Let The Award Season Begin!

The award season for 2008 has long started and I am beginning to feel like I'm left out. 33rd Toronto Film Festival already made famous a couple of films such as Slumdog Millionaire and The Wrestler, which are now runner-ups in the Golden Globe race in several categories. Aronofsky's film was also recognized in Venice Film Festival this year and was honored with a Golden Lion. New York Film Festival is way past, various critics circle awards are coming along and 66th Annual Golden Globes awards ceremony is fast approaching. To top it all off, nominees for Independent Spirit Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards and Producers Guild Awards are announced.

And during all this time, I have done absolutely nothing.

Since the wonderful year of 2004 when The Return of the King walked away with 11 Oscars, I have always paid attention to all this awards business. Not because I trusted the authorities in this matter (on the contrary, a lot of decisions are simply things to be ridiculed rather than respected) but because I have always been entertained with the enormous scope of everything going on at this time of the year. Being a person who is extremely interested in this specific 'industry' (if you don't mind me calling it that), it's hard to miss out on all this fun and excitement. Besides, sometimes they get it right.

So here is a little notice to let you know that I will be evaluating, in the next few days to come, the films of 2008 which are receiving the attention that more or less everyone in this business dreams of receiving. Due to the sheer number of films to watch and review, it is my prediction that I will have to content with nutshell reviews for most of them; but better short than never, as a wise blogger once declared. Better brief than never.

With 2008 behind us now, another common feature is decorating the blogs, websites and magazines in which amateur and professional critics thrive; which is the top 10 lists proclaiming the best films of the past year. You can see the progress in mine (which I recently updated) on the left bar still, but I will take some more sweet time to see some remaining films of the past year before publishing the list that matters most. Sometime towards the 81st Oscar Night, my list will be all cleared up, ready to be made public.

Finally, below is a list of movies which is invisible to your eyes at this point but the veil be lifted as I see more movies relevant to the awards season and have the chance to review them. At the beginning of each title, I will provide you the information of which nominations and wins the film was able to clinch this year, which will also be updated as the ceremonies come to an end, one by one.As always, stay tuned.

2008 Awards Season - Reviewed Movie List:

• Changeling
  
• The Duchess
  
• Gran Torino
  
• The Wrestler
  
• Frost/Nixon
  
• Milk
  
• Frozen River
  
• Revolutionary Road