An Evening With Oscar

It's the gay Super Bowl, and Los Angeles pretty much shuts down during it, so I'll be incapacitated for the next few hours. We're making Indian food in honor of Slumdog Millionaire, although I am part of the backlash and don't think it's a particularly good film. Last year's entrants blow this year's away, but I agree with Nate Silver that it's virtually assured of victory. I liked the film when I saw it and promptly forgot everything about it the moment it ended. The Wrestler was my favorite film of the year.

In the documentary feature category, which I call the real award, I think Werner Herzog will get what amounts to a lifetime achievement award for "Encounters At The End Of The World," which will be the 2nd film about penguins to win in this category in four years. I thought Trouble The Water was the best I saw this year, though I haven't seen Man On Wire yet. If everyone in Los Angeles were required to see The Garden, nobody in LA would be re-elected (particularly Antonio Villaraigosa). But I like films that look like a modicum of thought went into shooting them.

Enjoy wonderful, dazzling Oscar.