OscarPicks2010

A Prophet is about a young Arab man sent to a French prison where he became a drug kingpin. Malik is Arabian (Muslim), most of his inmates are Corsicans so there was a big separation. Malik is known for siding with the enemies. He works for the Corsicans but at the same time bond with the Muslims. Malik is illiterate and has no support outside of prison so his life in jail is all he has. It seems as though Malik has a struggle of character once every five minutes of the film. If he's now doubting his decisions, he's getting his ass kicked by a Corsican. Director Jacques Audiard has done a fine job of creating this complicated yet fragile character that even if you can't understand him, you side with him. The film also demonstrates how a prison might make you do things that you'd never imagined. Filled with violence and gory details, finely crafted, and beautifully cinematographed, A Prophet is one of the best that the French film industry has to offer. (not to mention impressive performances out of the cast)

There was another movie about a similar subject called "The Lottery". The movie was solely about the charter schools lotteries, it wasn't committed on the broken school system. Waiting For Superman is completely different. It took on an in depth look at our public school systems and how damaged it is over the years. It isn't a subject that everyone cares about, but it is definitely an important documentary that Davis Duggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth) wanted people to see.

Sofia Cappola is one of Hollywood's directors that can make silent pauses and no dialogue in between movies so irresistably watchable. Her takes in writing and directing movies within movies isn't new, but there's something new in this, maybe it is in a foreign setting. Movie star Bob Harris (Bill Murray) is going through a mid-life crisis. He went to Tokyo, Japan to promote a liquor drink that was going nowhere. Staying at a hotel and drinking at the bar downstairs everyday, he started seeing a newlywed who's also having a complication in her relationship, Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson). Perhaps the movie's main element isn't the top-notch award-winning script that shaped the movie in every way, or the stylish directing from Sofia Cappola, perhaps it's the unbelievable chemistry between Johansson and Murray (nominated for an Oscar). Lost In Translation really changed Hollywood's perspectives in some ways and Bill Murray/Scarlet Johansson is the best on-screen couple I've seen in years.

A group of people with each of them a criminal record got trapped in an elevator in a building. These people each have a purpose of being in the building at the time, but I guess you can say that the plot rely strictly on coincidence. We never got introduced to the characters themselves besides the detective because we weren't suppose to. As you can already guess {SPOILER}, most if not all of these people die in the end, but the movie never developed the remaining people for us to care for him. Co-written by M. Night Shyamalan, this is probably one of the few better scripts he delivered in the past 5 years. Though I find the subject controversial, director John Eric Dowdle (Quarantine) balanced the film with the same of amount of cinematic tweaks as the religion dialogue. Devil is a great looking religous film, but what it lacks is the force that can drives the film much further.

Marty was the loser whom everyone made fun of in high school including Joanna, her soon-to-be sister in-law. In Marty's opinion, Joanna sing-handedly ruined her life in high school. So the thought of having a sister in-law that was your enemy in high school freaked Marty out. She tries everything to get her brother to realize that Joanna isn't who he thinks she is. Doing everything in her power including destroying her brother's wedding and breaking her brother (literally), Marty, of course realizes that she did the wrong thing. In the end, they get married and lived happily ever after. From the start of the movie, we see they all hated one another and by the end, predictably they made up. The so-called comedy is so dull for the most parts, that only the lowpoints scored giggles. The almost laughter that was probably the highest this comedy can get is between Betty White and Cloris Leachman near the end. You Again's characters are obviously popular, but like the characters themselves, the movie gets old with the predictable story and cheesy dialogue. RazzieBuzz: Worst Actress (Kristen Bell), Worst Picture, Worst Screenplay (if they have this category)

As the critic analysis says, Machete can't be taken seriously and it is nothing but fun, gore, and cartoonish violence. A great summer blockbuster.

Chatting and texting with a woman which he never met in real life for 8 months, Nev Schulman was in love (on Facebook). His brother Ariel decided to film Nev's relationship with "Megan", a girl he met while doing some business with her mother online. Not knowing where the documentary was headed, Ariel's determination proved itself to be worthwhile. More than half of the film is a guy chatting with a girl online, so the premise may make some uncomfortable. But the last 30 minutes of the film unravelled some disturbing moments that you could only imagine. Catfish proved that online dating isn't helping anyone with a problem yet damages them even more. Perhaps the message isn't what a lot of people want to hear since the story might relate to them, but it is the damn truth.

