TRAVIS BYRAM'S MOVIE REVIEWS

Oscar season has kicked off with the arrival of "Gravity," so what better time to reflect on the buzzed around movies that have already been released this year? "Lee Daniels' The Butler" (directed by Lee Daniels, who would've known) and Woody Allen's "Blue Jasmine" both saw a lot of potential, while being vastly different in subject matter. I give my abbreviated reviews of both in this double Oscar bait movie review! LEE DANIELS' THE BUTLER: Carey in the mute performance of a lifetime "The Butler" features a "Where's Waldo?" cast of celebrity cameos that range from John Cusack (Nixon) to Alan Rickman (as Reagan no less) that greatly distract from the emotional impact Lee Daniels' "Lee Daniels' The Butler" attempts to portray. The first mistake "The Butler" makes is having Mariah Carey as our protagonist's slave mother in the opening sequence. I think Daniels has a suppressed cra...

School is rearing its head again, but I don't mind because that means it's time for ridiculously early Best Picture predictions, in which, on September 1, I take a slightly more educated stab in the dark then my previous attempt on April 25. Despite not knowing if the number will be from five to ten, I always plan for the most and guess ten. THE RETURNING NOMINEES: Fruitvale Station (after seeing this movie and being floored by it a nomination is certain) The Wolf of Wall Street (now that the trailer's been released it seems like an even safer bet) The Monuments Men Inside Llewyn Davis Captain Phillips August: Osage County Right now, "Fruitvale" and "August" seem the only for-sure films to earn a slot, with "Fruitvale's" timely themes and "August's" powerhouse female performances. But these next four movies have nearly the same buzz, three of which I can confirm I've seen, and all of them I wouldn't min...