Movie Review: Toy Story 3

Toy Story 3 dares to explore what happens when kids outgrow their toys.  The toys, who are sentient unbeknownst to their owner, must face their fate.  Do toys go to college with the kid, to the attic, to another home, or just the junk yard?

This movie explores every angle.  It does it with fun, humor, heart, and even one particularly scary moment that only makes you appreciate the characters even more.

The movie integrates a ton of new characters (see the poster attached to this review) but without detracting or devaluing the established characters we know & love.  And, it has a nice way of re-introducing the core characters in a very funny & exciting opening scene.

I was a little surprised that I wasn't quite moved to tears by the emotional ending.  Maybe I will be upon repeat viewing in private.  There is one scene, however, involving a tortilla -- yes, a tortilla -- that is so bizarrely hilarious that it triggered tears of laughter.  For humorous subplots, a close 2nd goes to -- without getting spoilery -- a very different kind of Buzz Lightyear.  ;)

This movie is a perfect way of wrapping up the Toy Story trilogy but could also work as a stand-alone story.  It's equally great for kids & adults.  Like all Pixar movies, it looks amazing.

About the only very minor flaws are that the point of the plot is driven home a little often, to the point that it feels like beating a dead horse, and that the evil Zurg doesn't make a cameo until the closing credits (I was hoping for a Zurg & Buzz father-son reunion).  My only other complaint is that the movie didn't send me out of the theater "pumped" about it afterwards, but I can't deny a quiet appreciation for how well it was made.

I may change my mind later, but my initial gut reaction is that the movie deserves a letter grade of "A" which in my scale translates to 5 out of 5 stars.  And, in terms of Pixar movies, TS1 & TS2 are a little lower down the list for me, but I think TS3 is 2nd only to Finding Nemo.

Letter Grade:  A

5-Star Scale:  5 out of 5 stars

*Revised* 2009 Movie Rankings: 23, Not 22, Movies; I Forgot About "Taken"

I keep forgetting to include "Taken" among my movies that I saw in 2009. IMDb.com lists it as a 2008 movie because it was released in 2008 in a few dozen countries, but it didn't make it to the U.S. until 2009.

I admit, "Taken" is another 2009 movie I didn't see in theaters, though I always meant to. I saw it on DVD at a friend's house and then rented it via TiVo a few months later. But, I'm still counting it.

I'm glad to count it, as it was one of the best movies of 2009. It was a surprisingly well written action movie about a character, played with perfection by Liam Neeson, that is smart, capable, and fast on his feet but without seeming superhuman. It's relentless & fast paced but without feeling spastic or lacking a human element. It's like a Daniel Craig-era Bond movie or a Jason Bourne movie without the memory loss subplot.

So, here's my revised list of 23, not 22, movies I saw in 2009...

All 23 Movies I Saw In 2009

23. (F) Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen
22. (C-) Push
21. (C) The Soloist
20. (C+) G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
19. (C+) District 9
18. (B-) Monsters vs. Aliens
17. (B-) X-Men Origins: Wolverine
16. (B-) Terminator Salvation
15. (B) The Proposal
14. (B) Julie & Julia
13. (B) 2012
12. (B) Moon
11. (B) Sherlock Holmes
10. (B) Avatar
09. (B+) 500 Days of Summer
08. (B+) Gran Torino
07. (B+) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
06. (B+) The Time Traveler’s Wife
05. (B+) Watchmen

04. (B+) Taken
03. (A-) Up
02. (A-) The Blind Side
01. (A) Star Trek

Note: I just got back from seeing Avatar a 2nd time, this time in 3-D. I know I may be in the minority on this, but I still have to give it a B, not a B+. Despite how amazing it looked, I still got a little bored both times. Without a less predictable story and multidimensional characters, it's not much more than an exercise in amazing special effects. I'm not alone. I've read reviews where the writer has said you could turn the volume down on the movie or listen to an iPod while you watch, and it would still be amazing. Sorry, not good enough for me. I don't want *just* great visuals. I'd rather have lesser visuals if it means a greater story. In fact, even the story wouldn't be so bad if not for so many aspects of it feeling done before. Don't get me wrong, the movie overall was still good, just not great.

