oscar nominations 2011

I didn't get out to the movies very much this year. Maybe three or four times. I saw a bit more than that on DVD, but still. In any case, any Oscar picks by me this year would be even more silly than usual.

However, it's traditional. So I figured I would write down my more random thoughts on the nominations.

Best Picture:

I've seen four of the ten: Inception, The Kids Are All Right, The Social Network and True Grit. I'd be interested to see four more: Black Swan, The Fighter, 127 Hours and Toy Story 3. My sister said Winter's Bone sucked--you heard it here first. The King's Speech looked to me, from the very first time I saw a trailer for it, to be unchallenging, middlebrow Oscarbait. By a remarkable coincidence, it's also the favorite. Although I'm not thrilled by the prospect, at least if it does well, then we are likely to get more Colin Firth in the future, which I consider a good thing. Let's just hope he does do a whole series of films about privileged characters heroically and tear-jerkingly overcoming mild adversity.

Best Director:

I'm a fan of 4 of the 5--everyone but The King's Speech's Toby Hooper. That's weird. I must be approaching the age of the average Academy voter. Gross! I'm pulling for Fincher here. I think I own DVDs of all of his movies, except Zodiac but including Alien 3. If you don't think that's dedication, you have seen Alien 3.

Best Actor:

I guess this will be either Colin Firth or Jeff Bridges. Eisenberg and Franco are too young, and Bardem's already got one.

Best Actress:

Wow, I only saw one of these. Natalie Portman would be a nice surprise. She seems like she would be a good actress, given decent material, but she surprisingly hasn't had a lot of opportunities yet. Maybe her work in Black Swan will turn things around. Also weird that Julianne Moore didn't get a nod. In The Kids Are All Right, she plays a much more of a focal (and more interesting) character than Benning. 'You're a wine drunk. We get it already. We all saw Sideways too, you know.'

Best Supporting Whatever:

Let's just skip these, shall we?

Best Screenplays:

This could be Inception's consolation prize. And I hear that The Social Network's script was interesting and complicated too, but I must confess I was decidedly meh when I first saw it.

Best Animated Feature:

Is there a reason they don't just call this particular award 'The Pixar'? The category was created to accommodate that company, so I don't see why they don't just make that clear...

Best Foreign Language:

'And the dartboard says....'

Best Documentary:

Exit Through the Gift Shop needs to win, because I want to see what Banksy does in lieu of actually accepting the award in person. Oh wait, I already know: he will send Thierry Guetta instead. How great would that be!

Best Rest of the Categories:

You are all special in your own way. And I know nothing about you.

That is all.