Thanks for stopping by, AJ. Good to have you along. Some great thoughts on the Oscar race this year, especially your against-the-grain feelings on The Artist. I have yet to see The Artist myself, but a few reviews I've read have agreed with your sentiment that as much as it's a throwback to the silent era, and a well made film in general, the story feels like it's been cobbled together from a bunch of films we've already seen.

Well….I watched "The Artist" other day and i must say, it was very boring. Its true what they tell in the movie…One should let go the old and welcome new. The action and reactions that keeps you glued in the first 20 minutes simply disappears into a boring saga of love that has been told thousand times before.

"Drive" according to me was very slow. Many a times i had to check if the CD was suck 🙂 But the performances by Ryan and Carey were really good.

The Descendants and Midnight in Paris were simply the best entertainer of the year with right mix of drama, comedy and sense. The Ides Of March was well written too. Still got to watch tinker spy but I liked the mixed emotions of George Clooney in the Descendants.

Janet McTeer in Albert Nobbs was very good for a supporting role.

The help seems to me very overrated with actors over acting EXCEPT Voila Davis who has given as usual a very controlled performance. She is too good.

@ Jose – Thanks for dropping by mate! I can see your point about Drive… and I hate that I have to agree with you about it. It is just such a cool film, they overlook it because it's "trendy and modern", which mustn't be something they like in Oscar winning films! 😉

@ Castor – ditto re Gary Oldman.

Maybe if Drive had starred George Clooney as a driver getting his friend – played by Morgan Freeman – to the hospital because he's dying and used to be a war hero, then it would've made it to the Best Picture race.

@ Ruth – I guess that's gonna make for some amusing red carpet conversation, eh? LOL!!!

@ Scott – By that I assume you're watching the Oscars at about 3am? 😉

@ Jessica – You know, I don't know what the Academy doesn't recognize more foreign films in its scope: there are thousands of films made in India and around the world that deserve some time and recognition. Like Scott, I feel for the European fans who have to stay up into the early hours of the morning just to watch the Oscars live! Here in Australia, they start just after lunch.

@ Dan – You raise a great point, mate. The acting categories should cut across the type of film the performances are in: be they romantic comedies, heavy dramas or action films, a great performance should be highlighted regardless of film genre. And it shouldn't matter if the character is god, bad or other – although, I don't think this bothers the Academy, after all, they gave an acting nom to Ralph Feinnes for his incredibly nasty performance as Amon Goeth in Schindler's List, as one example – but no doubt we tend to remember the Good Guys more than the Bad, by and large. Brooks' role in Drive should have been given a nod. And yes, I don't understand the overwhelming love for Bridesmaids either.

@ Vik – LOL, and here's me hoping Mara doesn't win it! 😉

@ Adam – I could have hopped on the bandwagon for The Artist, I guess, and put my money on Dujardin, but I want to see Oldman finally scoop and Oscar for something, and I think this is his year. It was criminal how they overlooked him for The Contender: one of his best performances ever, in my opinion. Call it a career award, I don't care, as long as he finally gets an Oscar. And no dramas re my friends list, my friend. I'm always cool with plugging other fine sites here!