I fear for the future of the artistic value and caliber expected from Oscar-nominated films. And I’m not even talking about 10 years from now, but the more immediate future of the upcoming 83rd Academy Awards on February 27, 2011.
I have watched the top contenders for Best Picture, and I have to say I am sorely disappointed. Here’s a run down of my humble opinion on the top 4:
The Social Network
I love a dislikable character just as much (or maybe more) as the next person, but I’m afraid that Jesse Eisenberg cannot carry the whole weight of the movie’s value on his shoulders. I thought the dynamics of the movie were as entertaining as a Dateline NBC special on Enron. Obvious qualifications and eligibility aside, you wouldn’t see a documentary on Enron winning an Oscar.
Black Swan
If you liked Requiem for a Dream (2000), you are most likely in that group of people who are rooting for Black Swan to win. I know my sister, whom we affectionately call Tina Fey, is in this group of people. Nothing wrong with that, but I have to say that I find the directing style unnerving, and it made the whole experience a stressful one. Requiem for a Dream was highly acclaimed and was definitely a memorable and disturbing flick, but it was not nominated for an Oscar.
The King’s Speech
This was the movie that I liked the best. Maybe because I am in love with Geoffrey Rush‘s acting, ever since I saw him as Javert in the movie version of Les Misérables (1998). I don’t know how to explain it, but he’s just one of those actors that you KNOW he knows what he’s doing (versus other young actors who you know are just flying by the seat of their pants). He and Colin Firth are just delicious to watch. But best movie? Mmmmm… I enjoyed Young Victoria (2009) just as much, but it was not nominated for best picture.
127 Hours
I can’t get the scene where he cuts that tendon out of my mind. I felt his pain. Anyways, I love James Franco, and this was a great movie about survival. But then again, I did not find it to be the best picture worthy movie that critics may have thought.
Ok, so I haven’t seen The Fighter yet, but I heard that it was kind of slow, and that other than Amy Adams‘ and Christian Bale‘s performances, there wasn’t much to see there.
I know these are not riveting reviews, after all, I didn’t get into character development, cinematography, photography, storyline, etc. My main point is that these movies are not worth the analysis because they didn’t have that umph factor that previous winners have had. Analyzing them would be a waste of my time.
Do you remember when you saw Titanic (1997)? How many times did you go see it during the 8 months it was in theaters because people could not get enough of it? What effects, what an amazing ride!
Do you remember when you saw La vita è bella “Life is Beautiful” (1997)? How many times did you see that one? What about all those times you kept thinking back on it and crying just thinking of how wonderful Roberto Benigni was, and how his character managed to show his son that life really was beautiful even though they were in the middle of the holocaust?
I still remember the first time I saw Gladiator (2000). I am not a lover of Roman Empire type movies, but when I finished watching this one I kept chanting to myself “Os-car! Os-car!” Breathtaking, unbelievable. Well deserving.
Lastly, what about American Beauty (1999)? WHAT A MOVIE. I fell in love with Kevin Spacey right then and there. What an actor, what a commentary on our social values. What an epiphany at the end. This is one of those movies that will continue to be referenced for many years to come.
In conclusion, I don’t mean to diss these movies. They are all GREAT movies… I just think that the bar was not high enough this year, and the cream of the crop ended up being movies that would have not made the cut had there been better options out there. It also didn’t help that the category was expanded to 10 films… too many slots, too many opportunities for crap filling.
Enjoy the Oscars this year, and let’s hope for a higher bar next year.
ina
Photo Credit: http://www.oscars.org/academy/posters-books/posters/index.html