Oscar Nominations are out

[*BaseClogger*]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeRed27

BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR
"Black Swan" (Fox Searchlight)
A Protozoa and Phoenix Pictures Production
Mike Medavoy, Brian Oliver and Scott Franklin, Producers
"The Fighter" (Paramount)
A Relativity Media Production
David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman and Mark Wahlberg, Producers
"Inception" (Warner Bros.)
A Warner Bros. UK Services Production
Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan, Producers
"The Kids Are All Right" (Focus Features)
An Antidote Films, Mandalay Vision and Gilbert Films Production
Gary Gilbert, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte and Celine Rattray, Producers
"The King's Speech" (The Weinstein Company)
A See-Saw Films and Bedlam Production
Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Gareth Unwin, Producers
"127 Hours" (Fox Searchlight)
An Hours Production
Christian Colson, Danny Boyle and John Smithson, Producers
"The Social Network" (Sony Pictures Releasing)
A Columbia Pictures Production
Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca and Ceán Chaffin, Producers
"Toy Story 3" (Walt Disney)
A Pixar Production
Darla K. Anderson, Producer
"True Grit" (Paramount)
A Paramount Pictures Production
Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers
"Winter's Bone" (Roadside Attractions)
A Winter's Bone Production
Anne Rosellini and Alix Madigan-Yorkin, Producers


PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Javier Bardem in "Biutiful" (Roadside Attractions)
Jeff Bridges in "True Grit" (Paramount)
Jesse Eisenberg in "The Social Network" (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Colin Firth in "The King's Speech" (The Weinstein Company)
James Franco in "127 Hours" (Fox Searchlight)


PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Christian Bale in "The Fighter" (Paramount)
John Hawkes in "Winter's Bone" (Roadside Attractions)
Jeremy Renner in "The Town" (Warner Bros.)
Mark Ruffalo in "The Kids Are All Right" (Focus Features)
Geoffrey Rush in "The King's Speech" (The Weinstein Company)


PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Annette Bening in "The Kids Are All Right" (Focus Features)
Nicole Kidman in "Rabbit Hole" (Lionsgate)
Jennifer Lawrence in "Winter's Bone" (Roadside Attractions)
Natalie Portman in "Black Swan" (Fox Searchlight)
Michelle Williams in "Blue Valentine" (The Weinstein Company)


PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Amy Adams in "The Fighter" (Paramount)
Helena Bonham Carter in "The King's Speech" (The Weinstein Company)
Melissa Leo in "The Fighter" (Paramount)
Hailee Steinfeld in "True Grit" (Paramount)
Jacki Weaver in "Animal Kingdom" (Sony Pictures Classics)


ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING
"Black Swan" (Fox Searchlight), Darren Aronofsky
"The Fighter" (Paramount), David O. Russell
"The King's Speech" (The Weinstein Company), Tom Hooper
"The Social Network" (Sony Pictures Releasing), David Fincher
"True Grit" (Paramount), Joel Coen and Ethan Coen


ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
"127 Hours" (Fox Searchlight), Screenplay by Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy
"The Social Network" (Sony Pictures Releasing), Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin
"Toy Story 3" (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Michael Arndt. Story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich
"True Grit" (Paramount), Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
"Winter's Bone" (Roadside Attractions), Adapted for the screen by Debra Granik & Anne RoselliniOriginal screenplay


ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
"Another Year" (Sony Pictures Classics), Written by Mike Leigh
"The Fighter" (Paramount), Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson. Story by Keith Dorrington & Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson
"Inception" (Warner Bros.), Written by Christopher Nolan
"The Kids Are All Right" (Focus Features), Written by Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg
"The King's Speech" (The Weinstein Company), Screenplay by David Seidler

Bolded are complete guesses for what the Academy will choose.

Underlined are my own personal choices...

[MikeThierry]

As someone said earlier, it completely shocks me that Nolan wasn't nominated for Best Director. I don't know what it is but it seems that a lot of the people who determine these awards just don't like Nolan. He has been snubbed in the past on other movies he made. Don't get me wrong, Inception is still nominated for 8 awards but he certainly should be in the Best Director category.


