Chico, Rita & Hugo

I'll start with the better film here: Chico & Rita. What an excellent film it is! Visually spectacular because it both revels in traditional animation and incorporates 3D in a way that still resembles being painted. Great incorporation of Cuban jazz and a story that doesn't shy away from a sensual relationship are proof that it's not a Disney film, and it's all the better for it. Not all movies have to be made for kids. Rango will probably win, but I still would be rejoicing for this nom if it won instead.

Hugo, on the other hand, left me extremely disappointed. Yes, I know this is Martin Scorsese's first "non-R" picture in decades, specifically a so-called family film. Still, it felt too goody two-shoes for what it was striving for. It's certainly going to win some tech awards tomorrow, especially for art direction, but the lingering, Narnia-like screenplay itself ceased a suspension of disbelief for me. Note that while it has earned just over $100M, its budget was more like $170M, so it hasn't even broken even yet. That's all the more reason to give it to an indie like The Artist for Best Pic tomorrow!