A Night with the Movies

"You know what your problem is, it's that you haven't seen enough movies - all of life's riddles are answered in the movies."
Steve Martin

I really love movies.  I love sitting in the dark theater, awaiting the previews and smelling buttered popcorn.  I love reclining on the couch streaming a new documentary on Netflix.  From loud blockbusters to poignant indies, spending a few hours suspended in movie time is one of the great privileges of modern life.




The only thing better than an evening in the movie theater is an entire night dedicated to the wonders of film-making. But, as a whole, I thought the 2011 Oscars were rather bland and a little awkward (and, admittedly, I am one of those people who always has and always will relish this one night a year, no matter how controversial or boring).  

What I did love this year were the many films that truly deserved commendation.  As the presenters recapped the Best Picture nominees, I really felt that each film offered us a bit of cinematic magic.  

From Colin Firth's emotive stuttering King George VI to Christian Bale's staggering Dick Eklund, from Annette Benings' controlled heartbreak in The Kids Are Alright to Jessee Eisenberg's snarky dialogue in The Social Network, performances this year simply made movie-going a pleasure again. 

I cannot get enough of this guy.  I doubt there is a more earnest actor on the planet.  What a joy to watch his long-awaited success!

Even though I never thought I'd be so taken by a movie about boxing, The Fighter was a great surprise.  While Christian Bale was given his due credit from the Academy, I think Mark Walhberg was the soul of the film, delivering one of the most quietly-heartfelt performances of the year.

When it came to fashion, there were lots of safe-bets in jewel tones or black.  But, the ladies looked generally quite chic.

My favorite looks this Oscar season:

It's not easy being a teen, but Hailee Steinfeld looked young yet elegant in this tea-length Marchesa sparkler.

Showing off her new post-Weight Watchers bod, Jennifer Hudson rocked this tangerine Versace taffeta number.

Maybe her hair looked a little "Miss Tennessee," but Reese dazzled in this simply chic Armani Privé gown reminiscent of Julia Robert's famous black and white vintage Valentino.

What a lucky lady to be able to wear not one fancy schmancy dress but a new one every ten minutes?  My favorite Annie dress was this red on red carpet look by Valentino.

In addition to Natalie Portman and Scarlett J, Mila Kunis chose a purple gown.  The muted lavender shade made the prima ballerina look like a Grecian goddess, elegantly-draped and gorgeously-coiffed.

 Images borrowed from People.