Movies to Watch Over the Holidays That Aren't Holiday Movies

It's the most wonderful time of the movie year.  Finally.  After a year full of dreck like Transformers 2 and The Ugly Truth, the moviegoing audience gets six whole weeks of delicious high-quality adult cinema fare, all in time for the Academy Award nominations next month.  You've already seen our Avatar review.  Here's more recent releases of note that are in Seattle theaters this season, along with my verdict (yea or nay) as to whether the film is worth your holiday time and money:

Precious - Yea.  I saw this film nearly a year ago at Sundance--before Tyler Perry and Oprah signed on as producers, back when it was still called Push--and even then it was clear that this was something special. Harrowing yet hopeful, courageous, assured, and uncompromising, and just aching with elation, despair, and soul, Lee Daniels' directing debut is dangerously visionary and approaches the level of film as social act.  Mo'Nique is the biggest lock this Oscar season to win Best Supporting Actress for her brutal portrayal of Precious' monster of a mother.  Meanwhile, Gabby Sidibe (as the titular character) in her first film might just snag a Best Actress nom.

Invictus - Nay.  Sure, Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon win over post-apartheid South Africa with the power of rugby, but we never get a good look at who exactly these men are, nor exactly what are the rules of rugby.  Even worse, much of the film's bloated running time is devoted to faux-drama around Nelson Mandela's personal safety.  Spoiler alert:  Nelson Mandela is not assassinated. 

It's Complicated - Split Decision.  As expected, it's great to see Meryl Streep be Meryl Streep, Steve Martin be Steve Martin, and Alec Baldwin be Alec Baldwin, but the tone in Nancy Meyers' film is off in places, with the mood skewing sentimental instead of funny.  In all, it's a glorified Lifetime movie.  Only recommended for moms. 

The Young Victoria - Yea.  The Young Victoria is also recommended for moms, but without reservations.  Emily Blunt is appropriately regal to play the just-turned-eighteen Queen of England, while Julian Fellowes' script and Jean-Marc Vallée's editing and direction keep the period piece from being stuffy. 

Nine - Nay.  Rob Marshall's first musical after Chicago is similar in tone and music video-editing style to the Best Film winner, but the songs just aren't as catchy.  A-list movie stars (and Fergie) or no, considering this entire film rests on the strength of its music and dancing, if the music just ain't there, then the film suffers.

A Single Man - Yea.  While some folks take issue with the film's ending (The Awl really didn't like it), Tom Ford's debut is an artful demonstration of his fashionable eye, and Colin Firth, as well as Julianne Moore, both have Oscar nominations a'comin'.

Fantastic Mr. Fox - Yea.  It's funny it's taken so long for Wes Anderson to make a stop-animation film, considering the preciousness and attention to detail innate to the medium are also innate to Anderson's filmmaking ethos.  And that's not even mentioning the voice talent on display--Meryl Streep, George Clooney, Jason Schwartzman, and Bill Murray, just to name a few--all of which are first-rate. 

Up in the Air - Yea.  George Clooney stars as George Clooney, but he also displays more dimensions than he's ever given his cad persona before.  He's met his match in Vera Farmiga, his sexy female foil, and Anna Kendrick, who is going to get a supporting Actress nom for being a bottom-line-driven whippersnapper.  Throw in Jason Reitman's increasingly confident camerawork, his well-structured script, and the timeliness of the recession era plot, and you've got what will probably win the Oscar for Best Film come next March.