Times film experts reconsider the Oscar nominees

All year, film critics tell us what they like and don't like about new movies, always moving on to the next release. But how often do we ask them to take a second look, to give us their considered opinions again once the Oscar nominations are announced? That's just what we've done in assembling L.A. Times film columnist Patrick Goldstein and Times film critics Kenneth Turan and Betsy Sharkey to talk over this year's nominees and to play Oscar Voter for a day.

Patrick Goldstein: They don't let any of us peons vote in the Academy Awards, but if you two had to vote for best picture, I'd like to hear you make the case for your favorite movie this year.

Kenneth Turan: It's " Slumdog Millionaire." To me, it's a throwback to the old style of Hollywood moviemaking. It's a smart movie by an independent director that has really broad mainstream appeal, and that's good enough for me.

Betsy Sharkey: My choice would be "Slumdog Millionaire" too because I think it does what, really, every movie that is ever made is supposed to do -- it sweeps you in and it takes you away and you are absolutely there with it every minute until the end and the lights go up.

Goldstein: Well, since I'm very uncomfortable hearing critics agree with each other, I am going to ask you a follow-up question. What is the film in the best picture slot that doesn't belong there? That if you were King or Queen for a Day you would take out?

Sharkey: I think "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" does not belong. I know it's been popular with a lot of people, but to me it did not fully work as a movie.

Goldstein: What didn't work for you?

Sharkey: What did not work, frankly, was what should have been the spine of the movie, which is Brad Pitt's performance. It was passive throughout. And I had a hard time buying into the proposition that if you had that sort of absolutely counterintuitive life, that you would not be more introspective, that you would not be more active or proactive in the way that you reacted to and assessed your life. I felt like he just was gliding through the years and I wanted more out of that character.

Turan: I won't pick a film that should be cut out, but I will say that I feel bad that "The Dark Knight" didn't make the cut.

Goldstein: Why do you think it deserved to be there?

Turan: It's exceptionally well made just from a craft point of view, art direction, cinematography, all the kinds of things that the Hollywood studio system remains so good at. And I just like the notion of having popular films in there. I mean, one of the things that is always characterizing the academy is that often if a film is too successful, it doesn't get voted in; not always, but sometimes you can be too successful for the academy's taste. Obviously, "Titanic" was in there. "Lord of the Rings" was successful -- sometimes they just are so overpowering that they get in. But it would have been nice to have one of the year's most popular films among the five.

Goldstein: And Betsy, are there films that you loved that you would have liked to see as a nominee?

Sharkey: " Doubt." I thought between the directing, the writing and acting, it was incredibly compelling. It felt like a grown-up film, as it was taking on adult issues and dealing with them in very sophisticated and smart ways. And, at the same time, it brought in the humanity of every single one of those characters in a very compelling way.

Goldstein: Let's move on to director. Who are you rooting for to win?

Turan: I like "Slumdog Millionaire" and I like Danny Boyle. I think if you look at Danny Boyle's entire career, one of the things that characterizes it is that he brings a lot of energy to his films no matter what the subject matter is. And I think that energy was critical in making "Slumdog" the success it is.