I also liked Social Network but does anyone feel like I do that it is a bit overrated? The script was witty and fast paced but in my opinion it wasn't the best movie of the year like many people are making it out to be.

[Caveat Emperor]

Originally Posted by MikeThierry

I also liked Social Network but does anyone feel like I do that it is a bit overrated? The script was witty and fast paced but in my opinion it wasn't the best movie of the year like many people are making it out to be.

I think a lot of the residual "Eh..." for the Social Network revolves around a general sense of dislike for the protagonist. Zuckerberg is a bit of a punk, and I know I left the movie thinking, at least in the back of my mind, that it sucked that he had a movie made about him.

[*BaseClogger*]

The Social Network was truly captivating. It was just a story, there weren't your typical action scenes or major twists--it just dazzled.

As for overrated, as much as I love Chris Nolan I think Inception was a bit overrated as a film. Great direction and visuals, but much of the dialogue was cumbersome, IMO...

[Caveat Emperor]

Originally Posted by *BaseClogger*

The Social Network was truly captivating. It was just a story, there weren't your typical action scenes or major twists--it just dazzled.

Which is why I think it's less of a great movie, and more of a great bit of writing by Aaron Sorkin -- who I dearly love from his days as showrunner on "The West Wing" (the first three seasons put to shame anything that's been on TV since, IMO).

[Kingspoint]

Originally Posted by Caveat Emperor

Which is why I think it's less of a great movie, and more of a great bit of writing by Aaron Sorkin -- who I dearly love from his days as showrunner on "The West Wing" (the first three seasons put to shame anything that's been on TV since, IMO).

More often than not, it's the writers who make a show/movie/play great. It's the actors' job to not screw it up.

A great actor can't make good bad writing.

But, great writing can make a bad actor look good.

Saw a very good movie a month or so ago called, "Nora's Will". If you get a chance, check it out.

http://www.menemshafilms.com/noras-will.html

[Oxblood]

Bale just might be the best actor of this generation.

[MikeThierry]

Originally Posted by *BaseClogger*

The Social Network was truly captivating. It was just a story, there weren't your typical action scenes or major twists--it just dazzled.

As for overrated, as much as I love Chris Nolan I think Inception was a bit overrated as a film. Great direction and visuals, but much of the dialogue was cumbersome, IMO...

I like a captivating story as much as the next guy. It just didn't live up to the hype that it was getting in my opinion. Its not that I didn't like the main character. I just don't think it was as good as a movie as Inception or any other nominated movie on this list. I don't know, I just don't find a story about a bunch of adolescent college students fighting over an idea that stimulating.

As far as Inception's dialogue, it is difficult for it not to be cumbersome with the subject matter it was dealing with. There was a lot of ideas put into that film and sometimes the subject matter got kind of weighted down by these issues. That still doesn't take away, in my opinion, from rating the movie overall favorable. Every single movie ever made had flaws. Even such brilliant films as On The Waterfront, Goodfellas, 2001, Citizen Kane, etc. A couple of flaws in these movies doesn't change my opinion of how great they are. I feel the same way about Inception.

[BuckeyeRed27]

Originally Posted by MikeThierry

I like a captivating story as much as the next guy. It just didn't live up to the hype that it was getting in my opinion. Its not that I didn't like the main character. I just don't think it was as good as a movie as Inception or any other nominated movie on this list. I don't know, I just don't find a story about a bunch of adolescent college students fighting over an idea that stimulating.

As far as Inception's dialogue, it is difficult for it not to be cumbersome with the subject matter it was dealing with. There was a lot of ideas put into that film and sometimes the subject matter got kind of weighted down by these issues. That still doesn't take away, in my opinion, from rating the movie overall favorable. Every single movie ever made had flaws. Even such brilliant films as On The Waterfront, Goodfellas, 2001, Citizen Kane, etc. A couple of flaws in these movies doesn't change my opinion of how great they are. I feel the same way about Inception.

