THE ARTIST is a charming film and one of two movies (Hugo is the other) that serves as a love letter to movie making. The  Artist explores the film industry’s transition away from silent movies to “talkies” and yes, The Artist is a (mostly) silent movie, but you should NOT let that keep you away. This movie has great performances, is beautiful to behold, and is a good old-fashioned love story. The Artist may prove that silence is indeed golden. (The favorite for Best Movie.)

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THE DESCENDANTS is the George Clooney film about a work-alcoholic dad that is thrown into full-throttle parenthood when his wife is injured and he has to take over. Mr. Clooney delivers the best movie line of the year when talking about his kids (one teenager and one close enough) — he explains to a friend that he has these two kids and “there’s something wrong with them.” This line alone was worth the price of admission. (If you have teenagers you know what I’m talking about.) Mr. Clooney was very good and is nominated for best actor, but I was slightly disappointed with the director’s pacing — probably because I expect so much from the great Alexander Payne (Sideways, Election). (Mr. Clooney’s performance makes this movie, but he may get edged out for best actor by Jean Dujardin from The Artist.)

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EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE — my least favorite of the nominated films — advertises Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock as its stars, but sadly, they have very small parts. The film is carried by a their on-screen son that may or may not be autistic, but is definitely annoying. Ms. Bullock’s performance in the last 15 minutes of the film saved it from complete disaster for me. (I can’t believe this movie even got a nomination — no chance of winning.)

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THE HELP was adapted from the very popular book of the same name but is even better in its movie form. While The Help purports to be a story about racism in Mississippi circa the 1960′s, it’s instead a story about mean girls. That being said, it’s a very entertaining movie.  The Help is a good story that is well-produced and rife with great performances. (Look for a best actress win and possibly a best supporting actress win.)

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HUGO is directed by Martin Scorsese, takes place in a train station, and has movies and love at the center of its plot — what’s not to like? Mr. Scorsese is known for his dedication to restoring and preserving old films and his direction of Hugo is a love song to movie-making. This film is truly for the whole family:  grandparents will love the nostalgia, parents will enjoy the interesting plot, and kids will be swept away by the magic. It should not escape your attention that you are watching a movie that has a subplot about the genesis of film making, through 3-D glasses! (And the Oscar for best director goes to: Martin Scorsese.)

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MIDNIGHT IN PARIS  Oh la la how I loved this movie! Set in present day Paris but juxtaposed to Paris in the 1020′s, “midnight” proves to be a magical time, indeed. A writer visiting Paris gets to meet icons from his favorite era — Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Cole Porter, Picasso. As he steps back in time he comes to realize that he needs to make changes in his present to be happy in his future.  (This magical movie gets my vote for best original screenplay.)

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MONEYBALL stars Brad Pitt but Jonah Hill is the man to watch. Mr. Hill’s character is a pudgy number-crunching nerd that was surely the last one picked to be on any team (other than debate) when he was in school . I’m not the biggest baseball fan and I tend to favor my intuition over statistics, but I do love a good underdog.  Mr.Pitt and Mr. Hill’s movie personas work the stats to overcome their financial shortcomings to give the Oakland A’s a winning season — too bad it took so long, literally, the movie would have been much better with fifteen minutes cut out. (Mr. Hill should win best supporting actor but sentimental favorite, Christopher Plummer {Beginners}, will likely take the golden statue home.)

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THE TREE OF LIFE , an amazing film by the great director Terrence Malick, is part 2001: A Space Odyssey and part Leave it to Beaver. This is probably not a movie for beginning movie goers. When Mr. Malick delves into his beautiful creation scene you may think someone has slipped some LSD into your Jr. Mints. However, if you are a lover of letting visuals tell a story, this is the movie for you. Mr. Malick‘s imagines are so powerful he needs very little dialogue to communicate. The Tree of Life is an appropriate title for a grand and complex movie that explores themes that range from the meaning of existence to the loss of innocence. This is a movie that will be taught in future film classes — not perfect, but certainly profound. (This film is probably too abstract for the Academy to give it best picture, but hopefully they will see fit to reward it with best cinematography.)

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WARHORSE is Steven Spielberg’s WW1 movie based on a popular Broadway play.  At his best Mr. Spielberg is wildly creative and entertaining, but at his worst, he is over-the-top and schmaltzy. Warhorse is not Mr. Spielberg’s best effort: The performances are so-so and the direction overly sentimental. Fortunately the heartwarming story and the handsome horse offset  the negatives giving the movie goer an overall positive viewing experience. (Warhorse is destined to go home empty- handed.)

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Buy your popcorn and chill some champagne. The Oscar telecast is next Sunday evening on ABC — may the best movie win.