My Ranks for All Twenty-Two 2009 Movies I Saw This Year

This wasn't a great year for movies. Last summer's big three were The Dark Knight, Iron Man, and Wall-E -- and that was just the summer. This year didn't seem as big. Sure, the Star Trek franchise was resurrected with a shockingly good reboot/re-imagining, and The Blind Side was a surprising Thanksgiving success that continues to sell out and earned Sandra Bullock a Golden Globe nomination. But, the year also gave us one of the worst movies all time with Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen.

There weren't enough excellent movies to have a top 10 list of 2009, so I'll just rank all 22 that I saw, from worst to best. I admit, I saw Push, The Soloist, and The Proposal on DVD rather than the big screen, but as 2009 movies, I'm still counting them.

All 22 Movies I Saw In 2009

22. (F) Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen
21. (C-) Push
20. (C) The Soloist
19. (C+) G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
18. (C+) District 9
17. (B-) Monsters vs. Aliens
16. (B-) X-Men Origins: Wolverine
15. (B-) Terminator Salvation
14. (B) The Proposal
13. (B) Julie & Julia
12. (B) 2012
11. (B) Moon
10. (B) Sherlock Holmes
09. (B) Avatar
08. (B+) 500 Days of Summer
07. (B+) Gran Torino
06. (B+) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
05. (B+) The Time Traveler’s Wife
04. (B+) Watchmen
03. (A-) Up
02. (A-) The Blind Side
01. (A) Star Trek

My Top 30 Favorite Films of the Decade (2000 - 2009)

It's always so hard to rank movies (TV shows too). There are so many factors to consider, so many shades of grey.

Some movies are fresh on your mind. Some you're having to judge based on memories of when you saw them several years ago. For instance, I constantly wonder whether "Under the Tuscan Sun" should be one of only nine movie to which I give the ultimate A+ grade. At one time, I must have thought so. I haven't gotten around to watching it lately, so as odd as it feels to say it's better than "The Dark Knight" or even "Iron Man," I'm going to have to go on my opinion of it that is several years old.

Then there's the conflict between objective observation of quality and inexplicable personal appeal. In other words, the best movies and your favorite movies aren't always the same things. Sometimes a movie blows you away the first time, but you have little or no interest in seeing it again. "Memento" would be an excellent example of this. Other times, a flawed or less ambitious movie still has higher re-watch factor, such as "Love Actually" or "Frequency."

Anyway, here's my best attempt to rank the best -- uhm, I mean, my favorite -- movies of the 2000 - 2009 decade. I may change my mind on half of it later, but it'll do for now:

30. The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)
29. Akeelah and the Bee (2006)
28. X2: X-Men United (2003)
27. Watchmen (2009)
26. The Prestige (2006)
25. Children of Men (2006)
24. Monsters, Inc. (2001)
23. Ocean's 12 (2004)
22. The Queen (2006)
21. Up (2009)
20. Waitress (2007)
19. Serenity (2005)
18. The Lake House (2006)
17. Spider-Man (2002)
16. Cars (2006)
15. Wall-E (2008)
14. Love Actually (2003)
13. Batman Begins (2005)
12. The Blind Side (2009)
11. Ocean's 13 (2007)
10. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
09. Iron Man (2008)
08. Star Trek (2009)
07. Ocean's 11 (2001)
06. Finding Nemo (2003)
05. The Dark Knight (2008)
04. Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)
03. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
02. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
01. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003)

Honorable Mentions: The Bourne Trilogy (2002/2004/2007), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009), Charlie Wilson's War (2007), Gran Torino (2009), Casino Royale (2006), 500 Days of Summer (2009), United 93 (2006), The Bucket List (2008), The Terminal (2004), Slumdog Millionaire (2008), and Frequency (2000).

