Showbits

Oscar nominations were announced today.

Unsurprisingly, considering my ignorance of the Golden Globe nominees, I find few candidates for whom I can root, except that I will again endorse Cars for best animated film. United 93 I saw most of, but the style of camera work had the same effect on me here as it did in The Blair Witch Project: nausea. I had to excuse myself from the theater, barring me from favorable commentary on the film's technical achievements. Little Miss Sunshine was a great film — I'm still fairly new to Stee Carell's work — but best motion picture of the year? Perhaps its candidacy reflects more on poor competition than any personal accomplishment.

And finally: an acknowledgment for Superman Returns.

What are your predictions?

The Golden Globes winners were announced last night. I'm surprised at my inability to offer commentary on the nominees and winners, as I'm apparently not as familiar with the 2006 film scene as I thought I was. The movie-going experiences provided by the likes of X-Men 3, Superman Returns, and Snakes on a Plane seemingly do not lend themselves well to elite and critical acclaim.

The only award with which I can strongly agree is Cars for Best Animated Film. Happy Feet was fun, but extremely schizophrenic (in the popular, not literal, sense): part musical, part action, part comedy, part political commentary… Cars, OTOH, is right up there with The Incredibles as my favorite Pixar flicks (sorry, Nemo fans).

With which winners do you agree or disagree? And with which nominees am I unfamiliar that I shouldn't be? It's never too late to catch a good film, so if the Globes can bring not only acknowledgment but also visibility to a title, the awards will have served a useful purpose.