For the first time in…I can’t remember how long…I have seen all of the Best Picture nominees. What is ridiculous about that fact is that there are now ten nominees. I spent way too much money at the movies this year. That said, because I’ve seen them all and because I feel like it, I’m going to give quick reviews for all ten Best Picture nominees.

I’ll start off by saying that I think Crazy Heart should have been nominated over the Blind Side. I liked Star Trek and can understand why it wouldn’t have been picked, but I was a little surprised that didn’t get a nod.

Avatar - I give this movie a B-. Note: that grade is only as high as it is because of the special effects. The visuals were amazing and I think James Cameron deserves the praise he is getting for the visuals. Take the visuals out and I give the movie a D. The acting is not good and I felt little chemistry between the Na’vi and the humans. The plot is terrible and pretentious and irritated the hell out of me. I know that some people feel that you should be able to go to a movie and enjoy it on a “dumbed down” level, not over-think things. That’s fine, but a Best Picture should be an all -around Best Picture and Avatar was not that. I think James Cameron could possibly win Best Director and Avatar will sweep all technical Oscars for which it received nominations.

The Blind Side - This movie gets a B-. It’s a successful at being a feel-good movie. It was a movie made for the masses and succeeded at reaching a large audience. I may be up-selling it because I’m (unfortunately) a little biased. I was shocked this movie got nominated and I think it’s nomination shows that it is a weak year for movies. Besides Sandra Bullock and Quinton Aaron, the acting from supporting roles is far from spectacular (and, in the case of the young son, extremely irritating). The dialogue is not super great. I think most other years, this movie gets passed over.

District 9 - This was my favorite sci-fi flick of the year, although Star Trek was probably more entertaining (as far as special effects are concerned). I enjoyed the special effects but I was more struck by the acting of Sharlto Copley (Wikus). I also think that it succeeded at getting the audience to think without necessarily rubbing an agenda in the audience’s face. I thought it was a really interesting and original story. I give it an A-.

An Education - I really, really liked this movie, although I can see why it might affect females more than males in the audience. I enjoyed the costumes, props and scene design and I thought Carey Mulligan was brilliant. I think the Best Actress award will go to Meryl Streep or Sandra Bullock, but if they end up canceling each other out it could and should go to Mulligan. All of the supporting actors were top notch. It might be slow or boring for others, but it was right up my alley. I give it an A-.

The Hurt Locker - I saw this movie before it had a ton of hype. It’s very intense, difficult to watch at times. I know others disagree but I felt like it’s a war movie without trying to get you to feel one way (or another) about the war from a political standpoint. The acting is fantastic and I think this is one of the best directing jobs I’ve seen in a long time. The Hurt Locker gets an A and it is my pick for Best Picture. Kathryn Bigelow should win Best Director for this film.

Inglourious Basterds - This turned out to be one of my favorite Quentin Tarantino movies. My sister thought it was way too gory but, uh, it’s a Tarantino movie so what do you expect? The writing is great, I wish it would win for Best Screenplay. It’s beautifully directed. Hey, it’s a movie Brad Pitt is in where I’m not hoping that he’ll just shut up. And Christopher Waltz? Do I even need to address him? I give this movie an A-.

Precious - Precious is not fun to watch. At all. I think Loren, Courtney and I left this movie and let out a collective “ugh.” The acting in this film is incredible. I can’t remember a time I hated a character so much played by someone I really love. Mo’Nique was amazing. I hope she continues to get these sorts of roles because she’s really fantastic. I already wrote a post addressing the white guilt issue, so I won’t go into that here. I give this movie a B.

A Serious Man - I was really shocked when this got nominated because I have heard so many mixed reviews for it. I have a feeling that if the Coen brothers were not well-known, this movie would have been ignored. It’s incredibly funny and incredibly dark, and I can see why most people would hate it or not see the point but I loved this movie. Michael Stuhlbarg is incredible in the lead role and I wish he would have received more attention for his acting. This screenplay is probably my favorite screenplay of the year, but I think it will lose out to Up in the Air. I give this movie an B+.

Up - The first fifteen minutes of this movie is absolutely heart-wrenching. I think the last time I felt so attached to an animated character (I didn’t ever see Wall-E) was maybe Mufasa or Simba in the Lion King, but the feeling I had here goes beyond that. I’m not a huge fan of animated movies but I absolutely loved this movie. I give it an A and it was, without a doubt, my favorite film of the year.