Yes, "Avatar" is intentionally left out. It's on the borderline. It looked good, but the story was a little weak & unoriginal. All the super-glowing reviews I've heard for it on blogs & podcasts -- even the ones from people who admitted the flaws in the story -- come from people who saw it in 3-D. When I went, it was sold out in 3-D. It looked great in 2-D, but I've heard it's just not the same. I'm tempted to see it again, this time in 3-D, to see if the increase in quality raises my opinion of it from B to B+. If so, then it will be an Honorable Mention of the decade too.

And, I'm sure my Facebook friends are tired of excuses I find to mention this, but I think it can't be said enough... The worst movie of 2009, one of the worst cinematic travesties of the decade, and yes, one of the worst movies of all time was, sadly & shamefully, "Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen." It joins the ranks of other Grade-F movies "Highlander 2: The Quickening," "Event Horizon," "Batman & Robin," "Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows," and "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier."

2009 Oscar Picks

The Oscars are tonight. Real quick, before they air, my wishes and predictions are below.

Best Picture

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

1st Choice: Slumdog Millionaire
2nd Choice: Frost/Nixon
3rd Choice: Benjamin Button
4th Choice: The Reader
(Didn’t see Milk.)
All four that I saw were good, but only Slumdog Millionaire left me a complete sense of satisfaction. Benjamin Button, while containing a lot of nice technical achievements, was a little over-rated story-wise. And, neither Frost/Nixon nor The Reader were quite as engaging and enthralling as I think they were meant to be. After seeing four of these movies now, I will join many others who claim that, despite being a summer popcorn movie based on a comic book, The Dark Knight *really* does deserve to be in this list. It is no less special, epic, emotional, engaging, or well made than the ones actually nominated. I didn’t get around to seeing WALL-E a 2nd time to see if I thought it deserved to be in this list, but I do remember enjoying it more than I enjoyed The Reader.

Best Director

• David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
  
• Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
  
• Stephen Daldry - The Reader
  
• Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon
  
• Gus Van Sant - Milk
  

Similar opinion as above. Same order of preference. There’s no reason Christopher Nolan shouldn’t be in this list.

Best Actor

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

From all the hype, it sounds like Mickey Rourke is a lock, but I saw The Wrestler yesterday, and I just wasn’t as impressed as the rest of the world. I like Brad Pitt (not for the reasons ladies like him); I think he’s capable, watchable, and likable. But, I wasn’t blown away by his performance. Having not seen Milk or The Visitor, Langella gets my vote by default.

Best Actress

• Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
  
• Angelina Jolie - Changeling
  
• Melissa Leo - Frozen River
  
• Meryl Streep - Doubt
  
• Kate Winselt - The Reader
  

The only two I saw here were The Reader and Changeling. I’m doubting Angelina Jolie is not much of a contender for this, especially with Winslet & Streep in the mix, but I actually liked her performance. From what I’ve heard, Hathaway has a good shot, but that movie, or at least her character in that movie, didn’t look very watchable to me from the trailers & clips I saw of it.

Best Supporting Actor

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

A default vote, since The Dark Knight was the only movie here I saw. But, Ledger is a lock. I have a hard time imagining anyone else winning, regardless of the reasons people voted the way they did. And, he definitely deserves to be nominated to say the least.

Best Supporting Actress

• Amy Adams - Doubt
  
• Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
  
• Viola Davis - Doubt
  
• Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
  
• Maria Tomei - The Wrestler
  

I only saw Button & Wrestler. It sounds like Tomei may be a favorite for this, and she was good in her small role. However, I can’t help but wonder, was her emoting and delivery of lines enough to get her the nomination, or does the Academy give extra credit whenever an actress spins on a pole, wears a fishnet body stocking, bends over to the camera wearing a thong, and lets the makeup department litter her body with fake tattoos and nipple piercings. I’ll go with Taraji P. Henson, even though I think she’s a long shot.

