite possibly the greatest superhero film ever made, and this is a film that is simply in it's shadow. Don't get me wrong: it's an incredibly enjoyable film and a great end to a sublime trilogy, but it doesn't reach the level of The Dark Knight. 

Oscar chances? I'm really not sure. Christian Bale is good (but he's been better), Anne Hathaway is good (but she's better in Les Misérables), Nolan's work is good (but was better in TDK). But like I wrote in my review of Toy Story 3 back in 2011, the Academy does have a precedent of rewarding the end of great series... but it'd really be a token nomination, honestly. It was obviously a different situation back in 2008 when TDK wasn't nominated, but in hindsight, this being nominated when TDK wasn't would be a travesty. 

#OW12: Les Misérables

Directed by Tom Hooper

Starring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne, Amanda Seyfried, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, Aaron Tveit & Samantha Barks

Released December 25, 2012

Watched December 25, 2012

timmmc.com score:  4/5 stars
Contenders:  Best Picture, Best Actor (Jackman), Best Supporting Actress (Hathaway), Best Supporting Actor (Redmayne), Best Director

Being a "man of the theater", if you will, Les Miserables was right up there with the big geek movies of the year as my most anticipated movies of the year. I was so incredibly eager to see Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway, two of my favorite actors in the business, tear into Jean Valjean and Fantine. I was excited to see what Tom Hooper handpicked as his follow-up to The King's Speech. But perhaps most of all, I was extremely interested to see how such a theatrical musical like Les Mis would be adapted to the screen. So this review is going to be in a different format as my other OW12 reviews, much more in depth, and will use those particular hopes as something of an outline.

First, the cast. Clearly, the producers wanted big names to fill out the cast, and they should be commended for finding actors that would create buzz while also being appropriate for the roles. I won't sit here and say all of the actors shined when it came to the musical aspects of the film (here's looking at you, Russell Crowe), but the actors all fit for the most part. Hugh Jackman is more a Javert to me, but his Valjean was solid. Russell Crowe acted Javert well enough, but fell far short vocally. The real standouts, however, are Anne Hathaway and Eddie Redmayne. Hathaway's "I Dreamed a Dream" is the absolute showstopper the song deserves... I would be absolutely floored if she doesn't leave the Oscars a winner, something I fully expected from the announcement of her casting. Redmayne, however, is an absolute revelation as Marius. Marius is a tough role in that he's easily played too soft, too lovey dovey, too cold, not strong enough... or the complete opposite. Redmayne's take is a perfect blend of all the right elements, topped off with some of the finest vocals in the film. I'm hoping that this is Redmayne's arrival on the big Hollywood stage.

Tom Hooper does a great job of presenting Les Misérables the musical on film: the emotional highs and lows are nailed, the scope of the film is just about right, the film looks great, and wonderful performances are had. This is a musical with all sorts of iconic imagery that would truly be missed if missing from the film, but Hooper replicates them without them feeling forced, which is a feat in and of itself. All the buzz about the film (perhaps rightfully so) is the whole "live singing" aspect, with the actors singing their roles live on set, as opposed to singing to pre-recorded vocals. The technique adds a level of realism and spontaneity to the film, but does expose some of the vocal shortcomings of the actors (specifically in Crowe, but all of the principles had rough vocal moments, for sure). That said, it allowed for actual acting by the actors, so I'll most certainly take it.

The problem with Les Misérables, for me, stems from the source material itself. The musical is such a richly theatrical piece, almost completely sung-through and filled with what are essentially monologues set to music. These work spectacularly on stage... but suffer a bit when on film. The near monotony of the proceedings is also made worse by the live-vocal techniques used by Hooper, which limited many of the musical performances to one close up shot of the actors. Hooper and his crew does what they can with these limitations, but in the end, the movie ends up feeling every bit as long as it's 2:37 run time, if not longer. This is perhaps blasphemous for a theatre fan to say, but I would have absolutely loved to see an actual movie adaptation of peace that was more a film musical, less of an opera, less of a filmed musical. The way that the film presents the stage musical on film in realistic locations is very much reminiscent of 2005's The Producers and Rent, which is not a good thing (though, obviously, having a skilled filmmaker in Tom Hooper solves many, many of the problems those two films had).

Don't let that last paragraph of criticisms fool you, however: I really, really enjoyed Les Misérables. It was absolutely everything I expected of the film, which is both a positive and a negative. There is a whole lot to really love about this film, though I can't throw myself behind it completely. I'm already planning a second viewing though... afterall, that's what we "men of the theatre" do!

