Brittany cheers (From Western Telegraph)

Brittany cheers

Without a host of amazing releases to write about this week, I have the chance to put down some thoughts on the coming unpleasantness - the Oscars.

In case you have not heard, the academy has nominated Chicago, Gangs Of New York, The Pianist, The Hours and The Two Towers for best picture.

The best director nominees are Rob Marshall, Martin Scorsese, Roman Polanski, Stephen Daldry, and Pedro Almodovar.

So of the best films nominated all the directors are nominated... except Peter Jackson for The Two Towers.

Fundamentally of course, it is impossible to compare The Hours, (taut, emotional, subtle) to The Two Towers (the middle section of a gargantuan fantasy adventure).

How can one say that one is better than the other? It's like saying that a crocodile is better than a Renault Clio.

Having said that, I do believe in most cases this year the nominees are thoroughly deserving.

And certain categories are laden with real talent. The most obvious is the best supporting actor category (Chris Walken, John C. Reilly, Paul Newman, Ed Harris and Chris Cooper). All consistently great actors who shone this year. Anyway, it's all good fun...

This week's big release is a little film called Just Married (and not an Oscar nomination in sight!). It stars my favourite up-and-coming starlet, Brittany Murphy, recently seen with Eminem in 8 Mile. Her co-star is her now real-life partner, Ashton Kutcher, star of no-brain comedy Dude, Where's My Car.

Written by Sam Harper, directed by Shawn Levy, the film tells the story of a happy young couple, Sarah and Tom (Murphy and Kutcher) who meet and fall in love and decide they have to marry - much to the disapproval of the bride's parents.

They are part of the rich set and have set certain standards for their little princess - and the 'ordinary Joe' she is about to enter into matrimony with just does not measure up to them.

So when the couple head off on their honeymoon in Europe, Sarah's parents send her ex-boyfriend on a seek and destroy mission.

But can he break up the happy marriage or will true love win through in the end? I know, it's hard to care.

But Just Married went to number one in the US box office and I imagine it will get a healthy audience here. It's not brilliant or consistently funny but, in a week with all the serious Oscar contenders hanging round, it is just what the doctor ordered.

What it lacks in conveying the true desperation of this hapless couple it makes up for in looks.

But if Murphy is to become the truly massive star that some think she will, she'll have to do it in films with a lot more character than this. Just Married is good fun without ever being truly memorable. A fantastic date movie.

VAUGHAN SIVELL