Ms. Smarty Pants Know It All

I don’t really know what to say in a review about this movie.

There is nothing wrong with it.

It’s so good.

I feel like this will be the best movie I’ll see from last year’s Oscar crop.

All the movie elements (writing, acting, directing, editing, art direction, etc. etc. etc.) are right on and pretty amazing.

It’s inventive, dramatic, funny, and so well done. This is a movie that is mindful of the viewer’s experience while being true to its own artistic integrity.

There’s nothing to pick on and everything to praise.

Side note: Yes, I still have to put Avatar first in the Best Picture category because I feel there is an element of movie-making that has to be considered for that prize. The best movie of the year will win Best Screenplay more often than it will win Best Picture.

If I Picked the Oscars (in order of my vote)

Best Picture:

• Avatar
• Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
• District 9
• The Hurt Locker
• Inglourious Basterds
• Up in the Air
• Up
• An Education
• A Serious Man
• The Blind Side

Directing:

• Lee Daniels, Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
• Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
• James Cameron, Avatar
• Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
• Jason Reitman, Up in the Air

Best Actress:

• Helen Mirren, The Last Station
• Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
• Gabourey Sidibe, Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
• Carey Mulligan, An Education
• Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

Tags: Movies by Ms. SP
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Minor spoilers below. No major plot points revealed.

I can definitely see why people were frustrated with Season 3 of Dexter. Here, Dexter is a new husband and father and the season deals with his inability to do what he does because of it.

The show loses the reverse thriller side of the program and becomes more of a police procedural.

Don’t get me wrong. John Lithgow does a chilling turn as a horrific baddie. I would cringe inside when I thought about watching the next episode because I dreaded his character’s next action.

But the season, the first half especially, got bogged down with too many Dexter-monotoned voiceovers and ghosty-ghost moments with Harry. The season also revisits much of the same ground as past ones and openly acknowledges this fact.

Season 3 was still interesting and worth watching but the show’s folks are going to have to come up with new and better rather than just rehashing the old.

Tags: TV by Ms. SP
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Recommended reads from the past week:

• The Dewey Donation System is still going. There’s an incentive going to watch Pamie’s mom make her Internet video debut. If that doesn’t get you, look at the Wall of Dewey!
• To continue the theme, check out The Urban Muse’s Love Letter to the Library.

Tags: Recommendations by Ms. SP
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