As a long-time appreciator of film and Academy Awards prognosticator, I offer my thoughts on the major categories of the 2012 Oscar race as well as a selection of film reviews that may propel you to the theater or to queue up the DVD. Under each selection below, I’ve included corresponding For Your Consideration (FYC) categories.

Melancholia (Director: Lars von Trier): Kirsten Dunst delivers an unflinching performance as a depressed bride whose woes are beautifully juxtaposed against an interplanetary collision. Charlotte Gainsbourg wows as the elder sister who fights to keep her family afloat—even in the midst of an inevitably sinking ship. It’s a shame that von Trier killed any chances this taught drama has of awards glory with his big mouth.

The Ides of March (Director: George Clooney): Ryan Gosling gives a strong performance as a meticulous electioneer who bends over backwards to do good by his campaign. But through George Clooney’s devil-inside politician and Evan Rachel Wood’s jejune waif, we find that even those with hearts of gold can find themselves tarnished by political prowess.

My Week with Marilyn (Director: Simon Curtis): Depicts the personal account of what happened both backstage and on the set of The Prince and the Showgirl during one week of filming. Michelle Williams and Kenneth Branagh are spectacular as Marilyn Monroe and Sir Lawrence Olivier, respectively. Dame Judi Dench and Julia Ormond also stand out in this intimate look at a seemingly untouchable icon.

The Help (Director: Tate Taylor): Newcomer Taylor’s adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s best-selling novel is a slam dunk thanks to the talents of an exquisite cast. Viola Davis, Jessica Chastain, Octavia Spencer, and Bryce Dallas Howard all shine amidst a sea of beauties and woebegones in this southern-fried tale of civil uprising.

The Tree of Life (Director: Terrence Malick): The breathtaking imagery combined with the family portrait backdrop forces us to reconcile our childhoods with what we’re viewing. Director Terrence Malick’s choice to partition the film into paternal, maternal, and fraternal relationships is brilliant, while Brad Pitt and newcomer Hunter McCracken shine in this unique, experimental comment on where we come from and where we’re going—even if the ending is a little weak.

Martha Marcy May Marlene (Director: Sean Durkin): Elizabeth Olsen gives a controlled performance that is equally haunting and endearing as a woman who recently fled a cult into the arms of her sister. The editing is spot-on and keeps the viewer displaced in time, just as Martha experiences her own existence. This decision gives the film a dream-like quality, which propels it even further.

Drive (Dir. Nicolas Winding Refn): A highly stylized, intense crime drama uses speed and motivation to get the adrenaline running. While many claimed the so-called graphic violence to out-Tarentino Tarentino, it really is comic book fare. While the performances are strong by Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, and to a lesser extent, Albert Brooks, I don’t see this as an awards film—though Winding Refn is to be commended.

Like Crazy (Director: Drake Doremus): What happens when two people meet and fall in love only to be separated by the powers that be? Felicity Jones makes her mark and earns the Sundance Special Jury Prize for Breakout Performance as Anna, a well-to-do Brit living in Los Angeles, CA, who gets wrapped up in a relationship with Jacob (Anton Yelchin in his first leading role). Both actors make the most of a story with a seemingly foregone conclusion, but nothing can prepare you for the intense sadness of the last ten minutes, which explains the film’s Grand Jury Dramatic Prize win.

Take Shelter (Director: Jeff Nichols): This psychodrama stars Michael Shannon as a family man trying to make sense out of murderous visions he experiences by day and night. Is this just the tip of the iceberg of schizophrenia or is something more foreboding at work? After all, his mother (played by Kathy Baker) was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic around the same age.

Warrior (Director: Gavin O’Connor): Tom Hardy and newcomer Joel Edgerton are superb in this rock’em, sock’em, take’em down drama centering around two brothers and their alcoholic father who all find themselves on the world’s stage when the brothers compete for five million dollars in a mixed martial arts championship. But it’s Nick Nolte who is sure to find himself in the competition for gold, come February.

Another Earth (Director: Mike Cahill): Brit Marling is fantastic as a woman doing penance for a crime committed in the throes of high school hi-jinks. Her path to redemption is juxtaposed against the discovery of a carbon copy of our Earth that has appeared in the sky. What would you say to another you?

Win Win (Director: Thomas McCarthy): A superb cast works well around a well-written screenplay. Paul Giamatti and Amy Ryan are strong as the would-be parents of newcomer Alex Shaffer, while Bobby Cannavale and Jeffrey Tambor pour on the laughs. The real story lies with Shaffer—a former high school wrestler who found his stride in acting.

The Descendants (Director: Alexander Payne): Alexander Payne, working from the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings, shows us how the emotional gears turn when a human is in crisis. George Clooney gives an outstanding performance as Matthew King, a man with one hand on the key to his extended family’s financial future while the other grips his daughters’ tightly as they say farewell to their imperfect mother and navigate to a better tomorrow.

Shame (Director: Steve McQueen): Steve McQueen continues to make his mark on the cinematic landscape with this slow building look at the human psyche’s relationship to the id’s compulsions and how they can work together to reveal our inner most cores. What happened to these damaged siblings that allowed for such emotional strife and heartbreak? Michael Fassbender is a shoe-in for Oscar, but the travesty is that Carey Mulligan could go unnoticed–even after giving, hands down, the best supporting performance of the year.

We Need to Talk About Kevin (Director: Lynne Ramsay): Tilda Swinton gives yet another career-best performance as a mother who struggles to connect with an ill-begotten child from day one of his life. Filmmaker, Lynne Ramsay, forces us to take a look at our inner beings and how they may affect how our children grow up unmitigated, under our very noses—a true fight between nature and nurture. The beauty of this film is the ease with which it slips in and out of time sequence in order to tell it’ harrowing tale.