I have mixed feelings about the Academy Awards. I have no problem with calling attention to noteworthy movies released during the year, and it's good to see a bunch of fine movies — The Queen , Babel , Children of Men , Volver , Notes on a Scandal , and Little Children , for example — being recognized in the various categories. But then it comes time to pick just one movie or person from every category, and that's what drives me crazy (along with all the glitz and tacky production values, of course). Is there really such a thing as a "Best Actress" when the nominees are Penélope Cruz, Judi Dench, Helen Mirren, Meryl Streep, and Kate Winslet? I've seen all five movies involved in this award, and it seems just plain arbitrary to pick one at the expense of all the others. Of the nominees for Foreign-Language Film, I've seen four (all except After the Wedding ). While these four movies have some similarities — all take place in the past and all have strong political content Read More...