2011 Critics Choice Awards Observations

1. The camera really, really likes Jon Hamm and Matt Damon. And I like you, cameraperson. There was also a really hot shot of Ryan Gosling looking spruced up for once, reclining in his chair with his arm slung to the side like he didn't have a care in the world. My god, he looks fine in that pose.

2. I LOVE ANDREW GARFIELD. He looked ridiculously happy/goofy when Christian Bale won, and he's was headbanging to the beat of the music. I wonder if he knows about the online fandom of the "Jewnicorn" romance between him and Eisenberg?

3. Christopher Nolan on winning "Best Action Film" for Inception: "I'd like to thank the studio for believing that this was an action movie in the first place." Oh Mr. Nolan, that is what your movie is. It's an elaborate heist movie with a few psychological/surrealist gimmicks. You have half the explosions of a Michael Bay movie and all the stunts, suits, and pithy retorts of a James Bond movie.

3. Seeing stars chat up other stars is the weirdest. Elle Fanning and Matt Damon talking, Quentin Tarantino with random people, Colin Firth and Michelle Williams, Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield being incredibly buddy-buddy, Christian Bale and Ryan Gosling, and Robert Duvall and Warren Beatty probably having fun together in their exclusive Acting Legends' Club.

4. Spoof skits are SO EMBARRASSING. Did they not learn from the Kristen Chenoweth mishap from last year? I had to change to another channel.

5. The Kardashian sisters present, and I lower the volume immediately. My favorite film blogger is so funny about this: "The Kardashians? Oh BFCA. I haven't been this ashamed since Katy Perry didn't know who Darren Aronofsky was two years back. THEY are making jokes about documentaries and the failures of our educational system? Oh the levels."

6. I don't know if it's the pregnancy glow or the post-Black Swan confidence - maybe both, but this is the most relaxed and interesting Natalie Portman as I've seen her. Glad to see that the little-girl-Valley-speech shtick is over.

7. Jane Fonda presents Best Picture. A) I am so glad that they asked an actress to do this B) "Someone backstage called me a cougar. I told him, "young man, I have no idea what that even means, but put your clothes on and get out of my dressing room.". <3.>

8. Mila Kunis is not impressed with Quentin Tarantino's exuberant, inspiring speech or The Social Network's win. She has been looking exquisitely bored all night.

9. In retrospect, the BFCA showed admirable restraint in showing a 'Best of the Year' montage instead of just "this year in movies" in some pseudo-egalitarian attempt to rein in younger viewers. I don't care if Eclipse does represent an important demographic of movie-goers; it doesn't belong in any awards show, period.

10. Most awkward cut-away ending ever to the calmest, strangely non-eventful and overall amiable awards show ever. And that's a wrap.

11. And uh.....I am so re-watching this?