It’s Oscar Day! In a mad dash to watch the nominated films, we saw Mystic River last night and Lost in Translation this morning. The only best picture nominee we missed was Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, and frankly I found the title too long when in of itself, put me to sleep. I just don’t think it has much of chance.

Well, I enjoyed Mystic River until the last 10 minutes, which were unnecessary and infuriating. I don’t want to give the movie away, but the film needed another week in the editing room. For those of you who have seen the film, it SHOULD have ended with the car driving away, the kid looking back toward Kevin Bacon and Sean Penn, and then fade to black. The performances are top notch however, and Tim Robbins is much deserving of Best Supporting Actor Oscar.

As for Lost in Translation, it is a nice “Two Ships Passing in the Night” film. Not much happens over 90 minutes, but it is a pleasant diversion, with a standout performance from Bill Murray. But I don’t think it will be walking away with Best Picture Oscar.

Lord of the Rings on the other hand, should walk away with Best Picture and Director Oscars. Anything more than that, is icing on the cake.

See ya on the Red Carpet!