The GoldDigger is taking a moment to reflect. I spent Sunday watching three films--"Zodiac," "American Gangster" and "Year of the Dog." Two of them were entertaining enough. The third features Molly Shannon talking to dogs. (But to be fair, it's a Mike White movie and an odd meditation on loneliness, sort of a bookend to "Lars and the Real Girl.") All this got me thinking about best picture, a race in which everyone is throwing their hands up in the air about this year.

Except, not really.

There are two locks so far. "Atonement" and "No Country for Old Men," which opened to an impressive $42,928 per screen average ($1.2 million) this weekend. If nothing else remarkable comes along, it could be a rematch of 1999 when "Shakespeare in Love" fought off "Saving Private Ryan." This year, I think the edge is in the Coen brother's corner. "No Country" is violent, yes, but not in a way that will alienate female voters. It's as adrenaline packed as last year's winner, "The Departed," with a more literary back story.