Well, The Academy Awards aka "The Oscars" returns to television primetime on Sunday for the benefit of all of us starstruck moviefreakers. In anticipation of the evening, for the last two weeks, I have been hell bent on seeing the major players for the gold-plated Oscar and deciding for myself who is worthy of winning the coveted prize. For me, the Oscars goes to:
For Best Picture. "The King's Speech." When an Englishman or an Englishwoman opens his or her mouth and speaks the English language in the manner in which it was designed, the Hollywood press swoons and wanders away in a dwam state of mind. Subliminally, we know Americans can't compete with the English when it comes to speaking the language in an erudite manner on the big screen. Masterpiece Theatre genre will always trump the southy streets of Lowell, Massachusetts. See "English Patient" 1996. Frankly, UK folks on film sound smarter than American people. Hollywood likes smart because they think they are like kind. And if the story line is compelling, like "The King's Speech", the other candidates have no chance. I kinda agree with them here. Sorry, Mark Zuckerberg.
For Best Actor. Colin Firth in "The King's Speech." Every time he was on screen, his performance of his devastating impairment was so convincing and nerve wracking that I ached for him with each uttered, stammered and non-uttered word. He had me at the fffffffiiirrrrssssstttttt sentence. It was a brilliantly sensitive performance by, see above, a true Englishman.
For Best Actress. Natalie Portman. Her performance as the self-tortured ballerina in "Black Swan" was spectacular. Not because of her mastery? of the psychotic nonsense, ie, the feathers popping out of her arms, but because of her mastery of the craft of ballet. Frankly, I hated this dark psychodrama except for the incredible filming of the balletic scenes. Overall, I thought the movie was comically absurd. Theatre goers were laughing during "serious" scenes because it was so chimerical. I needed a stiff drink after this movie to try to forget what I saw....but the haunting scenes kept returning in my tortured sleep. But, Portman's dazzling singular performance as a pas de deux ballerina transcended the absurdity of the rest of the movie.
Best Supporting Actor. Christian Bale, as ex-boxing champ Dickie Ward brother-son-trainer-junkie in "The Fighter." He completely stole the show from everybody else on the set, including actor, Mark Wahlberg, as Dickie's boxing brother, Micky Ward. His multi-role performance on film was the best of the year in any category. When I sit down in front of a screen for two hours I want two things: entertainment and believability. Bale's total character immersion as Dickie was 100% believable in every frame he was in. I didn't know any crackheads in my life until now...his name is, Dickie Ward. Bravo.
Best Supporting Actress. Melissa Leo as the crude foul-mouthed mother in "The Fighter." Totally believable and delivered her coarse lines with perfection in each scene. Her performance was authentically amazing. She won't win because of Hollywood's affection for discovering and christening the next Tatum O'Neal who is attractive, smart and confident in front of the lens. Hollywood found that new wonderkid winner in Hallee Steinfeld, the smartest 14 year old girl in the West, Maddie Ross in "True Grit". Her performance was superb against a story line that was really fatuous.
So there are my picks and Hollywood's preferences, what are yours?
Enjoy the gowns. I will.
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