#OW12: Lincoln

Screenplay by Tony Kushner

Directed by Stephen Spielberg

Starring Daniel Day Lewis, Sally Field, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Tommy Lee Jones and tons more

Released November 9, 2012

Watched December 13, 2012

timmmc.com score:  3.5/5 stars
Contenders:  Adapted Screenplay, Director, Leading Actor, Best Picture... basically everything

LINCOLN: very good, if a bit long winded. My initial worries were unfounded. DDL has it in the bag. Blog to come. #timmmcreviews
— Timm McIntosh (@timmmc) December 14, 2012

Lincoln is a perfect example where my "skills" at separating aspects of what I see.

First, the performance by Daniel Day Lewis is absolutely deserving of every accolade it's received, and will almost assuredly take home the Oscar.

The scope and tone of the film was exactly right for me. When I first learned of the film, I feared that the movie would turn Abraham Lincoln into this god-like figure, as opposed to a president dealing with what he had to deal with. I am extremely happy that this was not the case, that the film concerned itself with the moment as much as it did the man (if that makes any sense). This is a trapping that biopics often fall into, but Lincoln mostly avoided.

My problem with the film most lies in the screenplay. While obviously this is a film without many action sequences or whatever, the characters are incredibly long-winded, to the point where it's easy to lose what they are saying. For me, this is my general problem with Tony Kushner... the man is an absolutely stirring writer, but sometimes loves his words. Unfortunately for me, it came off somewhat dry.

In all, however, this is probably the film to beat come Oscar time. I can see it winning a vast majority of the awards, and deservedly so. I can't say it's my favorite film of the year to this point, but I can most certainly see and feel it's power.

#OW12: Looper

Written by Rian Johnson

Directed by Rian Johnson

Starring Joseph Gordon Levitt, Bruce Willis and Emily Blunt

Released September 28, 2012

Watched September 29, 2012

timmmc.com score:  4.5/5 stars
Contenders:  Original Screenplay, Blunt (Supporting Actress)

#Looper… complex, exciting, action packed, thrilling sci-fi goodness. Absolutely loved it. Doesn’t pull any punches. #TMreviews
— Timm McIntosh (@timmmc) October 1, 2012

Before I gush, I must highlight the performance of Emily Blunt. Her role was specifically hidden in the trailer, so I somewhat forgot she was in the film until she made her first appearance... and even then, I wasn't 100% sure it was her. I absolutely love when an actor or actress completely transforms themselves into a role, and this is absolutely a case of that. I would be willing to doubt she will get much serious Oscar consideration, but as I write this, there aren't many other performances I'd put ahead of Blunt from this year.

I appreciate good science fiction, especially science fiction that doesn't cater to the masses. I read an interview with Rian Johnson that Looper isn't a film that needs a director's cut, because what was released WAS the director's cut, and I really admire that. That said... that is probably what will keep this film from the glory (and that's fine!). I enjoyed the hell out of this movie, and absolutely cannot wait to own it on blu-ray.

#OW12: Skyfall

Written by John Logan, Neal Purvis & Robert Wade

Directed by Sam Mendes

Starring Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Judi Dench and Ralph Fiennes

Released November 9, 2012

Watched November 9, 2012

timmmc.com score: 4/5 stars

Contenders: Bardem (Supporting Actor)

#timmmcreviews #Skyfall…. Absolutely incredible. Go, and go soon.
— Timm McIntosh (@timmmc) November 9, 2012

I've never really been the type that goes absolutely gaga over the James Bond films. I do see the value in them, and I've certainly enjoyed them in the past, but I'm not the type that bought the giant box or counted down the days until the next installment came along. But Skyfall... Skyfall changed all that. I was incredibly excited for this, and the payoff more than lived up to my expectations. I absolutely can't wait for the next film.

This isn't an Oscar-type movie, really, but it's on my list, so this review is here. To keep it somewhat relevant, I wouldn't be floored to see a supporting actor nod go to Javier Bardem, but that'd be a longshot. Too bad, he was spectacular.

#OW12: Argo

Written by Chris Terrio

Directed by Ben Affleck

Starring Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin & John Goodman

Released October 12, 2012

Watched October 25, 2012

timmmc.com score:  5/5 stars

Contenders:  Affleck (Director), Adapted Screenplay, Best Picture

ARGO was, simply, innnnnnncredible. #timmmcreviews
— Timm McIntosh (@timmmc) October 26, 2012

This is one of maybe 4 films in this year's crop of films that, in every way, is absolutely "Oscar Bait", but I am more than fine with this fact. Argo is a truly, truly wonderful film in every way. It's a very interesting film: you know the ending going into it, and really, the film doesn't contain much by the way of action... but if you aren't on the edge of your seat from the very outset, you simply do not have a soul. I recall thinking on my way out of the theatre how exhausted I was by the film... it was THAT intense. Great stuff.

