Re: Oscars.

Okay, no matter who would have won, someone would complain. But I can't stand people saying that Martin Scorsese only won an Oscar for his past work and for sentimental reasons.

Who cares if The Departed is his best film or not? The only criteria for winning an Oscar this year is what is the best film *this year.

My favorite film this year was Little Miss Sunshine. Yes, I would have liked to see it win, but it was a long-shot because the Academy doesn't generally award comedies. So my second choice would have been The Departed--not because I necessarily loved it (it is most definitely not for everyone: violent, crass, etc.) but because I think it was the (second) best film of the ones nominated.

The film some people feel should have won is Babel, which is mind-boggling to me because a) I read a lot of negative reviews about it when it first came out and b) I saw this exact film last year, and it even won an Oscar, but it was called Crash at the time and took place in Los Angeles.

****

Okay. I am embarrassed to admit it, but I'm obsessed with Leonardo DiCaprio lately. It upsets me that sometimes he's brushed off as merely a pretty boy when he's such a classy person and such a talented actor. Yeah, he had some silly movie choices when he was young--he even admits it--but he has an amazing resume now. I think he is someone who is going to be considered a legend, a la Clark Gable or Cary Grant. He's old school. I mean, did you see him at the Oscars? Unlike Eddie Murphy, who threw a hissy fit when he lost and left the ceremony, DiCaprio stood up and applauded when Forest Whitaker won instead of him and seemed moved by his speech. On the red carpet he went up to people and told him how great their performances were and etc. He's just very genuine in a surprising way.

I’ve watched four movies of his movies in the past couple of weeks: The Departed, The Gangs of New York, Catch Me if You Can, and The Aviator. Catch Me if You Can and The Aviator are both brilliant, underrated movies. Catch Me if You Can has always been a personal top favorite. DiCaprio should have won the best actor Oscar for The Aviator instead of Jaime Foxx, in my opinion.

But why does he have to die in 80% of his movies?!

I also love Mark Wahlberg lately.