2011 Oscar Post-Mortem

My predictions ended up with an iffy 14/24 accuracy. Not great, but adequate, I’d say. And am I disappointed that The Social Network lost to The King’s Speech? Yes, but it seems like my favourite movie of the year is always nominated, but never wins. But now to the telecast, which I thought, for the most part, was pretty enjoyable.

Highs

• Anne Hathaway. She did a much better job hosting than I’d expected (here I was thinking that James Franco would be the one to liven things up…) Her boundless exuberance was just the remedy for a lagging, overly long ceremony (as the Oscars often are). She cheered, she sang, she poked fun at herself, and she had an endless array of gorgeous outfits.
• The opening. Inception, The Social Network, True Grit, The King’s Speech, and Black Swan all received visits from Hathaway and Franco, and the cameos from Alec Baldwin and Morgan Freeman were nice touches.
• The unending love for Hugh Jackman. He’s kind of become the new Jack Nicholson. He’s not nominated, he just sits there and smiles and has a good time. The presenters and winners seem happy to see him, and he becomes something of a touchstone for them to play off of.
• James Franco’s grandma.
• Kirk Dougals’ epic presentation for Best Supporting Actress.
• Justin Timberlake’s riff on Kirk Douglas’ epic presentation.
• Zachary Levi performing “I See the Light” from Tangled. Mandy Moore sounded great, too, but for someone who is not primarily a singer (I didn’t even know he could sing before Tangled), Levi came off as a total pro.
• “That’s gross” – Cate Blanchett
• Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law’s presentation for Best Visual Effects. Can they just get married already?
• No clapping during the “In Memoriam” segment. Good call.
• Sandra Bullock’s presentation to the Best Actor nominees. It was the perfect balance of wit and respect.

Lows

• The auto-tuned “Year of the movie musical” segment that they created. The Twilight one was kind of amusing, but the others were lazy and tedious.
• The framing of certain categories with clips from classic movies. It felt a bit forced and random to me, and seemed to unnecessarily lengthen the telecast.
• Melissa Leo’s speech. Sorry, but I didn’t find it charming. It was kind of annoying and fake, in my opinion. She rambled, and the f-bomb wasn’t interesting.
• Kind of: James Franco. He had some pretty funny moments (the white unitard, the Marilyn Monroe getup), but he generally seemed out of step with the rest of the ceremony. I don’t think that he was as terrible as some people are saying, but perhaps not the ideal host.
• The finale. I feel like a heartless bitch, but dragging all those 5^th graders up on stage just seemed like the most contrived, obvious finish the show could have gone for.
• This is kind of a random note, but I would have liked to see a broader scope in terms of the films that they celebrated. Not even in terms of the winners, but just which films got shown/mentioned throughout the broadcast. There were two lengthy montages for the Best Picture nominees, but scarcely a glimpse of any other 2010 films. I get that the show is about the nominees and winners, but the Oscars should also be about celebrating the film industry in general. What about non-winners like The Town, Tron: Legacy, Shutter Island, Easy A, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Kick-Ass, and Jack-Ass 3-D? They all found devoted fanbases and helped make 2010 the year that it was in film.

Best Speeches

• Colin Firth (Best Actor, The King’s Speech). Always a class act. The wry humour was wonderful, and I love that he’s sang the praises of Tom Ford all season.
• Natalie Portman (Best Actress, Black Swan). I liked that she thanked the behind-the-scenes people on set, as well as the people that helped her get where she is.
• Lee Unkrich (Best Animated Picture, Toy Story 3). He gave a gracious, inspiring, economical, and eloquent speech.
• Luke Matheny (Best Live Action Short Film, God of Love). Matheny probably never thought that his NYU school project would win an Oscar, and his surprise and exuberance was refreshingly sincere. It’s nice to see a “regular” person outside of the big Hollywood machine get recognition.

Best Red Carpet Fashion:

Final 2011 Oscar Predictions!

These are my predictions for the winners in every category at this year’s Oscars. I think I’ve seen more of the nominees ahead of time than in past years, which is kind of nice. This is my fourth year doing predictions, and I’ve always gotten at least half of the winners right, so let’s see if I can keep it going this year.

