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| Bob D'Amico, ABC |
The Social Network- "The Facebook Movie" was surprisingly (begrudgingly) good. Character and plot development were appropriate; writing, direction and casting aligned to make a potentially ridiculous movie watchable. I guess it could win, especially knowing that it was good enough to be named best picture at the Golden Globes.
Inception- While I do give it points for being an original idea, and for demonstrating the appropriate use of special effects, the plot was mediocre, character development was weak, and the music attempted to trick you into thinking you were watching a good movie. Suck.
Toy Story 3- An unexpected tear-jerker, and I loved it! A great conclusion to the series, excellent demonstration of digital animation and its maturity since 1995 (how they made those non-human, digital characters so touching, I'll never understand).
The Kids are All Right- Pleasant enough, questionable delivery. Of course the acting is superb, and more points for original screenplays, but I kept thinking it would have been more entertaining played as a whole-hearted comedy- maybe I'm missing the point? I don't think it'll win, but it might surprise me.
True Grit- Remix! My sister thought this was the most boring movie of all time. I liked it because Hailee Steinfeld was excellent, I have a crush on Jeff Bridges, and Matt Damon did a fabulous job of walking the line between Good Guy and Massive Douche. I appreciated the style of dialogue.
The King's Speech- Great! Loved it! Very accessible, very "Oscar-worthy". Humerous at the right places, sensitive in the right places. Excellent supporting score, Queen Elizabeth's seal of approval. As much as I liked it, I hope it doesnt win. It's too obvious a choice. Make those Hollywooders challenge the status quo, man. But geez, I really liked this movie (I'm a sucker for historical films).
127 Hours- This was the only one that I left the theater saying, "That's my favorite". I was very impressed by the ability to keep the pace with ONE actor and ONE immovable set and by the desperate, graphic climax- which was far more intelligent and gripping than I had anticipated. Creative shots let us into the perspective of James Franco's character, into the experience. Although Danny Boyle just won for Slumdog Millionaire (2008) this is my pick. Fingers crossed!
Winter's Bone- Movies adapted from books are never as fantastic as we want them to be. I wanted it to be better, more adventurous, but it felt abbreviated AND dragged. Weird. Props to John Hawkes and Jennifer Lawrence on their individual nominations. Neither they, nor the movie will win.
The Fighter- I wanted to fight someone when I got out of the theater. All the right pieces came together in this movie- excellent portrayal of real-life events/individuals. This is my 2nd Place contender, although another semi-predictable choice. I loved Melissa Leo as their mother, and all the sisters...and Christian Bale. And Mark Wahlberg. And the guy who played the dad. Maybe I want this one to win?
Black Swan- I was nervous to see this one, but I ended up feeling pretty good about the style and artistic choices. I'm always interested in movies that feature technical dance, and although I thought Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis were beautiful and frantic and multi-faceted, I don't expect it to win, nor do I hope it will.
There you have it. My "critical review" of the 2011 Best Picture Oscar Nominees. I guess we'll see what happens on Sunday :)
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