The story about a guy who unintentionally traveled into a world of little people called Liliput. Here, Gulliver (Jack Black) discovered that these people think differently about him than back at where he came from. Back in Mahanttan, Gulliver worked in a mailroom in a writing company and no one knows he exists, which is really typical for a movie like this. He had a long time crush on this girl who writes traveling articles. One day, he walked into her office ready to ask her out and predictably grabbed a packet for a traveling article which requires him to go to sea instead. While driving a boat to the destination, Gulliver fell asleep and went off course into a dangerous spin-off. Astonishingly, Gulliver came out alive but was tied up by the little humans by the time he came to. The little humans thought he was an enemy at first, but by the time the movie's middle appear, you'd already guessed the ending. Jack Black did exactly what he was supposed to do, entertain the audience no matter what it takes (even if showing half of his ass and pissing all over the place in a PG film). But the movie cannot depend on Jack Black to carry it, it needs a better story and a good, surprising ending. In my opinion, with all of Jack Black's childish humor and fine special effects, the film was able to get some laughs out of me. Jack Black has got a charm with him every time he gives a performance so that was enough for the film to pass the 50% mark. Even though the film somewhat entertained me, Gulliver's Travels did not do justice to its source materials (books) and was too predictable that even little kids can figure it out.

Based on a true story of professional boxer Micky Ward, The Fighter is about how Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) fights his way of family and friends to the championship title. **** (Christian Bale), Micky's half-brother and trainer, is a drug addict that always fail to show up for training. Their relationship is complicated because Micky wanted more than just a crackhead brother who doesn't know what he's doing. Supporting along that line come Alice (Mellisa Leo), the brothers' mother and manager, who also wants Micky to stay with her and **** instead of going to someone better. After meeting the love of his life Charlene (Amy Adams), who convinced Micky that his family's no good, he decided to go on and try something else. Success with the new manager and trainer, Micky got the shot of the title match. Mark Walhberg who plays the boxer is to many critics the lowpoint of the film. Everytime the camera focuses on him, it seems like he doesn't have anything to say. Perhaps the writing for Walhberg isn't as concentrated and too vague compare to his co-stars. Walhberg was suppose to carry the film with his role but instead it felt like his co-star Christian Bale did all the heavy lifting. Playing a drug addict who went to jail for resisting arrest and assaulting an officer, Bale (****) was at his best. Emotionally understanding and physically confused by years of sitting on his ass, **** only job was to train his brother into the championship. Bale gave up this amazing vibe that he knows what he's doing but at the same time too confused to do it right. The film, rather than focusing on Mark Walhberg, did a completely different character study on Christian Bale. Carrying along the heavy loads are Mellisa Leo and Amy Adams who played the mother and girlfriend of Walhberg. Leo and Adams had a chemistry in which both hated each other and both share the same goal of helping ****. Delivering explicit lines, Amy Adams is the best I've seen her in years. With two Oscar nominations already, she might even earn her third. Though the cast is above average, the writing in some parts were off. It seems like the writers wanted the actors themselves to carry the film without dialogue. They thought they can depend on the actors, but it is impossible for the actors to do any good without a solid script. David O. Russell finely crafted the film, but at times, it looked as if only the fighting scenes count. Focusing too much on the fights instead aiming to offer drama, he made the movie looked like an ESPN fight show. But set aside all of that, David O. Russell's got a talent in him and the fight scenes do look amazing. Perhaps his biggest contribution to the film is his directing of the cast. The Fighter has a predictable plot yet it pulls out so much depth offered by the cast that we can say The Fighter is finely entertaining. OscarBuzz: Best Picture (with 10 nod this year, it will be nominated), Best Supporting Actor (Christian Bale, win), Best Supporting Actress (Mellisa Leo, Amy Adams, both have a good chance), Best Score, Best Cinematography

This is a drama about an aging professional wrestler (Mickey Rourke), decades past his prime, who now barely gets by working small wrestling shows in VFW halls and as a part-time grocery store employee. As he faces health problems that may end his wrestling career for good he attempts to come to terms with his life outside the ring: by working full time at the grocery store, trying to reconcile with the daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) he abandoned in childhood and forming a closer bond with a stripper (Marisa Tomei) he has romantic feelings for. He struggles with his new life and an offer of a high-profile rematch with his 1980s arch-nemesis, The Ayatollah, which may be his ticket back to ****. Mickey Rourke is always tough, always violent so you can't really expect him to deliver good emotional dialogue. But Rourke said his lines with great emotions and also a sense of toughness underneath. His award-winning performance will be a mark in his long career. Marisa Tomei isn't to be left out either. Playing mom stripper who is attached to this washed-up wresler is probably one of the best thing she done. Looking good yet emotionally strong, Tomei is absolutely perfect for the role. Darren Aronofsky was snubbed from the director race. But the wrestling matches looked stylish and so believable that I think he should've gotten a nod. The Wrestler is a uplifting drama that has a thin premise, but it was built by a great cast and amazing cinematography

Visually stunning and comes with incredibly cool toys, Tron: Legacy still fell flat on the story and had a very dull script. The story is about the son of a virtual world designer (Garret Hedlund) goes looking for his father (Jeff Bridges) and ends up inside the digital world that his father designed. He meets his father's creation, Clue (Jeff Bridges), turned bad and a unique ally who was born inside the digital domain of The Grid. Jeff Bridges played both the role of Kevin Flynn and Clue in this film. If you hadn't notice, they digitally rearranged his face so he'd look like a younger version of himself. Now talk about the 3D, sure the movie looked cool and all but the first thing popping up on the screen was "This film is not all in 3D, some of its parts will be in 2D since it is shot that way." Basically it meant the movie was converted at the end. There was not one scene that was meant for 3D that I can see. Although I loved the way the film looked and how cool the premise is, the 3D is laughable and the dialogue is annoying made Tron:Legacy fell short from its original.

