84th Oscars Winners! Hugo takes 5, so does Thr Artist!

Best Picture: The Artist

Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

Best Actress: Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady

Best Actor: Jean Dujardin, The Artist

Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, The Help

Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Best Original Screenplay: Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris

Best Adapted Screenplay: Alexander Payne & Nat Faxon & Jim Rash, The Descendants

Oscar Predictions!

Final Predictions:

BEST PICTURE: The Artist
BEST DIRECTOR: Michel Hazanvicus
BEST ACTOR: Jean Dujardin, The Artist
BEST ACTRESS: Viola Davis, The Help
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Octavia Spencer, The Help
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Midnight in Paris
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: The Descendants

Independent Spirit Award Winners!

Jean Dujardin just might bring home the gold. Winners below:

Best Picture: The Artist
Best Director: Michel Hazanvicus, The Artist
Best First Feature: Margin Call
John Cassavates Award: Pariah
Best Screenplay: The Descendants
Best First Screenplay: 50/50

OSCAR PRESENTER LIST

So I 've decided to post the complete list of presenters at the 84th Academy Awards. Also wanted to note Sacha Baron Cohen will show up as 'The Dictator'. Complete list below.

Christian Bale
Halle Berry 
The Cast of Bridesmaids
Bradley Cooper
Tom Cruise

Oscar Opinions: Moneyball (2011)

Another homerun by Bennett Miller.

QUICK OPINIONS:
The film itself is actually very basic. What it is is Billy Beane, manager of the Oakland A's, is trying to make a better team. Problem is, that the team is 'under 50 feet of crap'. Beane brings in Peter Brand, a newly graduated stats freak. Peter thinks that a cheap team is possible, and they just need to find the 'misfit toys'. It's as most critics put it, 'a baseball movie that is for people who don't like baseball'.

I found out about this movie almost a year ago, and I put it on the top of my Oscar predictions, next to The Tree of Life. I was very happy that the film got a nomination. I cannot wait for Miller's next film, with Steve Carrell, Foxcatcher. No it's not the best film of the year, but it's one of. 'B+'

Oscar Opinions: Midnight in Paris

Woody Allen!

QUICK OPINIONS: 
Midnight in Paris  is not Allen's best, that is still held by Annie Hall. It's good to see Allen back in the Best Picture field, where he probably was snubbed for Match Point. Anyhow, this is a comedy to the utmost degree, with more laughs and chuckles than Bridesmaids. This might be an Allen rehash of The Purple Rose of Cairo, but this is still one of the best movies of the year. 'B+', and you can see it listed on 'Chinese Appease'.

Oscar Opinions: Hugo

More magical than Harry Potter. Moving on.

QUICK OPINIONS:
Trivia: Hugo was adapted from Selznick's 'THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET'. When I heard the film was to be directed by Scorsese, I thought two things: 1) Where's Leo? 2) HOLY MOLY! MARTIN SCORSESE, DIRECTOR OF RAGING BULL, IS DIRECTING A MOVIE BASED OF ONE OF THE BEST KIDS BOOKS OF THE PAST YEARS! YES!

I don't mean to boast, but I predicted Hugo right after the horrible trailer. Honestly, I was predicting only for Scorsese. After viewing the film for the first time, I was mixed. I didn't like Baron Cohen, I didn't like some of the visual style, and I didn't like the kids. The 3D helped though. The 2nd time I saw it, I actually saw some coherence in the changes of the story. Yes, John Logan changed the story a bit, but it was a good movie. I gave it an 'A-', and you can see it listed under Chinese Appease.

Oscar Opinions: The Help

So profits from The Help are in the black. Never mind.

QUICK OPINIONS:
Judging from the trailer, I honestly thought this movie would be a clunker. Mixing comedy and drama, about black maids? No big celebs either. 3-star reviews. Yeah...

Turns out, the film went above $100 Mil, and was in my local theater 'til 2 weeks ago. I thought the audience would be book-club members and girls, but I liked it too. On my old star-system, I gave it a 3.5, but with letter grade, it has a 'B+'. Hence, you can see it listed on 'Chinese Appease'.

WGA winners!

It's settled. With the Scripter and now the Adapted WGA, Alexander Payne looks to win his 2nd Oscar for writing The Descendants. Winners Below:

Original: Midnight in Paris
Adapted: The Descendants

Oscar Opinions: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

I loathe this movie. I haven't liked any films directed by Stephen Daldry.

QUICK OPINIONS:
So on my old star system, I gave this film a 1.5/4 Stars. Turns out, my letter system translated to a "D+". Since the nominations were announced, I've started to like this movie less and less. Before, I liked von Sydow, and Bullock. Now, I feel Sydow was used as at gimmick. His silence in the book was sufficiently explained, and was beautifully somber. The movie leaves 'The Renter' as a nameless man who can't speak for himself, for what reason? Why? Eric Roth leaves these questions unanswered for the worst. In the book, 'The Renter' was stated as Thomas Schell, Sr., a human bond to his dead son. The movie makes him as a kid's sidekick? Do I care if A kid looking for a key has Sydow sidekick? NO!