OSCAR TIME!!!!

So...

All sorts of everything in life has kinda derailed my excitement about one of my favorite things ever. Until now. Yep. I've finally got my Oscar Fever going on! I've got my Oscar evening planned; have almost seen ALL of the movies for the top 5 categories... yup! So, let's get into it shall we?

Have Seen So Far (In The Top 5):

Toy Story 3

Inception

The Social Network

The Town

The King's Speech

Rabbit Hole

The Kids Are Alright

The Fighter

Winter's Bone

Black Swan

True Grit

Blue Valentine

Have Yet To See (In The Top 5):

127 Hours (Tomorrow?)

Animal Kingdom

Biutiful

Others I've Seen That Are Nominated (Not Top 5):

How to Train Your Dragon

Alice in Wonderland

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1

Iron Man 2

Salt (?!)

Tangled

Okay, enough with lists and onto thoughts

Toy Story 3

Bah. I loved this movie. I think much of it had to do with the fact that I GREW UP with these movies. I grew with these characters (much like HP movies) and with Andy, so that the poignant ending was I feel a beautiful end for the series and kinda a nice little capper to my childhood in a way. I CRIED at the end. Just like everyone else who saw this movie. Who knew that toys could have been so real!

Inception

Perhaps the MOST original movie of the last decade? I mean, I think that Christopher Nolan is the next James Cameron, probably better. What I mean by this, is that Nolan is an ORIGINAL storyteller, who tells ORIGINAL stories, while still keeping them mainstream/ dabbling in franchise work. AND he's a writer of all his scripts. Just like Cameron. This movie was so visually stunning, and I wish that people and the Academy would not judge it on the fact that it was a summer blockbuster, and is technically a genre piece. And the fact that Nolan was snubbed in the director race. RIDICULOUS. The movie WAS the direction. Talk about visual style! I don't know that it's the "Best" picture, but it's one of the best of the year. For sure.

The Social Network

If I was a member of the Academy, and I voted with my head over heart, this would EASILY be my Best Picture of the year. A) I'm in love with Aaron Sorkin, so I guess that it already gives it the upper hand over its competition. B) I've loved Jesse Eisenberg since "The Squid and the Whale." 'Nuff said. The interesting thing about this movie? I love about it, exactly what I didn't about "The Hurt Locker" last year. It's immediate. It's a story for today. However, I think that it, so much more eloquently (Thanks Mr. Sorkin), captures a specific moment in time, BUT also makes it timeless. If it doesn't win Best Screenplay (Adapted), I will NOT be happy. :)

The Town

The fact that "Winter's Bone" or even "127 Hours" (though I will hold judgment until I see it) were nominated for Best Picture over this movie really upsets me! :( It was just so good. And TENSE. Jeremy Renner EASILY deserves this nomination. And I think he would win, in a year where Christian Bale wasn't in the same category as he was. This is my "Should be nominated for Best Picture" movie.

Rabbit Hole

A pretty good movie, that is very much about the actors. I wasn't a huge fan of the changes to the script, and just like every movie that transfers from stage to play, didn't love the fact that they felt the need to have everything take place in a million different places. AND while I LOVE Nicole Kidman and think she TOTES deserves this nomination, where was Aaron Eckhart's? He was robbed.

The King's Speech

If I were an Academy Voter and voted with my heart, I would be torn between this movie and "The Fighter" for Best Picture. Such a lovely simple film, that SO works, because the relationship between Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush is SO good. I loved it. It made me happy. Which not many Oscar movies do... :) Also, thank you Helena Bonham Carter for playing a normal person. You do it well. Do it more often. (Small note for Pride and Prejudice nerds... notice who played Geoffrey Rush's wife? Why yes it WAS Jennifer Ehle, who played Lizzie to Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy in the '96 Pride and Prejudice. I may have let out a squeal of glee when I saw the two of them reunited for the briefest of moments).

The Kids Are Alright

I thought this was such a nice little simple movie. And can completely understand why it was nominated. Annette Bening, Julianne Moore (who may be the most undervalued actress in Hollywood currently) and Mark Ruffalo are fantastic. It's a nice simple love story about two women who are married, that DOESN'T revolve around the fact that they're lesbians. What a concept! I LOVE THAT! Does it stand a chance of winning Best Picture? Nope. But I still liked it.

