Well, much time has passed, and I'm finally making my inaugural entry. What exciting and thought-provoking topic did I select for this momentous post? That stodgiest of award shows, The Oscars.
Then again, I am a California girl, and we're talking Hollywood. I guess it's ok.
My fascination with the Academy Awards, is fairly recent. In college I would go to see foreign films and all the low budget stuff I could on Two Dollar Tuesday at the ACT I/II theater in Berkeley. (Yes, young 'uns, seriously. TWO dollars. First run movies.) I didn't pay attention to the Oscars back then, except to note that Belle Epoque (incidentally, referenced in 2010's The Fighter) won 9 Goyas, which (as I learned by reading the movie poster) is the Spanish version of the Oscar. I loved Belle Epoque. Who knew that Penelope Cruz would become such a star? She did not win a Goya for her performance, and I thought she was the ugliest of the sisters in that flick. A dear friend of mine still refers to her as "weasel face." But I digress. . .
For the past 5 or so years, I've been taking the Academy Awards more seriously. I have my score sheet marked up, much the way a basketball fan fills out his bracket each March or the guy at the track carefully marks his choice in ponies on the Racing Form. Each year, I try to guess what "The Acahdehmy" would pick in each category. Much of the time, it's obvious, but every now and then they surprise me. Regardless, we rarely agree.
Below, you will see my educated guesses at the Academy's winners in (what I consider to be) the major awards. Below each guess you will also see my own picks in parentheses. HUGE DISCLAIMER- I have not seen all of the movies in all of these categories. I rarely go to the theater because we have a nice projector and screen and, when I do go to the theater, invariably some random audience member seems hell-bent on ruining my movie watching experience. More on that in a future post. Still, I do make an effort in the few weeks between when the picks are announced and when the show airs to see everything I have time to either on dvd or by suffering through a theater showing. As of press time, I've seen 7 of the Best Picture nominees as well as a smattering of other movies in the categories below.
Another HUGE DISCLAIMER: I don't care who wins for best sound mixing or sound editing. Or makeup, or costumes, or visual effects. Or even best score. I realize that these factors are very important to the overall success and art of the movie, but I'm there to watch the movie, and as long as the music, editing, and mixing isn't so bad as to be distracting, I'm probably not paying attention. The Best Original Song award seems entirely beside the point. Give the artist a Grammy, not an Oscar. I care about the story and the acting.
And now, on with the show-
Best Picture
The King's Speech
(The Fighter)
Yeah, I know Georgie overcame his stutter, but he had like gazillions of pounds sterling; and honestly, what would have happened to him if he hadn't? He'd still have been HRH, the King of England. Thankfully, I'm not the only one who finds movies about the royals overrated and stuffy. Richard Brody of The New Yorker is right there with me. Give me a movie about a scruffy underdog who overcomes the odds, and I'm far more satisfied.
Best Director
Tom Hooper- The King's Speech
(Coen Brothers- True Grit)
The King's Speech is the Academy's baby this year. The Coen brothers are brilliant and innovative- two things the Academy seems not to care much about. They remade a movie with John Wayne- some said it was a sacrilege! But they did it, and they did it better. Here's how.
Best Actor
Colin Firth- The King's Speech
(Colin Firth- The King's Speech)
If I'm being honest, I haven't seen enough of the movies in this category to judge, but Colin Firth does an excellent job of affecting a stammer without resorting to campiness. He's favored to win, and he's a fine choice.
Best Actress
Natalie Portman- Black Swan
(Michelle Williams- Blue Valentine)
Can someone tell me what is so freaking special about The Kids Are All Right? It certainly does not belong in the Best Picture category. Benning does a far better job at being a tense control freak who comes undone in the underrated Mother and Child. No matter, I think this year Portman has the category sewn up with her creepy performance. Michelle Williams is wonderful, but will fly under the radar.
Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale- The Fighter
(Christian Bale- The Fighter)
All of the performances in this category were good, but Bale was great. Genius. Jeremy Renner was very good in The Town, and he got robbed in 2010, but I don't think they'll try to make amends this year. He has good work ahead of him yet. Incidentally, some felt Justin Timberlake would get a nomination for his performance in The Social Network, but I don't think he stood a chance against these guys anyway.
Best Supporting Actress
Melissa Leo- The Fighter
(Amy Adams- The Fighter)
Another tough choice- Hailee Steinfeld may even steal it. All the performances in this category were great, with the exception of Helena Bonham Carter, who I thought was just ok. Amy Adams holds her own in her scenes in this movie, a much better match than sharing the screen with Meryl Streep in Julie and Julia. I just loved her character and her performance.
Best Adapted Screenplay
The Social Network
(Winter's Bone)
I felt like I had already seen The Social Network after reading this article, so I didn't think the screenplay was anything special. While Zuckerberg's ride to fame was a fun story, I liked the Winter's Bone tale better. Appalachian inbred meth cookers- who knew?
Best Original Screenplay
The King's Speech
(The Fighter)
Again, The King's Speech is the Academy's baby this year, and again, I think The Fighter was more interesting. Besides, the sisters in The Fighter- they stole the show! 'Nuff said.
Best Documentary (Feature Length)
Exit Through the Gift Shop
(Restrepo)
Gee, isn't Banksy special? He has lots of stencils, some spray paint, and he breaks the law. Oh, and people will pay a lot of money for artwork by an unknown if someone cool like Banksy mentions the artist. Even if that artist's art is totally derivative and sucky.
Best Foreign Film
Biutiful
(Biutiful)
Two of the nominees haven't even been released in the US yet, which seems awfully unfair to those of us who don't belong to the Academy. Dogtooth was weird and disturbing. Meanwhile, Bardem does not disappoint. I think they may get this one right.
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