This year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences selected 'The King's Speech' as the best film of 2010. I have been outspoken in my support for 'The Social Network', so I was disappointed in the decision. In this post, I will discuss why I think the Academy made a mistake this year. Furthermore, I will examine other years in which the Academy has made less than prudent decisions as a basis to argue that the Academy's final judgment should hardly be considered trustworthy.
The King's Speech
This film apparently made people 'feel.' Maybe it was because I was stone cold sober and lucid, but I didn't catch the real emotional bang this film has supposedly given so many others. The film is sold as a sort of biopic, focusing on one aspect of King George's life. What the film doesn't tell us is that a big chunk of the film - how King George received treatment for his speech problem - was completely made up by David Seidler, who wrote the screenplay. He based the interactions between Lional Logue and King George on his own experiences with a speech impediment. While this creates an interesting forum for framing speech therapy, in might not be the most appropriate way to talk about history. Each of the characters, furthermore, are fairly one-dimensional. The film was supposed to bring royal characters down to earth. But, at the end of the film, the Royal characters still acted in a stereotypically Royal fashion. In reality, the way the characters were portrayed were no different than any typical British costume drama. So, why was this one so great? In my opinion, the saving grace for 'The King's Speech' was the acting. Colin Firth deserved his Oscar. Geoffrey Rush arguably deserved it more than Christian Bale. Helena Bonham Carter played her role well, but it was a small role with little screen time that probably wasn't really worthy of Oscar attention. The rest of the ensemble fell into place the way they should have. We've seen people play the royal family before. And it's all the same. But, in reality, the film was lacking in real substance. It was slow moving, and boring for the most part. The setting was all the same colour. This was probably intentional, but it didn't help compensate for the slow moving nature of the film. I wasn't moved. For the most part, I was uncomfortable having to be in the same room as someone with such an awful speech problem. I would give the film a B.
The Social Network
I have this film rated below three other superb films - 'Black Swan', 'Toy Story 3', and 'Inception'. All three were nominated for Best Picture. All three were equally deserving as 'The Social Network'. I was pulling for this particular film to win. Partially because I thought it would have the best chance against 'The King's Speech', and partially because it really does speak to all people in the context of the current generation. 'The Social Network' is not just a movie about Facebook, just as 'The Dark Knight' was not simply a movie about Batman. 'The Social Network' examines themes to which even those without Facebook profiles can relate - Greed, betrayal, ambition, fairness, just to name a few. Is Mark Zuckerberg supposed to be a sympathetic character? I didn't find him to be one. What kind of lessons can we learn about the Facebook story? Does success come at a price? Is it worth it to stab your only friend in the back in order to get ahead in life? Although not everyone is dealing with a multi-billion dollar company, the themes examined in 'The Social Network' are not specific to that particular segment of society. They are universal. Furthermore, because the film takes place within the setting of Facebook, it offers a realistic view of how the world has been affected by something that started off as a drunken college experiment. Ideas can change the world. And in a fast-changing world like the world today, this message is important for EVERYONE. The film was assembled beautifully. The nearly flawless screenplay, combined with a somber, yet dramatic score, precise editing, and a realistic point of view, should have made this a no-brainer. The Academy screwed up big time. This film, in addition to the three awards it won, should have picked up awards for Best Picture and Best Director for David Fincher.
But this is not the firs time the Academy has screwed up. Let's take a look at some obvious examples:
2008 - 'Slumdog Millionaire'
First of all, I'm not going to get up in arms about this film winning. I am more angry that other films were not considered. 2008 was one of the best years in film, yet, the Academy insisted on putting up rather lackluster films to the plate, including 'Frost/Nixon', 'Milk', and 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'. The only film nominated that year that I found outstanding was 'The Reader'. 'Slumdog' was an interesting flick. It combined a Bollywood setting with Danny Boyle's lens. I do not deny that he deserved the Best Director prize. He did. But there were other films this year that should have been competing against Boyle's film for 'Best Picture', among them Chris Nolan's 'The Dark Knight', Clint Eastwood's 'Changelling', or 'Gran Torino', Sam Mendes' 'Revolutionary Road', and John Patrick Shanley's film adaptation of his play 'Doubt'.