Jack Byrnes was once a comedic character that everyone loved, now he is just an old man who plays with boner pills. Paul Weitz (American Pie) wasn't that bad on the directing but he is going to be hated because of the materials he was given. Writing for the film is John Hamburg (who wrote for all three) just gets worse every time. The materials once in Meet the Parents were relatable, funny, and heart-warming. The materials in Little **** now are just plain insulting to both the trilogy and the stars. Playing Jack Byrnes is the iconic actor Robert de Niro, it is absolutely ridiculous that they gave him jokes like say "The ****" and basing the movie's humour on just the name "****". Ben Stiller isn't anything to blame for because he's always playing roles like this. Little **** is only an unnecessary and insulting addition to the once award-winning trilogy. RazzieBuzz: Worst Couple on Screen (Robert de Niro, Ben Stiller)

The King's Speech is visual stunning with it's fantastic cinematography, dramatic performances from the cast, and it's perfect pacing. The story set back in the early 1930s when World War II was beginning. King George V was serious ill and when he died, he gave the throne to his oldest son. Unfortunately, George's oldest son was dethroned by the Parliment and gave the spot to the next oldest son, (Berty, Colin Firth). Berty became King George VI and carrying on his shoulder the weight of going to war. Giving a wartime speech is clearly very important at the time but it was proven very difficult since Berty had a stammering problem ever since he was little. His wife, Elizabeth, seeked help from a "speech therapist", Lionel (Geoffrey Rush). Although he was helping the king of England, Lionel treats Berty as if he was a normal guy. Earning trust throughout the months from the king, Geoffrey was able to help the king give a decent speech. Predictable, but there wasn't supposed to be any surprises. Colin Firth is perhaps the only actor in Hollywood who can stammer his lines as good as he was in this film. But stammering and pausing in between words isn't going to cut it. Giving an emotional yet humorous performance, Colin Firth has guaranteed himself a spot in this year's Academy Awards. Firth isn't the only one who stood out. His companions Helena Bohem Carter and Geoffrey Rush is probably the best choice for the roles they played. Playing the king's wife and had very little lines, Helena Bohen Carter is still eligible for her second Oscar nomination which she will earn. Geoffrey Rush as a teacher isn't the best idea, but seeing him on screen is gripping in every which way. David Seidler delivered a very top-class script that points towards the Oscars in every direction. Making Colin Firth pausing in between everything he says and Geoffrey Rush's smooth language, Seidler is about to earn himself a first Oscar nomination. Tom Hooper directed this without holding back proving himself to be one of the better directors in Hollywood. Making an R-rated film only because of a few F-words shows that he was willing to make the film for what it is, not to get a larger audience. With great knowledge on the era and fantastic style, Tom Hooper is the guy to watch out for. Solidly written, beautifully cinematographed, elegantly directed, and perfectly acted, The King's Speech might be the Best Picture contender to look out for (The Social Network). OscarBuzz: A lot but here are the major, Best Picture (might win), Best Director (good chance), Best Actor (Colin Firth, might win), Best Supporting Actress (good chance), Best Supporting Actor (Geoffrey Rush, might win), Best Screenplay (good chance) I thought The Social Network was going to definitely win the Best Picture, but after seeing this, I don't know who's going to win anymore. But it is definitely going down to The King's Speech and The Social Network.

Ben Affleck's previous work, Gone Baby Gone, is center around Boston. And in The Town, Ben Affleck revisits his hometown to do nothing more than talk trash on it. He must've really hated this town because both of his movies portrayed nothing but evil of Boston. Nevertheless, The Town is beautifully directed, written with great wit, and acted with much style. The story centers around a bunch of bank robbers who have been successful at what they are doing. But the success comes to an end when Doug (Ben Affleck) decided to have a relationship with hostage Clairre (Rebecca Hall). As the relationship develops, Clairre finds out that Doug is a bank robber and it gets complicated. Meanwhile, Doug was having a casual sexual relationship with his friend's sister Krista (Blake Lively). Being jealous of Clairre, Krista decided to rat Doug and her brother's bank heist to the FBI resulting in a lot of stylized gun fires and great driving scenes. The end is obvious but it has a sad element that Ben Affleck wants the viewers to feel. Writing, acting, and directing the whole film, Affleck's got a lot on his table but still manages to pull off every single role. As a writer, along with two others, Affleck was able to collaborate his knowledge of the Boston language and the wit of actual screen writing. As a director, he was able to direct a great gun fire sequence and a stylish car driving scene. As an actor, Affleck's performance would place second behind Jeremy Renner's. The Oscar winner continues to boost up his already impressive career with The Town. Jeremy Renner isn't new to playing a **** yet violent guy, but he especially stood out here with his badass attitude. Blake Lively's role was small but she gave it her all. You couldn't see her cuss in a Boston accent and have sex with Ben Affleck in Gossip Girl, could you? Well, there's the other reason to check it out. While filled with much thrillers, the film also showed emotions. Helped by one of this year's best ensembled cast and stylish directing by Ben Affleck, The Town is an award-winning film. OscarBuzz: Best Picture (good chance for a nod, not win), Best Screenplay (guarantee a nod, good chance for win), Best Supporting Actor (Jeremy Renner, good chance for a nod and win)

