THE ARTIST-SAFE OSCAR CHOICE

Lady watching THE ARTIST win Best Picture

THE ARTIST received the top prize at the Producers Guild Awards last night. If you think that the Golden Globes are not much of a precursor to the Oscars, you have to believe that the PGA awards are. For the last four years the Best Theatrical Feature winner went on to to win and Academy Awards for Best Picture. Many were hoping for an upset like DRAGON TATTOO or even BRIDESMAIDS, but deep down everyone knew that THE ARTIST would beat all of them. As I read other blogs and websites I am finding that people now consider the Oscars over and very disappointed in THE ARTIST. Not because it is not a great movie, but because it is a safe flavorless pick. We are still reeling from last year, the safe THE KINGS SPEECH. We need an Oscar season with upsets and risks. Why can't DRIVE or MELANCHOLIA win Best Picture? The Academy seems too afraid to vote for the "unpopular kids" or anyone not named Harvey Weinstein.  It is one big group of friends who once a year honor each other for being their friend. I hear over and over "oh that movie will never be nominated. it is too violent, too controversial, too modern, too edgy, too long, too short..blah, blah, blah. Unfortunately all that seems to be true. Granted the nominations aren't until Tuesday morning and maybe, just maybe there will be a big surprise that we can get excited about, but it doesn't seem to be going that way. 2011 was not the best year in film and THE ARTIST is not the best movie of the year, but it sure is the safest.