I really loved The King’s Speech, but I’m a complete sucker for period dramas. Colin Firth stars as King George IV in the 1930’s just as England
Directed by Danny Boyle, 127 Hours is a biopic about hiker Aron Ralston (James Franco) who becomes trapped in an isolated canyon after a boulder pins his arm to a canyon wall. The film very easily could have been a snooze, with very little action or special effects, but Franco’s performance is truly stellar. He will undoubtedly be acknowledged in the Best Actor category. The one man show, mixed with Boyle’s expert storytelling skills is the sort of stuff the Academy loves to reward.
The Social Network was by far one of the most fun movies to watch this year. The script was written by Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing) so the dialogue was fast-paced, and quick-witted. The edgy musical score was done by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. David Fincher directed, and was about to find the right balance between light-hearted, comedic moments in the script, and the darker side of how Facebook was created. As someone who was in college when Facebook first came out, the film had a feeling of familiarity, but was not at all formulaic. This is my second choice to win the top prize.
The rest of my picks after the jump...
The rest of my picks after the jump...
The Kids Are All Right has been dubbed this year’s Juno or Up in the Air. It’s about two a lesbian couple, played by Annette Benning and Julianne Moore, their two children, and the sperm donor who is the children’s father. There is a lot of chatter about Benning’s performance, and it’s a quirky indie film that nicely rounds out the Best Picture category that’s stacked with heavy dramas.
If Toy Story 3 was not an animated film, it would be a shoe-in for Best Picture. Third in the Toy Story trilogy, the film follows Woody, Buzz, and the rest of Andy’s toys as he prepares to leave for college, without them. The film’s plot has very few, if any flaws. Unfortunately, the Academy has never awarded an animated film the Oscar for Best Picture. Though animated films are typically geared towards younger audiences, Toy Story 3 takes adult audiences through a range of emotions in under 90 minutes. This is my third choice for Best Picture.
Inception is one of four films I chose that were released before Oscar season got into full swing. Directed and written by Christopher Nolan, the film’s plot is far too complex to summarize in one paragraph, but it is one that involves a complicated series of dreams and cons acted out by a team of thieves led by Leonardo DiCaprio. Inception stood out to me as one of the best of 2010 because it requires audiences to actually think and really immerse themselves in the movie. Though it was one of the more intriguing summer blockbusters, Inception may be too commercial for the Academy to give it the top prize.
Winter’s Bone was released earlier this year, at the beginning of summer. Ree, the movie’s protagonist, is in her late teens and searching for her meth-cooking father after he jumps bail, and the town tries to take away the family home. Set in the Ozarks, the film is gritty and unpredictable. I would liken it to last year’s Precious. Winter’s Bone is a small, independent film, and won the top prize at the Sundance Film Festival early this year. I think this is the wild card nomination.
I haven't seen Black Swan, The Fighter or True Grit yet, but based on the previews and early reviews I think it's safe to say they will be nominated.