Provided with much details on the fracking of the oil industry and much opinions on the subject, GasLand succeeded of trying to inform the audience yet entertain them at the same time. Although laws have been passed to get rid of this issue, hydraulic drilling is still a concern for people in the certain states. This documentary sets in Pennsylvania, a state in which a lot of people are drinking dirty water because of this crisis. Josh Fox directs and narrates the film with a devastating voice and real emotions. The audience were shocked by the reality and entertained by the burning water. GasLand is the better documentaries of the year. OscarBuzz: Best Documentary (good chance of making it to the top 5)

Wall Street 2 doesn't live up to its original also starring Michael Douglas. It falls flat on every point that it was trying to make, Shia LaBoeuf's performance is a shame, and the movie simply bores. The original with Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen is enjoyable and scandalous, the updated version is dull and annoying. Although Michael Douglas's performance almost match up to his original performance, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps makes us & the money sleep. OscarBuzz: Best Actor (Michael Douglas, very long shot)

Not even halfway through the movie I already hated its guts. The American shows no respect for its film genre, its star, and its premise. Director Anton Corbijin should stick to his short documentaries instead of trying to direct an action thriller. Most of the time the camera is up in Clooney's face, and although his performance is quiet but dangerous, it doesn't make up for all the faults in this film. There were basically no dialogue and when there was, it lacks focus and was all over the place. Spending almost 20 minutes following Clooney around town without doing anything, The American is one of the worst thriller of 2010. Clooney's performance shows promise but the film failed on all other aspects and will/could not be made up by just George Clooney. RazzieBuzz: Worst Director, Worst Screenplay, these are both unlikely because critics liked the film but I put them there just to show how mad I am that George Clooney got involved in this.

Skyline borrowed heavily from Cloverfield but added some twisted elements of its own that is plausable if executed right. Unfortunately, directors Collin/Greg Strause's (Aliens vs Predator) misunderstanding of the plot lead to an excruciating hour and a half of watching blue lights and funny looking aliens. Adding to the bad side of the movie came the dialogue. Laughable yet not funny at all, first time writer Joshua Cordes did an amazing job of trying to earn himself a Razzie award for Worst Screenplay. I can't say anything about the cast because apocalypse movies' cast is always the unknowns and are usually bad. But given all the negatives, I think the visual and CGI effects are a bit wonderful. With everything else aside, this is one of the better effects of the year. With admirable visual effects and CGI, Skyline still failed to deliver a good storyline and solid dialogue.

Hollywood has successfully produced many crappy romantic comedies and made most people bored of rom-coms. I personally hates romantic comedies and doesn't care much for watching them. But given this is R-rated and Justin Long is the lead, I figured I'd give it a chance. Plus, it is my job to watch and review all the films. Going the Distance does a have plot that Hollywood overused, but the likable lead and the supporting cast is irresistably funny that you have to forgive/forget the cliche plot. Drew Barrymore and Justin Long undeniably have great chemistry with one another and they should definitely do more work together. Accompanied by scene-stealer Christina Applegate, Going the Distance's cast couldn't have been better. Sometimes the pacing is off but it was made up by the fast-moving parts of the film. Whenever the director felt that there was a weak spot, he put in some ridiculous jokes or make the cast do something funny to make up for it. At times I felt like the movie is going off somewhere else and not focusing much on the plot. It was helped by the pacing and unoriginal materials, but Going the Distance managed to do certain things that most rom-coms never do, thoroughly entertain its audience.