It's really hard to compare these movies. Inception was about the story. The Social Network was about the characters.

[*BaseClogger*]

Originally Posted by MikeThierry

I like a captivating story as much as the next guy. It just didn't live up to the hype that it was getting in my opinion. Its not that I didn't like the main character. I just don't think it was as good as a movie as Inception or any other nominated movie on this list. I don't know, I just don't find a story about a bunch of adolescent college students fighting over an idea that stimulating.

As far as Inception's dialogue, it is difficult for it not to be cumbersome with the subject matter it was dealing with. There was a lot of ideas put into that film and sometimes the subject matter got kind of weighted down by these issues. That still doesn't take away, in my opinion, from rating the movie overall favorable. Every single movie ever made had flaws. Even such brilliant films as On The Waterfront, Goodfellas, 2001, Citizen Kane, etc. A couple of flaws in these movies doesn't change my opinion of how great they are. I feel the same way about Inception.

I'm not ready to compare any of this year's movies to those films. But I am curious to know, what did you find as the flaw with The Fighter?

[*BaseClogger*]

Originally Posted by MikeThierry

I like a captivating story as much as the next guy. It just didn't live up to the hype that it was getting in my opinion. Its not that I didn't like the main character. I just don't think it was as good as a movie as Inception or any other nominated movie on this list. I don't know, I just don't find a story about a bunch of adolescent college students fighting over an idea that stimulating.

I think we have to just agree to disagree because we feel oppositely about the two movies. I find that Inception didn't live up the hype because of the dialogue, you feel that The Social Network didn't live up to the hype because of the lack of intensity. To each his own...

[TheNext44]

Originally Posted by *BaseClogger*

The Social Network was truly captivating. It was just a story, there weren't your typical action scenes or major twists--it just dazzled.

As for overrated, as much as I love Chris Nolan I think Inception was a bit overrated as a film. Great direction and visuals, but much of the dialogue was cumbersome, IMO...

I agree completely.

Which makes the Oscar nominations even more puzzling. No Best Director nor Editor nomination, and yet a best Screenplay nomination.

[savafan]

Originally Posted by Oxblood

Bale just might be the best actor of this generation.

Especially when you consider his entire body of work in some lesser known roles such as Newsies, Swing Kids, The Machinist and Little Women.

[Chip R]

I thought this was an interesting article about the historical accuracy - or lack thereof - of "The King's Speech."

http://www.slate.com/id/2282194/

[MikeThierry]

Originally Posted by *BaseClogger*

I think we have to just agree to disagree because we feel oppositely about the two movies. I find that Inception didn't live up the hype because of the dialogue, you feel that The Social Network didn't live up to the hype because of the lack of intensity. To each his own...

No, its not that The Social Network lacked intensity. I just felt is was more of a tedious character study like something i would find on Broadway or a town play where as Inception felt like a more complete movie. Its hard to explain. Maybe it is, again, the idea of adolescent college students arguing over an idea isn't the best material to make a movie out of. I found much of the stuff petty and rather childish. Sure, that was sort of the point looking at the main character but I just find other things more intriguing. Its not that I crave action. My top movies are Dr. Strangelove, 2001, Dark City, La vita è bella (Life is Beautiful), On The Waterfront, and Patton. All of these movies didn't have a lot of action however there was a lot of substance and intrigue to those movies, something that The Social Network (in my opinion) lacked. Don't get me wrong, I liked The Social Network I just wouldn't put it as my favorite movie this year.

My analogy of it would be like watching the Houston Astros play. They have a lot of the parts to make it an entertaining game but the whole isn't exactly the sum of its parts.

I have not seen The Fighter yet so I cannot comment on it.

Savafan, I think his best work may have been his first movie. Empire of the Sun was an absolutely brilliant movie. That first role of his really foreshadowed how brilliant of an actor he was going to be 20 years down the road. I was also truely frightened watching him play in the Machinist. That movie showed the true dedication to his craft, losing all that weight and literally going down to 110 pounds.