Best Picture

127 Hours

Black Swan

The Fighter

Inception

The Kids Are All Right

The King’s Speech

The Social Network

True Grit

Winter’s Bone

I really want to believe that the game isn’t over for The Social Network, but I also can’t ignore the overwhelming amount of buzz for the admittedly Oscar-friendly King’s Speech.

Best Director

Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan

David O. Russell, The Fighter

Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech

David Fincher, The Social Network

Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, True Grit

Who would have guessed that Director would be such an interesting category? From the original nominations (the Nolan stub still stings) right down to the wire, it’s unpredictable and exciting (and it makes me so happy every time I see Aronofsky’s name!) It’s tight between Hooper and Fincher.

Best Actor

Javier Bardem, Biutiful

Jeff Bridges, True Grit

Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network

Colin Firth, The King’s Speech

James Franco, 127 Hours

Not a shred of suspense here.

Best Actress

Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right

Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole

Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone

Natalie Portman, Black Swan

Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine

Portman is far and away the frontrunner, but I don’t think that an upset from Bening is completely out of the question, either.

Best Supporting Actor

Christian Bale, The Fighter

John Hawkes, Winter’s Bone

Jeremy Renner, The Town

Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right

Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech

Bale has been dominating the precursors and gaining heaps of praise. Sure, it’s possible that Rush could spoil that, but I certainly wouldn’t count on it.

Best Supporting Actress

Amy Adams, The Fighter

Helena Bonham Carter, The King’s Speech

Melissa Leo, The Fighter

Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit

Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom

Leo’s supposed “antics” are causing some to question her chances (I haven’t really been following it, though). It’s true that Carter and Steinfeld have some traction, and I wouldn’t be shocked if either of them took the win, but my money is still on Leo.

Best Animated Feature Film

How to Train Your Dragon

The Illusionist

Toy Story 3

Best Foreign Language Film

Biutiful (Mexico)

Dogtooth (Greece)

In a Better World (Denmark)

Incendies (Canada)

Outside the Law (Algeria)

I feel like this group of films has a bit of a higher profile than last year’s group, which didn’t seem to get much attention until after the ceremony. But perhaps that’s just because more of these films have had a North American release already. I see Dogtooth as the equivalent of A Prophet last year (in other words, one that film fans love, but won’t win) and Biutiful as The White Ribbon (a grim film by a respected director who has done English language work. Once again, probably won’t win). Perhaps I’m swayed by the amplified coverage that Incendies has received here in Canada, but I think that it could be the winner.

Best Original Screenplay

Another Year

The Fighter

Inception

The Kids Are All Right

The King’s Speech

I’m actually not sure about this one. They could give it to Nolan as an apology for the Director snub. But when a film is on a role like The King’s Speech will likely be, it tends to take screenplay, even if it’s not necessarily the deserving winner.

Best Adapted Screenplay

127 Hours

The Social Network

Toy Story 3

True Grit

Winter’s Bone

Best Documentary Feature

Exit Through the Gift Shop

Gasland

Inside Job

Restrepo

Waste Land

Wouldn’t it be fun if Exit Through the Gift Shop won? (and because I’m an uncultured asshole, it’s the only one of these – or any documentary from 2010 – that’s I’ve seen). But Serious Business will probably win out, and I’m predicting Restrepo for the win.

Best Original Song

127 Hours (“If I Rise”)

Country Strong (“Coming Home”)

Tangled (“I See the Light”)

Toy Story 3 (“We Belong Together”)

Wait, you mean there’s no bearded folkie this year? What is this? I have no clue who will win, then. I’m going to go with “If I Rise”, because if Oscar can’t have a bearded folkie, they will usually settle for A.R. Rahman. And since their Best Song Golden Age of the 1990′s, Disney hasn’t had much luck in this category.

Best Original Score

127 Hours (A.R. Rahman)

How to Train Your Dragon (John Powell)

Inception (Hans Zimmer)

The King’s Speech (Alexandre Desplat)

The Social Network (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross)

Fack. I dunno. From past experience, the Oscars aren’t cool, so I don’t know if they’re ready for Reznor and Ross’s brooding, minimalist score. And Zimmer and Desplat are BIG names. Whatever, I’m still going for Reznor.

Best Film Editing

Black Swan

The Fighter

The King’s Speech

127 Hours

The Social Network

Best Visual Effects

Alice in Wonderland

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

Hereafter

Inception

Iron Man 2

Best Cinematography

Black Swan

Inception

The King’s Speech

The Social Network

True Grit

This is Deakins’ NINTH nomination, with no previous wins. He’s winning the damn category this time.

