I'm saying that I don't want Avatar of The Hurt Locker to win best picture. I'd rather see another film win best picture. Certainly, I would despise Avatar getting carried away with the Oscars because it wasn't as good as District 9. Too overrated, script was horrible, stole many ideas. I don't know much about the indie Hurt Locker, but I'd rather see the spoilers spoil the favorites.

Inglorious Basterds gets my vote for best picture it was very beautifully written and directed. The screen-play was very original (Unlike Avatar). Avatar better not win best picture. It wasn't very good. District 9 and Star Trek were far superior Sci-Fi films.

A short comment to Tony Jones: Metacritic is an aggregator site. It is not evaluating these movies--it is using pre-Oscar awards and other criteria to determine who is likely to win each award, not who should win. It has done its duty marvelously and respectably, and is not beholden to your own misconception about what this site does, and what this article claims.

Your snide comment regarding whether anyone knows something about filmmaking is itself an odd one, since you claim moments later that a film shot in front of a green screen should not be a contender for a cinematography award. I am sure any filmmaker, even an amateur one, could tell you--reasonably so--that the images you see were the work of talented visual artists that created those images. I highly doubt that the great Mauro Fiore would agree with your assessment. He created beautiful lighting and sumptuous color palettes. This may shock you, but Avatar did not spring from the minds of robots, but is the result of creative people that designed an attractive world with a look all its own. You should be ashamed for diminishing their work with some fictional proclamation of your filmmaking knowledge. That is the way of the Internet, though, isn't it? You lift your opinion up on a pedestal by way of reducing those of others, simply because they do not mirror your own.

To tb: You will no longer watch the Oscars if Avatar does not win Best Picture? This sort of proclamation always amazes me, a toddler's tantrum in which you accomplish nothing, but simply whine because someone may not tell you what you want to hear. Shockingly, many people feel Avatar is the least deserving winner, due to its simple storytelling and clear stereotypes. I do not believe that Avatar is a worthy Oscar winner, myself; I enjoyed it but cannot respect a film that tells such an old story, littered with story inconsistencies and abysmal dialogue. Native stereotypes, cigar-chomping militants, yee-haw pilots--why bother with three dimensions, when your characters only have one? Regardless, should Avatar win, I will shake my head, appreciate the movie for the strengths it does possess, and move on. I can do this because the Academy Awards are not about me, and do not have a responsibility to cater to me, though it seems you believe that it the Academy and its voters have a responsibility to you. Modern day US (and there is no chance you are not American) has given rise to an incredibly selfish me-oriented society, in which everyone's need to be heard and everyone insists that they are so indisputably "right" about every syllable that pours out of their mouths. There is an entire world of opinions out there. Free yourselves from the confines of your small minds and discover them--and discover how rich you feel when you can acknowledge them without sobbing and banging your fists against the virtual walls of the Internet.

Mulligan deserves the Oscar. Her performance was amazing and moved me far more than Bullock's.

The Hurt Locker ranks with Platoon, Saving Private Ryan, and Letter From Iwo Jima as one of the greatest war film of the last 30 years. It's a near perfect movie, and it winning would almost make up for me the travest of Crash winning over my favorite movie of the Decade 4 years ago.

I am continuning my predictions for the Oscars. Best Supporting Actor and Actress
1. Christolph Waltz was the best villain since Heath Ledger and Javier Bardem. However, he added charm and wit to an evil character who happens to be a Nazi leader or "the Jewish Hunter". Every scene he steps into becomes a new scene to cherish. He remained consistent in keeping all these tones in place, and deserves his oscar tomorrow night.

2. Stanley Tucci was the other performance I have seen here, but come on he was in the lovely bones. That was one of my worst films of the year. His performance was good, but if you're looking for a better performance in a portrayl simlar to Tucci; watch Jackie Earle Haley in Little Children. No chance of winning tomorrow night.

1. Mo'Nique without question deserves Best Supporting Actress, because she was frightening and memorable as the mother from Hell in Precious. If she loses, they must have had a computer difficulty, and it would be almost as bad as when Bush won again.

2. Both stars from Up in the Air were excellent. Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick got their feet wet and delivered, and if it was a different year these two would be duking it out.

