“the 2006 Oscar race seems to mark an intriguing turning point in recent film history — the year when the industry’s self-regard reached shocking new lows. From The Devil Wears Prada to Dreamgirls to Casino Royale, Oscar voters by and large avoided the most crowd-pleasing, commercially satisfying entertainments this year, in lieu of presumably more “serious” fare that was produced independently or by the studios’ specialty divisions.”