Oscar's Best Picture Contenders

Last Tuesday, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences released its nominations for the Oscars. Looking to see some of the nominated films? Here's a the good, the bad, and the needlessly artsy.

Black Swan

What’s it about? Timid and perfection-hungry ballerina Nina (Natalie Portman) desperately wants to dance the lead in Swan Lake. She must portray the virginal white swan, but also the dark side black swan. In her artistic fever, she begins to lose her grip on reality.

Who should watch it? Adults. This dark movie has its gripping moments. It also has lots of sexual undercurrent. Apparently, to release her inner black swan, Nina has to find her inner naughty girl.

Buzz: Portman does an amazing job portraying the vulnerable girl. She’s up for a Best Actress Oscar. The costumes and cinematography are amazing. Director Darren Aronofsky is also nominated for Best Director. Personally, I found this film pretentious and over the top. Plus, the lesbian love scene struck me as a cheap way to get attention, but they don’t let me vote…yet. SixSeeds review.

What is it saying? Truly great art leads to or comes from truly great madness.

The Fighter

What’s it about? A boxer (Mark Wahlberg) wants a shot at the big time. Is his vast family, including his meth addict brother (Christian Bale) and tough mother (Melissa Leo) supporting him or holding him back?

Who should watch it? Adults and some teens. The film has constant bad language and some brief sensuality, but its portrayal of human behavior is profound. Mature teens could learn a lot about human nature from it.

The Buzz: Star Mark Wahlberg was passed over for a nomination, but Bale, Leo, and Amy Adams (as the girlfriend) were all nominated for supporting roles. All are amazing, but Christian Bale deserves the win. SixSeeds review.

What’s it saying? Even dysfunctional families are complicated and profound.

Inception

What’s it about? A team of spies invades their targets’ dreams and steals information from the locked vaults of their brains.

Who should watch it? The PG-13 rating is about right. One of the most amazing things about this movie is that Christopher Nolan made a gripping, exciting blockbuster without resorting to profanity or sex scenes. There are a few words on the level of [donkey] hole. There is lots of shooting, though.

The Buzz: One of the shocks of the nominations is that Nolan wasn’t recognized for Best Director. Look for that to be one of the big stories of the Oscars. SixSeeds review.

What’s it saying? This movie meditates on the nature of reality. It depends on the viewer, but it could be either a statement that there is no such thing as reality, that the world is what we believe it to be, or exactly the opposite.

The Kids Are All Right

What’s it about? In this comedy, a happy lesbian couple allow their teen kids to meet the man who donated sperm for their births.

Who should watch it? Adults. Rated R for strong sexual content, nudity, language and some teen drug and alcohol use.

The Buzz: This film brought Annette Bening a nod for Best Actress and Mark Ruffalo for Supporting Actor.

What’s it saying? The message is in the title. Despite their unorthodox conception and upbringing, the kids are all right.

The King’s Speech

What’s it about? A younger son (Colin Firth) of British King George V never expected to inherit the crown. When his brother abdicates, he must lead his country through the coming storm of WWII, but his severe stutter impedes him. Enter speech coach Lionel (Geoffrey Rush).

Who should watch it? This is complicated. The MPAA gave it a R rating, which has widely been derided by critics. It stems from a tactic of swearing profusely as a method of overcoming the stutter. It’s actually quite funny. Other than that, it’s a squeaky clean and warm movie. Still, it has just about every bad word you can think of, many times.

The Buzz: Colin Firth is nominated for Best Actor and does a great job. Also nominated: Director Tom Hooper, Helena Bonham Carter (as the wife), and Geoffrey Rush are all also nominated. In all, this film was nominated for 12 Oscars and is considered a leading contender. SixSeeds review here. Tom Walsh's excellent meditation on character versus personality in the film here.  

What’s it saying? Friendship between two decent, good men can lead to great things.

127 Hours

What’s it about? A solo hiker (James Franco) lies pinned and isolated under a boulder. As the hours and days tick by, he reviews his life and contemplates his escape.

Who should watch it? Adults. Rated R for language and some disturbing content involving self-mutilation. Not for the weak of heart.

The Buzz: James Franco is the movie. He’s been nominated for a Best Actor award.

What’s it saying? Life is a wonderful thing, so beautiful even the unthinkable becomes doable.

The Social Network

What’s it about? The movie follows Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) as he changes the world and justifies his self-centered and predatory behavior to himself and the law.

Who should watch it? Teens and adults. Rated PG-13, this film does involve language, some sexual situations, as well as college-style partying and drug use. It’s not depicted as a good thing.  The profound commentary on how our world is changing and on bad behavior will justify the content for mature teens.

The Buzz: Nominated for eight Oscars, this film is considered a front runner to sweep the awards. SixSeeds review.

What’s it saying? Most of the nominated movies are excellent (calling you out, “Black Swan,”) but only this movie touches what’s happening right now. It could not have been made two years ago or two years from now. It touches on the mania of a man convinced he’s chosen by destiny, on the rapid loss of privacy that the internet has brought to us, and on betrayal of friendship.

Toy Story 3

What’s it about? Buzz, Woody and the gang are no longer part of grown Andy’s life, but love and friendship last forever, even among toys.

Who should watch it? Everyone. It’s fantastic for everyone.

The Buzz: With only the third animated film ever nominated in the Best Picture category, Pixar has already made history. They’re not expected to win, but they made a truly great movie. SixSeeds review.

What’s it saying? Friendship means banding together even at the end. Also, children grow up and that’s a beautiful and sad thing.

True Grit

What’s it about? A twelve year old girl (Hailee Steinfeld) hires a crusty gunslinger (Jeff Bridges) to track down her father’s murderer. Together they go farther than either imagined.

Who should watch it? Teens and adults. There are sober and occasional violent moments in this film, but it happens against a backdrop of everyday religion and frontier expectations of justice that resonate today.

The Buzz: Joel and Ethan Coen are up for another Best Director award, Jeff Bridges is up for another Best Actor award and Hailee Steinfeld is the youngest contender in the Best Supporting Actress category. SixSeeds review.

What’s it saying? “The wicked flee when no man pursueth, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.”

Winter’s Bone

What’s it about? A teen girl (Jennifer Lawrence) cares for her younger siblings as she tracks down her missing father, a quest that leads her through the Ozark underworld.

Who should watch it? Teens and adults. Jennifer Lawrence is a revelation as a strong, capable teen girl, but there is language and violence. The ending is shocking.

The Buzz: If there is any justice in the world, Jennifer Lawrence should win the Best Actress Oscar. John Hawkes is also nominated in the supporting category for his menacing, caring uncle “Teardrop.” SixSeeds review.

What’s it saying? Even in a world where she’s never been treated right, a strong girl knows what is right and will be persistent in her pursuit of it.

And the envelope goes to....

I'm betting my tub of popcorn "The Social Network" wins. It would be well-deserved.

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