It is the story of a cleaner (Clooney) working for a powerful law firm who is called in when one of the big guns (Tom Wilkinson) has a breakdown. It is during his work here that the cleaner discovers that he has a choice, that things are not as they seem, and he can help make things right.

Next week the film will compete for a number of Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Director.

Lust, Caution. I never had the opportunity to see this film theatrically, although I look forward to catching up with it on DVD. It is the latest from director Ang Lee who has helped shepherd it to the big screen in uncut fashion, thus sparking a bit of controversy. You see, the film contains some explicit sex scenes and Lee was urged to at least cut them back for an R rating, but he stuck to his guns and the film was released in its original NC-17 rated format, although it was cut for airing in mainland China.

It is the story of a young woman (Tang Wei) who becomes involved in a conspiracy involving a powerful politician in WWII era Shanghai. From the clips I saw, the film looks absolutely beautiful and has an excellent score from Alexandre Desplat.

It was nominated for, but lost, the Best Foreign Language Golden Globe. It is being released in both NC-17 and R-rated versions.

In the Valley of Elah. This film had a rather lukewarm reception when it was released last Fall. It is one of the numerous films throughout the season that dealt with the ongoing war in Iraq. It is a subject that many people do not wish to see on the big screen yet, if ever. So, when films started coming out, it was akin to picking a scab. In other words, not a pleasant experience.

The movie is based on actual events involving a soldier being murdered upon his return from overseas and his father who investigated the murder, thus turning up some uncomfortable questions. I found the movie to be quite good as it brought up the question of whether or not we are doing all that we can for our soldiers.

Tommy Lee Jones is nominated for the Best Actor Oscar, in a surprising to me choice. I do not believe he will be able to wrest the award from Daniel Day-Lewis, but it is good to see his excellent work recognized.