Best Original Screenplay

• WALL-E
  
• Happy-Go-Lucky
  
• Frozen River
  
• In Bruges
  
• Milk
  

Another default vote. WALL-E was the only one I saw. I’ve read good things about In Bruges and Happy-Go-Lucky. I’m intrigued enough that I might check them out on video someday.

Best Adapted Screenplay

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
  
• Frost/Nixon
  
• The Reader
  
• Slumdog Millionaire
  
• Doubt
  

My choices here have the exact same order of preference as my Best Picture and Best Director picks.

Best Animated Feature

• Bolt
  
• Kung-Fu Panda
  
• WALL-E
  

Didn’t see Kung-Fu Panda though I’ve heard it’s good. Bolt was good, but not *quite* as good as I was hoping. In fact, my broadest complaint with it is that it felt a little short on overall quality compared to a Pixar movie. So, no brainer, it’s WALL-E.

Best Cinematography

• Changeling
  
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
  
• The Dark Knight
  
• The Reader
  
• Slumdog Millionaire
  

1st Choice: Slumdog Millionaire
2nd Choice: The Dark Knight (very, very, very close 2nd; virtually a tie)
3rd Choice: Changeling
4th Choice: Ben. Button
5th Choice: The Reader
Ooh, tough, tough, category. Slumdog felt unique in it’s overall look. It was at time lively and kinetic but without using an excess of shaky-cam, which is about the only thing that keeps The Dark Knight from being my #1 pick. I liked the visual look & feel of Changeling. The camerawork in Benjamin Button was good, but I can’t remember any particular impressive scenes. And, I’m not entirely sure why The Reader is in the list.

Best Costume Design

• Australia
  
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
  
• The Duchess
  
• Milk
  
• Revolutionary Road
  

A default vote. Button is the only one I saw.

Best Film Editing

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
  
• The Dark Knight
  
• Frost/Nixon
  
• Milk
  
• Slumdog Millionaire
  

Slumdog did such a good job cutting between the different time periods & settings. It was a little confusing in the beginning, but I like how things come together in the end. I think the editing had to be done carefully to balance all the elements.

Best Makeup

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
  
• The Dark Knight
  
• Hellboy II: The Golden Army
  

Excellent category. Benjamin Button had people looking different ages, and Dark Knight had the deformities of the Joker & Two-Face (although much of Two-Face’s look was done digitally). But, the makeup work done in Hellboy II was original, diverse, extensive, creative, and impressive.

Best Original Score

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
  
• Defiance
  
• Milk
  
• Slumdog Millionaire
  
• WALL-E
  

I don’t notice music too much in movies, but I think Slumdog may have stood out here.

Best Original Song

• “Down to Earth” from WALL-E
  
• “Jai Ho” from Slumdog Millionaire
  
• “O Saya” from Slumdog Millionaire
  

Sort of a default vote for WALL-E. Although I saw Slumdog, I wouldn’t have understood the words in the songs. Why are there only three nominees instead of five? Did enough people complain about the live performances of the Best Song nominees that they shrank the list?

Best Sound Editing

• The Dark Knight
  
• Iron Man
  
• Slumdog Millionaire
  
• WALL-E
  
• Wanted
  

I’m no expert on sound, but since there’s no dialogue in the first half of WALL-E, the strength of the movie relies on two main things: images and sounds effects. I think WALL-E is a lock for one, if not both, of the sound awards.

Best Sound Mixing

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
  
• The Dark Knight
  
• Slumdog Millionaire
  
• WALL-E
  
• Wanted
  

Same opinion as for Best Sound Editing.

Best Visual Effects

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
  
• The Dark Knight
  
• Iron Man
  

Another really great category. With all the armor, computer screens, and in-helmet displays done by computer graphics, I’d be shocked if Iron Man didn’t win. But, there again, I almost forgot about the digital effects used to make Harvey Dent look like Two-Face in The Dark Knight. While equally excellent in quality, I think Iron Man is still more deserving when you factor in quantity of effects.


