Be it the groovy '60s, the swinging '70s, or an even earlier decade, retro is in full flourish in the batch of films nominated for honors during the 81st annual Academy Awards telecast Sunday.

With a heavy emphasis on the styles of the post-modern past -- as well as several standout performances -- the 2008 films include an impressive field of good movies, just no really great one that breaks out.

"Doubt," "Milk," "Frost/Nixon," "Slumdog Millionaire" and, the darkest of dark horses, "Frozen River," are all solid, enjoyable movie choices.

"Doubt" is the movie I enjoyed most in 2008, despite a ridiculous ending that defied logic. Also annoying were the non-subtle camera shots, including a seemingly endless focus on one character's fingernails. That said, "Doubt" tells a compelling story and features a showcase of acting talent. But while all four of the lead actors received top acting award nominations, there is no Best Picture nod.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are no acting nominations for "Slumdog Millionaire," but the low-budget independent film that has taken critics and the general public by storm is up for Best Picture and, I think, will probably win.

Keeping in mind that I'm neither a movie critic nor a seer, of the five films that are nominated for Best Picture, "Milk" and "Frost/Nixon" are my favorites, with "Milk" the most likely challenger to "Slumdog Millionaire."

While most of the nominated pictures are certainly Oscar-worthy, a few were overlooked ("Gran Torino" and "Revolutionary Road") .

In keeping with recent trends, most of the nominated films are small ones, although all were released in the area before the end of January, and all actually featured English as the predominant language. A few -- "Slumdog Millionaire," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and "Changeling," in particular -- even made it to the mall multiplexes.

Thanks to DVD rentals and Pay-Per-View, I have been able to catch the three films I'd skipped during their original runs. Otherwise, I've seen the rest of the top-nominated films on the big screen.

As usual, I'm skipping the more technical categories, like makeup, sound editing and mixing, and, of course, the ones I haven't seen -- shorts, documentaries and foreign language. Instead, I'll focus on the key categories: best picture and director, best actor and actress, and best supporting actor and actress.

Best Picture/Director

"Milk" -- Gus Van Sant, director: The acting is superb, and that '70's hippie vibe from the streets of San Francisco is dead on. It's the story of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official who served as a city commissioner before he and the mayor were gunned down by a disturbed colleague. Emile Hirsch, so good in 2007's "Into the Wild," is virtually unrecognizable as the young campaign worker, while Sean Penn, in the title role, along with James Franco and Josh Brolin are all equally excellent. I also liked "Frost/Nixon," but it's the large stellar cast that makes "Milk" my top choice.

"Frost/Nixon" -- Ron Howard, director: Another glimpse into the 1970s, this is the account of the historic interview of President Richard Nixon, who resigned from office in disgrace after Watergate, by celebrity television personality David Frost. Frank Langella is transfixing as the former president, while Michael Sheen, so very good as British Prime Minister Tony Blair in 2007's "The Queen," also shines.

"Slumdog Millionaire" -- Danny Boyle, director: The popular Bollywood-inspired production has been compared to previous small-budget favorites "Juno" and "Little Miss Sunshine" as the film to beat. There's a nice, upbeat message in the story of the Indian outcast who rises from the depths of poverty and despair to win not only the girl of his dreams, but also the local version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire." It's a compelling fairy tale of a journey, told in flashback scenes that correspond to the questions posed by an oily game show host. The leading young man is very appealing, although far too youthful to play a credible counterpart to his obviously older, more sophisticated love interest. And the unfathomable squalor of Mumbai/Bombay made for such a grim backdrop that I had difficulty relating to many scenes.

In retrospect, "Slumdog Millionaire" is probably a better movie than I initially thought, and the idea of a come-from-nowhere small-budget picture with an unknown foreign cast that captures the public's heart is a universally appealing one. Go "Slumdog."

"The Reader" -- Stephen Daldry, director: Like "Doubt" and "The Wrestler," "The Reader" is another case of the individual acting effort being far superior to the film that results. Kate Winslet is very good as the illiterate Nazi concentration camp guard inexplicably enamored with literature. I also never figured out why she couldn't read -- she obviously wasn't dumb or dyslexic, since she later taught herself. Preferring the plausible, as I do, things like that worry me. Also, while the young German co-star, David Kross, looking like a taller Jonathan Taylor Thomas of sitcom fame, was convincing, I didn't like the preternaturally mature Ralph Fiennes playing an older version -- by just a few years -- of the same character.