2006 - 'The Departed'
This was an off year, but the only reason this film won was because the Academy made this their prime opportunity to bury the criticism of never having given Martin Scorsese an Oscar. 'The Departed', while far from being a bomb, was further from being Scorsese's best effort. Who deserved it more: 'Iwo Jima kara no Tegami' (This surely didn't win because it would be the second time in three years that Eastwood would have beaten Scorsese), 'Little Miss Sunshine', 'Little Children'.
2000 - 'Gladiator'
Yes, It's an epic story. Yes, it was action-packed and exciting like Bravehart (which is another lousy year in of itself). But was it really as good as hard-hitting 'Traffic'? Was it really as moving as 'Almost Famous'? Was it really as action-packed, hard-hitting, and moving as 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'? Very simply - No.
And that's only three years. There are more, certainly. But, the final judgment is that the Academy is often flawed. 'The King's Speech' won not because it was so good, but because the Weinstein company finally found enough money and leverage to coerce voters into picking it as their top choice. Critics agree. They preferred 'The Social Network'. But one the guilds gave out their awards, it was clear that the power of Weinstein bucks placed an inferior film to the top. What a shame!
Friday, March 11, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Top 10 of 2010
OK Y'all! Here's my final list for the Best Films of 2010!
1) Black Swan (A)
2) Toy Story 3 (A)
3) Inception (A)
4) The Social Network (A)
5) Kick Ass (A)
6) The Kids Are All Right (A-)
7) Never Let Me Go (A-)
8) True Grit (B+)
9) Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (B+)
10) Let Me In (B+)
Honourable Mentions: The Town (B+); Animal Kingdom (B+); The Fighter (B+)
1) Black Swan (A)
2) Toy Story 3 (A)
3) Inception (A)
4) The Social Network (A)
5) Kick Ass (A)
6) The Kids Are All Right (A-)
7) Never Let Me Go (A-)
8) True Grit (B+)
9) Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (B+)
10) Let Me In (B+)
Honourable Mentions: The Town (B+); Animal Kingdom (B+); The Fighter (B+)
ADDENDUM - Best Actress, Comments on Supporting Actress
I have realized that I completely skipped over Best Actress. . . so here it goes:
Nominees:
Annette Benning in The Kids Are All Right
Nicole Kidman in Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence in Winter's Bone
Natalie Portman in Black Swan
Michelle Williams in Blue Valentine
Who was snubbed: Julianne Moore was snubbed for sure. She was arguably better than Annette (who was, by the way, fantastic). Also, Hailee Steinfeld should be included in this category. There is no way you can call her performance supporting. Jacki Weaver was also arguably a lead, but she fits just fine in supporting.
Who deserves to win: I love Annette Benning, and I agree that she is long overdue. Had I been an Academy voter in 1999, I would have undoubtedly thrown my support to her for her role in American Beauty. That being said, her role does not come anywhere near Natalie Portman's. Nobody's does. It is, quite simply, impossible to ignore her. She's gone places where many actresses won't go and put her heart and soul into her role. She deserves the statue.
Who will win: Natalie Portman, hands down. Sorry Annette, but you'll get your prize some day.
?BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Having finally seen True Grit, I am in a dilemma. Hailee Steinfeld's role is way to difficult to ignore when up against ACTUAL supporting roles. Therefore, I believe that she will probably end up winning the big prize. But, since the award is for SUPPORTING actress, and since this is TOTAL category fraud, I am hoping that Weaver or Leo can sneak in for the win. Hailee was fantastic, by the way. And it's not her fault that she's being campaigned as a supporting. It's the only way she can win this year, because she'd be up against one of the best female lead performances of all time (Portman) and one of the most overdue actresses (Benning).
Nominees:
Annette Benning in The Kids Are All Right
Nicole Kidman in Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence in Winter's Bone
Natalie Portman in Black Swan
Michelle Williams in Blue Valentine
Who was snubbed: Julianne Moore was snubbed for sure. She was arguably better than Annette (who was, by the way, fantastic). Also, Hailee Steinfeld should be included in this category. There is no way you can call her performance supporting. Jacki Weaver was also arguably a lead, but she fits just fine in supporting.
Who deserves to win: I love Annette Benning, and I agree that she is long overdue. Had I been an Academy voter in 1999, I would have undoubtedly thrown my support to her for her role in American Beauty. That being said, her role does not come anywhere near Natalie Portman's. Nobody's does. It is, quite simply, impossible to ignore her. She's gone places where many actresses won't go and put her heart and soul into her role. She deserves the statue.
