With Oscar season upon us, it’s a good time to reflect on the past year in movies. My favorites may not align with the Academy’s, so rather than try and predict the big winners, I offer up my very subjective and admittedly random recap of what I liked (and didn’t like) amid the dozens of movies I experienced in 2011. New reviews are constantly being added to my website, chickflix.net, so feel free to check it out for additional perspectives on a slew of movies – including several Oscar-buzzy flicks that are just coming out in theaters.

My favorite movies of the year:

50/50 - I laughed, I cried. I loved this movie with Seth Rogen and Joseph Gordon Levitt. Don’t let the premise of a buddy movie about a guy with cancer scare you off.

Win Win - This indie with Paul Giamatti came out early in the year and didn’t get the love and respect and marketing it deserves. It’s kind of like The Blind Side, only better.

The Descendants - George Clooney shines in this dramedy that I liked way more than the The Ides of March (despite my appreciation for both Clooney and Ryan Gosling).

The Help - It did the book proud, and featured a strong ensemble cast of phenomenal actresses.

Bridesmaids - This breakout hit also featured a strong ensemble cast of phenomenal actresses who also happened to be pretty darn funny.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part Two - I wasn’t an obsessive fan of the series, but I was still impressed and satisfied with how the 11-year epic drew to a close. Well done, Harry.

The Artist – It took me about 20 minutes to ‘acclimate’ to watching a silent movie. But ultimately, this flick drew me in. It’s a work of art that reminds us what on-screen chemistry is all about.

Honorable Mentions:

Moneyball - The relationship between Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill made this more than an ‘inside baseball’ movie.

Midnight in Paris - I’m generally not a fan of Woody Allen flicks, but this one was a pleasant surprise.

Drive - This type of movie (Pulp Fiction-esque violence) is not my usual cup of tea, but Ryan Gosling was incredibly compelling to watch.

Individual performances of note:

Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady – Streep is insanely good (as always) as the former British PM Maggie Thatcher, but the movie itself is very uneven.

Michelle Williams in My Week with Marilyn – Williams embodies the iconic Marilyn Monroe but a week felt more like a year in ‘movie time’.

Leonardo DiCaprio in J. Edgar – The movie was rather weak, but Leo’s performance was very strong. The guy’s got range.

Agree. Disagree. Agree to disagree. Or share your list here!

By Hannah R. Buchdahl for media-match.com/usa

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Earlier this week the Oscar nominations were released, and, as with every year, there were a few surprising picks (or not picked, as the case may be). While not being nominated for an Oscar doesn’t mean the film isn’t a classic, there is no denying the thrill of anticipation as you get your first look at the lucky nominees.

Leading the tally with 11 nominations, including Best Picture, is Martin Scorsese’s Hugo, a 3D homage to film preservation. However, The Artist, a silent, black and white film about the Hollywood of yore, is considered to be the favorite for the Best Picture award. I was personally astonished by the inclusion of War Horse in the Best Picture category; while it was visually appealing I found the overall story uninteresting. Everyone was surprised about Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close getting nominated for Best Picture as it was very polarizing amongst critics and audiences alike, which is why it got shut out of the Golden Globes this year. The Tree of Life, another polarizing film, was also nominated for Best Picture, and Terrence Malick was nominated for Best Director.

Although it wasn’t surprising I was still a little disappointed to see that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 wasn’t nominated for Best Picture. I’m aware that it was no Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, and you could always count on me to rank among the annoyed fans citing book vs. film criticisms, just the same, I would’ve liked to see the series get some recognition.

Drive was shut out completely, resulting in the offensive decision to not include Albert Brooks in the Best Supporting Actor nominations for his portrayal as chilling and deadly small-time mobster Bernie Rose. I firmly believe that this was a fantastic performance in an already illustrious career. Albert Brooks of course took the news with his patented sense of humor.

Rooney Mara got a surprising nomination for her performance in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, even though that movie was snubbed in regards to the Best Picture category. I was not that enthused over the film, so that didn’t bother me as much as David Fincher’s failure to be recognized in the Best Director category as he is one of my favorite directors of all time.

One of the best nominations was Bridesmaids for Best Original Screenplay. Given that it’s up against Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris and Michel Hazanavicius’ The Artist I know that there is no chance it will actually win. However, after all the disparaging remarks made about women and comedy it makes me glad to see it honored. I hope if Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo do win we will end up seeing more comedies written and performed by talented comediennes.

50/50 and Young Adult were sadly rebuffed for Best Original Screenplay. They were both personal favorites of mine this year, and they were thought to have a good shot at being nominated. This was especially true of Young Adult, as people thought that Patton Oswalt was a shoe in for Best Supporting Actor. The comedian reacted to his snub in a hilarious string of tweets.

I was also quite excited to see “Man or Muppet” up for Best Original Song this year. Anyone who has seen Flight of the Conchords knows of Bret McKenzie’s masterful skills as a lyricist and musician, so it would come as no surprise that he has written a delightfully charming song for The Muppets. If he does not walk out an Oscar winner I will be filled with a righteous indignation.

Last, but far, far, from being least, there is the nomination of Gary Oldman as Best Actor for his role as George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Solider Spy. This is his first nomination, which seems to me to be a crime against humanity. Mr. Gary Oldman has been one of my favorite actors for many years now, and the idea that he has never been honored for his outstanding work as an actor is truly shocking. If I had my way he would’ve won for his portrayal of Sid Vicious in Sid and Nancy back in 1986, or any one of the several performances that make up his filmography like Beethoven, Lee Harvey Oswald, or Norman Stansfield.

Those are my thoughts on this year’s Oscars. Please feel free to share yours below. For the full list of nominations for the 2012 Oscars click here.

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