EDIT
I neglected to include Best Art Direction. Out of the three I saw, I would have preferred The Dark Knight or Changeling to win, but Benjamin Button got it instead.

My Ratings for Oscar-Nominated Movies

My list of movies I’ve seen that are getting two or more Oscar nominations each, along with my letter grade and the list of nominations for each:

(A) Iron Man - 2 Nominations

• Best Sound Editing
  
• Best Visual Effects
  

(A) WALL-E - 6 Nominations

• Best Animated Feature
  
• Best Original Screenplay - Andrew Stantion, Jim Reardon, and Pete Docter
  
• Best Original Score
  
• Best Original Song - “Down to Earth”
  
• Best Sound Editing
  
• Best Sound Mixing
  

(A) The Dark Knight - 8 Nominations

• Best Supporting Actor - Heath Ledger
  
• Best Cinematography
  
• Best Film Editing
  
• Best Art Direction
  
• Best Makeup
  
• Best Sound Editing
  
• Best Sound Mixing
  
• Best Visual Effects
  

(B+) Changeling - 3 Nominations

• Best Lead Actress - Angelina Jolie
  
• Best Art Direction
  
• Best Cinematography
  

(A-) Slumdog Millionaire - 10 Nominations

• Best Picture
  
• Best Director - Danny Boyle
  
• Best Adapted Screenplay - Simon Beaufoy
  
• Best Cinematography
  
• Best Film Editing
  
• Best Original Score
  
• Best Original Song - “Jai Ho”
  
• Best Original Song - “O Saya”
  
• Best Sound Editing
  
• Best Sound Mixing
  

(B+) Frost/Nixon - 5 Nominations

• Best Picture
  
• Best Director - Ron Howard
  
• Best Lead Actor - Frank Langella
  
• Best Adapted Screenplay - Peter Morgan
  
• Best Film Editing
  

(B) The Reader - 5 Nominations

• Best Picture
  
• Best Director - Stephen Daltry
  
• Best Actress - Kate Winslet
  
• Best Adapted Screenplay - David Hare
  
• Best Cinematography
  

(B-) The Wrestler - 2 Nominations

• Best Lead Actor - Mickey Rourke
  
• Best Supporting Actress - Marisa Tomei
  

(B+) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - 13 Nominations

• Best Picture
  
• Best Director - David Fincher
  
• Best Actor - Brad Pitt
  
• Best Supporting Actress - Taraji P. Henson
  
• Best Adapted Screenplay - Eric Roth & Robin Swicord
  
• Best Cinematography
  
• Best Film Editing
  
• Best Art Direction
  
• Best Costume Design
  
• Best Makeup
  
• Best Original Score
  
• Best Sound Mixing
  
• Best Visual Effects
  

Partial Best Picture Commentary

For some reason, it's been hard for me to keep in the habit of blogging for the last few months, including doing full-fledged movie reviews, but I still have a tendency to leave comments on other people's blogs.

Quoted below is the comment I made to an entry about the Best Picture nominated film Frost/Nixon over at TheReelAddict.com. The writer of the original post said they were having trouble "getting" Frost/Nixon. My comment strays a bit into my overall opinion of this year's Best Picture nominees.

I know what you mean. I have similar feeling about all four of the five Best Picture nominees I’ve seen. They’re good, but not quite *that* good. Slumdog Millionaire comes the closest to having a complete, epic, well rounded story with a satisfying emotional payoff at the end (even if the plot depends too much on a convenient series of coincidences).

I feel that the strength of Frost/Nixon was in the performances which play very well, sometimes in very intense close-up monologues. I also noticed the similarities between Frost/Nixon and sports movies. But, that’s one of the elements I actually liked. It was interesting to see Frost & Nixon spar for a while, then go back to their respective corners to re-group and then break between rounds. It felt like a boxing match. I don’t like sports, particularly boxing, but it was interesting to me to see the typical sports formula applied to a long interview where words were flying rather than fists. I liked that twist.

