We won’t be live-blogging the Academy Awards tonight, for various reasons. But that doesn’t mean we can’t pick the winners, now does it? We continue our look at the nominees: Best Actor/Best Supporting Actor (click here!), Best Actress/Best Supporting Actress (click here!), and finally Best Director/Best Film (on Oscar Sunday tomorrow). And look for a very special EXTRA Oscar Blog later today!
Best Picture
Black Swan. I didn’t see this one. The whole ballet thing scared me. And the only movie I like Natalie Portman in is this one (Oh! Natalie!). It’s hard to top that.
The Fighter. Just about the best boxing movie I’ve ever seen, starring the world’s most horrifyingly dysfunctional Baaahston family (they make Ben Affleck’s people in The Town look like The Brady Bunch).
Inception. I saw this a second time and I fell asleep. But I dreamed I liked it! But it's too high concept for the Academy and Hollywood to root for. If it isn't something that can't be summed up in one incredibly simple-minded sentence (i.e., Cowboys and Aliens), Hollywood studio execs fall asleep and just dream about their late afternoon BJ before getting in their Mercedes and driving home.
The Kids Are All Right. This movie was a bit hard for me to relate to since I haven’t been a part of a lesbian couple in about, oh…13 or 14 years. And I much more enjoyed watching Julianne Moore making out with Amanda Seyfried in Chloe than I did with Annette Bening in this film.
The King's Speech. I r-r-r-eally liked this m-m-m-ovie. But I don’t quite think it’s the Best Picture of the year.
127 Hours. So…he bites his arm off. Then what?
The Social Network. This year’s Best Picture. If you agree, friend me on Facebook and I’ll be happy to ignore you. I can be just as big a dick as Mark Zuckerberg.
Toy Story 3. I loved this movie, but you know what…it’s ANIMATED. It deserves the Best Animated Feature award. And while I totally agree that Pixar does things with its “actors” that no one else can, it’s still animated. That trumps everything.
True Grit. I liked this just fine, thank you kindly, m’am. But it’s not that much different than the John Wayne version, which is also very faithful to the book. It’s just a dirtier—dare I say, “grittier?”—version of the Old West, with voiceover, and more beautifully shot.
Winter's Bone. Liked the book by Daniel Woodrell much more than the movie version; either way it’s depressing. Oh, those Ozarks: the garden spot of Middle America.
Best Director
Black Swan—Darren Aronofsky. Didn’t see it. But can't wait to see Aronofsky's version of The Wolverine, which will probably feature Hugh Jackman in a tutu.
The Fighter—David O. Russell. Great movie and without The Social Network, this would be my pick.
The King's Speech—Tom Hooper. Another great movie and very moving, too. Although Colin Firth needs to work on his acting skills and not get so nervous that he stutters so much.
The Social Network—David Fincher. Anyone that can make a compelling, suspenseful film out of a bunch of over-privileged, over-caffeinated college computer geeks sitting around talking deserves an Oscar AND a Nobel Prize. And I’m a firm believer in the whole Best Film/Best Director go hand-in-hand thing.
True Grit—Joel Coen and Ethan Coen. They just won a couple years back for No Country for Old Men. This film is Fine Country for Old Man, and beautiful to watch, but no award. Sorry.
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