I haven’t seen a lot of the films this year so am not qualified to express any of the following.

I thought it was a weak year made weaker by doubling the best picture nominees (although I don’t have a problem with the idea, garnering more attention for more films).

For whatever reason I’m glad Avatar didn’t win best picture.  I know some of you loved this film but I didn’t find the basic story, whilst chock full of social and political messages, that interesting (garden variety Disneyesque Pocahontas tale - is that unfair?). The film deserves all the technical awards for its innovation in the medium.

I haven’t seen Hurt Locker, I will, but it strikes me as a social/political win based on subject matter (hardly unheard of, I know).

I’m glad The Cove, which I have seen, won best doc but again clearly a political decision.

My fav films of the lot (no order):

Up

Up In The Air

An Education

I would have given best actress to Carey Mulligan but I knew she would not win. Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick gave solid performances.  I didn’t see the Mo’Nique film but am (probably unfairly) cynical of the ugly duckling/oddball (I can’t think of a better more polite politically correct description at the mo’ performances that tend to win acting Oscars (alcoholic, physical or mental disability etc.)

I haven’t seen the Sandra Bullock pic but she’s sucked in pretty much everything I’ve seen her in (OK in Crash I guess).  I believe she is the first actor/actress to win best actress Oscar and worst actress Razzie in the same year.

I haven’t seen Crazy Heart but like Jeff Bridges well enough.

Steve Martin/Alec Baldwin were awful.  The Neil Patrick Harris number tacked on the front seemed to be a late add (hoping to sponge some of NPH’s hosting success I presume… didn’t work) and a harbinger of the weak quip and repartee crap that followed.

No way should Avatar have won. I mean, I’m glad the movie did well. It’s nice to have a liberal political message out there and all competing with Fox News, but you didn’t exactly go see it for the story line. If it didn’t have 3D? No movie.

I loved Up. Didn’t see the others. Didn’t see the Oscars generally, because we were watching Matt Damon in the Informant, which I heartily recommend.