The biggest problem with this movie and other Oscar nominees from this year and other years is what I call the “so what” factor. Sometimes, I watch a movie and no matter how well made it was or how much I respect the performances, I still feel like, “Eh, so what.”

Did I learn anything, did I get excited, did I laugh a lot, did I almost tear up a little, am I more relaxed or in a better mood for having seen the movie? If the answer to all those questions is “no,” then the movie didn’t quite hit every mark. I sort of learned some things about both Frost & Nixon through the movie, but with biopics, it’s always hard to tell what’s true and what’s creative license.

As good as Kate Winslet’s performance was, I feel that The Reader definitely missed on all those marks. While I may sound like the typical geek (which I am), I’m more convinced now that The Dark Knight should have at least been nominated. For a comic book movie, it had all the high production values and top caliber performances you’d expect from an Oscar-worthy movie, but it was also written well and covered a lot of moral and philosophical issues without being depressing or draining. I might need to see Wall-E again to determine if I’d feel the same way about it (as good as it was, I think my expectations for it were *even higher* which clouded my opinion of it).

Frost/Nixon would be my 3rd choice for Best Picture after Slumdog Millionaire (1st) and Benjamin Button (2nd choice; also less emotional gravitas than it’s given credit for).

2008 Oscar Picks

The Oscars are tonight. Real quick, before they air, my wishes and predictions are below.

Best Picture

• Atonement


• Juno


• Michael Clayton


• No Country for Old Men


• There Will Be Blood

I'm not as enthused about the Oscars this year, so this was the only category in which I was determined to see all five nominees.

1st Choice: Juno
2nd Choice: There Will Be Blood
3rd Choice: No Country for Old Men
4th Choice: Michael Clayton
5th Choice: Atonement

Achievement in Directing

• Joel & Ethan Coen -- No Country for Old Men


• Paul Thomas Anderson -- There Will Be Blood


• Tony Gilroy -- Michael Clayton


• Jason Reitman -- Juno


• Julian Schnabel -- The Diving Bell and Butterfly

I'd be okay with any of the four I've seen (all but Diving Bell). No strong preference, but I'd say Paul Thomas Anderson is most deserving out of the four.

Best Original Screenplay

• Juno


• Michael Clayton


• Ratatouille


• Lars and the Real Girl


• The Savages

My pick, by far, is Juno. Not a perfect movie or even a perfect script, but one of the sharpest and wittiest scripts to come around in a while.

Best Adapted Screenplay

• Atonement


• Away From Her


• No Country for Old Men


• The Diving Bell and the Butterfly


• There Will Be Blood

My pick is There Will Be Blood. Old Men & Atonement both had problems, and I didn't see the other two.

Best Actor

• George Clooney -- Michael Clayton


• Daniel Day-Lewis -- There Will Be Blood


• Johnny Depp -- Sweeney Todd


• Viggo Mortensen -- Eastern Promises


• Tommy Lee Jones -- In The Valley of Elah

Only say Blood & Michael Clayton, but I'd say this has to go to Daniel Day-Lewis.

Best Actress

• Ellen Page -- Juno


• Julie Christie -- Away From Her


• Marion Cotillard -- La Vie En Rose


• Cate Blanchett -- Elizabeth: The Golden Age


• Laura Linney -- The Savages

Ellen Page, by default. Juno is the only one of the five I saw. I've probably only seen a couple movies with Laura Linney, but I just like her for some reason. So, I'd be okay if she won even though I don't know what The Savages is about.