The book and the 1969 original set very high standards for this Coen Brothers' Western drama, but as high as the standards were set, the Coen Brothers managed achieve the goals or better yet exceeded them. True Grit is about a drunken US Marshal and a **** Texas Ranger helping a stubborn 14 year-old finding her father's murderer. Rooster (Jeff Bridges) was offered $50 to find the murderer for Mattie, played by newcomer Hailee Steinfeld. Meanwhile, Texas Ranger Le Boeuf (Matt Damon) was offered a reward to find the same guy who also killed a Senator. Conflicting each other on the journey and finally catching the bad guy Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), the three each developed their character skillfully. Jeff Bridges playing last year Crazy Heart's Bad Blake only with a gun and an eyepatch. Matt Damon used his own personal style to play this **** but humorous Texas Ranger. Hailee Steinfeld played a stubborn 14 year-old who's determined to find Tom Chaney and bring him to hang. Though expected performances from both Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon, newcomer Hailee Stenfeld was as good as her castmates. The one thing I kept in mind while going in this film was that Bridges and Damon are going to give applausable performances and Hailee Steinfeld was getting nominated for some major awards. But when I was finished, I didn't see what all the buzz was about. Sure, Steinfield was good, but compared to Bridges and Damon, she sure didn't have much. I have to say though, beating thousands of other girls for this role is impressive, but I'm sure other Hollywood stars had to do that as well. Even though I find her not as great as I hoped, she still delivered well. The directors are the two and only Coen Brothers. With ten Oscar nominations and four wins for each Joel and Ethan Coen, they are Hollywood's most wanted in directing dark Western dramas. Well known for their lastest work "A Serious Man" and "No Country For Old Men', True Grit is another fine addition to their long and impressive resume. Directed with true grit and impressive performances, True Grit outsmarts the original and simply entertaining. OscarBuzz: Best Picture (good chance), Best Director (good chance), Best Actor (Jeff Bridges, better chance), Best Supporting Actor (Matt Damon, a chance at a nod), Best Supporting Actress (Hailee Steinfeld, a chance at a nod), Best Adapted Screenplay (Coen Brothers, better chance)

A dangerous neighborhood, a mentally-illed mom, two little siblings, and a meth-cooking dad, Ree has got a lot on her mind. While trying to track down her druggie dad to get help with their house, Ree has to take care of her mother, a brother, and a little sister. The story demonstrated more than just a normal life of a poor family, it showed us that without giving up, there was always hope for Ree. Winter's Bone is touching and thrilling at the same time, but its main element was the performance of Jennifer Lawrence. Unbelievably real and melodramatic, Jennifer Lawrence is becoming a star as we know it. OscarBuzz: Best Picture (longshot from winning but guarantee a nod), Best Actress (same as Best Picture)

Dave is a loser with a nerdy comicy brain. No one knew him at his school and his friends are just a bunch of losers. One day he saw a guy being beat up by a bunch of thugs and decided to jump in a help with his superhero costume. The video was captured and became an internet phenomenon. Everyone tried to figure out who was this guy and named his Kick-Ass. Kick-Ass became a pop icon just in days. After hearing about Kick-Ass, hitmen Big Daddy & Hit Girl decided to go after him to join him with their group. Going through lots of violence and profanity, Kick-Ass finally got that these two don't kid around. They kill mercilessly, they enjoy taking lives, and they cuss like a bunch of New Yorkers. Kick-Ass is a refreshingly new film that adds to the comic-action-films genre. Kudos to strong performances from crazyass Nicolas Cage and the fouled-mouth Chloe Moretz. OscarBuzz: Long shots for Best Visual Effect

Though its materials are mostly cliche and have been used in Hollywood for a long time, Despicable Me delivers its high-class materials with charms, cute, and heartfelt style. Steve Carrell's voice performance is probably the better ones of voice performances I've seen in years. His cute minions also helped add to the film's quirkiness. Gru, a criminal mastermind voiced by Steve Carrell, was on his way to conquering the world when he ran into three orphan girls and adopted them. Margo, Edith, and Agnes was in a home since they can remember and being adopted by anyone at this point is a joy for them. But after staying with Gru for a day, the kids were horrified. After months of teaching and nurturing, the kids were able to get Gru to be nicer. The story progress with Gru choosing between his evil plan and his kids. It is heavily borrowed from other children films, but Despicable Me stabbed at the materials at a different angle and succeeded in bringing Hollywood something new. OscarBuzz: Best Animated Feature, I has a good chance of being nominated but winning is a long shot.

From the director that brought you Lovely & Amazing, Nicole Holofcener's Please Give developed interesting characters and a well-related plot. Charms from both the leads, Oliver Patt & Catherine Keener, helped a lot with their complex characters. Please Give is a simple plot where economy and relationship problems occurs. But the director and writer is so elegant in their story-telling and directing, it is almost impossible to not be interested in Please Give.Going slow at times and acting from supporting roles seems laughable, Please Give still gave a lot without being asked.

Based on a novel with the same name, writer William Davies was able to turn this kids story into a touching and deep first-class screenplay that is really rare for Dream Works. Hiccup, voiced by the devastating and believable Jay Baruchel, is a weak and low self-esteem little boy who lives in a world of Vikings. His dad and his friends, all around him, their life mission is to kill dragons and Hiccup is expected to do the same. Going through training and a lot of trying, Hiccup was not successful. Instead of killing dragons, Hiccup decided to read books on the dragons and found out they are not that bad. The belief was brought on after Hiccup met a dragon, who was considered the most dangerous dragon and did not try to eat him. This created a interesting but predictable twist for the audience to eat up on. Hiccup named his "friend" Toothless. Months go by as Hiccup trains his dragon friend Toothless to fly since he was injured when Hiccup found him. Throughout the training, their relationship begins to build and we see that Hiccup is falling in love. The writer really wanted us to cry at this point because Hiccup's friend Toothless was discovered by the town people and he's being killed by them. At the end, we know that dragons aren't as bad and Vikings shouldn't be killing them. This really looks like Disney's work because the message and the tone of the film is based on being friends and nice and all. At first, I thought this was not Dream Work's work, but after checking up on it, I was surprised. This looked more like Disney's cheesy work than Dream Work's. How To Train Your Dragon is classy, funny, kid-friendly, and intelligently scripted. It is one of the best films of the year. OscarBuzz: Best Animated Feature, this will go head to head against Toy Story 3. Even though Toy Story 3 definitely has a lead, if it didn't win, How To Train Your Dragon would snatch the Oscar. Though I didn't mention the 3D, be assured that Avatar will be jealous to see this film in 3D.

