Chloe

☆☆☆

+
Julianne Moore gives an excellent performance as Catherine, a desperate wife who is convinced that her husband (David played by Liam Neeson) is having an affair.
Amanda Seyfried as Chloe also turns in a solid performance.
_
Predictable
You may find yourself asking "Why..." a few times.

Rated R
1 hr. 36 min.

www.chloe.com

How to Train Your Dragon

☆☆

+
Hiccup (Jay Baruchel), the young Viking on the island of Berk, doesn't have what it takes to slay a dragon...much to Dad's (Gerard Butler...the best voice actor in the film) disappointment.
More fun in 3-D.
_
"How to Train..." lacks laughter and heart.
Jonah Hill and Kristin Wiig's talents are lost in this film.

Rated PG
1 hr. 38 min.

www.howtotrainyourdragon.com

The Ghost Writer

☆☆

+
A mildly interesting film where British ghostwriter (Ewan McGregor) is hired to complete the memoirs of a former British Prime Minister (Pierce Brosnan). As “The Ghost” begins to write he slowly uncovers some secret information.
_
"The Ghost..." has so much potential, but really falls short.
Labeling this movie as a thriller is completely inaccurate.

Rated PG-13
2 hr. 9 min.

www.theghostwriter.com

Alice in Wonderland

☆☆☆1/2

+
Director, Tim Burton, and Johnny Depp, as the Mad Hatter, add a little extra fun to this classic story.

Great visuals...see it in 3-D.
-
Even with Depp's performance and Burton's "spin," this is still an odd story with weird characters.

Rated PG
1 hr. 48 min.

www.aliceinwonderland.com

Academy Award Winners 2010

Motion Picture: “The Hurt Locker.”

Actor: Jeff Bridges, “Crazy Heart.”

Actress: Sandra Bullock, “The Blind Side.”

Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, “Inglourious Basterds.”

Supporting Actress: Mo’Nique, “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire.”

Director: Kathryn Bigelow, “The Hurt Locker.”

Foreign Film: “El Secreto de Sus Ojos,” Argentina.

Adapted Screenplay: Geoffrey Fletcher, “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire.”

Original Screenplay: Mark Boal, “The Hurt Locker.”

Animated Feature Film: “Up.”

Art Direction: “Avatar.”

Cinematography: “Avatar.”

Sound Mixing: “The Hurt Locker.”

Sound Editing: “The Hurt Locker.”

Original Score: “Up,” Michael Giacchino.

Original Song: “The Weary Kind (Theme From Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart,” Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett.

Costumes: “The Young Victoria.”

Documentary Feature: “The Cove.”

Documentary (short subject): “Music by Prudence.”

Film Editing: “The Hurt Locker.”

Makeup: “Star Trek.”

Animated Short Film: “Logorama.”

Live Action Short Film: “The New Tenants.”

Visual Effects: “Avatar.”

Click here for Oscar© Highlights

2010 Oscar® Predictions: Who Will Win and Who Should Win?

☆Who Will Win?

Who Should Win?☆

BEST PICTURE
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
☆The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious☆
A Serious Man
Up
Up In The Air

BEST ACTOR
☆Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart☆
George Clooney, Up In The Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Matt Damon, Invictus
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
☆Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds☆

BEST ACTRESS
☆Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious☆
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia☆

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Penelope Cruz, Nine
Vera Farmiga, Up In The Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick, Up In The Air
☆Mo'Nique, Precious☆

BEST DIRECTOR
James Cameron, Avatar
☆Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Lee Daniels, Precious☆
Jason Reitman, Up In The Air

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
☆The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds☆
The Messenger
A Serious Man
Up

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
District 9
An Education
In The Loop
Precious☆
☆Up In The Air

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Ajami, Israel
El Secretro de sus Ojo, Argentina
The Milk of Sorrow, Peru
Un Prophete, France
☆The White Ribbon, Germany☆

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and The Frog
The Secret of Kells
☆Up☆

ART DIRECTION
☆Avatar
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus☆
Nine
Sherlock Holmes
The Young Victoria

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Avatar
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
☆The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The White Ribbon☆

COSTUME DESIGN
Bright Star
Coco before Chanel
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nine
☆The Young Victoria☆

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Burma VJ
☆The Cove☆
Food, Inc.
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers
Which Way Home

DOCUMENTARY SHORT
☆China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province
The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner
The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant
Music by Prudence☆
Rabbit à la Berlin

FILM EDITING
Avatar
District 9
☆The Hurt Locker☆
Inglourious Basterds
Precious

MAKEUP
Il Divo
☆Star Trek☆
The Young Victoria

ORIGINAL SCORE
Avatar
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Hurt Locker
Sherlock Holmes
☆Up☆

ORIGINAL SONG
Almost There, The Princess and the Frog
Down in New Orleans, The Princess and the Frog
Loin de Paname, Paris 36
Take It All, Nine
☆The Weary Kind, Crazy Heart☆

ANIMATED SHORT
French Roast
Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty☆
The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)
Logorama
☆A Matter of Loaf and Death

LIVE ACTION SHORT
The Door
Instead of Abracadabra
Kavi
Miracle Fish
☆The New Tenants☆

SOUND EDITING
☆Avatar☆
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Up

SOUND MIXING
☆Avatar☆
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

VISUAL EFFECTS
☆Avatar☆
District 9
Star Trek

Oscar ® Nominated Short Films (Animated)

☆☆☆1/2
“French Roast”
Click here to watch "French Roast

☆☆☆☆
“Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty”
Click here to watch "Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty"

☆☆1/2
“The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)”
Click here to watch "The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)"

☆
“Logorama”
Click here to watch the "Logorama" (TRAILER ONLY)

☆☆☆1/2
“A Matter of Loaf and Death”
Click here to watch "A Matter of Loaf and Death" (TRAILER ONLY)