it's not life that matters but the journey...

I'm sitting here watching the pre-oscar show and enjoying the gorgeous people - Marisa Tomei is so cute, and unbelievable that she's older than me and looks so hot! and Frank Langella, yummy for an old man! and I saw all the kids and the cast from Slumdog - so exciting to see them Meryl Streep looks gorgeous! Haven't seen Kate yet, but I saw Josh Brolin - he looks great too! And Sean Penn is there with Robin Wright - guess they are still friends, how sweet! I'm much more excited for the Oscars tonight since I saw two more movies this weekend, actually three, which have nominations!

Yesterday morning, I watched The Reader , and I thought it was a beautifully filmed, beautifully acted, and a very interesting story.



Kate definitely deserves her Oscar nomination - her performance is complex and very different from any other I've seen. I think it must have been very hard to play this kind of cold, detached character, and she did a fantastic job of playing the character so that we, the audience, don't really sympathize with her, yet we do feel her humanity. The relationship at the center of the film was a bit disturbing to watch at times, and I wish that the characters had been more developed - which is why I really want to read the book now, to see if especially Kate's character has more depth. I felt I really wanted to know more about her - but of course in a film that's difficult, I think, even with a good actress like Kate. The actor playing the young boy was fantastic, as was Ralph Fiennes, who I adore. I don't think The Reader should win the best picture award but it was a very good film.



In the afternoon yesterday I watched The Visitor , and I have to say, I enjoyed this film even more than The Reader .



The story was so moving, and so powerful and hopeful, and the acting was all phenomenal. the story involves a college professor named Walter (played by nominee Richard Jenkins , whose life is obviously very empty for him. He teaches an economics class in Connecticut, and is asked to go to NYC to present a paper at a conference. He doesn't want to go, because he only co-authored the paper, but it triggers some events that change his life completely. Walter has an apartment in NYC that he's apparently had for 25 years - he had lived there with his wife, who has died. When he arrives in his apartment, he finds an immigrant couple squatting there - it's not really explained how they got there, but they had been there for a couple months. Walter decides to let the couple stay - as they have nowhere to go- and he ends up forming a friendship with the young man, Tarek, who is from Syria. But in a misunderstanding in the subway while with Walter, Tarek is arrested, and it's discovered that he is an illegal immigrant. Walter becomes very involved in trying to help Tarek - and when Tarek's mother comes, they also form a strong bond. I loved this movie and highly highly recommend it. it moved me way more than The Reader .



Today I watched Milk finally, and I loved it!



Until today I thought maybe Mickey Rourke should win the Oscar, and perhaps he deserves it - but Sean Penn's performance as Harvey Milk was unbelievably fantastic! In fact I think it's his best ever - and that's saying a lot since he's done some amazing films. The movie was so well-done, and what a great history lesson for me - I really enjoyed the meshing of the real archival film footage, with Anita Bryant, with the movie's depictions of the riots and the marches. all of the actors were so good - especially Josh Brolin, James Franco (who looked so gorgeous!) and Emile Hirsch (who I didn't even recognize with that hair and those big glasses . Also I loved the actor playing Governor Moscone - Victor Garber. I've seen him but didn't know his name until today. I really want to watch this movie again - I didn't know anything about Harvey Milk because I was too young at the time he was in office, but I vividly remember Anita Bryant and her presence in the news daily as this conservative christian bitch who was set to rid the world of gays, jews, and other groups that didn't fit her agenda of the perfect society. I just found Harvey Milk, at least as portrayed by Sean Penn, as this amazing hopeful character - his death was a tragedy, but he inspired so many, and empowered a whole movement, which means so much today.



well it's almost time to go and watch the awards. can't wait to see Hugh Jackman, though I'm not so keen on the musical numbers they are promising with Zak Efron and what's her name from High School Musical. and Peter Gabriel refused to perform his song from Wall-E because they limited him to 1 1/2 minutes. for a 6-minute song! oh well... the music is all medleys anyway. and it's part of the whole night - parts will be great and parts will be boring... so on with the show!