Most, but not all, critics seem to love "The Reader." After a Rock Hill relative weighed in that this was his favorite picture of the year, I did a little rethinking of my assessment. Then, I considered the source -- this is the same guy who raved so a year ago about "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," that excruciatingly dry, French-language film about a paralyzed man who can only move one eyelid. Mercifully, a lot more than eyelids move in "The Reader," but I can't say I really enjoyed the movie that much more.

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" -- David Fincher, director: I hated this one. Based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, "Benjamin Button" is the overly long saga of a man born old who ages in reverse, meeting his true love somewhere in the middle. This episodic telling could have worked in half the time as an intimate portrait of two lovers, one growing younger as the other ages. Despite relief from the scenes of a delicious Brad Pitt at his glorious best, this result is almost three hours of pure tedium. If F. Scott thought the subject matter warranted a novel, the great American writer would have produced one; he didn't.

Also, the scenes between time-warped lovers -- an octogenarian and a child, then a mature woman and a young teen -- were borderline creepy. My biggest complaint, however, was the perpetual irritation of a leading character waiting in a hospital room for Hurricane Katrina to strike -- that's August in New Orleans -- who's wearing a long-sleeved shirt, a quilted vest and a jacket. A rhinestone cowgirl suit or a clown costume could not have been any sillier or distracting.

Best Actor

Frank Langella in "Frost/Nixon": A veteran actor who never quite reached the level of fame his earlier roles promised, Langella provides a multi-faceted portrayal of Richard Nixon as the former president hoping to spin a public self-justification through a series of puff interviews. He's riveting, and he's my choice for Best Actor.

 Sean Penn in "Milk": Penn turns in his usual top-quality performance in the title role. Several aspects of his public persona are a bit off-putting, but all that aside, there's no denying he's one fine actor.

Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler": The notation "Mickey Rourke as himself" may be missing, but the similarities between the real-life disheveled actor and the steroid-ravaged has-been in "The Wrestler" have been well documented. The movie was a plotless, though gritty, portrait of a broken-down, child-like performer doing the only thing he knows. Hollywood's always ripe for redemption stories like this, and the always watchable Rourke is the sentimental favorite to win the Oscar. I just hope he'll wash his hair.

Brad Pitt in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button": A classic movie star -- with all that implies -- Pitt is a favorite of mine, and I hope that one day he'll win an Oscar, but not this year for this mess of a movie. Here, he's either unrecognizable from layers of special effects or dazzlingly posed in a series of glossy celluloid close-ups.

Richard Jenkins in "The Visitor": The low-key, bald and pockmarked character actor moviegoers know well by face, if not by name, Jenkins gets a surprising, yet well-deserved, pat on the back with the top acting nomination for his starring role in "The Visitor." Odds are against this longest of long shots. The movie, which I rented after the nominations were announced, features Jenkins as a lonely, detached professor rejuvenated through his interaction with a family of illegal immigrants. I didn't care so much for the movie, but Jenkins is fine in the nuanced everyman part he has honed in such films as "Burn After Reading" and "North Country." And it's an honor to be nominated.

Best Actress

Melissa Leo in "Frozen River": I'd never heard of Leo until she was nominated for "Frozen River," a movie I missed during its seven-day run at a Charleston art house theater a few months ago. Big mistake. "Frozen River," which I recently rented on DVD, is a terrific movie of documentary-like realism, and Leo heads an equally superb cast of mostly unknowns.

One of my favorite actors, William H. Macy, said once during an interview that when he played the principal in "Mr. Holland's Opus" early on in his career, several of the student extras nervously asked him if he were really a school official. That's how real his performance was.

That story came to mind after I saw Leo's portrayal of a dollar-store clerk who turns to smuggling illegal aliens across the desolate northern border. She's struggling to provide for two sons after her gambling-addicted husband takes off just before Christmas with the money she'd saved for the family's big dream -- a double-wide with good insulation. I realize it's "just a movie." Still, I Googled Leo's name, almost expecting to see not a working actress, but an actual resident of that frigid and desolate wasteland somewhere along the New York-Canadian border.