Based on a very dramatic event that got the globe coming together at the time praying that the astronauts would be okay, Apollo 13's realistic story and strong performances made it not-better-but-as-good-as the real event. Apollo 13 was supposed to be the third shuttle to land on the moon but an oxygen tank exploded and the astronauts found themselves in a real situation. Going through hell to get back to Earth, the guys finally made it and the world was happy. An interesting story but very simple. Thanks to writers William Broyles Jr. and Al Reinert, the story became a complex challenge of life or death situation. Also helped by strong performances particularly from Ed Harris and Kathleen Quinlan, Apollo 13 became an instant classic when it came out in 1994.

With both of its predecessors receiving a 100% positive feedbacks on ****, Toy Story 3 is expected to reach the high standards. And it absolutely does. Toy Story 3 follows the 11 year absent of the two previous films and off the Andy going to college. The toys including Woody and Buzz Lightyear are being donated to a daycare center. The toys were ecstatic about it until they found out that the kids there are disgusting and there is a huge evil bear with a one-eyed baby doll guarding them. Adding adventure to the already interesting plot, Woody and the gang decided to humorously escape the center with great style. Director Lee Unkrich, who is not new at all to the Pixar directing department, he's been responsible for Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc., and co-director of Toy Story 2. So picking him for the job is not a bad idea. He brought something completely new to the table and turned the story around with twists and thrills. Lee Unkrich had done a decent job of directing this beloved film which had both adults and kids crying their hearts out. From the beginning where Andy's home videos are being played to the end where Andy was saying his final good-byes to the toys, Toy Story 3 is a must-see for all ages and it touched all of our hearts one way or the other. OscarBuzz: Best Picture (locked for a nomination), Best Animated Feature (locked for the Oscar)

With Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, making Inception is another big step towards the Oscars. Although Nolan did not get nominated in 2008 for The Dark Knight, directing Inception will definitely give him a boost in the category. A story taken in a place where we can go into people's dreams and control them completely. Just like Nolan's previous work, Memento, Inception's script is complex yet very entertaining and easy for the audience to understand. Intellectually, Inception is a very high-class film, but the film also demonstrates its dramatic side in which Leonardo DiCaprio comes in. The cast delivered with a sense that they knew exactly what was going on and Joseph Gordon-Levitt added the fun element to the film. Inception is mind-blowing, visceral, and smart, at the same time delivering the biggest Hollywood blockbuster of the year. OscarBuzz: Best Picture (like Avatar last year), Best Screenplay, Best Director (maybe), Best Support Actor - Levitt (good chance), Best Actor - DiCaprio (maybe), Technical awards (total domination)!!!

An unfamiliar plot with likable leads, Snakes on a Plane (2006) can almost live up to its original. The story is based on a guy who witnessed a murder by a violence gang member. The witness was suppose to fly to LA to testify against the murderer. To prevent the witness from going, the murderer puts hundreds of poisonous snakes in the cargo to kill everyone and bring the plane down. Although this plot isn't anything new to Hollywood, Snakes on a Plane features Samuel Jackson and Julianna Margulies, likable stars, and a lot of snakes on a plane. It's all we wanted.

The whole franchise is just about a group of street dancers dancing in the street?! Obviously, the plot isn't what we are here to watch. The only reason anyone even see this franchise is because they want to see some dancing. Acting, plot, story-telling, and writing, screw all of that. The only thing they need is a good choreographer and a director who specializes in dancing. Jon Chu is the correct choice since he directed the first Step Up and he did a fine job on this one also. The eye-popping 3D is what I like in particular to this. Adding in the 3D is a very risky but also right move. Everyone loves to see a dancing film in 3D! Aside from the bad acting, no plot, and the improvised dialogue, Step Up 3D is the best dancing film of the year.

