Hustle and Flow
Who would have thought a Memphis pimp with permed hair could be this movie season’s Rocky? Up-and-coming Terrence Howard kicks ass(literally) as DJay, an aspiring rapper who wants more from life than selling blonde bombshell Nola(Taryn Manning). He wants to be a local hero like rap sensation Skinny Black(Ludacris). With the help of producer Key(Anthony Anderson) and cool white boy Shelby, DJay begins to follow his dream. I found myself enjoying the Dirty South soundtrack and caring about each of the characters, especially DJay.

nominated for Best Actor for Terrence Howard and Best Song

Enron:The Smartest Guys in the Room
Up for Best Documentary, this liberal egghead sensation is worth getting over your never-read-Fortune-or-The-Wall-Street-Journal anxieties. After the initially slow start, you are drawn into the almost-Shakespearean tragedy of Enron, where real-life Macbeths and Machiavellis took an entire state and nation for a doomed ride. I especially like _finally_ understanding the Enron debacle.

nominated for Best Documentary Feature