Best Sound Mixing

Inception

The King’s Speech

Salt

The Social Network

True Grit

I never know what to do with the sound categories.

Best Sound Editing

Inception

Toy Story 3

Tron: Legacy

True Grit

Unstoppable

Best Costume Design

Alice in Wonderland

I Am Love

The King’s Speech

The Tempest

True Grit

There’s no Elizabethan period piece nominated. Therefore I am at a loss. I’m going with Colleen Atwood because she’s nominated every damn year and has designed costumes for roughly every movie ever made.

Best Art Direction

Alice in Wonderland

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

Inception

The King’s Speech

True Grit

Best Makeup

Barney’s Version

The Way Back

The Wolfman

And now for the portion where I take wild, uneducated guesses (I literally just watched the trailer for the shorts here, and based my predictions off the 5 second clips):

Best Short Film (Live Action)

The Confession

The Crush

God of Love

Na Wewe

Wish 143

Best Documentary (Short Subject)

Killing in the Name

Poster Girl

Strangers No More

Sun Comes Up

The Warriors of Quigang

Best Short Film (Animated)

Day & Night

The Gruffalo

Let’s Pollute

The Lost Thing

Madagascar, carnet de Voyage

Best Movie Posters of 2010

To compliment my Best Trailers of 2010 post, here are some of my favourite movie posters from the past year.

Other Fetching One-Sheets:

Best Movie Trailers of 2010

I really have no excuse to putting it off until now, but here are my favourite trailers from 2010. This is based solely on the trailers themselves, and not with the context of the film.

1. The Social Network

This is what happens when you combine the perfect song with an impeccably edited selection of the perfect moments from a film. It’s taught, exciting, and racked with emotional fervency. Even after watching it a dozen times, I find myself holding my breath by the end.

2. Somewhere

It plays out more like an abstract short film than a conventional trailer, but from what I’ve heard, the movie itself is just as unrushed and poetic. It’s full of striking images, and Phoenix provides a lovely backdrop. It’s very Sofia Coppola, and that’s probably why I like it so much.

3. Black Swan
This definitely wins the award for mindfuck trailer of the year. And while it does grab your attention with freaky imagery, it’s the ambiguity that really makes it intriguing. We don’t know what’s real and what’s in Natalie Portman’s head. And we also don’t know why Barbara Hershey is so god damn creepy.

4. 127 Hours

I didn’t care for the teaser, but the first full-length trailer for Danny Boyle’s film conveyed the vivacious spirit that the teaser suggested. James Franco oozed charisma here, the use of Band of Horses “The Funeral” is superb, and I found the whole thing incredibly moving. (I haven’t even seen the movie, but since I’ve cried at the trailer, and at this interview with the real Aron Ralston [even Leno's douchiness can't ruin Ralston's amazing story], I’m guessing I might be a bit of wreck when I finally watch it.)

5. True Grit (Teaser)

The full-length trailer is good, too, but I slightly prefer this more sombre approach to the film, rather than the guns-a-blazing action of the full trailer (though the latter is a better representation of the film). The hymn playing behind the teaser is beautiful, and Roger Deakins’ cinematography truly shines.

Honorable Mention: Blue Valentine

I really like the idea of picking one scene as the constant, and interspersing clips on top of it. That does mean that we don’t get to hear much dialogue, which would have given it all a bit more context (but nonetheless, it gets the point across). Ryan Gosling singing always make me happy, and it’s a very well-edited trailer.

Oscar Nominees 2011: My Personal Scorecard

Prepare yourself for a self-indulgent post about how my Oscar predictions throughout the year stacked up with this morning’s nominations. I have no idea if anyone will find this interesting, but since I’ve spent months covering this race, I figured I should at least do some kind of wrap-up to figure out if it was worth it.

Below, I’ve listed the official Oscar nominees. Beside them, I’ve listed the months in which I predicted them to be nominated. If they are in red, that means that I predicted them every month since and including March 2010, which was my earliest round of predictions. If you want to see that original post from March, click here. And prediction pages for each category show which names I predicted each month.

