Oscar Picks from Someone who has Watched About 25% 15% of the Nominations

Now that the nominations are out, it's time for an acclaimed film critic like myself to give my thoughts on what the finest performances of 2008!

Best supporting actress

Nominees:
Amy Adams - Doubt
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Taraji P Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler

My Pick:
EVA - Wall-E
I haven't seen any of these movies so I'm going to stick with what I know. EVA gave the best performance a white robot that looks a suppository ever can give.

Best Supporting Actor

Nominees:
Josh Brolin - Milk
Robert Downey Jr - Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon - Revolutionary Road

My Pick:
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Gotta go with the Joker here. Sick + twisted = sick wit it.

Best Actress

Nominees:
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Melissa Leo - Frozen River
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Kate Winslet - The Reader

My Pick:
Britney Spears - Her Life
Once again, a bunch of movies I have not seen yet (probably will not see ever). But give it up for Britney huh? She went from shaving her head to having the most annoying song on the radio by far. That HAS to net a golden statue.

Best Actor

Nominees:
Richard Jenkins - The Visitor
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn - Milk
Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

My Pick:
Tony Starks - Ironman
Alright so the only movie I saw out of the nominees was Milk, and Sean Penn was amazing in it, but c'mon, Tony Starks starred in the first comic book movie I ever liked. He was one of the coolest movie characters I have ever seen and deserves a statue for being so. A solid gold rendition of Ironman molded in the same position as the Oscar statues.

Best Picture

Nominees:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

My Pick:
Slumdog Millionaire
Alright so we all know the Dark Knight was snubbed for the nomination. We also all know (by this point) that my pick does not necessarily reflect a film that has been nominated. But honestly, Slumdog is the movie of the year. Dark Knight is cool as hell to watch but Slumdog is cool as hell to watch AND poignant. And they play Sigur Ros - Hoppipola in the trailer too. Also cool as hell. If you haven't seen it, it is a must watch.

You Really Got Me 2007

Did anyone else think that 2007 was a f*ckin awesome year for movies? Considering that there are still at least a handful of movies I want to watch, it seems that the studios really delivered this past year. Here's a quick recap of what I thought were the highlights:

Ratatouille

Best. Pixar. Movie. EVER. Yes, better than Toy Story. An awesome story about reading beyond the cover of a book through the story's unlikely heroes. Plus, the visuals were absolutley mesmerizing. When you see Remy going through the sewers, you realize how far Pixar has come.

Once

The raw feel of the movie really emphasized what a gritty task chasing your dreams can be. I think it gave a very robust picture of human interactions, desire, and the "human spirit".

Superbad

The foulest movie I have seen in a while. This movie made up for a plot that I thought dragged a bit with a plethora of one liners that we will all be reciting when drunk for years to come. You see, the funny thing about my back is...

Knocked Up

Alright, personally, I did not find this movie funny at all. I can't remember any particular scene where I went beyond a mere smirk. However, I think that 'Knocked Up' is a very authentic movie about good intentioned people who f*ck up that you can look back on with a lot of fondness.

Juno

I still think the Moldy Peaches suck but Ellen Paige's razor sharp wit, Michael Cera's honesty, Cat Power, and Belle & Sebastian make this movie a win in my book. And FYI, Paige is wrong. Sonic Youth is not "just noise", it is ART.

A short list I know but unfortunatley I still haven't seen 3:10 to Yuma, Michael Clayton, Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Persepolis, There Will Be Blood, and Eastern Promises (which all look very promising).