As A Movie Buff, I'm A Bust

This is how bad I suck. Here are the five movies nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars this year:

Brokeback Mountain
Capote
Crash
Good Night, and Good Luck
Munich

So, do you want to know how many of those movies I've seen?

One. And that's only because I saw Good Night, and Good Luck last night. I am like the world's worst film fan. It's not even that I haven't seen most of this years best movies. It's worse than that. I actually have a copy of Crash at home, and just haven't gotten around to it yet. Capote was filmed right here in Winnipeg, and I haven't been able to drag my butt to a theatre. It's pathetic.

I wish I could say it was because the movies themselves didn't interest me, but that is just not the case. It has just become one of those times when I'd rather watch a couple of episodes of NewsRadio than a movie.

But all that changes now. I'm making a vow, right here, right now. I will see all five Best Picture nominees by the evening of the Academy Awards. No excuses, no exceptions. I'm tired of nodding silently while others discuss Brokeback Mountain's haunting landscapes.

Oh, GN&GL was excellent, by the way. I have a fair understanding of the Cold War era from my Internation Relations B.A., but to actually see the footage of a sputtering, sweating Joe McCarthy was something of a revelation.

The performances from every actor in the piece were note-perfect. There is no grandstanding in this film, even the most powerful speeches were delivered firmly but delicately. A good choice, in my opinion, as this material provides its own gravitas. George Clooney has had a very good year, between this film and his Oscar-nominated performance in Syriana, and I'm really looking forward to his future projects, especially if he continues to select them based on what inspires him. He can be a compelling actor when he's not mugging his way through an Ocean's [insert digit] flick.

Edward R. Murrow and Fred Friendly had very specific ideas about the role and responsibility of journalism in American society. They felt it was their duty to challenge what they saw as the injustice and fearmongering of the HUAC trials, regardless of the consequences, be they personal or corporate. This is a story of courage and integrity, and it was a pleasure to watch, both as a moviegoer and as a student of modern history.

So, onward and upward, then. Capote, you're next!