N.Y. Times Oscar guy David Carr (a.k.a. “the Bagger”) “believes the movies that matter most are the ones being made right now. The Bagger has seen his share of crap, but he has also spent the past few days staring at films that take his breath away. In between shopping, gift-giving, and building fires that always seem to go out, the Bagger kept sneaking upstairs, away from the rellies, for a little him-time. Between screenings, screeners and premieres, he has seen stuff that left him confused, baffled and delighted.
“If last year√ɬ¢√¢‚Äö¬¨√¢‚Äû¬¢s awards were a celebration of miniature wonders balanced on issues of moment, this year it√ɬ¢√¢‚Äö¬¨√¢‚Äû¬¢s all about sprawling, glorious cinema. It is a tenet of the Royal Order of Oscar Ninnies that the movies in any given year weren√ɬ¢√¢‚Äö¬¨√¢‚Äû¬¢t all that, that Hollywood and its indie outriders are constantly falling short artistically. But in truth, that√ɬ¢√¢‚Äö¬¨√¢‚Äû¬¢s baloney. This award season is full of ambition, some realized, some not, that will make voting, or writing about voting, a complicated pleasure.”