I popped into Focus' junket this afternoon for two quick interviews with Joan Chen and Tang Wei to be used in a Variety piece I'm working on, and I have to say I was struck with the beauty and poise of Ms. Wei. Hers is, I believe, one of the two bravest performances of 2007 (the other being Philip Bosco in "The Savages"), and I remain over the moon for the film.

Speaking of which, Monday's Oscar column will be replaced by a clean-up column of sorts showcasing brief reviews of the bevy of films I haven't gotten to in long form as of yet. It's the only way to get on the record ASAP before the fall onslaught comes, so apologies for truncating my thoughts. But hey, some of you might be more than okay with that for a change.