Oscar Mysteries

It's been hard to get worked up about the Oscars recently. For the third straight year, I've seen only one of the five best picture nominees (heading into the show). This year I've seen only two of the twenty nominated performances, one more than last year and just two fewer than in '07.

Yet unlike the past two years, despite my continued unfamiliarity with most of the nominees, I'm actually looking forward to the show. In '08, Juno and Ellen Page weren't factors. In '07, The Departed was the favorite, but I didn't think it was that great, and I was actively rooting against Jennifer Hudson (to no avail). Didn't like Dreamgirls, and didn't like her in it. The other performances I saw that year (Will Smith, Eddie Murphy, Mark Wahlberg) were fine but not contenders.

This year, I've seen the odds-on favorite for Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor, and I thought both were excellent. I obviously can't say they deserve to win, since I haven't seen the other nominees, but I can say that they are both worthy of the honor. Heath Ledger is the biggest lock of the night, and I look forward to seeing his family accept on his behalf. As for Slumdog, it lived up to its considerable hype. Very creative and satisfying. If you haven't seen it yet, head to your nearest multiplex before Sunday night.

Hopefully I can do the same for Milk. For whatever reason, it's the only remaining movie I'd regret not seeing before the show.

P.S. I also saw (and enjoyed) Man on Wire and Wall-E, good bets to win Best Doc and Best Animated.