babel and for your consideration: two examples of what's wrong with this year's oscar season

Great piece in the Los Angeles Times from film critic Dennis Lim. In his DVD column called "A Second Look," he uses the video release of Babel and For Your Consideration to discuss how Oscar season has become a nearly unending celebration to self-importance. For Your Consideration doesn't do enough to mock that celebration, Lim says, while Babel represents the sort of overblown "message movie" that's become a staple of the season.