Best Picture

127 Hours: Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan

Black Swan: March, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan

The Fighter: March, May, June, July, Aug, Nov, Dec, Jan

Inception: March, May, June, Jul, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan

The Kids Are All Right: Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan

The King’s Speech: Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan

The Social Network: March, May, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan

Toy Story 3: June,
July, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan

True Grit: May, June, July, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan

Winter’s Bone: Nov, Dec, Jan

I had four of the eventual ten nominees in my first round of predictions (including The Social Network, which at the time was kind of just “That Facebook Movie”), and by September, I had almost all of the nominees down solidly. But does that make me a genius prognosticator? Not really. It just means that the race was pretty predictable. Who would’ve thought that movies about the founding of a website, a speech impediment, a crazy ballerina, a bunch of toys, and a guy stuck under a rock would make for the most compelling cinema of the year? But once people started seeing these movies, word spread fast and buzz started to build.

Best Actor

Javier Bardem: June, July, Aug, Sept

Jeff Bridges: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan

Jesse Eisenberg: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan

Colin Firth: March, May, June, July, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan

James Franco: Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan

This is probably my category that varied the least from month to month. I really didn’t have too many guesses that went nowhere. I briefly predicted Damon for Hereafter (March and May), I had way too much faith in Stephen Dorff (June-Aug), and predicted Farrell for The Way Back (May) and Eckhart for Rabbit Hole (March) once apiece, but aside from that it was always some combo of the main seven actors. I stuck with Duvall through every round of predictions and backed Gosling through to September. But I can’t say that I’m embarrassed to have predicted them for so long, because they did turn out to be major contenders.

Best Actress

Annette Bening: March, July, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan

Nicole Kidman: March, May, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan

Jennifer Lawrence: June, July, Aug, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan

Natalie Portman: March, May, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan

Michelle Williams: March, May, June, Aug, Sept, Jan

Despite the fact that these predictions were more sporadic, I have to say, I’m kind of proud that I correctly guessed four of the five eventual nominees in my very first predictions. Things got a bit wonky in the summer (way too much faith in Hathaway and Lane), but I managed to get things back on track. I shouldn’t have been so steadfast about Lesley Manville (June-Dec) once the precursors ignored her, but at least I dropped her at the last minute.

Best Supporting Actor

Christian Bale: March, May, June, July, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan

John Hawkes:
Never in my predictions

Jeremy Renner: Dec, Jan

Mark Ruffalo: May, Aug, Sept, Nov, Dec, Jan

Geoffrey Rush: Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan

This was a very strange category for me. There were names that I latched onto for no good reason and just would NOT drop. In Bale’s case, it worked in my favour, but I also spent way too long predicting Andrew Garfield for Never Let Me Go (March-July), Josh Brolin for True Grit (March-Aug), Sam Rockwell for Conviction (June-Oct), and especially Ed Harris for The Way Back (good lord, did I really predict him through to November??). In retrospect, I guess I was smart for being sceptical about Garfield’s Social Network chances, but sadly, I did give in by December. Not my best category, that’s for sure.

Best Supporting Actress

Amy Adams: March, May, June, July, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan

Helena Bonham Carter: June, July, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan

Melissa Leo: Oct,
Nov, Dec, Jan

Hailee Steinfeld: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan

Jacki Weaver: Dec

It seemed like I tried anything and everything with my predictions in this category. I was solid on Adams (and I’m glad I stuck with her even when everyone was doubting her and The Fighter over the summer) and Bonham Carter from early on, but some of my other guesses were pretty out of whack. Bryce Dallas Howard (March-July), Miranda Richardson (Sept-Nov), Elle Fanning (March, June-Sept), and several other randoms were poor choices. But considering that I had 4/5 by October, I suppose I did alright, eventually.

Oscar Nominees 2011: Time to Whine

Alright, I think it’s high time for some good old-fashioned whining about who did and did not get nominated.

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

This was pretty easy to predict (I’ve been predicting those ten films since November). I’ve seen seven of them (yet to see The Fighter, 127 Hours, or Winter’s Bone), and I’m fine with all of them being nominated. I would’ve loved to see The Town sneak in (perhaps instead of True Grit), but I really can’t complain here.

