a blog about a lot of things

Best Actor Most likely winner : Colin Firth as King George VI in 'The King's Speech'. Firth commands attention in every scene. Warm is the overused adjective to describe his performance as the King but it's accurate too. Backup Pick : James Franco as Aron Ralston in '127 Hours'. For most of the film it's Franco alone in the scene. And it's an excellent film, so that alone should be a gauge for the strength of his acting. He manages to portray a man who's self-confident enough to cause him to make his own problems but self-reliant enough to get out of them. Most deserving (My pick): I'm all for Colin Firth. I think period pieces are immensely watchable and I think Firth deserves this. He had a lot of help from the supporting cast but he really made the movie good. Best Actress Most likely winner : Natalie Portman as Nina Sayers in 'Black Swan'. Captivating performance. She gets it all down. Shy and repressed but then embraces her new rol...

I'm only picking from what I've seen (because that's the only way). So I'm sure True Grit or The King's Speech might have made the list,since the reviews are great and they're on a lot of lists (and the original True Grit was excellent ) , but I've haven't seem them yet. 15. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World - Edgar Wright Why: A great comic book adaptation. Anyone over 30 is probably going to hate it but the nonsensical, minimal attention span style of the film makes it an excellent watch. 14. Exit through The Gift Shop - Bansky - UK/USA Why: A documentary? Or a farce. It works well either way, though probably better as a farce. It's strange and it's entertaining. And the ambiguousness only helps to make it better. 13. Lung Bunmi Raluek Chat (Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives) - Apichatpong Weerasethakul - Thailand Why: Don't go looking for a plot. Less of a film than a mindtrip. Visually beautiful journey through a sometimes inscruta...

10. Rodrigo y Gabriela - Tamacun (2006) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-qgum7hFXk&feature=related Why: Sometimes you hear music that makes you realize the limitless potential of musical ability. Because these two artists have no limits. They can make the acoustic guitar produce melodies which are unlike anything anyone else is producing. 9. Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb_7C1vMpRQ Why: Possibly the best title song of an album of all time. It's about revenge, arson, regret and despair. Or it could be an allegory for the state of the world. 'Start as you mean to go on'. 8. The Walkmen - The Rat (2004) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDe_znFhP4c Why: Loud and super-fast. Lyrics that are half angry and half remorseful. A forceful hit of drums , bass and guitar played to a frenzy and dripping with raw emotion. 7. Keane - We Might As Well be Strangers (2004) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82n2b4Mk8Zc Why: Starts off softly and ...

20. Haruki Murakami - The Wind-up Bird Chronicle -1995 - Japan 19. Vladmir Nabokov - Pale Fire - 1962 -USA 18. Flann O'Brien - At Swim-Two Birds - 1939 - Ireland 17. Harvey Pekar - American Splendor - 1976-2008 - USA 16. Franz Kafka - The Metamorphosis - 1915 - Austria-Hungary 15. Thomas Bernhard - The Loser - 1983 - Austria 14. Phillip K. Dick - The Man in The High Castle - 1962 -USA 13. Julian Barnes - Flaubert's Parrot - 1984 -England 12. Martin Amis - Time's Arrow - 1991 -England 11. David Foster Wallace - Infinite Jest -1996 -USA

10. Molloy, Malone Dies, The Unnameable (The Trilogy) - Samuel Beckett - 1951-1953 - France 9. Labyrinths - Jorge Luis Borges -1962 - Argentina 8. American Psycho - Bret Easton Ellis - 1991 - USA 7. Catch -22 - Joseph Heller- 1961 -USA 6. Naked Lunch - William S. Burroughs -1959 -USA 5. The Blind Assassin - Margret Atwood -2000 - Canada 4. Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut - 1969 - USA 3. Gravity's Rainbow - Thomas Pynchon - 1973 -USA 2. If on a winter's a traveler - Italo Calvino - 1979 -Italy 1. Everything is Illuminated - Jonathan Safran Foer -2002- USA

20. Radiohead - Idioteque (2000) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jX-fDKWGbRs Why: The entry into electronic beats. Unclear lyrics, possibly apocalyptic and dealing with war, climate change and technology uprising. Weird how it all falls together so perfectly. 19. The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army (2003) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psbs_8kkWqg Why: Proof that you don't have to depart from simplicity to still have a good song. Same guitar riff through most of the song until the solo kicks in. But it's the (much-debated) drumming of Meg White that gives the song its impact. 18. Arcade Fire - Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels) - 2004 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iz-WDk7Tbsc&feature=related Why: A fantasy world where there are no parents and no adult problems in a town buried under the snow, with a tunnel connecting two people. The song builds slowly until all the instruments and voices enter into a sing-along which is both joyful and melancholy. 17. Outkast - B.O.B. (Bombs Ove...

30. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Zero (2009) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8m55NDHvPY Why: Usually synthpop is forgettable but every now and again an excellent track turns up. Karen O went from punk idol to glam superstar with this song. Put this on and you can feel the in tune with your adolescence again. 29. Coldplay - Fix You (2005) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKrceZxL8r8 Why: Chris Martin thinks it's 'probably the most important we've written'. A sentimental rock ballad which delivers words of encouragement while having sympathy for the downtrodden. Add in the sing-along and it's completely song for the people. 28. Kanye West - Jesus Walks (2005) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYF7H_fpc-g&ob=av3n Why: Criticize the media for not embracing songs about faith during a massive hit song about the same topic, extensively played by the said media. You can't make that up. Be positive with the lyrics, but have an awesome beat to make it popular- that's the lesson. ...