The 82nd Annual Academy Awards

Compared to last year, definitely a more balanced year. Although we're missing the divine performance of Hugh Jackman, which was almost perfect, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin do their best. They hit the mark completely in everything, and when Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Jr. come to their aid, or when Neil Patrick Harris sings, it's really fun. The only thing that's disappointing is the mass admiration for the winning film The Hurt Locker, which reeks of a slight remediation of the military-political complex. (03/11/2010)