Who will win: Natalie Portman, hands down. Sorry Annette, but you'll get your prize some day.
?BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Having finally seen True Grit, I am in a dilemma. Hailee Steinfeld's role is way to difficult to ignore when up against ACTUAL supporting roles. Therefore, I believe that she will probably end up winning the big prize. But, since the award is for SUPPORTING actress, and since this is TOTAL category fraud, I am hoping that Weaver or Leo can sneak in for the win. Hailee was fantastic, by the way. And it's not her fault that she's being campaigned as a supporting. It's the only way she can win this year, because she'd be up against one of the best female lead performances of all time (Portman) and one of the most overdue actresses (Benning).
Sunday, January 30, 2011
83rd Academy Awards Predictions
83rd Academy Awards
The Academy Awards recognize the best in film every year. And every year, I make commentaries on the nominations. I like to add my own two cents. So, in this entry, I am going to discuss the nominations. Who got in? Who was snubbed? Who deserved it? Who didn’t? I will also predict the winners. Feel free to disagree.
Let’s start out with Best Picture:
127 Hours
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King’s Speech
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter’s Bone
So far, I have only seen 8/10, having still not seen 127 Hours and True Grit. So, here’s my take on the films so far:
Black Swan: This was perhaps my favourite film this year. It’s similar to Aranofsky’s character piece The Wrestler, but in this film he has perfected his art. Throughout the film, we watch the main character Nina (played by Natalie Portman) slowly deteriorate as she is possessed by her obsession to be the best. A
The Fighter: There is a similar approach to character study in this film, except it focuses on more than one character. It is a superbly done film with great acting. It was however, lacking in overall composition and approach. B+
Inception: Christopher Nolan is one of my favourite film makers. Inception was a unique concept about dreams and reality and the fine line in between the two worlds. As can be expected in a high budget film with Nolan as director, the visual effects were stunning. A
The Kids Are Alright: It felt like an honest film. It was heartfelt and warm at times and funny at others. It’s one of the only LGBT themed films that I have enjoyed. A-
The King’s Speech – It was exceedingly uncomfortable to watch. But Colin Firth absolutely nailed the roll. Although the film was slow-paced, it was well done on the whole. B
The Social Network – Another brilliantly composed film. It came out at just the right time too. Not only does it explore the origins of Facebook, but it also explores the themes of ambition and betrayal. It humanizes everything about Facebook. This film may very well define our generation. A
Toy Story 3 – Now that there are 10 nominations in this category, an animated film will almost always be included. This film, however, is more than just a niche in the category. I can easily say that this is my favourite animated film ever. Yes, even more than The Rescuers. And I almost cried. Almost. A
Winter’s Bone – The film was interesting, but not so believable. Jennifer Lawrence was brilliant, but, again, the story was unbelievable and the film was lacking in substance. C
Now, let’s rank them:
1. Black Swan
2. Toy Story 3
3. Inception
4. The Social Network
5. The Kids Are All Right
6. The Fighter
7. The King’s Speech
8. Winter’s Bone
Who was snubbed? The Academy actually did a fairly good job this year. 5 of the six films that I gave A’s to this year were included. The only one excluded was Kick Ass, which I never expected to be nominated anyway. So, I’m not really disappointed in this category. There probably, however, could have been a better choice in place of Winter’s Bone.
Who should win? I have ranked Black Swan the highest. However, the gap between Black Swan and The Social Network is very small, and it was very difficult to rank the first four films. If any of those four win, I will be satisfied.
Who will win? The King’s Speech was nominated for 12 awards – the most of any film. However, what many talking heads are failing to address is that, as a period film, it was included in some categories that others were not, such as Costume and Art Direction. Also, it received a handful of acting nominations. The most nominations doesn’t necessarily mean it will win the big awards. Remember The Curious Case of Benjamin Button? Or Dreamgirls? What about The Aviator? I feel like The King’s Speech was lacking in too many ways to be considered ‘best’. So my money will be put on The Social Network. It’s picked up momentum since the beginning of awards season. And, although the momentum has slowed down a bit, it should be enough to carry the film to the end. The King’s Speech has its own awards show to win at (BAFTA).
The only film I think that has a chance of beating The Social Network is Toy Story 3. And, if we find ourselves in a situation in which Toy Story 3 loses in the animated feature category, prepare to witness the first time an animated film wins Best Picture.