The Fighter

Boy oh BOY did I love this movie. Like, whoa. Wahlberg, Leo, Bale, Adams BLEW me away. Again, another movie that made me feel good at the end. My OTHER choice for Best Picture, heart wise. Yes, Christian Bale was great. Yes, Melissa Leo was great. But Mark Wahlberg and Amy Adams were my favorites. Wahlberg's performance was so understated. And Adams? Well she's come a LONG way since the slutty cheerleader in "Drop Dead Gorgeous." She turns out a KNOCK OUT grounded performance. I KNOW Melissa Leo will win, but if it were up to me Best Supporting Actor would go to Amy Adams. (Or Hailee Steinfeld... but more on that later)

Winter's Bone

A great acting piece. Shot very handily. However, I don't know that it belongs in the "Best Picture" category. There are some great, intense scenes in here... but I don't know that they're anymore than great acting showcases. The story was simple, but didn't really grip me. In my mind, the movie belongs to Jennifer Lawrence. This is definitely a star maker.

Black Swan

Another movie where I enjoyed certain elements more than the whole. HOLY BEAUTIFUL, BATMAN. The colors, shots, cinematography in general was just amazing. I also really enjoyed Natalie Portman in this lots too. I kinda found her slightly one note, but I think that may have been the fault of the script. Which brings me to my biggest problem with the film... I don't know HOW much sense the story made. Yes, it's slightly twisty and turney, and you're not supposed to connect all the dots, but Inception was that way too, and made WAY more sense than Black Swan. So like I said, I thought Portman was great, and that it was visually stunning... I just kinda wanted... more.

True Grit

Okay, seriously, Coen Bros... are we ever going to have another Oscar year without your movie being nominated for Best Picture? :) That being said, I REALLY enjoyed "True Grit." Just as everyone has said before me, it was a far funnier film than I expected! Jeff Bridges, and Matt Damon's banter and performances were delightful. That being said, I LOVED, repeat, LOVED Hailee Steinfeld. She was the film for me. Completely believable, grounded, sweet, and just lovely. I cared about her SO much! For me, it's between her and Adams as Best Supporting Actor.

Blue Valentine

Okay... this was a VERY hard movie for me to get through... I kinda watched it through a veil of tears from a certain scene (I won't give anything away, but Michelle Williams makes a choice halfway through the movie that changes things for both her and Ryan Gosling's characters) onward. It was one of the most beautiful and brutally honest movies that I have seen in a long time. And I think I believe in love a little less after having seen it. While Williams received the nod, and deservedly so, Gosling also blew me away. I very much ended up relating to and siding with his character, even though there are many aspects of his character that would drive me crazy in real life. For that reason, I think that he deserves a nod too.

So... only about 3 movies to go until I have seen "everything." I'm excited, because that hasn't happened in a while! Come Feb 27th I will be ready! Now, with having not seen the last three films, these are my choices for the "best" of the year... not my predictions, but my CHOICES.

Best Picture

The Social Network (Sorkin tipped the scale for me here)

Best Actor

Colin Firth

Best Actress

Natalie Portman

Best Supporting Actor

Jeremy Renner

Best Supporting Actress

Amy Adams

What do you think? Thoughts? Agreements? Disagreements? If I completely change my mind between now and seeing the last 3 films… well I guess I’ll alter this…

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Update! 2/13

127 Hours

I had no expectation ever to like this movie. I mean, it's the movie about the guy who cut his arm off. But I found it thrilling, fascinating, horrifying, and just all around good. The movie is basically just James Franco. I guess I didn't know how much to expect it to be... but it was. Pretty much just him for the whole movie. And when you've got someone who is the whole movie, you'd better like them, and I did. I REALLY liked Franco. He was fascinating. Seeing his transformation in the film was what really got to me. I don't know that it's "Best Picture" per se, but I liked it more than some of the others in the category. And I think that I might kinda want James Franco to win Best Actor. I mean the guy IS the movie... and whoa does he do a good job!