What could be the best film of the year? Everyone says The Social Network is a sure bet, I love that film more so than the one I picked. Inception changed everything this year, on how you could shoot, write, compose, and edit a film. So with all of the game changers this year, including Toy Story 3, and countless other mellow dramas, what is the film I tend to lean on the most. That would be without a doubt Winters Bone! A little independent film that didn’t make much money, but gobbled up Sundance to rule supreme. Personally I would have picked Scott Pilgrim VS. The World, but if you view Winters Bone it has something that a lot of other films didn’t this year, character. I mean the type of characters you care about over the remainder of a film, you stop what you are doing and want to see there outcome. That is what happened to me when I rented it, didn’t expect nothing special, but what I got was something much more important. A group of young filmmakers and actors/actresses making a film with so much heart and warmth, that it puts most peoples films to shame this year. You know all those big budgeted blockbusters where you don’t really care what happens, just as long as your eye sockets are all drained of fluid from the visuals. This film trumps all of those this year, and its all because of character. It is a simple premise, it takes place in the Ozarks of Missouri, the entire film centers around a character that isn’t even in it. Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) is a seventeen year old girl who has to take care of her crazy mother, and little sister and brother, all because her father put the house up for his bond. So if her father doesn’t show up to court they will lose the house and everything they hold dear, so she goes on a journey to find him through the criminal underground enterprise of Meth Makers. I’m not here to spoil the plot of the film or what lays ahead for viewers that haven’t seen it. I am simply summing up what the movie is about, and giving you my reasons for loving it the way I do. Jennifer Lawrence would win best actress this year at the Oscars if there was true justice in the world. She deserves to win because it is the best female performance of the year, but it will most likely go to Natalie Portman for her psyched out role as a crazy ballerina dancer. Or to Annette Bening for her lesbian turn in The Kids Are Alright, which in reality is a sympathy vote. The best performance of the film goes to John Hawkes (Teardrop). He plays Jennifer Lawrence’s uncle in the film, and at first he appears to be a villain. But like all things are with this film, not everything is as it seems. At the end of the film you want to cry for his character as he walks off leaving the only family he has left behind. Best supporting actor should go to him without a fight. Director Debra Granik does wonders with her second film, showing everyone in Hollywood that the directors chair is not just a male role. I am excited to see what she does next, but this year will not be hers at the award season, even though it should. If anything the acting will triumph over already decided winners. Shell be around along time though, consider this film her testament at what is to come from her and her filmmaking team. Winters Bone is the best film of the year period! Rent it or pick it up on bluray, you will not be disappointed at were this journey leads and finally ends.
Best Actor of the year hands down should be awarded to Jesse Eisenberg for The Social Network. There are a lot of great contenders out there this year like James Franco for 127 Hours, Javier Bardem Biutiful, and Colin Firth for The Kings Speech. The winner will most likely be Colin Firth for another British drama that no one will see. What makes Eisenberg’s performance of Mark Zuckerberg better than all the rest is this, you can watch The Social Network ten times in a row and get a different perspective of his performance each time. The first time I saw it I thought he was an asshole, by the second time I felt sorry for him. That is what a performance is supposed to do and convey, no one else this year has pulled it off like him, and that is why the Oscar should already be in his hands.
Now the best supporting actress category is real tricky, cause you never know whose going to get nominated or who will win. So since I am senseless in the category I am going to pick my personal favorite of the year. Ellen Wong for playing Knives Chow in Scott Pilgrim VS. The World. She is funny, fast paced, and most of all makes us feel her heartbreak from Scott's break up. Almost brought a tear to my eye for a movie that silly, but I guess that is what acting is supposed to do.
Best Director is not a tuff call this year, everyone knows this is David Fincher’s year for The Social Network. It is a long over due Oscar, just like when Danny Boyle won for Slumdog Millionaire. Christopher Nolan should win for Inception, but academy members might feel he hasn’t put in enough work just yet. He will be shut out again, but hopefully they will at least acknowledge his brilliance with a nomination this year.
Best Adapted Screenplay is also no surprise this year, Aaron Sorkin’s adapted screenplay for The Social Network is a win. This is one of those screenplays that actually makes the film, since most of the film is dialogue anyway. This is a just deserved win if not an obvious one.
Best Screenplay will go to Christopher Nolan for Inception. The story is out there, but the way it is placed onto paper and visualized on the screen should go over well with voters. Plus they got to give him something for snubbing his film The Dark Knight a few years back, yes Academy we still haven’t forgotten!
Best Musical Score I would assume would also go to Inception, it is the most original of the year. Electronic sounds accompanied by mind blowing visuals adds to the effect, and voters wont forget that.
Best Song for me would go to Beck for Ramona for Scott Pilgrim VS. The World. Yet that is me thinking that I live in a perfect world, it will probably go to some Disney movie like almost every year!
Best Animated film will go to Toy Story 3, even though I enjoyed How To Drain Your Dragon a little bit more.
Best Cinematography is a tuff one for me. The Social Network's mood and lighting kind of gave the over all tone of the film which is great, but Inception dealt with many locations on a grand scale. I would place my money on The Social Network, but I wouldn’t count out Inception for a surprise win.
Best Art Direction and Costume Design will either go to The Black Swan or The Kings Speech.
Best Editing will go to The Social Network, but in reality Inception should win this.
Best visual Effects will be a match of tug of war between Inception and Tron Legacy, but I have a feeling that Inception will come out the victor.
Best Sound and Sound Effects Editing should go to Inception, unless there is an unforeseen snub coming out of nowhere.
Best Makeup might go to The Black Swan, but don’t count out The Kings Speech either. Period movies or dramas usually win this category.
Best Foreign Language Film will go to Biutiful.
Best Documentary I am clueless about because I don’t get to see that many until they hit NetFlix! Yet if I had a wish list I Am Still Here would be eligible for this category and win, even though it turned out not to be real. Still a great study on the culture that is celebrity.
