And the Oscar goes to...

One of the items on my bucket list this year is to watch all the films nominated for Best Picture (before or after the Academy Awards... in case you're wondering about the details I put into my lists). I've already seen two of these movies, both of which I thoroughly enjoyed and hope to see the rest soon and place my prediction! Who do you think will win for Best Picture this year?

This is how close Clooney was to me at TIFF... I was too excited.

• The Artist
• The Descendants - I saw The Descendants at last year's TIFF... my friend and I waited in line very early that Saturday morning to score seats at the Elgin/Winter Garden Theatre just to see George Clooney in this highly anticipated movie about a father reconnecting with his daughters after his wife passed away (she also had an affair while married to him, but that's another story). I found Clooney to be "very human" and realistic in this movie if that makes any sense. It was a very serious movie, but had the right balance of humour, making it easy for someone like myself to enjoy it. Oh, and I absolutely loved the Hawaiian scenery.
• Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close  
• The Help - I saw this movie after reading the book by the same name and I absolutely loved the plot and the message it was trying to convey. I actually teared up while reading the book and didn't think I would let out any tears while watching it in theatres, but surprisingly I did - even though I knew the ending. It was the right balance of humour and how racism dominates southern society. I thoroughly enjoyed Emma Stone's portrayal of Skeeter and am always one to root for the underdog. All together now... you is smart. you is kind. you is important.
• Hugo
• Midnight in Paris
• Moneyball
• The Tree of Life 
• War Horse

This was the scene as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie pulled up for the TIFF premiere of Moneyball... so intense! Since my friend and I were volunteering that night, we couldn't check out the movie.