Also... how many people would have thought in 2005 that Steven Spielberg (fresh off of his War of the Worlds adaptation/dud) & Ben Affleck (of then-recent Surviving Christmas, Jersey Girl, Gigli and Daredevil fame) would be squaring off at the Oscars just 7 years later?

#OW11: The Life of Pi

Screenplay by David Magee

Directed by Ang Lee

Starring Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan and Adil Hussain

Released November 21, 2012

Watched November 27, 2012

timmmc.com score: 3.5/5 stars

Contenders: Best Picture, Best Director, Adapted Screenplay

Really, really liked LIFE OF PI. Not a revolutionary film, but certainly one of the best looking films I’ve ever seen. #timmmcreviews
— Timm McIntosh (@timmmc) November 28, 2012

What we have here is a visually stunning, spectacularly imaginative, incredibly entertaining film by Ang Lee, based on what some have called an unfilmable novel. I haven't read the novel, but if what was on the screen is what is in the book, I most likely would have said the same thing.

I'll say this: I really, really enjoyed this film. It is nothing short of a masterpiece when it comes to visuals, which I loved. That said, there was something that kept me from being completely engaged in the stuggles of young Pi; perhaps it was Suraj Sharma's performance, perhaps I didn't sufficiently suspend disbelief, perhaps it was the stunning visuals, or perhaps it was device used to tell the story. The truth is probably some combination of those factors, but the fact remains that I was kept somewhat at a distance. But I must emphasize: I really enjoyed this film.

#OW12: Perks of Being a Wallflower

Written by Stephen Chbosky

Directed by Stephen Chbosky

Starring Logan Lerman, Emma Watson and Ezra Miller

Released October 12, 2012

Watched September 27, 2012 (early screening)

timmmc.com score:  4/5 stars

Contenders:  Adapted Screenplay

Perks of Being a Wallflower… fan of the book, BIG fan of the film. Fantastic performances, packing one hell of a punch. Go see! #TMreviews
— Timm McIntosh (@timmmc) October 1, 2012

I figured that a film adaptation of this deeply personal, cult classic novel would eliminate all the charm and all the humanity from the story, barring a truly remarkable leading performance and an inspired screenplay, handled by a director who fully understood the piece. But, wouldn't you know it, this film had all three of those elements.

I'm fully aware that this isn't the type of film that scores big at the Academy Awards, but I'm including it in this year's Oscar Watch series because I want to pull for an underdog. And this is my underdog thus far.

Also, in an ideal world, Logan Lerman wins SOMETHING for this film.

#OW12: The Master

Written by Paul Thomas Anderson

Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson

Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix and Amy Adams

Released September 1, 2012

Watched October 1, 2012

timmmc.com score:  2.5/5 stars
Contenders:  Phoenix (Best Actor), Hoffman (Supporting Actor), Adams (Supporting Actress)

#TheMaster… some fantastic performances, but never really came together for me in the whole. Kind of fell apart at points. #TMreviews
— Timm McIntosh (@timmmc) October 2, 2012

My initial tweet kind of says it all. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix are very, very good (yes, Oscar level good), but overall, the film wasn't the film I was hoping for. Elements of the film seemed to build to something spectacular at various points in the film, but it never quite reached that level. The end result was something uneven, somewhat boring, and ultimately rather indulgent. Very disappointing.

Oscar Watch 2012

I'm once again going to attempt to see all the movies with crazy "Oscar buzz", if you will, following my adventures in 2010 and 2011. I am going to make an effort to keep things brief this year, and have ideas to do so (but will be experimenting in the upcoming week).

In compiling this year's "to watch" list, I encountered GoldDerby.com, a website designed to handicap the award chances of the assorted films. Call me crazy, but that seems as good a place as any to steal my list from. Looking at their results from last year, their odds to be nominated "standings" proved rather accurate, with 8 of their top 9 films actually being nominated... good enough for me. I will copy their whole list after the cut for posterity reasons, but do visit GoldDerby.com for more information. This is going to be a fun couple of months!

I will be posting my first run of reviews (for films I've already seen from the list) sometime this week.

Edit, 12/17/12: I'll be updating this post with links to the posted reviews, periodically. Some links may be broken, if the reviews haven't been posted as I update this post.