Laura Poitras‘s Citizenfour rated a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes and 89% on Metacritic — ratings I consider justified and appropriate. I’ve already written that I think it’s an all-but-guaranteed nominee for Best Feature-Length Documentary. It’s a real-life, you-are-there political intelligence thriller, and a fascinating horror film in that the boogie man is never seen or even heard, really, but is relentlessly sensed. He hovers. On the other hand the 63% Rotten Tomatoes and 62% Metacritic ratings given to Lynn Shelton‘s Laggies feel crabby. This is Shelton’s best, most agreeable film yet. Keira Knightley‘s performance never seems acted, certainly not pre- considered — pure moment-to-moment behavior. And then the film gets a nice boost from the wonderfully droll Sam Rockwell. I would even call it a kind of modest breakthrough. Reactions?

I was a wee bit surprised by the 10.16 announcement that Saul Dibbs‘ Suite Francaise, a World War II romance about a French wife (Michelle Williams) who falls in love with a German officer (Matthias Schoenaerts), won’t have its first L.A. screening at AFI Fest but during the American Film Market. The AFM is not exactly a prestigious venue. It tends to favor “market”-level films, and it’s sometimes tricky for journalists to get into certain screenings. Based on a book by Irene Nemirovsky, the film costars Kristin Scott Thomas, Sam Riley, Ruth Wilson, Lambert Wilson and Wolf of Wall Street‘s Margot Robbie. The Weinstein Co. has U.S. distribution rights. The AFM will run 11.5 through 11.12 in Santa Monica. One question: why would planes from either side of the conflict drop bombs on civilians? To what end?

Beanstalk: “Why is Birdman in the top spot? Boyhood should be. This looks like too much bias. You should distinguish yourself by only targeting movies that have been seen. You should follow the lead of Anne Thompson.”

Jack: “I admire Boyhood but it’s a safe, non-risky consensus choice. It’s the movie you say you really like if you want to be liked by the crowd, and I don’t necessarily see a great value in that. I’m very proud of the fact that I’m not a meticulous, fair-minded pulse-taker like Steve Pond. Right now the only unseen films that have people even half-excited are American Sniper, A Most Violent Year and The Gambler. People expect Unbroken to be good in a humanistic, touching-bottom sort of way, but I wouldn’t say they’re particularly cranked about it. I don’t know what people are saying about Into The Woods, but anyone who loves good music loves Sondheim.”

Beanstalk: “Okay, but putting two unseen films on your chart devalues your credibility. Wait until the time is right. Take it from me — you’ll be written off.”

Jack: “You can’t say with a straight face that the very commendable and respectable Boyhood should be in the top spot above the brilliant Birdman. It’s a very fine and brave and novel film and Linklater has my sincere respect, but you can’t say it’s the very best. Besides when have I ever placed a high premium on predicting what the Academy thinks? I believe in blowing the horn and not baahing like sheep.”

The American middle class has been so thoroughly ravaged by the American oligarchs over the last 30 years they aren’t pulling their pants up any more — they’re just leaving them bunched around the ankles. Certainly since the dawn of Dubya. I don’t know when the term “the American dream” began to sound fairly laughable but the fix has been in for so long that it looks like up to everyone. Should I say “except” the wealthy or “including” them? I’m not doing too badly myself I’ve played it smart by travelling light, keeping expenses down and borrowing nothing.

A 10.25 Salon piece by Richard Eskow called “7 Facts That Show The American Dream is Dead” plows the usual turf. The middle-class can’t breathe for the debt. No one can afford to retire. One-income families are a thing of the past, and even those with two incomes can’t even seem to get ahead. The terms of most college loans equal economic enslavement. Nobody can afford to retire or take vacations. Health care costs are rising and making things all the harder for Joe Schmoe.

I was a huge fan of the Movieline Oscar Index chart that Stu VanAirsdale created, maintained and constantly updated during the 2010 and 2011 Oscar season. (Stu left Movieline in July 2012.) I recently wrote Stu and asked if he’d mind if I launched a tribute/ripoff version of Oscar Index. His response: “I can’t really stop anyone from launching a variation on it, and I wish anyone who does the best of luck.”

I realize that the below image is a bit small so please click on the large version of the chart. And please be patient with my crude Photoshop skills at this early stage.

Thanks to Brooklyn-based web designer Sean Grip for doing the initial heavy lifting and to HE’s Jett Wells for helping me learn enough of Photoshop to size the heads and titles properly and make sure the graph lines are the right colors, etc. The intention, God help me, is to eventually post freshly considered Oscar Balloon charts three times weekly — Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor. It’s going to be hugely time-consuming on top of everything else, but I’ll give it a shot. First pair on Monday, the second on Wednesday, the third on Friday or Saturday…something like that. Maybe I’ll post an occasional Best Documentary and Best Foreign Language Feature chart…maybe.

The Top 11 Best Picture Contenders (as of Sunday, 10.26): 1. Birdman; 2. Boyhood; 3. The Imitation Game; 4. The Theory of Everything; 5. Gone Girl; 6. Unbroken; 7. Interstellar; 8. Whiplash; 9. Foxcatcher; 10. A Most Violent Year; 11. American Sniper.

Jim Carrey has a point. Doing Lincoln car commercials in the wake of an Oscar win suggests a certain degree of self-absorption. And taking your eyes off the freeway for six or seven seconds in order to stare at your fingers…not cool either. But the dark philosophical ruminations have a ring.