Best Director
Darren Aranofsky, Black Swan
David O. Russell, The Fighter
Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech
David Fincher, The Social Network
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, True Grit
Who was snubbed? This category makes me angry because, once again, Christopher Nolan was excluded. Although all of the nominees here are worthy, one should have been left out.
Who will win? I don’t much care to comment on who deserves to win. If I had my pick, Christopher Nolan would be it. That being said, I believe that David Fincher has the edge in this category. I would say, however, to pay attention to the Coen brothers. They could sneak in for the steal. But I highly doubt it.
Best Original Screenplay
Mike Leigh, Another Year
Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson, The Fighter
Christopher Nolan, Inception
Lisa Cholodenko, Stuart Blumberg, The Kids Are All Right
David Seidler, The King’s Speech
Who was snubbed? I was surprised not to see Black Swan included in this list. But, come to think of it, I don’t know if I would call it a snub. Perhaps the screenplay was less important than other components to the film.
Who deserves to win? I think it’s high time for the Academy to honour Christopher Nolan for his work. But, if Lisa Cholodenko wins, I don’t think it would be unjust
.
Who will win? I’m putting all my faith on the idea that the Academy will do the right thing. Although it is somewhat against my better judgment, I’m going with Christopher Nolan, even though I have a nasty feeling that David Seidler should prepare an acceptance speech.
Best Adapted Screenplay
Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy, 127 Hours
Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network
Michael Arndt, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich, Toy Story 3
Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, True Grit
Debra Granik, Anne Rosellini, Winter’s Bone
Who was snubbed? I wish, oh how I wish that one of two films could have been included in this list: Kick Ass, and Scott Pilgrim vs the World. But, they were geared more towards the under 50 crowed, so Academy voters might have missed them.
Who should win? I haven’t seen two of the films, so my judgment is slightly clouded. I really liked what was done with Toy Story 3. But, honestly, I think my soft spot for some of my favourite childhood characters is taking the best of my judgement.
Who will win? Aaron Sorkin should have this one in the bag.
Best Actor
Javier Bardem for his role as Uxbal in Biutiful
Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn in True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network
Colin Firth as ‘Bertie’, or King George VI in The King’s Speech
James Franco in 127 Hours
Who should win / Who will win? There should be plenty of justice in this category this year. I am so unbelievably impressed with Colin Firth. One would honestly think this man has all of these speech impediments. Watching him was uncomfortable, but equally astounding. Eisenberg is the only other role that I’ve seen. And, although it was great, nothing can top Firth.
Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale as Dicky Eklund in The Fighter
John Hawkes as Teardrop in Winter’s Bone
Jeremy Renner as Gem in The Town
Mark Ruffalo as Paul in The Kids Are All Right
Geoffrey Rush as Lionel Logue in The King’s Speech
Who was snubbed? Andrew Garfiled was snubbed. And John Hawkes is in. What the hell, Academy?
Who should win? It’s a hard call to decide this between Christian Bale and Geoffrey Rush. Bale has never been honoured before, and Rush has plenty of nominations and a win under his belt. So I’d say my preference might be for Bale.
Who will win? Christian Bale is the favourite to win this category. And he very well might. And, once again, I’m letting my proclivity for gambling catch the best of my judgment, but I think that Geoffrey Rush is going to pull off an upset.
Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams as Charlene Fleming in The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter as Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in The King’s Speech
Melissa Leo as Alice Ward in The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross in True Grit
Jacki Weaver as Janine “Smurf” Cody in Animal Kingdom
Who was snubbed? Chloe Grace Moretz had such a fantastic year. She was amazing in both Let Me In and Kick Ass. That she isn’t recognized for any of her work this year is tragic. I am surprised to see Helena Bonham Carter on this list. Although she was great in her role, it was a very small role. You leave the film remembering Firth and Rush. We could have included Barbara Hershey or Mila Kunis in her place.
Who should win? I’m torn. I haven’t seen True Grit, but have heard only great things about Steinfeld’s performance. It is her first film, and she is 14. It would be cool to see her win. The last person to win an acting Oscar on a first try is Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls. Out of the performances I’ve seen, Jacki Weaver’s stands out the most. I think she should probably win.
Who will win? I see this as a very competitive category. I think Melissa Leo has the edge, so I’m going to pick her. However, there is a very powerful campaign behind Steinfeld. And most of the early critics awards went for Jacki Weaver. Either of these two could pull an upset. There’s little threat from Helena Bonham Carter, whose role was too small to be recognized. Amy Adams’ performance was great. But, she’s against giants, and she has plenty of time to be nominated again. This is her third nomination in five years. Pretty impressive!
