Oscars on the way: "Up"

Nominated for Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen, Best Animated Feature Film of the Year and other awards

Just slightly over ten hours before the Oscars 2010 ceremony, I finally saw one of its favorites as well as most talked about cartoons of the year – “Up.” And yes, I understand how it earned all the praise, even though “Coraline” is still more like my type of cartoon.

“Up” features all the customary elements of a Disney animation – sympathetic heroes bound to prevail over caricature villains, cute and friendly pets, adventures, colorful landscapes, pleasant score and an action-packed third act. What marks it out is outstanding cinematography, charming story and a very moving emotional basis.

Grumpy old man Carl Fredricksen, devastated and lonely after the loss of his wife, devises a way to escape being moved to a retirement home and fulfill his and his late wife’s dream - take an adventure trip to Paradise Falls (somewhere in South America). He ties a mass of multi-colored balloons to his roof and takes off, soon to discover, that a chubby scout kid Russel involuntarily came along for the ride.

Through an incredible stroke of luck, they do end up right next to the Falls, but before Carl can relax in his chair and enjoy the scenery, he and Russel have to deal with a fantastic giant bird, a fluffy dog with a “talking” collar and explorer Charles Muntz – Carl’s childhood hero, living in his flying ship anchored in the wilderness.

Naturally there are plenty of ridiculous moments that only adults would notice: Muntz, who must be at least 20 years older than Carl (who looks at least 65) shows wonders of physical strength (must be wonderful mountain air), not unlike Fredricksen, who alternatively uses his walker for moving around, and then runs, jumps and climbs hanging ladders without any assistance.

In the same time, “Up” should be seen for what it is – a Disney fantasy which lacks real life logic, but offers what many cartoons don’t – a genuine human touch and feelings that both children and adults can connect to.

Oscars on the way: "An Education"

Nominated for Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Published

“An Education” is an airy and smart, if slightly moralistic, coming-of-age drama about a quick-witted schoolgirl and her relationship with an older man, set in the 1960s suburban London. 16-year-old Jenny (Carey Mulligan) has great marks, plays a cello and is fascinated by everything French. Lazily hopping through her last year at school, she can’t wait to move to Oxford University where she can finally be free. But a chance encounter with David – a 30-something sweet-talking man brings a change to her plans.

A real “charmer,” David managed to whisk Jenny away to a weekend in Oxford and a trip to Paris by feeding plausible lies to her loving but grounded dad (Alfred Molina). The couple spends evenings at theaters and restaurants often with David’s best friend and his posh but dumb blonde girlfriend (Rosamunde Pike). As Jenny gets carried away with those new experiences, she begins to despise her strict school that frowns upon such frivolous lifestyle.

From an enchantingly playful opening sequence to a life-affirming finale, “An Education,” based on Nick Hronby's celebrated novel, balances witty dialogue, great acting on every part and attractive visuals. Jenny is charming and cute, but she’s no lolita and there is nothing even faintly vulgar about her subtle sexuality. However, what really sets the movie apart from most stories about young girls learning love and life from older men is that little Jenny, with her intelligence, ambitions and thirst for knowledge, stands high above her boyfriend and his flashy friends.

Oscars on the way: "The White Ribbon"

Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year, Best Achievement in Cinematography

By now "The White Ribbon" has collected a bucketful of awards at all major film festivals, most notably a Golden Globe as Best Foreign Language Film and a Golden Palm at 2009's Cannes, so now it only remains to be recognized by the Academy.

The action is set in a German village, where it begins just two years before the start of the World War I and ends right when the War breaks out. The narrator is a school teacher reflecting on this short period in his life, when he was preoccupied with the idea of getting married.

The quiet bucolic life of the village is disrupted by several incidents that soon grow in number. The doctor gets severely wounded when his horse trips on a transparent wire placed between two trees. Someone opens a window in a room with a baby on a cold night. Baron's son disappears, and is found tied to a tree in the forest. Soon every adult is under suspicion, and the school teacher is the only one who directs his attention to children instead.

The latter are stern-faced boys and girls dressed in ascetic clothes. Raised in austerity, they are completely submissive to adults, but while little ones appear quite innocent, the older ones bear a look that can be interpreted as obedience and loathing at the same time. The name of the film comes from the white ribbon that the strict village pastor ties to arms of his eldest children - as a way to remind them of their purity. It is meant as punishment, but rather appears to be an act of desperation.

Michael Haneke's black-n-white film is a complex, layered story, that doesn't offer easy answers. There is no direct evidence to prove children's guilt, apart from some subtle hints and suspicious behavior. Instead, Haneke paints a vivid picture of the world, about to be transformed forever, and the children's suspected acts of violence serve as dark omen of things to come.

See full list of Oscar nominees here.

Oscar countdown

A little more than two weeks left till Oscar. Will it honor some real achievements rather than just get all commercial again? Will Sandra Bullock or Meryl Strip snatch the Best Actress Award? Will Kathrine Bigelow get her Director Oscar? And will "Avatar" be the absolute toast of the night? (Most likely and that's so lame) Legendary film critic Roger Ebert makes his predictions here.