These are 3 non-awards season flicks getting some awards season buzz (the last 2 for the lead performances):

Eddie Marsan and Sally Hawkins are fantastic in Happy-Go-Lucky which, I believe, is coming out on DVD a few weeks before the Oscars. Hawkins has won a couple of awards already. It's a good movie, too.

The Visitor is a good movie directed by Thomas McCarthy (The Wire). Jenkins and Abbass are amazing. So is Haaz Sleiman. DVD already out.

Melissa Leo and Misty Upham in Frozen River. Leo is fantastic. DVD out soon.



These aren't players in awards season, but up for the PTP awards I would think:

Off the top, Chop Shop is the best American film I've seen this year so far. I've still yet to see The Wrestler and Revolutionary Road (not really anticipating the latter).

4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days is a great, tense film with an amazing performance by Anamaria Marinca. Great cast, too.

Michael Shannon in Shotgun Stories is a notable male lead performance. I might include him in my top 5. It's a very good movie, too. A revenge-family feud flick. Great cast, too, even the bit parts.

Quite a few others I'm forgetting, for sure.

I get to see Ballast at the end of the month. That's another well-thought of film.