Best Supporting Actor

• Javier Bardem -- No Country for Old Men


• Tom Wilkinson -- Michael Clayton


• Philip Seymour Hoffman -- Charlie Wilson's War


• Hal Holbrook -- Into the Wild


• Casey Affleck -- The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford

Bardem will probably get this, and that will be okay. But my personal preference is for Hoffman to get it. Charlie Wilson's War deserves more credit.

Best Supporting Actress

• Cate Blanchett -- I'm Not There


• Tilda Swinton -- Michael Clayton


• Amy Ryan -- Gone, Baby, Gone


• Saorise Ronan -- Atonement


• Ruby Dee -- American Gangster

Not much prefernce. I'd say Tilda Swinton was probably a little better than Saorise Ronan and had a bigger role in her movie.

Achievement in Cinematography

• Atonement


• The Diving Bell and the Butterfly


• No Country for Old Men


• There Will Be Blood


• The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford

Tough call between Blood & Old Men, but I lean toward Blood.

Best Film Editing

• The Bourne Ultimatum


• No Country for Old Men


• Into the Wild


• There Will Be Blood


• The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

It would be awesome if Bourne Ultimatum won, and I think it should.

Achievement in Sound Editing

• There Will Be Blood


• The Bourne Ultimatum


• Ratatouille


• No Country for Old Men


• Transformers

Another Blood vote. As long as it's not Transformers.

Achievement in Sound Mixing

• The Bourne Ultimatum


• Ratatouille


• 3:10 to Yuma


• No Country for Old Men


• Transformers

3:10 was the only one I didn't see, and I don't have a preference. Just to make a choice, I'll vote toward No Country for Old Men. As long as it's not Transformers.

Best Art Direction

• Atonement


• Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street


• There Will Be Blood


• American Gangster


• The Golden Compass

Not a great movie, but a good look... I say The Golden Compass.

Best Animated Feature Film

• Surf's Up


• Persepolis


• Ratatouille

Didn't see Surf's Up; wouldn't want to see Persepolis; thinking Ratatouille is over-rated. Rat movie gets my vote by default.

Achievement in Costume Design

• Atonement


• Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street


• Elizabeth: The Golden Age


• Across the Universe


• La Vie En Rose

Only saw Atonement, but I'd say it's deserving enough.

Best Visual Effects

• The Golden Compass


• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End


• Transformers

Wouldn't want to see Pirates; was disappointed in the other two. My preference leans toward The Golden Compass.

Movie Review Catch-Up: Just the Scores for Now

Unfortunately, I've gotten waaay behind on blogging, in general, and more specifically, I haven't been reviewing the movies I've been seeing. Maybe it's a habit I'll bet back into. I definitely hope so.

I may catch up on full reviews or at least brief reviews of the movies I've seen over the past few months. But, with the Oscars coming tonight, I thought I would at least give my scores & ratings for each movie.

Michael Clayton

Story / Script
Acting
Directing
Visuals
-----
/ Overall

Beowulf

Story / Script
Acting
Directing
Visuals
-----
/ Overall

No Country for Old Men

Story / Script
Acting
Directing
Visuals
-----
/ Overall

The Golden Compass

Story / Script
Acting
Directing
Visuals
-----
/ Overall

Alien vs. Predator 2: Requiem

Story / Script
Acting
Directing
Visuals
-----
/ Overall

National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets

Story / Script
Acting
Directing
Visuals
-----
/ Overall

I Am Legend

Story / Script
Acting
Directing
Visuals
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/ Overall

Juno

Story / Script
Acting
Directing
Visuals
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/ Overall

Charlie Wilson's War

Story / Script
Acting
Directing
Visuals
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/ Overall

Cloverfield

Story / Script
Acting
Directing
Visuals
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/ Overall

Atonement

Story / Script
Acting
Directing
Visuals
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/ Overall

There Will Be Blood

Story / Script
Acting
Directing
Visuals
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/ Overall

The Bucket List

Story / Script
Acting
Directing
Visuals
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/ Overall

Vantage Point

Story / Script
Acting
Directing
Visuals
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/ Overall