We saw The Artist tonight. Disappointing.

I’m not getting what people are seeing in it. Yes, the hero (Jean Dujardin) is very charming, and there are a couple of laughs. It’s not a terrible movie. But best picture of the year? Really?

It is utterly predictable. It’s message, such as it is, is shallow. The characters are one-dimensional, and sometimes less: the hero’s wife (Penelope Ann Miller) has only one point to make. The female lead (Bérénice Bejo) to me was unappealing and even a little creepy. The dog, about which everyone raves, could have taken lessons from Frasier’s dog.

Taken together, “The Artist” was pretty much the definition of meh. I don’t see why it’s been nominated for Best Picture, much less why it’s being treated as a shoe-in.

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We saw Slumdog Millionaire last night. Excellent. Going in, you should maybe know that it’s more about slumdogs than about millionaires and “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.” The non-linear narrative style is the opposite of a gimmick; it makes total sense as a style. The narrative itself is oddly 1930s/1940s-ish, which is not a strength. On the other hand, it shows you something we in America don’t get to see much of.

Best movie of the year? Tough one. I thought Milk was terrific, with some great performances. Between Milk and Slumdogs I think I’d have to say that we have an example of the ridiculousness of trying to pick a single best movie. I mean, Wall-e had some pretty great filmmaking in it, too.

I’ve been reading Gone Baby Gone by Dennis Lehane thinking that it would be more than a good crime novel. I’m actually finding it to be less, with too many wince-worthy sentences, and too many characters written from their quirks outward. I’m only half way through so maybe it picks up, but since my problem is with the writing, I doubt it. I may not even finish it. Too bad. It’s the first Lehane book I’ve read, and I was looking forward to having a new author to enjoy.

[Tags: slumdog_millionaire slumdog harvey_milk milk oscars dennis_lehane lehane ]

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1. Heath Ledger for Best Actor Oscar? Not once you’ve seen Milk.

2. Trying to rank superb actors in vastly different types of roles is pretty ridiculous.

Please pick #1 or #2. They’re inconsistent, but I’m pretty sure one of them is right.

[Tags: heath_ledger sean_penn oscars milk dark_knight ]

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