Up in the Air - I did not care about this movie. I spent most of the movie either bored or annoyed and waiting for something amazing to happen. That’s the danger of seeing a movie after the critics rave so much. I think that if any other person had been in George Clooney’s role, the movie would have failed. Anna Kendrick, however, was pretty great in her role and she deserves her supporting actress nomination (but will lose to Mo’Nique). I don’t love the screenplay but I think it will win for screenplay because it appears to be some sort of critic’s darling. I give this movie a C+.

I just got back from seeing the movie “Precious.”

Do not go see this movie if you are wanting to feel good. It is a depressing movie, and even though it ends on a semi-positive note, you have to wade through poverty, sexual abuse, incest, emotional abuse and the messed-up system (wait, why are you going to kick someone out of school for being pregnant?) to get to that note.

All of the actors that you know (Sheri Shepard, Mariah Carey and a very, very attractive Lenny Kravitz) are dressed down and not glamorous at all. I have a lot of respect for big stars who are okay with not being the star; I can’t imagine Madonna being in a movie where she is a minor role and doesn’t wear any make-up. I know they’re doing it for the critical accolades, but still…I appreciate it. Paula Patton as the teacher Blu Rain is pretty outstanding and I look forward to her star rising.

Of course, there is Gabourey Sidibe as Precious, who does just an outstanding job. I’ve been sort of obsessed with her after reading this article. She says, “People look at me and don’t expect much. I expect a lot.” I just have a lot of respect for her and admire her confidence.

And Mo’Nique….wow. I have loved her since I first saw her on The Parkers and even enjoyed her in…ahem… Charm School on Vh1. I just wasn’t sure she had it in her to play such a serious role. But, wow. There is a scene where she is talking to Mariah Carey (a social worker) about the abuse in her home and it is just ridiculous. Her justifying the abuse and explaining it and you KNOW she believes every word she says. She’s just incredible. If she doesn’t win the Academy Award, it would be a travesty.

One more thing, the review from Slant was incredibly negative and had this to say:

“One for the Stuff White People Like canon, Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire is an impeccably acted piece of trash—an exploitation film that shamelessly strokes its audience’s sense of righteous indignation. “Your tongue hasn’t clucked this hard since Crash,” the tagline for the film may as well read, and the proof is in the pudding, or, rather, the hairy pigs feet Precious whips up for her sick-as-fuck mother… You watch this lurid pageantry of misery with mouth agape, mostly because Daniels solicits his audience’s guilt without rousing their consciousness.”

Another review I read called it a sociological horror show, saying that it reinforces every black stereotype imaginable.

First of all, this is Harlem in 1987. These people are real, and I think anyone who has been educated on this period of history (or maybe just educated in general) knows this. There’s a line where Mo’Nique is talking about AIDS and says that she knows she doesn’t have it because she and [another character with AIDS], “never did it up the ass, so I know.” That was just incredibly shocking, for even a subtle line, but you know so many people thought that way and had so many misconceptions about a very real health crisis. And even if you have the black mother who is obsessed with her man and a black father who is sexually abusive (I guess that’s stereotypical? That’s what a reviewer says), you also have a black woman who is a teacher and is making a difference in people’s lives and a black teenager who has chosen not to give up.

Secondly, I think Daniels does successfully rouse people’s consciousness and I still don’t think the Daniels’s focus is on soliciting white guilt. There are not any white people (well, not really) in the movie at all. There are no white villains, there are no white heroes. White people really don’t have anything to do with this story. Sure, you can argue that a white system put this family and other family’s like it in their situation but I don’t think that was the point. I think his focus was to tell this woman’s story, to raise awareness and also to give you a character to admire (someone who has gone through the worst of the worst, and still has some hope). I know that I even left wanting to be a teacher, I was so moved by Blu Rain and how much she cared for her students. I think the reviewers who keep focusing on white guilt are missing the point.

(and really, what is wrong with white liberal guilt? Should I not appreciate “black movies” or “black culture” as a white person? Would you rather me be a racist? I know that I’m being selfish in asking these things but I would actually like to know. How do you have concern and interest in a big part of America’s history and culture without it being written off as “stuff white people like” or something like that?)

Anyway, I suggest you see it if you want to see a pretty depressing movie. I know that there are a lot of people who see movies as entertainment and this is definitely not entertaining. It’s very uncomfortable to watch, but I think it’s worth it.