Take a bow: Pulp weighs in on this year’s Academy Award results
The Academy almost always selects an inarguably great group of actors, ensuring most American filmmaking legends will get their due at some point. Once in a while, if we’re lucky, the panel allows the best film of the year to take home the prize most Americans will remember.
This year’s ceremony was unsurprisingly riveting, defined by a major upset in one of the most important categories — along with the honoring of a number of current and former great talents who helped shape moviemaking as we know it today.
Best Picture: ‘The King’s Speech’
The rebel film buff might be inclined to write off ‘The King’s Speech’ as an Oscar-tailored period piece, but it’s really so much more. A film with genuine heart that aims to help us understand one man’s monumental struggle, ‘The King’s Speech’ is the rare drama that manages to not fall in love with itself when it easily could have succumbed to that. It’s a film that commands respect even if it might not live up to expectations. Shamefully melodramatic Best Picture winners, such as ‘The English Patient’ (1996) and ‘Crash’ (2005), are comparatively narcissistic. ‘The King’s Speech’ did not aspire to win the Best Picture award. It’s simply a beautifully told story that just happened to be a masterpiece.
Should’ve won
Hunter: ‘127 Hours’
Sam: ‘The King’s Speech’
Just as King George VI was deservedly rewarded for his efforts, the film about his struggle was rewarded with the industry’s most famous honor.
Best Director: Tom Hooper, ‘The King’s Speech’
Even after winning the Best Director award from the Directors Guild of America, the consensus was that David Fincher would take home the statue for directing ‘The Social Network.’ Though not as stunning as ‘The Social Network’ or as visceral as ‘Black Swan,’ ‘The King’s Speech’ is a classically filmed, extraordinarily moving period drama. At just 38 years old, Hooper helmed ‘The King’s Speech’ with masterly assurance and wisdom and will probably own the stage again soon.
Should’ve won
Hunter: David Fincher, ‘The Social Network’
His labyrinthine navigation through layers of timelines and quirky characteristics,as well as his iconic visual conception, helped him to put his style on a glorious pedestal.
Sam: David Fincher, ‘The Social Network’
‘The King’s Speech’ is an example of perfect filmmaking. ‘The Social Network’ is an example of perfection accentuated by innovation.
Best Actor: Colin Firth, ‘The King’s Speech’
There is something to be said for Jesse Eisenberg’s chilling portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg, James Franco’s exhausting performance as Aron Ralston, Jeff Bridges’ commanding performance as Rooster Cogburn and Javier Bardem’s daring performance as the cancer-stricken father Uxbal, but none truly compare to Firth’s accomplishment in the role of King George IV. Firth’s perfected stutters impress, and his vulnerability, frustration and courage ultimately overwhelm and even inspire. This was a role Firth deserved, and to say he conquered the challenge would be an understatement.
Should’ve won
Hunter: James Franco, ‘127 Hours’
Instead of Firth, I would’ve chosen Franco, who delivered one of the most profoundly inspirational performances I’d ever seen in a film.
Sam Littman: Colin Firth, ‘The King’s Speech’
If you aren’t moved by his final speech, you are, well, immovable.
Actress: Natalie Portman, ‘Black Swan’
Though Portman entered the race as the distinct frontrunner, people thought Annette Bening (‘The Kids Are All Right’) had a good chance at taking home her first Oscar because of her overall career achievements. Truth is, Portman’s been acting for nearly as long. The 52-year old Bening made her debut in 1988 while the 29-year-old Portman broke out in Hollywood in 1994. A generational talent, Portman is the most celebrated star in the industry, her performance already iconic despite the mere three months since the film’s release.
Should’ve won
Hunter: Natalie Portman, ‘Black Swan’
I haven’t seen a woman go through such intense terror since Mia Farrow in ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ (1968), so it was really refreshing to see.
Sam: Natalie Portman, ‘Black Swan’
Portman delivered one of the most physically demanding performances in quite a while, which was also one of the most expressive.
Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, ‘The Fighter’
Before taking home his first Oscar, Bale had never been nominated despite at least six excellent performances tucked under his belt. In a performance simultaneously funny and tragic, cartoonish yet brutally realistic, Bale stuck out as the nominee with the best chance at taking home a statuette. In any other year, the perpetually overlooked Mark Ruffalo (‘The Kids Are All Right’) might’ve stood a decent chance, and Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush (‘The King’s Speech’) could have been a frontrunner — but not with Bale’s tremendous performance standing in the way. If the Academy is to be applauded for their nominations in any one category, it deserves praise for its Best Supporting Actor selections, with John Hawks (‘Winter’s Bone’) and Jeremy Renner (‘The Town’) earning invites for performances the Academy usually ignores.
Should’ve won:
Hunter: Christian Bale, ‘The Fighter’
Bale was a terrific pick for the Best Actor award. His complete immersion into the role of Dicky Eklund was fascinating from beginning to end, and it provided a unique twist to an otherwise straightforward film.