Based on a real story and a real documentary releasing the same year, Casino Jack is just another fictional version of this fascinating story. Jack Abramoff, a super-lobbyist in DC, who's job is to influence the congress in voting the way he wants. In return, Jack gets a sum of money from the special interest group that the voting benefited. This job is perfectly legal and the law even states that Jack can accept the money from the groups. But in order to get the voting the way he wanted, Jack has to offer sporting events, private jets, hookers, vacations, and money to the congressmen that are willing to participate. THIS is perfectly illegal. In doing all of this most of his life, Jack found himself in a ditch once in awhile and decided to take the wrong path down the road. Performing illegal activities, involving in murders, and bribing congressmen. By the end, Casino Jack told the story of Jack Abramoff but did not tell a good one. Sure this is a fascinating story, but director George Hikenlooper added unnecessary elements to the story that made it a dull and uninteresting political crap. Kevin Spacey's Golden Globe nominated performance did help with the film's uneasy story-telling, but as good as it is, Casino Jack seems to fall flat while trying to shoot really high. OscarBuzz: Kevin Spacey, Best Actor (A slight chance)

I know there are a lot of people who have seen this film and even the sequels. But this is the first time I've paid attention to this franchise. Though it is popular, The Matrix failed to deliver good performances and great fighting scenes. The story is new in its genre and year. The Matrix was created in 1999, which is similiar to 2010's Inception, where the world is not the world itself anymore. There are two worlds, The Matrix and the actual world. The Matrix is where most people live in and the actual world is only for the ones that rebelled. As refreshingly new the plot is, the writers just had to put in some cliches in the film: the protagonist did not die at the end, the bad guys died, some romance, and badass action scenes. Well, I guess that's what all movies have nowadays. But the film have so many flaws in it like the acting, it is the worse ensembled cast I've seen in years. The actual writing isn't bad but the way the actors delivered the lines are just unpleasant. Another flaw is the fighting scenes. I first thought it was because they were moving too fast and that was the point. But as it progresses, the fighting scenes are just cheap! The Matrix offers a new element to its genre and has really great visual effects but failed to deliver on its performances which made the film dropped.

I was surprised of the movie not being recognized by the Academy of Documentary. I guess they don't want anything to do with Joan Rivers, and that's the whole point of the documentary. The doc started out with Joan Rivers' lowpoint of her career (when she's already 70 years old), and it progresses with Rivers working her way up again. The film demonstrates how the once comedic icon and well known star turned into "a piece of work". With her comedic talents blending with her sad emotions, Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work is a snub that the Academy missed out on. OscarBuzz: NONE, that's the point!

It is one film of the year where I walk out of the theater and went, Hmm, nice! Well, that doesn't mean it's better than some other films I saw this year, but this is an impressive. Black Swan offers plenty of drama, plenty of thrilling moments, and plenty of sexiness. With a thrilling and perplexed performance by Natalie Portman, and stylish directing from Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan can go far. The story is more complicated than you think it is. It is not just about a ballet dancer, it is about a ballet dancer with deep mental issues. Nina is professional ballet dancer who got promoted to play the key role in a ballet performance, the Swan Queen. With a lot of pressure on her, the story proposes that she is obviously hallucinating about her body being deform. At first, I thought all of this was real because Natalie Portman is so believable. But as the story developed, I know for a fact that this girl has some serious mental issues. A summary about the film really doesn't do it justice, go watch it and you'll see exactly what I'm talking about. Black Swan demonstrates how ballet is as exciting and thrilling as an action movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger in it. Natalie Portman might even win the Best Actress Oscar, that is if she beat Annette Bening (but she already locked herself an Oscar nod). Darren Aronofsky will probably snatch the Best Director nod, but Black Swan will definitely have a chance at the Best Picture run.

The film established this new idea of Banksy creating the street graffiti art, but that is a little misguided. But misguided or not, Exit Through the Gift Shop gives an entertaining look on modern art. We used to think that art is boring and perhaps useless, but the film proposes the idea of anyone can be an artist and succeed. The subject, Thierry, was originally a film maker turned into creating art. Most of the art is just photoshop work and Thierry just gave the idea, he did not make the art. Even though Thierry didn't make the art, he still is the famous one after the show. And throughout the film, you see that there's something wrong with this guy! But by the end of the day, he is the one with the money. And that brings up a very interesting question. How the hell did that happen? Exit Through The Gift Shop is entertaining, engrossing, and phenomenonly executed. The movie turns art into a very interesting subject to debate about. OscarBuzz: Best Documentary (Good chance)

Just another action flick with a spy and a chick, but what stands out in this is the pair of irresistibly charming Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. Knight and Day was helped by the cast but too formulaic to be better.

There are countless action stars in the film, but The Expendables looked as if the stars weren't there. All we want to see when going to these movies are things blowing up, and that's what we got, but I felt like it wasn't LOUD enough. This high-budget film, just like The A-Team, has a predictable and same premise, but it has an incredible muscular cast. Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone, Micky Rourke, Jet Li, and Jason Statham. This is a high rated action cast, but at times you feel like the cast isn't there, its just stuff blowing up. A high-budget, a first class action cast, and a cliche plot, The Expendables is another one of those films.

While the movie contains cheap laughs and ridiculous jokes, it has a surprisingly nice collaboration between Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg. Usually a cop buddy comedy falls short on comedy and fall out on gags, but this is actually a nice movie that you can enjoy your evening with.

This high-budget film that failed to succeed at the box office really is noisy. It helped with the humor that the cast brought to the table and the fun that they are having, but this high-budget film still fell short from its original TV show

Solid performances from John C. Reilly and Jonah Hill, but Cyrus suffers from plenty of cliche writing and a really dull plot. Though it offers lots of drama and the style of directing is very bold, Cyrus doesn't and won't get anywhere with that boring plot. Because of the plot, the film sometimes gets really slow and very annoying.

