Mad about the Spielberg

At the time of writing, the hottest story to emerge about the Oscars had to do with the Academy barring Sacha Baron Cohen (of Ali G and Borat fame) entry to tonight's ceremony, after the ever-controversial comic 'threatened' to show up on the red carpet dressed as his latest creation - Admiral General Alladeen, the protagonist of his upcoming satirical comedy The Dictator.

However, following the release of an in-character protest video by Cohen - which rapidly went viral online - the Academy appeared to relent, and made a public statement saying that not only were the British comic's tickets for the night re-issued, but that he would be allowed to prance around the red carpet in whatever guise he wishes to... thus quelling any hint of controversy.

This only puts into focus what a conservative bunch the Academy higher-ups really are.. or at least, just how much stock they put into the 'propriety' of the ceremony itself. The list of nominees is also, predictably, a pretty safe affair - as the main contenders are thoroughly uncontroversial worldwide hits - with Martin Scorcese's 3D fairy tale Hugo leading the pack.

But which of the Best Picture nominees won the hearts and minds of the Maltese populace this year? According to KRS Film Distributors, that particular accolade would go to what is probably the most conservative choice yet... Steven Spielberg's much-hyped, much-loved WWI extravaganza War Horse.

The unapologetically old school production - which is enjoying a six-week-plus screening schedule in local cinemas - tells the tale of Albert (Jeremy Irvine) and his horse Joey, whom he is forced to sell to the cavalry as World War I begins to rage. Enlisting in the army, the young Albert miraculously comes across his horse on the battlefield.

The highly emotional story has survived - and proved to be a hit in - several formats: first as a children's book written by Michael Morpurgo in the '80s, then as a sell-out 2007 West End production. With a synopsis like that, it's easy to see why, and this kind of material is perfect for Spielberg, who relishes in underdog stories (just substitute horses with sympathetic aliens and you more or less have E.T...)

Next on the list is another heart-warming fable, as the aforementioned Hugo slots in as the second most-watched Oscar favourite amongst local audiences.

A significant departure from Scorcese's hard-bitten tales of the criminal underworld, the film - also adapted from a children's book - is really a tribute to vintage cinema, as it inserts a fictionalised version of the pioneer film director Georges Melies at its centre. Its story is, once again, quite iconic (if quirky around the edges): a young boy, Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield) wanders around a Paris train station circa WWI, in the quest for a mysterious robot his late father had constructed.

As he makes his way across the station he encounters a variety of kooky characters, while dodging the watchful eye of the eccentric guard - played by the nearly-Academy-blackballed Baron Cohen.

Hugo's main target, however, is the enigmatic shop owner Georges (Ben Kingsley), whose daughter, Isabelle (Chloe Moretz) he befriends... which leads to a tantalising discovery.

Over and above the fact that Hugo was an ambitious and curious undertaking by a veritable master of cinema, the film inevitably drew in audiences thanks to its use of 3D technology.

Determined to take 3D seriously - and not just use it as a gimmick - Scorcese made a film that looked gorgeous in every possible way. There was also something poignant about crafting a tribute to Georges Melies, a cinematic pioneer, while employing the latest innovations in the field.

While its subject matter and style may be entirely different to Hugo, the George Clooney-starring drama The Descendants may very well equalise with Scorcese's cross-generational hit, as it has graced our screens for five weeks and running.

The critically-lauded film, directed by Alexander Payne (Sideways) tells the story of a Hawaii-based land baron, Matt King (Clooney) who attempts to reconnect with his two daughters after his wife falls into a coma after she suffers a boating accident.

The film has already won Clooney a Golden Globe award for Best Actor, and is yet another example of the aging actor's shrewd casting decisions - following the breakthrough success of Sideways, picking Alexander Payne as a creative partner was bound to pay off.

Lauded by many as a return to form for Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris lasted a month in local cinemas.

Once again, we have a fairy tale-like setup, as Owen Wilson finds himself travelling through time to visit his favourite writers and artists while on a trip to Paris with his bemused wife (Rachel MacAdams).

It's not a terribly ambitious film, by Allen's standards - there are no profound meditations on the human condition, and male-female relationships - but it's is a feel-good joy from start to finish: pretty to look at, packed with witty lines and with a charismatic ensemble cast to match.

The remaining Best Picture nominees did not do terribly well, however. Most surprisingly, international hit The Help - which details the travails of 60s black servants in mid-Western America - enjoyed a mere two weeks in local cinemas.

On the other hand, perhaps it wasn't so surprising that Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life - a Brad Pitt-starring meditation on 'Nature and Grace' - suffered the same fate.

The philosophical epic is a very hard sell: not much happens for long stretches, and it comes with a baffling 20-minute sequence of related to the creation of the universe that's hard to square with the rest of the film. Definitely a 'love it or hate it' feature.

Another Brad Pitt vehicle, Moneyball, also didn't remain in cinemas for very long. Moneyball - a biopic of a man who revolutionised baseball statistics, was definitely going to suffer in translation from its native American shores... and I guess its performance in Malta is proof of that.

No matter what the outcome is tonight, the fact remains that, here in Malta, we have yet to sample one of the key Oscar contenders. The Artist - a French production which has enjoyed critical accolades worldwide - trails right behind Hugo as the most-nominated film out of the Best Picture bunch: with 10 nominations to its name.