Well, there you have it! I’ll keep my other predictions in the minor categories to myself! See you all on Oscar night, where I will surely be boozing and commenting harshly on everyone’s dresses!
The Academy Awards recognize the best in film every year. And every year, I make commentaries on the nominations. I like to add my own two cents. So, in this entry, I am going to discuss the nominations. Who got in? Who was snubbed? Who deserved it? Who didn’t? I will also predict the winners. Feel free to disagree.
Let’s start out with Best Picture:
127 Hours
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King’s Speech
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter’s Bone
So far, I have only seen 8/10, having still not seen 127 Hours and True Grit. So, here’s my take on the films so far:
Black Swan: This was perhaps my favourite film this year. It’s similar to Aranofsky’s character piece The Wrestler, but in this film he has perfected his art. Throughout the film, we watch the main character Nina (played by Natalie Portman) slowly deteriorate as she is possessed by her obsession to be the best. A
The Fighter: There is a similar approach to character study in this film, except it focuses on more than one character. It is a superbly done film with great acting. It was however, lacking in overall composition and approach. B+
Inception: Christopher Nolan is one of my favourite film makers. Inception was a unique concept about dreams and reality and the fine line in between the two worlds. As can be expected in a high budget film with Nolan as director, the visual effects were stunning. A
The Kids Are Alright: It felt like an honest film. It was heartfelt and warm at times and funny at others. It’s one of the only LGBT themed films that I have enjoyed. A-
The King’s Speech – It was exceedingly uncomfortable to watch. But Colin Firth absolutely nailed the roll. Although the film was slow-paced, it was well done on the whole. B
The Social Network – Another brilliantly composed film. It came out at just the right time too. Not only does it explore the origins of Facebook, but it also explores the themes of ambition and betrayal. It humanizes everything about Facebook. This film may very well define our generation. A
Toy Story 3 – Now that there are 10 nominations in this category, an animated film will almost always be included. This film, however, is more than just a niche in the category. I can easily say that this is my favourite animated film ever. Yes, even more than The Rescuers. And I almost cried. Almost. A
Winter’s Bone – The film was interesting, but not so believable. Jennifer Lawrence was brilliant, but, again, the story was unbelievable and the film was lacking in substance. C
Now, let’s rank them:
1. Black Swan
2. Toy Story 3
3. Inception
4. The Social Network
5. The Kids Are All Right
6. The Fighter
7. The King’s Speech
8. Winter’s Bone
Who was snubbed? The Academy actually did a fairly good job this year. 5 of the six films that I gave A’s to this year were included. The only one excluded was Kick Ass, which I never expected to be nominated anyway. So, I’m not really disappointed in this category. There probably, however, could have been a better choice in place of Winter’s Bone.
Who should win? I have ranked Black Swan the highest. However, the gap between Black Swan and The Social Network is very small, and it was very difficult to rank the first four films. If any of those four win, I will be satisfied.
Who will win? The King’s Speech was nominated for 12 awards – the most of any film. However, what many talking heads are failing to address is that, as a period film, it was included in some categories that others were not, such as Costume and Art Direction. Also, it received a handful of acting nominations. The most nominations doesn’t necessarily mean it will win the big awards. Remember The Curious Case of Benjamin Button? Or Dreamgirls? What about The Aviator? I feel like The King’s Speech was lacking in too many ways to be considered ‘best’. So my money will be put on The Social Network. It’s picked up momentum since the beginning of awards season. And, although the momentum has slowed down a bit, it should be enough to carry the film to the end. The King’s Speech has its own awards show to win at (BAFTA).
The only film I think that has a chance of beating The Social Network is Toy Story 3. And, if we find ourselves in a situation in which Toy Story 3 loses in the animated feature category, prepare to witness the first time an animated film wins Best Picture.
Best Director
Darren Aranofsky, Black Swan
David O. Russell, The Fighter
Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech
David Fincher, The Social Network
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, True Grit
Who was snubbed? This category makes me angry because, once again, Christopher Nolan was excluded. Although all of the nominees here are worthy, one should have been left out.
Who will win? I don’t much care to comment on who deserves to win. If I had my pick, Christopher Nolan would be it. That being said, I believe that David Fincher has the edge in this category. I would say, however, to pay attention to the Coen brothers. They could sneak in for the steal. But I highly doubt it.
