A bounty of Oscar bait in Savannah— "The Book Thief" (***½), "Philomena" (****), "The Invisible Woman" (****)

Geoffrey Rush and Sophie Nélisse star in "The Book Thief"

"The Book Thief," director Brian Percival's first film as a director since his success with television's "Downton Abbey," carries the same crisp and clean aplomb as his overwhelmingly successful TV series. Anchored by a tremendous young talent in Sophie Nélisse, "The Book Thief" is based on a novel by Markus Zusak about a young girl and her foster parents in World War II Germany as they hide a Jewish friend in their home. Although some of the film's most beautiful moments occur while the film's mysterious narrator—Death—reveals his perspective, there is a disconnect between the film's overall sweet tone and the narration. While not completely saccharine, there isn't much of an edge to be found for a story of such high risk and devastation, making the film feel more like an adaptation of a young adult novel at times. Production values are exceptional, as are performances from Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson, Ben Schnetzer and Nico Liersch. John Williams' beautiful-as-always score is a sure bet for an Oscar nomination, though that remains the film's best bet. "The Book Thief" has enjoyed decent success at the box office in the past few weeks, and will continue to find an appreciative audience for this well-made and affecting film. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

"Philomena" and "The Invisible Woman" after the jump.

The Goods: Cate Blanchett's 10 Best Performances

With Woody Allen's "Blue Jasmine" continuing to expand in theaters across the country, more and more people have been knocked upside the head with Cate Blanchett's latest performance—in a good way, of course. Having built an impressive film career upon her start as a classically trained thespian, Cate has earned a reputation as both an actor's actor as well as a full-fledged A-list headliner. Her work ranges from Australian theater and independent features to Spielbergian blockbusters and ensemble work under international auteurs. Her diversity has proved as useful as her magnetic screen presence; her beauty and poise magnified by a talent we have yet to see the boundaries of.

Obviously, we are pretty big fans around here. We've ranked our personal lists and tallied up the totals for a top ten countdown of Cate Blanchett's best performances.

Win free passes to an advance screening of "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" in Atlanta!

We have a set of two passes to a screening of John Madden's "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" to give away for next Wednesday night, April 11th, at Phipps Plaza! The feel-good film from the director of "Shakespeare in Love" comes complete with an ensemble comprised of incredible British thespians such as Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson and Maggie Smith.

How do you win the passes? Simple! Either retweet this tweet or email us at reelga@gmail.com with "Marigold tickets" in the subject line to be entered to win. Do both and double your chances. We will contact the winner with the passes early next week.