Kate Winslet in "The Reader": Odds-on favorite to win the top prize, Winslet is very good in "The Reader," but even better in "Revolutionary Road," one of my favorite movies of the year. The British actress has already won best supporting actor honors at the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild for what is obviously a starring role. One would assume that this time, she'll have her acceptance speech ready.

Angelina Jolie in "Changeling": Jolie, who should have been nominated for last year's "A Mighty Heart," is believable as the confused and heart-broken young mother fighting a corrupt Los Angeles police bureaucracy after her young son disappears. The story seems barely plausible, but, as is explained, it's based on a true event from the 1920s.

Meryl Streep in "Doubt": Always at the top of her game, Streep turns in her usual critically recognized performance as the head nun in my favorite movie. With the face-framing habit accentuating every eyebrow-raising grimace and gesture, there's a lot of scene chewing here.

Anne Hathaway in "Rachel Getting Married": Speaking of scene chewing, I don't like the movie, and I particularly don't like Hathaway's nervous, over-the-top portrayal of the troubled, self-absorbed sister on a pass from rehab for a family wedding in Connecticut.

Best Supporting Actor

Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Doubt": Probably my favorite actor today, Hoffman always gets my vote for best performance, and his role as the dubious priest in "Doubt" is right up there with the best of them.

Josh Brolin in "Milk": Brolin's had so many memorable roles over the past few years -- "W." in particular -- and his turn as Dan White, the unbalanced assassin in "Milk," is one more. Continuing the trend, Brolin will surely win an Oscar in the near future.

Michael Shannon in "Revolutionary Road": An actor I'd never seen or heard of before his nomination, Shannon was wonderful as the mentally ill truth-sayer in "Revolutionary Road."

Robert Downey Jr. in "Tropic Thunder": For his priceless take on a Hollywood mogul in the same movie, Tom Cruise should have been nominated and should be the winner. However, it's Downey, a Tinseltown favorite, who's tapped for his co-starring role. A hilarious spoof of behind-the-scenes filmmaking, Downey, a dead ringer for The Rock, is fine as a pampered star making movie realism on a jungle location.

Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight": The sentimental favorite and sure bet to win, the late Australian actor, who died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs a year ago, brought a unique portrayal of evil to his last role as the cartoon character The Joker in the latest "Batman" feature. With Oscar buzz at full cry well before the autopsy results were in, I'm afraid there's no stopping this train. Admittedly, I don't enjoy super hero movies, and this Robinless "Batman" is a good example why.

Best Supporting Actress

Viola Davis in "Doubt": The St. Matthews native is my favorite, not just for the obvious Calhoun County connection, but for a performance that is spectacular in its depth and subtlety. Critics are also unanimously applauding Davis for her pivotal role as the mother of a troubled Catholic schoolboy. Although brief, it's Davis' one unforgettable scene with Streep that captures the essence of the movie and makes her the front runner. With Winslet more appropriately competing for Best Actress honors, Davis has a great shot. Fingers crossed.

Amy Adams in "Doubt": Also very good in "Doubt," Adams continues her string of sweetheart roles, this time in habit as a naive nun.

Marisa Tomei in "The Wrestler": Nobody plays the hooker with the heart of gold better than Tomei, who won in this category for her role as the wise-cracking Brooklyn girlfriend in the 1992 comedy classic "My Cousin Vinny." In "The Wrestler," she's a pole dancer with a heart of gold.

Penelope Cruz in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona": Considered by critics as the one who could upset Davis, Cruz offers a Charo-lite performance as the fiery and exotic ex-wife complicating the life of a Spanish painter and the two young American women he encounters. Although I dislike this Woody Allen movie intensely, as I did "Volver," the film that brought Cruz a nomination for Best Actress a couple of years ago, I do hope the Spanish actress will eventually win an Oscar.

Taraji P. Henson in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button": Unlike Henson's spectacular portrayal of a prostitute in 2005's "Hustle and Flow," the character she plays in "Benjamin Button" is one I can't even remember. She plays the woman who mothers the Benjamin Button character, but nothing she does stands out. Why she was nominated, I don't know.

T&D Government Writer Tucker Lyon can be reached by e-mail at tlyon@timesanddemocrat.com or by telephone at 803-533-5545. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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