Best Actress
1. Carrie Mulligan deserves the Oscar, because of all the dimensions she had to express on the screen in An Education. This is my second upset of the night, because it was her first role and she reminded me of Audrey Hepburn. This is the next Kate Winslet.

2. Gabourey Sidibe was great as the abused daughter in search of a better life. She felt authentic with her emotions and raw acting. Loved it. Would not mind if she won.

3. Sandra Bullock better not win tomorrow. This is not an Oscar worthy performance, and she does not have a strong enough body of work to win because it's her time. Come on! Some people are calling this an Erin Brockovich type year, but Julia Roberts had a hell of performance and deserved her Oscar. Just because you do mainly comedies and then have a dramtic turn does not mean you should be winning all these awards. She did not deserve the nomination, and it really pisses me off that she might win tomorrow.

Sadly, I have not seen Meryl Streep yet, but I hope she wins over Bullock; God help us all.

Best Actor
1. George Clooney was superb as Ryan Bingham in Up in the Air. He was able to be focused on just work and then realized that life is better than a gold plated visa card or a name on a blimp. It was a heartbreaking and inspiring role.

2. Jeremy Renner was excellent as the war addicted soldier in a film I didn't care for. He was dangerous and believable as a war addicted soldier. Would not be upset if he won as much as I did not like the hurt locker.

Sadly, I have not seen Crazy Heart but I think "the dude" has it in the bag.

The 82nd Academy Awards are tomorrow and I have seen all the Best Picture Nominees. I will rank them from one to ten, and go through my analysis of who will win in each category. There are four major upsets I believe will occur, and I'm sticking to them. Here goes...

1. Inglourious Basterds, this film deserves Best Picture without question. This is Tarantino's masterpiece, because he reinvented his idea of a time that was grim and frightening and made it entertaining, funny, and tense. From the first ten minutes, I was hooked and never wanted it to end. The length of the film did not bother me at all, because all of the acting, directing, dialogue, and twists kept me intrigued. Tarantino deserves respect for this film, and it would be a shame if he lost Best Picture again. I'm picking Basterds in an upset, because of Weinstein who pulled off the two hugest upsets in Academy Award History; Crash beating Brokeback Mountain, and Shakespeare In Love beating Saving Private Ryan. In addition, Basterds won the SAG ensemle award, and the Actors make up the largest branch of voters in the Academy. That's a BINGO!!!

2. Up in the Air, what a beautiful and hip way of looking at our current economic state, as well as our future position. Clooney was excellent as a dispatcher who surprisingly fell in love, thanks to the sexy and sassy Vera Farmiga. Their chemistry in this film reminded me of Frank Capra's It Happened One Night. Jason Reitman has mastered in taking a sad or depressing topic and shedding an uplifting perspective of how one deals with it. This film has been either loved hated or eh, but I love this film, because nobody else had the balls to say here's where we are, but here's how we can deal with it and possibly make it back to the good days of economic success.

3. An Education, a film that many of you may not have seen. I was blindsided by newcomer Carrie Mulligan's performance. She had to balance several different moods, and she mastered all different levels of the moods given. She is the rebirth of Audrey Hepburn, and if this is an indication of what's to come then sign me up for registration. The supporting cast must be recognized too; Peter Sarsgard deserved a nomination as a charming yet manipulative and shady con man in his portrayl of David and Alfred Molina was a pleasure to watch as Jenny's father. If this film is at the multiplex near you, go get An Education it'll be worth it.

4. Avatar, yes it lacked in certain parts like the screenplay, but it was a hell of a movie going experience. The visuals are spellbinding in 2d or 3d, and it does not lose its impact after repeat viewings. Stop backlashing Cameron, because if he would not have won for the most overrated movie of all time, you would be going Navi crazy tomorrow night. Titanic was good not great, and if you take away the major tragedy of the shipwreck that movie wins an estimate of zero oscars. Avatar has taken a step in CGI filmmaking, but it is not the best picture of the year. However, if it won I would not be a Navi Nazi.