Best Actor

Javier Bardem (Biutiful)

Jeff Bridges (True Grit)

Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network)

Colin Firth (The King’s Speech)

James Franco (127 Hours)

So so SO happy for Jesse Eisenberg and Colin Firth! Both were amazing, and it’s great to see them recognized. Bardem is a bit of a surprise (though a lot of people were predicting him…). I haven’t seen his performance or Franco’s, but I hear they’re both wonderful, and I like them both a lot as actors. I’m kind of bummed that Ryan Gosling didn’t get it (though I haven’t seen his film, so who am I to judge?), and that Bridges did. Bridges was good, but to me, it was kind of a one-dimensional character. Since he just won last year it might have been nice to spread it around, rather than just nominating him because he’s Jeff Bridges. I like the Dude, but it seems like a throwaway nomination. (Am I still a bit sore over the fact that he beat Firth last year? Possibly.)

Best Actress

Annette Bening (The Kids Are All Right)

Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole)

Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone)

Natalie Portman (Black Swan)

Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine)

This is the line-up that I expected (but am I allowed to pat myself on the back for predicting the yes for Williams, no for Gosling nomination split?). Only seen Bening and Portman, but Portman DEFINITELY should (and will) win.

Best Supporting Actor

Christian Bale (The Fighter)

John Hawkes (Winter’s Bone)

Jeremy Renner (The Town)

Mark Ruffalo (The Kids Are All Right)

Geoffrey Rush (The King’s Speech)

First of all: YAY Mark Ruffalo! And while I didn’t go as absolutely nutty over Andrew Garfield’s performance as some people (despite the fact that I love him), I would have much rather seen him nominated than Renner. Renner is a great actor, and he was good in The Town, but I just don’t see it as a character/performance worthy of an Oscar nomination. I was a slightly doubtful of Garfield’s chances (though not enough to stop predicting him), so it wasn’t a complete shock, but I would’ve liked to see him nominated.

Best Supporting Actress

Amy Adams (The Fighter)

Helena Bonham Carter (The King’s Speech)

Melissa Leo (The Fighter)

Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit)

Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom)

Arghhh…WHY did I change my prediction to Mila Kunis at the last second?? That said, I would’ve much preferred to see her get nominated over Carter or Steinfeld. C’est la vie.

Best Director

Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan)

Joel Coen and Ethan Coen (True Grit)

David Fincher (The Social Network)

Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech)

David O. Russell (The Fighter)

I had to read this list over a couple of times, because I kept thinking, “I feel like someone is missing”. Then I realised who it was, and I nearly had an aneurysm. CHRISTOPHER NOLAN, anyone? WTF. How does that man still not have a Best Director nomination? The Dark Knight snub hurt, and now this? You nominate TOM HOOPER over him? But ANYWAYS, YAY DARREN ARONOFSKY!!! It’s about time he gets nominated.

(Who would’ve thought I’d have the strongest reaction to Best Director out of all the categories?)

Oh, and how did Black Swan get snubbed for Make-Up and Costume? Just wondering.

Top 10 Movies of 2010

What would this blog be without a few year-end lists? My laptop is getting repaired right now, so some of the lists that I’d been working on are M.I.A., but I figured that I’d at least post a couple of basic ones, which I might elaborate on later. Here are my 10 favourite movies of the past year, keeping in mind that there are a LOT that I still haven’t seen.

Honorable Mention: True Grit

10. The Runaways

It may be a by-the-numbers rock biopic, but Floria Sigismondi’s story of Joan Jett’s teenage band has enough style, spirit, and heart to make it an unusually enjoyable watch. Though Dakota Fanning (playing petulant jailbait Cherie Currie) and Michael Shannon (as the band’s abusive manager) give the flashier performances, it is Kristen Stewart’s slow-boil performance as Jett that provides the most compelling human drama. She conveys the many facets of the introverted but driven Jett with sincerity, and sceptics of her work in the Twilight movies may be pleasantly surprised.

9. Cyrus

Directing team Jay and Mark Duplass have earned a reputation for creating high-concept films on a shoestring budget (their 2008 riff on horror movies, Baghead, is a prime example). So when they teamed up with a studio and hired big-name actors (John C. Reilly, Jonah Hill, and Marisa Tomei), some fans were understandably wary. But while the star-studded cast does distract a bit from the stark realism that they’re known for, there is still plenty of their documentary-style camera work and heavily improvised dialogue in Cyrus. Funny, and with more than a hint of melancholy, Cyrus is  a low-key, fun ride.

