Ideally, I would like to say that I saw every movie that was nominated in this year’s Best Picture Oscar race, but I cannot tell a lie. There are some I just didn’t see. Let’s be honest, this blog is called Just Chick Flicks. I have my hands full trying to see movie that fit into that genre.

OK…then how come you didn’t see An Education?

Well… see…what happened. Truthfully, That movie came and went before I had a chance. It could have happened while I was standing in line for Avatar. I am not sure. But fortunately, I have a wonderful community of movie bloggers who are apparently a lot more dedicated. I am glad they have my back on this.

So, let’s take a look at the movie reviews and commentary from my fellow movie bloggers.

An Education

Julian Stark-Movies & Other Things

“Proof that films don’t need to be lengthy to be good, Lone Scherfig’s An Education is one of 2009′s best films…”

It’s Just Movies

“An Education” is destined to be the starting point for Carey Mulligan’s success, but others such as Sasgaard and Molina are well-cast and well-acted. Pair acting along with writing that is both quirky and dramatic and excellent pacing and you get a film that does not offer a dull moment.

The Hurt Locker

Red Carpet Crash

“In the same way “Platoon” told the story definitively of being a soldier in Vietnam, “The Hurt Locker” sets the standard for telling the story of serving in Iraq. It is a masterpiece, and should be treated as such.”

Reel Talker

“Renner was unforgettable as the adrenaline junkie always looking for his next hit. But I think the biggest star of the movie was director Kathryn Bigelow whose intense direction stole the show and truly depicted a country that had essentially become one large ticking bomb…”

Inglourious Basterds

1416 And Counting

“Inglourious Basterds is a long, lengthy work of beauty and horrible things. It is a comment on cinema the likes of which Tarantino has never approached before. Some of the scenes…will be long, long remembered.”

Red Carpet Crash

“Inglourious Basterds” is both a tribute to the great World War II films that came before it – if you look closely, you can see elements of “Force 10 From Navarone,” “The Dirty Dozen,” or “The Great Escape” – and a fully modern take on terrorizing Hitler’s men behind enemy lines.

It’s Just Movies

This is a mesmerizing film from start to finish. I can’t remember the last time two-and-a-half-hours-plus in a theater didn’t feel like two and a half hours. Even with stretches of protracted dialogue, the film breezes along without feeling rushed; by the time the end credits started, I was ready for more.

Reel Talker

“Director Quentin Tarantino has done something here that I have never seen him do with any other movie–he made me totally forget I was watching a Quentin Tarantino movie.”

A Serious Man

It’s Just Movies

If the film were in less capable hands, then it surely would have been sub par, as “A Serious Man” is a character comedy, and the relationships between these characters is what keeps us glued to the screen…After the film concludes, it is surely evident that this is one of the Coen Brother’s most thought-provoking films, as well as their most personal.

Reel Talker

“Larry Gopnik is at the end of his rope. But, God bless him, he is still hanging on to the last stubborn piece of sanity he’s got left in Ethan and Joel Coen’s A Serious Man.”…

Up

Reel Artsy

“An incredible love story, a funny adventure, and an overwhelming drama, Pete Docter’s animated fable is a remarkable film. The nearly wordless first act is a masterpiece of visual storytelling…”

It’s Just Movies

“It’s a lovely picture of animation done right. Animation that stays true to its characters central idea and guiding spirit. And it shows the care the Pixar folks take in their characters.”

Up in the Air

Julian Stark-Movies & Other Things

“When it comes to social relevance, no film from 2009 might fit that bill anymore than Jason Reitman’s Up in the Air.”

Red Carpet Crash

“Like his previous movies “Thank You For Smoking” and “Juno,” Reitman delivers an “A” caliber movie that is funny, smart and a bit charming. Reitman questions the true nature of why we have relationship in a way that not condescending to the viewer. He allows the characters to develop and question their personal attachments, or lack thereof. Reitman truly knows how to balance a serious drama with a light refreshing comedy and make it work.:

It’s Just Movies

And so we have a triangle, in Clooney, Kendrick, and Farmiga. Not a love triangle, though; more of a lifestyle triangle. All three actors are outstanding. The two women have very different perspectives on life, but look at the confidence the actresses exude