The title is not as clear as it may sound. The Most Dangerous Man In America... is about the war of Vietnam and how Daniel Ellsberg gave the public a whole new view of the war. The documentary gathered lots of facts that had been buried for years and delivered the facts quite elegantly. Daniel Ellsberg appeared in the film telling his own story. From when he leaked the top secret documents to the time when he made President Nixon resigned. The Most Dangerous Man In America: Daniel Ellsberg and The Pentagon Papers is an elegant documentary with a great storytelling of what exactly happened during the Vietnam War.

Restrepo is real. It is not like the Hurt Locker (no offense), but this is actual camera work during the war. The cameramen must have been paid a lot to be in a warzone that is considered the most dangerous of all war zone. Nevertheless, the movie based its story on the visceral power of the film. They want to get the audience feeling for the death soldiers by not showing but implying. Sometimes Restrespo fell short on its plot but most of the times it shows real emotions of soldiers that fought for our country. Restrespo is probably one of the better documentaries of the year, considering that there are a lot of good docs this year.

The third and the last installment of the Millenium triology left us definitely wanting for more, of the book, not so much the films. It does not pack any action and mostly focuses on a courtroom, Salander's love life, and Blomkvist running errands. Though it wasn't action packed, Noomi Rapace still kept her performance solid as rock. From her expressionless face to her crooked smile, Lisbeth Salander had become an icon for women everywhere.

Although the second installment doesn't feature as much tension and action as the first, The Girl Who Played With Fire still feature Noomi Rapace's excellent portray of Lisbeth Salander.

I'm pretty sure some of you have read the book or even the whole series. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo features a violent, but gripping performance from Noomi Rapace that is unforgettable. The book (another different review) is one of the best books I've read. With great details and gruesome descriptions, it still an awesome crime novel that you won't put down. Even though the book features more details and better than the movie, the film still satisfies me with great performances and accurate details of the book itself.

This already Oscar contender documentary hits hard on the public/charter education problems of Harlem. Combining facts and parents' emotions, Madeleine Sackler was able to pull **** documentary about our childrens' future. At times the feature becomes bias and unbalanced, but The Lottery was good enough for the Oscar semifinalist list.

A film documenting nuclear warheads and how one single bond of atom can destroy the entire New York City. What else can we ask for in a doc? Countdown to Zero uses facts and expert opinions at the same time to convince us that nuclear weapons are, well, bad. With gather facts that director Lucy Walker (Waste Land) deliver so smoothly with great style, Zero is another great documentary that Walker had deliver in 2010. It is scary to see that highly enriched uranium is so easy to access and how terrorists can get it just about anywhere. It is scary to see how many mistakes were made over the years with nuclear weapons on hand. And it is scary to know that US, the nation of peace, was the one that started nuclear weapons. After seeing the film, it gave me a whole new aspect about nuclear war. Before seeing the film, I had no worries about nuclear war, now, I'm scared ****! Countdown to Zero really is an informant that informs you to go out there and do something about this situation.

There is a message in here somewhere but the audience just struggles to find it underneath all the cliche script and tiresome stereotypes. The idea that someone in the projects is going to win a ticket and not get killed for it is impeccable. Either way, Lottery Ticket does show that money won't make you happy if the people around you aren't. I guess that's the message. But with very little to go on, Lottery Ticket find itself in the middle of nowhere at the end of the film.

Red, retired extremely dangerous. Those terms are to describe Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, Hellen Mirren, Mary Louise Parker, and Morgan Freeman. The cast is very well known, three out of five won Oscars. But the cast has nothing to do with the movie's stylish direction with its **** attitude. The director has this **** attitude to direct a movie that's fun and enjoyable for both the audience and its cast. Considering that people in the cast is elite actors, this is kind of a fun project for them, something enjoyable instead of intense acting. That's what made the movie fun, the cast knew that this isn't that serious and they tried to have fun with it. We felt the charm of Bruce Willis and Mary Louise Parker. We felt cool when Hellen Mirren picks up a gun. And we felt disgusted when Morgan Freeman tried to score some booty. But most of all, we felt this is better entertainment than some big budget movie.

Salt's basic and predictable plot really undermines the film's potential to do more with its lead role, Angelina Jolie. Though the star gave it all she got playing a Russian spy, she wasn't enough to save the film from its wrong pacing style and ridiculously bad plot. Being trained as a Russian spy since she was a little girl, Evenlyn Salt lived a secret second life all this time. She's married and has a dog. But she worked in the CIA, so I guess that's something. Given that Angelina Jolie played the role, we have high expectations that she'd pull it off with lots of dramatic scenes. And that's exactly what we got. From the moment that she was being tortured in North Korea to the moment when she killed her spy partner, she was great. But given the fact that every spy movies starts with an undercover life and being captured at the end, Salt adds nothing new to the genre.