8. The Ghost Writer

With help from a solid cast, Roman Polanski created a moody, subtly stylish noir drama with The Ghost Writer. The film is slow, but that patience earns the film its whirlwind of an ending (no pun intended). Thanks to Polanski’s steady eye, even the film’s low-key action (for example, a low-speed car “chase” home) feels utterly exhilerating.

7. Toy Story 3

Viewers who grew up with the franchise (such as myself) may get swept up in the nostalgia, but the fact remains that Toy Story 3 is an incredibly well-constructed film for all ages. As cliche as it sounds, it is a film that will probably make you laugh and cry. And even if it may not be the best of the trilogy, Toy Story 3 has the biggest laughs, and a very, very well-deserved heartwrencher of an ending.

6. Inception

The long-brewing hype around Inception reached a fever pitch just before its release. And though it failed to meet some people’s unrealistic expectations, it also became something of a pop culture touchstone, which has to count for something. It was one of the few highlights in a grim summer movie season, and Inception brought whimsy and creativity to a genre that often seems catatonic. The cast is top notch (Cillian Murphy is the unsung MVP, if you ask me), and director Christopher Nolan brought his vision to life in a way that would only be possible with a summer blockbuster budget.

5. The Kids Are All Right

The “quirky indie comedy”  has been an annual staple of cinema for a while now (thanks, Little Miss Sunshine!), and this year was no exception. Annette Bening and Julianne Moore give bouyant performances as a middle-aged lesbian couple whose two children contact their charming but highly flawed sperm donor dad (played by the always fantastic Mark Ruffalo). It gets surprisingly dramatic as the film goes on, but The Kids Are All Right works because it avoids maudlin Important Moments and instead opts for realistic human drama.

4. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

I will never understand how films like this can tank at the box office. It has a great cast, a sharp script, some of the funniest moments I’ve seen all year, and a lightening-quick pace that would suit the ADD mentality of today. And those who did see Scott Pilgrim were treated to Edgar Wright’s inventive direction (chocked full of video game sights and sounds), delightfully bizarre pop culture references (including a Seinfeld-inspired segment), endlessly quotable dialogue (“Bread makes you fat?”), and a tour-de-force comedic performance from Kieran Culkin, of all people.

3. Fish Tank

I could probably write a thousand words about how much I love Michael Fassbender’s performance in Fish Tank. The physicality alone is remarkable; even the smallest gesture seems loaded with ambiguity and menace. Yet the great charm that Fassbender brings to the role makes the viewer want to have the same optimism towards him that the young protagonist, Mia, has. However, that risky, unspecified relationship between Mia and Fassbender’s Connor (her mom’s boyfriend) inevitably begins to unspool. And even though you kind of know where the film is going, that doesn’t stop the ride from being utterly compelling, in a vaguely horrifying way. Fish Tank blurs the line between ugly and beautiful (exemplified by director Andrea Arnold’s breathtaking ability to create stunning images out of England’s housing projects), good and bad, and optimism and hopelessness. I can’t get this film out of my mind.

2. The Town

And now, my award for the most enjoyable movie-going experience of the year (yes, even more so than Scott Pilgrim!). Considering that The Town is a film about bank robbers, there is surprisingly little action (though what is there is done impeccably). But everything in between is so equally compelling and exciting that is hardly matters. Between this and 2007′s Gone Baby Gone, Ben Affleck is proving to be a tremendous directing talent. Here, he accomplished the difficult task of creating an edge-of-you-seat thriller that pleased crowds but also satisfied moviegoers with a desire for quality and depth. The Town is what movies are all about.

1. The Social Network

It may be at the top of everyone’s list this year, but that is for good reason. The Social Network is a smart, timely, fresh take on themes that have been explored since the dawn of story-telling (pride, friendship, betrayal, jelousy, etc.). This is to the credit of screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, whose witty, twisty dialogue set against a Harvard backdrop somehow comes across as perfectly relatable and grounded. David Fincher also does an amazing job of taking a very contained story (which mostly consists of people talking in a room) and making it utterly cinematic. And let’s not forget Jesse Eisenberg, who is amazing as the seemingly inpenetrable but ultimately sympathetic Mark Zuckerberg. Throw in an unorthodox, rumbling score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross and great supporting turns by Andrew Garfield and Armie Hammer (and even Justin Timberlake is pretty good), and you’ve got a film that is both timely and timeless.