Best Original Screenplay
Mike Leigh, Another Year
Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson, The Fighter
Christopher Nolan, Inception
Lisa Cholodenko, Stuart Blumberg, The Kids Are All Right
David Seidler, The King’s Speech
Who was snubbed? I was surprised not to see Black Swan included in this list. But, come to think of it, I don’t know if I would call it a snub. Perhaps the screenplay was less important than other components to the film.
Who deserves to win? I think it’s high time for the Academy to honour Christopher Nolan for his work. But, if Lisa Cholodenko wins, I don’t think it would be unjust
.
Who will win? I’m putting all my faith on the idea that the Academy will do the right thing. Although it is somewhat against my better judgment, I’m going with Christopher Nolan, even though I have a nasty feeling that David Seidler should prepare an acceptance speech.
Best Adapted Screenplay
Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy, 127 Hours
Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network
Michael Arndt, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich, Toy Story 3
Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, True Grit
Debra Granik, Anne Rosellini, Winter’s Bone
Who was snubbed? I wish, oh how I wish that one of two films could have been included in this list: Kick Ass, and Scott Pilgrim vs the World. But, they were geared more towards the under 50 crowed, so Academy voters might have missed them.
Who should win? I haven’t seen two of the films, so my judgment is slightly clouded. I really liked what was done with Toy Story 3. But, honestly, I think my soft spot for some of my favourite childhood characters is taking the best of my judgement.
Who will win? Aaron Sorkin should have this one in the bag.
Best Actor
Javier Bardem for his role as Uxbal in Biutiful
Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn in True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network
Colin Firth as ‘Bertie’, or King George VI in The King’s Speech
James Franco in 127 Hours
Who should win / Who will win? There should be plenty of justice in this category this year. I am so unbelievably impressed with Colin Firth. One would honestly think this man has all of these speech impediments. Watching him was uncomfortable, but equally astounding. Eisenberg is the only other role that I’ve seen. And, although it was great, nothing can top Firth.
Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale as Dicky Eklund in The Fighter
John Hawkes as Teardrop in Winter’s Bone
Jeremy Renner as Gem in The Town
Mark Ruffalo as Paul in The Kids Are All Right
Geoffrey Rush as Lionel Logue in The King’s Speech
Who was snubbed? Andrew Garfiled was snubbed. And John Hawkes is in. What the hell, Academy?
Who should win? It’s a hard call to decide this between Christian Bale and Geoffrey Rush. Bale has never been honoured before, and Rush has plenty of nominations and a win under his belt. So I’d say my preference might be for Bale.
Who will win? Christian Bale is the favourite to win this category. And he very well might. And, once again, I’m letting my proclivity for gambling catch the best of my judgment, but I think that Geoffrey Rush is going to pull off an upset.
Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams as Charlene Fleming in The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter as Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in The King’s Speech
Melissa Leo as Alice Ward in The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross in True Grit
Jacki Weaver as Janine “Smurf” Cody in Animal Kingdom
Who was snubbed? Chloe Grace Moretz had such a fantastic year. She was amazing in both Let Me In and Kick Ass. That she isn’t recognized for any of her work this year is tragic. I am surprised to see Helena Bonham Carter on this list. Although she was great in her role, it was a very small role. You leave the film remembering Firth and Rush. We could have included Barbara Hershey or Mila Kunis in her place.
Who should win? I’m torn. I haven’t seen True Grit, but have heard only great things about Steinfeld’s performance. It is her first film, and she is 14. It would be cool to see her win. The last person to win an acting Oscar on a first try is Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls. Out of the performances I’ve seen, Jacki Weaver’s stands out the most. I think she should probably win.
Who will win? I see this as a very competitive category. I think Melissa Leo has the edge, so I’m going to pick her. However, there is a very powerful campaign behind Steinfeld. And most of the early critics awards went for Jacki Weaver. Either of these two could pull an upset. There’s little threat from Helena Bonham Carter, whose role was too small to be recognized. Amy Adams’ performance was great. But, she’s against giants, and she has plenty of time to be nominated again. This is her third nomination in five years. Pretty impressive!
Well, there you have it! I’ll keep my other predictions in the minor categories to myself! See you all on Oscar night, where I will surely be boozing and commenting harshly on everyone’s dresses!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)