Sam: Christian Bale, ‘The Fighter’
As much as I loved Ruffalo and Rush, this year there’s no denying Bale fully deserved the award.
Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo, ‘The Fighter’
Previously nominated two years ago for ‘Frozen River,’ Leo stirred up some controversy in Hollywood after buying her own advertisements for award consideration. Leo’s consistency in portraying a caring, borderline-overprotective and angered mother surely gained her respect from Academy voters who recognized her immense talent, which stems from her television background and stints in various films such as ’21 Grams.’ Leo fully deserved her Oscar, as her role as Alice Ward was an enriching addition to an already well-cast film.
Should’ve won:
Hunter: Melissa Leo, ‘The Fighter’
Sam: Jacki Weaver, ‘Animal Kingdom’
While it’s hard to argue against Leo winning, Jacki Weaver’s performance in ‘Animal Kingdom’ was profoundly frightening and truly original.
Best Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin, ‘The Social Network’
It would not be an exaggeration to proclaim Sorkin’s script asthe greatest of this decade. Containing arguably the sharpest dialogue and the densest, even subtly haunting,psychological study in any movie to come out of Hollywood this millennium, the film could act as a template for teaching screenwriting. It takes after world cinema classics such as ‘Citizen Kane’ (1941) and ‘Rashomon’ (1950), adding a dash of ‘The Great Gatsby.’ Sorkin used the past to create something entirely new and revolutionary.
Should’ve won:
Hunter: Aaron Sorkin, ‘The Social Network’
Sorkin’s adaptation of Ben Mezrich’s book was a triumphantly well-deserved win. Its flawless transitions between scenes and locations and its charismatic dialogue will be praised for years to come.
Sam: Aaron Sorkin, ‘The Social Network’
The Syracuse University alumnus’ script belongs alongside ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ (1991) and ‘Schindler’s List’ (1993) as the best adapted screenplay filmed in an SU student’s lifetime.
Best Original Screenplay: David Seidler, ‘The King’s Speech’
Seidler, not the most prominent name in the Hollywood circuit, is perhaps best known for writing ‘Tucker: The Man and his Dream’ (1988). Seidler admitted his inspiration for ‘The King’s Speech’ came from when he learned his uncle was sent to the same speech therapist featured in the film. It will be interesting to see where Seidler’s victory will bring him in the future.
Hunter: Christopher Nolan, ‘Inception’
To me, it’s a fascinating escapade into a complex mythos of dream logic that had until then never really been touched to such an extent.
Sam: David Seidler, ‘The King’s Speech’
The 73-year-old Seidler has only scripted two live-action feature films. ‘The King’s Speech’ was his second, meaning the senior citizen has great upside!
Animated Feature Film
Winner: ‘Toy Story 3’
Hunter: ‘Toy Story 3’
Sam: ‘Toy Story 3’
Art Direction
Winner: ‘Alicein Wonderland’
Hunter: ‘Inception’
Sam: ‘The King’s Speech’
Cinematography:
Winner: Wally Pfister, ‘Inception’
Hunter: Roger Deakins, ‘True Grit’
Sam: Roger Deakins, ‘True Grit’
Costume Design:
Winner: Colleen Atwood, ‘Alicein Wonderland’
Hunter: Jenny Beavan, ‘The King’s Speech’
Sam: Jenny Beavan, ‘The King’s Speech’
Documentary Feature:
Winner: ‘Inside Job’
Hunter: ‘Exit through the Gift Shop’
Sam: ‘Exit through the Gift Shop’
Editing:
Winner: Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter, ‘The Social Network’
Hunter: Jon Harris, ‘127 Hours’
Sam: Andrew Weisblum, ‘Black Swan’
Foreign Language Film:
Winner: ‘In a Better World’
Hunter: I didn’t see any of them
Sam: ‘Incendies’
Makeup:
Winner: ‘The Wolfman’
Hunter: ‘The Wolfman’
Sam: Only saw ‘The Wolfman,’ but I refuse to say it should win anything
Original Score:
Winner: Trent Renzor and Atticus Ross, ‘The Social Network’
Hunter: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, ‘The Social Network’
Sam: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, ‘The Social Network’
Original Song:
Winner: Randy Newman, ‘We Belong Together’ (‘Toy Story 3’)
Hunter: Randy Newman, ‘We Belong Together’ (‘Toy Story 3’)
Sam: Randy Newman, ‘We Belong Together’ (‘Toy Story 3’)
Short Film (Animated)
Winner: ‘The Lost Thing’
Hunter: ‘Day & Night’
Sam: Day & Night’
Sound Editing:
Winner: ‘Inception’
Hunter: ‘Inception’
Sam: ‘Inception’
Sound Mixing:
Winner: ‘Inception’
Hunter: ‘Inception’
Sam: ‘Inception’
Visual Effects:
Winner: ‘Inception’
Hunter: ‘Inception’
Sam: ‘Inception’
Published on February 27, 2011 at 12:00 pm
