Tom Long's Mostly Movies

Oscar: Where's the heat?

Another week of screenings, another week of good movies.

But still, the Oscar fare is looking slim.

This is especially ironic since this is the year the Academy decided to open the Best Picture category up to 10 nominations.

At this point I'm looking for "G-Force" to nab the final spot.

OK, things aren't that bad. But I can't recall another year in which good-not-great seemed such a constant. By this time last year I'd seen most of the Oscar nominees, I had a few sleeper hopefuls in my back pocket and hype-heavy December was still to come.

Right now I couldn't come up with more than a couple nominees in each category and even the top five for best picture look anemic, much less the top 10.

A quick look:

Best supporting actress -- always a crowded category, but so far I see Mo'Nique for "Precious" and Vera Farmiga for "Up in the Air." Yes I know the musical "Nine" is on the way with about 30 female roles, but who says it will actually be good and the actors won't cancel one another out?

Best supporting actor -- This one's so weak that people are starting to talk about Richard Kind for "A Serious Man." Kind is perfectly fine, but it's a standard sad-sack role, hardly Oscar material. Otherwise... nada.

Best actress -- OK, this one will be crowded. Gabby Sidibe from "Precious" seems a slam dunk. And everybody raves about Carey Mulligan in "An Education." Abbie Cornish is strong in "Bright Star," but I have a feeling that will wane. Streep is near automatic, but come on, was "Julie and Julia" really up to this standard? Don't discount Sandra Bullock for "The Blind Side," a movie people will go see and probably love (just look at the trailer).

Best actor -- Clooney in "Up in the Air," for sure. Sounds like Colin Firth for "A Single Man." Maybe Viggo for "The Road," maybe Jeremy Renner for "The Hurt Locker." But again, this feels soft.

Best picture -- "Up," "Up in the Air," "Precious," those are locks. Probably "A Serious Man." "A Single Man" and "An Education." That leaves four.

Still to come -- "Invictus," "The Lovely Bones," "Nine" and, of course, "Avatar." (And the Oscar goes to -- Jar Jar Binks!)

What seems to be lacking, I'll say again, is fire, aside from "Precious." This year just seems too cool for its own good come awards season. Try finding a film or performance to stand up and cheer for ("Precious" is powerful but utterly blood-draining).

If one shows up between now and Jan 1, it could clean up big.