SAG Nominations: Surprise, Surprise

The SAG nominations came out today. Here’s a rundown of the film categories:

Best Ensemble Cast

Black Swan

The Fighter

The Kids Are All Right

The King’s Speech

The Social Network

Nothing too surprising. I would’ve thought True Grit make have made it in over Black Swan, but Aronofsky’s flick is turning out to be more of an awards season heavy-hitter than I’d expected.

 

Best Leading Actor

Jeff Bridges (True Grit)

Robert Duvall (Get Low)

Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network)

Colin Firth (The King’s Speech)

James Franco (127 Hours)

This is my current predicted line-up for the Oscars. I think that Eisenberg is now right up there with Firth and Franco as a virtual lock for an Oscar nomination (yay!). Could he even be a dark horse for the win? He seems to be surpassing Franco in terms of buzz and recognition (NBR, Boston, Toronto have all given Eisenberg the win).

 

Best Leading Actress

Annette Bening (The Kids Are All Right)

Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole)

Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone)

Natalie Portman (Black Swan)

Hilary Swank (Conviction)

Poor Leslie Manville. She wins the NBR award, and then gets snubbed completely by The Critics Choice Awards, The Globes, and now SAG. It is also rather strange to see Swank here, considering she’s been ignored by virtually every other awards group. But I think the core four ladies (Bening, Portman, Kidman, Lawrence) are all solidifying their Oscar noms. Now it’s just a fight for the fifth spot, and there are about five women who could potentially take it (Manville, Williams, Berry, Moore, Swank)

 

Best Supporting Actor

Christian Bale (The Fighter)

John Hawkes (Winter’s Bone)

Jeremy Renner (The Town)

Mark Ruffalo (The Kids Are All Right)

Geoffrey Rush (The King’s Speech)

This category is still really up in the air. This shows that Garfield is not the lock that many think that he is (I wouldn’t be that surprised if he misses out on an Oscar nom), and that Bale and Rush are still the only two solid picks. Ruffalo has been up and down, and Renner and Hawkes are starting to build momentum. I think that Hawkes will be more of a critical darling, and probably miss out on an Oscar nom, though.

 

Best Supporting Actress

Amy Adams (The Fighter)

Helena Bonham Carter (The King’s Speech)

Mila Kunis (Black Swan)

Melissa Leo (The Fighter)

Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit)

Another Mila Kunis nomination! I really didn’t expect her to be such a contender. The other four names here are fairly expected, but it’s interesting that Weaver missed out, given her multiple critics wins this season. She, Manville, and Garfield are definitely the biggest snubs in these nominations. Don’t count out the dark horses (Berry/Williams, Renner/Hawkes, Kunis) yet.

Golden Globe 2011 Nominations – Quick Reactions

Well, my predictions for next year’s Golden Globes turned out to be kind of shit. But I don’t think that they were more shit than anyone else’s. Tough year to predict, but some interesting surprises.

YAY

• James Franco, Jesse Eisenberg, and Ryan Gosling all got noms in the Best Drama Actor category! Is there room at the Oscars for all three? (I have a sneaking suspicion that Gosling may get left out. But if Blue Valentine is big enough for the Globes, surely Oscar will like it?)
• Golden Globe Nominee Andrew Garfield!
  
• And though I haven’t seen Easy A yet, it’s great to see another talented young actress, Emma Stone, get some recognition.
• Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling for Blue Valentine? Yes, please. (One of my most anticipated for the year)
• I like the curveballs nominations for Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Mark Wahlberg (I predicted him!), Halle Berry, and Paul Giamatti. Could they pose a threat in the Oscar race? I’d argue that Renner is having a resurgence of support at just the right time. And Mila Kunis is a name that has been floating around for a while as a possible darkhorse. As for the latter three names, I think the leading categories are a bit more locked up. But you never know.
• Hooray for the snubbing of superstars like Timberlake (although I did think that he was quite good in The Social Network) and Cher. Some people predicted them to get nominated, but that would be going overboard, even for the Globes.
• Can we finally agree that DiCaprio is not getting an Oscar nomination? Please?
• I really love a lot of the names floating around the TV categories!
  • Favourite nominated actors whose shows I watch: Chris Colfer, Jim Parsons, Elizabeth Moss, Jon Hamm, Tina Fey (always!), Jane Lynch
  • Interesting names that popped up, but whose shows/TV movies I haven’t seen: Steve Buscemi, Kelly McDonald, Dennis Quaid, Claire Danes, Ramola Garai, Laura Linney, Bryan Cranston, Michael C. Hall, Katy Sagal, Julia Stiles

