And The Oscar Goes To......

[Deleted]

I think "The Social Network" and "Inception" will get a bundle of noms each. This is a rare year when two of the best-reviewed movies were also huge box-office hits and the Academy will fall over themselves to say "See, we're not elitist!"

[huntergrayson]

Inception's not going to get any acting noms, though. I can foresee it getting technical stuff and a director/picture/screenplay but, by and large, I think the buzz from it has faded already, to where it's not going to win anything but the technical categories. I think the race is going to be largely cast as the "current" generation versus the boomers (I.e. Very "now" pics like The Social Network versus classic period pieces like The King's Speech, Portman v Bening, etc).

I was extremely surprised and pleased to see Youth in Revolt get on the NBR's list of Ten Best Indie Films. Considering it got barely released way back in January (when studios typically dump crap), it's amazing that the Board remembered it at all.

[litzikohanovich]

'The Social Network' won? Although I thought the acting, except for Timberlake, was excellent, I was really disappointed in the movie. It seemed such a superficial treatment of a very compelling story.

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I am extremely ecstatic over Jacki Weaver's Best Supporting Actress win for Animal Kingdom. I am glad the NBR recognized her performance because I thought the critics might forget about AK, but she made the movie unforgettable. I hope the HFPA and the Academy doesn't overlook her when the time comes.

[satellite]

The Kids Are Alright is an indie? Ok, then.

Love that Winter's Bone got so many Independent Spirit nominations, and NBR nods.

I also loved Animal Kingdom, and thought Ben Mendelsohn (Pope) would have gotten acting recognition in addition to Jacki Weaver. I guess there's still time.

[Deleted]

I've just realized that Christian Bale finally has a realistic chance at getting his first ever Oscar nom . I'm not his biggest fan and find some of his method-acting stuff off-putting but I do think that he's a very good actor.

[huntergrayson]

Globe nominations are tomorrow morning! Yaaaaaaaay! (I love them because they include TV and their eligibility period is more sense-making than the Emmys).

Social Network has won Boston, LA and NY Film Critics Best Picture. The critics' associations and the actual Oscars don't always line up but I think this now has a substantial lead, with Actor and Actress going to Firth and Portman.

[Bruins07]

Dec 14, 2010 0:17:44 GMT -4 @huntergrayson said:

Globe nominations are tomorrow morning! Yaaaaaaaay! (I love them because they include TV and their eligibility period is more sense-making than the Emmys).

Social Network has won Boston, LA and NY Film Critics Best Picture. The critics' associations and the actual Oscars don't always line up but I think this now has a substantial lead, with Actor and Actress going to Firth and Portman.

I think Social Network is definitely the front runner for Best Picture since it has been winning across the board. Colin Firth looks like a lock for Best Actor (yay!) but I think Best Actress is still up in the air between Portman and Bening. Portman won Boston Film Critics, Bening won NY Film Critics, and LA decided to give theirs to Kim Hye-ja. Portman and Bening will be in opposite categories for the Golden Globes so I don't think we'll know who has the advantage until the SAG Awards.

I didn't realize that the Golden Globe noms were coming out tomorrow! Time flies, how is it mid December already? Anyway I prefer watching the GGs over the Oscars. So much more entertaining with the booze and I like all my TV and movie stars together. Are they going to have a host again this year even though Ricky Gervais hardly did anything last year?

[huntergrayson]

Ricky is hosting again this year. As you said, the host doesn't matter when they get the stars sloshed for impromptu moments. My only quibble is that they divide by genre in the major categories but not supporting, so you have comedy/drama films and actors separated but end up with shit like NPH competing against someone in a hardcore dramatic HBO miniseries. (I have no idea how they do eligibility for guest/supporting actor in TV in terms of number of episodes but I think Denis O'Hare for True Blood deserves it above all others).

I think Bale may be the front-runner now for supporting actor but I feel that supporting actress is wide open.

From my personal perspective, I feel that Julianne did an equally good job in Kids and Annette was playing a complex variation of a relatively one-note character we've seen her do before (American Beauty, for example) -- even though she has the "it's her time" factor, I also think there's the feeling of "well, she can win in the future." - Whereas this may be Natalie's only shot at a win - but more importantly, was such a unique character that she was designed to play.

Lemme put it this way, Kids was a mediocre-to-decent script/narrative elevated to praise by a trio of highly competent yet not neccessarily unique perfomances by the main actors. Black Swan is completely inconsistent and totally unique as a film/narrative (meaning that it's more polarizing and stylized), but those who praise it are singling out Aronofsky's direction and Portman's performance for transforming the material.

[Deleted]

I feel that Julianne did an equally good job in Kids and Annette was playing a complex variation of a relatively one-note character we've seen her do before (American Beauty, for example) -- even though she has the "it's her time" factor, I also think there's the feeling of "well, she can win in the future." - Whereas this may be Natalie's only shot at a win - but more importantly, was such a unique character that she was designed to play.

Although I agree with you on the former part of your post, huntergrayson regarding Bening's usual one-note brittle bitch roles she has been playing for the past 10 years, I was very surprised that no one has nominated her for an even better performance in Mother and Child. I know no one saw the movie, but few people saw Mother and Animal Kingdom yet actresses from both films won awards.

As for the Bening/Portman "showdown," this reminds me of the Best Actress Oscar race from 22 years ago when Glenn Close was in Bening's position as the mature actress who wasn't on the screen much in Dangerous Liasons and Jodie Foster as the Ivy Leaguer playing a heart wrenching, demanding role in The Accused which has eerie parallels to Natalie Portman.

We all knew the outcome. Is it deja vu?