So, I was reading this article about continued trouble between the Israelis and Hamas, and caught this near the end of the article:

Responding to Israel's concerns, U.S. Army engineers arrived at the Gaza-Egypt frontier on Sunday to set up ground-penetrating radar to detect smuggling tunnels, an Egyptian security official said.

Inside the Rafah terminal — the gateway between Egypt and Gaza — four army trucks loaded with wooden crates and drills could be seen accompanied by four U.S. Army engineers. The Egyptian officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the subject's sensitivity.

I wasn't a great moviegoer in 2007, and I have yet to catch up with many of the Oscar-nominated films.

In fact, I've seen only six. And, frankly, the two "biggest" left me feeling a little chilly.

Few very well-made movies have made less of a lasting impression on me than No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood.

I don't demand a happy ending, but I do like, y'know, character arcs and just a little more understanding of the human condition along with my popcorn. Rich cinematography, bravura acting, and the muted-if-epic presence of directors whose work I've absolutely loved before don't, for me, make up for a deficit of storytelling and meaning.