Of these, six will probably carry home the majority of the golden men.
In an otherwise lackluster year, ten movies made the Oscar cut. Of these, six
will probably carry home the majority of the golden men. (Italics indicate
individual nominations.)
THE KING'S
SPEECH - Shot through with class distinctions, family politics, and world
history, the film remains, at its core, the story of two men. It is a duet with
equal measures of humility and arrogance from both Colin Firth as George
VI and Geoffrey Rush as his speech therapist. The authenticity of their
fractious partnership is dazzling. Watch also for an especially nuanced
performance by Jennifer Ehle as the therapist's wife.
THE SOCIAL
NETWORK - Written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by David Fincher,
this is a superb comment on the phenomenon of the changing of the world by a
generation of 20-year-olds. In this case it's Mark Zuckerberg, Harvard
sophomore, who ignites the world of social networking with Facebook. By the time
the company is valued at 25 billion dollars, Zuckerberg and his young peers find
themselves dealing with the adult questions of betrayal, theft, and
self-delusion. Jesse Eisenberg literally inhabits the arrogant game
changer who wants to be accepted by his peers and can't understand his destiny
as an outsider.
BLACK SWAN
- This one is a horrific trip through perfection, obsession, and mental illness,
but just try to take your eyes off the screen. Natalie Portman and the
supporting cast save it from becoming a horror show. The line between reality
and illusion is never clear and Portman carries that off with amazing physical
and emotional credibility. She triumphs in the year's most demanding role.
TRUE GRIT
- Joel and Ethan Coen salute the American Western with a finely crafted
story of a young girl (Hailee Steinfeld) looking for her father's killer
with the help of Matt Damon and Jeff Bridges. Mattie will take the
measure of every man who crosses her path. Damon and Bridges create marvelous
characters, but this is Hailee Steinfeld's movie. She asks for it, politely of
course, and the men of the Wild West hand it to her gladly.
THE
FIGHTER - As a fighter carrying the weight of the expectations of his huge
and dysfunctional family, Micky (Mark Wahlberg) navigates the chaos of the small
time boxing world and his bickering family. Performances by Wahlberg, Melissa
Leo (as the mother from Hell), Christian Bale (the wasted family
favorite), and Amy Adams (Micky's loyal, smart girlfriend) lift this one
way beyond the ordinary fight film.
THE KIDS
ARE ALL RIGHT - Annette Bening, Julianne Moore ad Mark Ruffalo
- as a gay couple and their sperm donor - throw a contemporary light on the
traditional subject of marriage. The actors convey the awkwardness of their
emotional turmoil beautifully. With humor and edge, this family struggles with
old and new issues in a new culture.
Critic's choice: Picture: King's Speech, Director: Tom Hooper, Actor: Colin
Firth, Actress: Natalie Portman, Supporting Actor: Geoffrey Rush, Supporting
Actress: Melissa Leo.
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