NAY

• All of the comedy categories, basically. They can be a really good opportunity to recognize films that don’t get a lot of awards attention, but it seems like they dropped the ball this year. Granted, it was a weak year, but surely Cyrus, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Greenberg, Please Give, or Kick-Ass would’ve been more worthy?:
  
  • I didn’t care for Alice in Wonderland, and even though I haven’t seen them, Red, Burlesque, and The Tourist hardly seem like they are worthy of any “Best Picture” nominations.
    
  • If they had to nominate one big, prestigious actor, I would’ve rather have seen Tom Cruise for Knight and Day than Depp for Alice in Wonderland.
    
• The Globes never get sick of sucking up to stars, do they? Johnny Depp (times two!), Angelina Jolie, Michael Douglas and Kevin Spacey don’t have a hope for any legitimate awards. But maybe they’ll show up for the ceremony and look pretty!
  
• Would’ve loved to see Paul Rudd get some love. Alas, it was not meant to be.
  
• In terms of performances that I’ve actually seen, it would’ve been nice to see Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., and John C. Reilly get nominated. Even Zach Galifianakis and Russell Brand would’ve been fun additions to the Comedy Actor category. (I don’t know why, but Comedy Actor is the category that I’m always most interested in. This year, though I’ve only seen one of the performances, it is so boring. I would’ve been cool with [based solely on me liking the actors, in some cases] some kind of Downey/Reilly/Gyllenhaal/Stiller/Rudd line up. That would’ve been a bit epic, right?)
  
• TV snubs for: January Jones and Parks and Recreation

2011 Golden Globe Predictions

Is it just me, or this year’s Golden Globes WAY harder to predict than last year’s? I did pretty well last year with my guessing, but I honestly have no idea who is going to fill up half the slots this time around. That unpredictability makes for a more exciting race, but it also deflates my ego. Sad times. But here we go.

Best Picture (Drama)

The Fighter

Inception

The King’s Speech

The Social Network

True Grit

Best Picture (Comedy/Musical)

Burlesque

Cyrus

How Do You Know

The Kids Are All Right

Love and Other Drugs

Best Director

Danny Boyle – 127 Hours

Joel Coen and Ethan Coen – True Grit

David Fincher – The Social Network

Tom Hooper – The King’s Speech

Christopher Nolan – Inception

Best Actor (Drama)

Jeff Bridges – True Grit

Jesse Eisenberg – The Social Network

Colin Firth – The King’s Speech

James Franco – 127 Hours

Mark Wahlberg – The Fighter

Best Actor (Comedy/Musical)

Jim Carrey – I Love You, Philip Morris

Michael Douglas – Solitary Man

Robert Downey Jr. – Due Date

Jake Gyllenhaal – Love and Other Drugs

John C. Reilly – Cyrus

(I miss last year’s Levitt/Downey/Damon/Stuhlbarg/Day-Lewis grouping. I didn’t even like The Informant or Nine, and I was mixed on Sherlock Holmes and A Serious Man, but that was one epic combination of performances and actors.)

Best Actress (Drama)

Nicole Kidman – Rabbit Hole

Jennifer Lawrence – Winter’s Bone

Gwyneth Paltrow – Country Strong

Natalie Portman – Black Swan

Hilary Swank – Conviction

Best Actress (Comedy/Musical)

Annette Bening – The Kids Are All Right

Anne Hathaway – Love and Other Drugs

Julianne Moore – The Kids Are All Right

Emma Stone – Easy A

Reece Witherspoon – How Do You Know

Best Supporting Actor

Christian Bale – The Fighter

Matt Damon – True Grit

Andrew Garfield – The Social Network

Mark Ruffalo – The Kids Are All Right

Geoffrey Rush – The King’s Speech

Best Supporting Actress

Amy Adams – The Fighter

Helena Bonham Carter – The King’s Speech

Melissa Leo – The Fighter

Winona Ryder – Black Swan

Jacki Weaver – Animal Kingdom