A "LOVELY" MESS?

Here we go again. I'm always a little bit suspicious of high-pedigreed movies that garner Oscar buzz before filming even commences based on the subject matter, the source material or the talent involved. Perhaps my wariness of Invictus and The Lovely Bones will be justified. Here is my friend Mara's take:

"This just in from the Oscar queen: Invictus is just a 2 1/2 star movie. No Oscar nod for Matt Damon. Possibly for Morgan Freeman, only because it's Morgan Freeman. And The Lovely Bones is a tragic mess. I'm still scarred. Who would pay to see it? But Stanley Tucci (above) scared the bejeezus out of me. And Mark Wahlberg looked hot."

From the Oscar queen's mouth to the Academy's ears.