5. A Serious Man, my favorite Directors and Writers have done it again with this tale of a Jewish man who takes life for granted although he doesn't intend to. His life is taken seriously with his work as a Physics professor, but he lacks seriousness in the family and other places in his life. A simple "hey what's going on here" gets a eh nothing response, and Larry Gopnick walks away. I feel bad for the man as he deals with his wife cheating on him with a man whose 20 years older than him, and an Asian kid and father who try to double cross him and get a passing grade in Physics, and even sadder Three Rabiis who are wise who give him less hope than he had before meeting them. This film deals with life and its uncontrollable occurences, and how sometimes being a serious man is held at how you deal with things not how God or Shem can help you through them. Although, it has no chance of winning, I rank it as four because it is a film that stood out and kept me thinking about life. A great film that should be taken seriously, go rent it on dvd.

6. Up, I had doubts about this tale of a grumpy old man and his baloon house idea. Wow, I quickly regretted my opinion and witnessed a true animated gem. The first ten minute montage made me emotional, luckily I had on my 3d shades. It was beautiful to see this man live out his wife and childhood sweetheart's dream of soaring through South America. Then adding the kid who does not have a father figure but still remains a happy go lucky human. Add in talking dogs and tons of adventure, and the most inspiring line this year "go make your own adventure"; then you have a film that is a must see. Get UP and go see this film. Would love to see it win, but sadly no chance.

7. District 9, a more creative alien story by Peter Jackson. This makes up for the painful and abstract lovely bones. This film was tense and a sci fi feast to endure, because it was a documentary style film with aliens but you felt sympathetic for the way these aliens were mistreated and their lifelong dream of returning to their promised land being such a tremendous accomplishment. They even have alien warlords, come one this film was a fun time at the movies. Sharito's debut as a journalist just trying to do his job, and then becomes involved with these aliens unintentionally is great storytelling. One of my favorites of the year, but no chance.

8. Precious, a film that is shocking and gut wrenching. Gabourey Sidibe was fantastic as an illeterate, pregnant, and abused mentally and physically teenager growing up in rougher streets of Harlem. She was given no options of a better life, but found ways to get her life on the right path and make her dreams come true. The abusive mother wants to make it impossible for poor precious to make something of herself, she is played unforgettably by sure fire winner Monique. Its not that I did not care for Precious, I just see the previous seven as films that deserve best picture more.

9. The Hurt Locker, yes that's right I am not on this bandwagon of praise. Two things that I enjoyed about this film; Jeremy Renner as war addicted soldier and Anthony Mackie as a soldier in search of returning home. That's it. I have seen excellent war films in the past such as the Deer Hunter and Platoon. This is not one of them, it was not gripping, because of the direction and the weak screenplay of Mark Boal. Why have all these subplot stories like the kid who sells bootlegs, and what was the deal with the lead soldier going to that house where the kid was supposed to be. There were scenes that seemed out of place, for instance that iraq man covered in bombs with a chain who only has two min to survive. It felt like a scene out of the saw franchise. More irritating was the documentary style filmmaking for a war film, especially Iraq. It was not pulling me in, it just felt slow and kept me waiting for the movie to end. I pray that this film does not win Best Picture, because it was just so so, and the 7 above are much more worthy of the Best Picture win. Plus, if this film was intended to make Americans feel symapthetic about how different soldiers deal with their war life, how come the producer sends emails bashing Avatar instead of being a representative of a film that people praised and enjoyed despite its low budget. In addition, soldiers are saying this is not remotely close to what life is like on the battelfield. Sounds like a bunch of bs too me, and an attempt to get awards instead of making a film that has meaning to us.

10. The Blind Side, does not deserve to be in this field at all. Sandra Bullock's performance could have been done by any actress; just have a sad face, southern voice, and look pretty. This film is exactly what the trailer makes it out to be, a predictable story about a rich woman in the south who takes in a poor African American, who has bigger dreams. Ugh, this film was melodramatic at its finest, and I hate melodramas. It was slow paced, and every scene in the projects was over the top and not needed. If this is based on a true story, why add that crap in this film. It just adds more junk to an already garbage film. This stole 500 Days of Summer's slot, and I hope this film and others similar never smell the Oscar ballot again.

Movie Guy Out

i wish that the secret in their eyes (el secreto de sus ojos) take the oscar