And now the best

I guess I can't complain about the movies that won last night at the Oscars. Although I have not seen them all, the winners and nominees seem fair to me. And for once there were actually too many good things to choose from this year, and the nominee lists should have been extended to 10.

I'm not going to dwell on all the nominated movies, for which enough has been said. So, to sum up what I think should have had more praise and recognition, here's a quick list:

1. Many actors, who usually are overrated or underrated (and who I usually hate) actually gave performances that at times singlehandedly made their movies stand out from the lot. I can mention Richard Gere in The Hoax, Angelina Jolie in A Mighty Heart, Tom Hanks in Charlie Wilson's War, Michael Douglas in King of California, Russell Crowe in American Gangster, Ed Harris in Gone Baby Gone and Ashley Judd in Bug.
2. Zodiac: Such an underappreciated movie, it exudes style in every single shot and performance.
3. Ratatouille: It should have been there in the Best Picture category.
4. La Scaphandre et le Papillon: One of my favorites this year, it is flawless technically and artistically, and the performance from Matthieu Almaric should have gathered more attention.
5. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead: A little movie that seems to come from the 70's, it is nearly as good as No Country for Old Men.
6. Into the Wild: Sean Penn's consecration as a director, it is the best film in a long time about the freedom and responsabilty of youth.
7. I'm not there: Too offbeat for the Oscars, it is an undescribable visual and musical experience.
8. Once, Control: The first is wonderful if you love music and how it makes you feel alive. The second is wonderful if you love music and how it makes you feel vulnerable.
9. Sweeney Todd: Not since Ed Wood has Tim Burton made such a complete movie in every artistical term. Burton is at this point a style in itself, and he should get more recognition.
10. The Assasination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford: I'm amazed how under the radar this movie showed when, in my opinion, it is the best of the year. Brad Pitt gives his best performance yet: everytime he's on screen he installs fear even in the audience. Without much fanfare and eloquence, he manages to present all the different shades of being a myth. Sam Rockwell and Casey Affleck are equally powerful. If you add up the cinematography, which makes the movie look like a living painting, plus the poetry in every dialogue and shot, you get nothing less than a masterpiece.