Two Blondes Countdown to the Oscars: Best Picture

The Nominees:

Black Swan

The Fighter

Inception

The Kids Are All Right

The King’s Speech

127 Hours

The Social Network

Toy Story 3

True Grit

Winter’s Bone

WHO WE THINK WILL WIN

Jessica:  The Social Network

Alison: The Social Network

 

WHO WE WANT TO WIN

Jessica:  The Social Network.  Not only was The Social Network my favorite movie of last year, it was my favorite movie of the last ten years.  It’s probably in my top 10 or 15 movies of all time.  I loved it.  I liked it so much that it becomes hard to say specifically why.  The writing is fantastic, great acting, great directing, GREAT music, etc.  For the record, I have seen all ten films nominated in this category – a personal victory (aided by the fact that I have friends in BAFTA and the DGA).

Alison: It’s really hard to choose with ten films. Really, really hard. And it’s exciting to see how many great films are out there. While I really loved The Social Network, The Fighter, and Black Swan, I think overall The King’s Speech was the most consistent with its levels of excellence. It was a great film and I felt everyone in it was at the top of their game, from the actors to the director.

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Two Blondes Countdown to the Oscars: Best Actress

The Nominees:

Annette Bening The Kids Are All Right

Nicole Kidman Rabbit Hole

Jennifer Lawrence Winter’s Bone

Natalie Portman Black Swan

Michelle Williams Blue Valentine

WHO WE THINK WILL WIN

Jessica:  Natalie Portman

Alison:  Natalie Portman

WHO WE WANT TO WIN

Jessica:  You should know, and I think I have mentioned this before on this blog, but I will watch anything with dance in it.  We’re talking Xanadu, Honey, Paula Abdul’s Live to Dance.  ANYTHING.  Imagine my delight when a dance movie or TV show actually turns out to be enjoyable on its own merits, not just because of the dance numbers.  Natalie Portman is as good as you’ve heard in The Black Swan.  There is a reason she had been winning all the awards so far this season – she deserves them.  She is who I would vote for.  Note:  I have not seen Rabbit Hole or Blue Valentine.

Alison:  Natalie Portman, Natalie Portman, Natalie Portman. This has got to be one of the best performances I’ve ever seen and one of the most intense films you will ever watch. To reiterate, word for word, what Jessica wrote: There is a reason she had been winning all the awards so far this season – she deserves them. Not to mention, she deserves an award for being a very cute pregnant woman.

Two Blondes Countdown to the Oscars: Best Supporting Actor

The Nominees:

Christian Bale The Fighter

John Hawkes Winter’s Bone

Jeremy Renner The Town

Mark Ruffalo The Kids Are All Right

Geoffrey Rush The King’s Speech

WHO WE THINK WILL WIN

Jessica:  Geoffrey Rush The King’s Speech

Alison:  Geoffrey Rush The King’s Speech

WHO WE WANT TO WIN

Jessica:  I have seen all of these movies and think each of these men gave great performances, truly.  If I had to pick a favorite, I guess it would be Jeremy Renner in The Town (I had to sit and think about that for about 10 minutes before making a decision).  My first instinct was to pick Christian Bale.  He was great in The Fighter, but in the end, I opted for Mr. Renner.  He was so believable as the thuggish best friend and bank robbing boss that I think I just kind of assumed that was close to what Jeremy Renner, himself, must be like.  Then I remembered that I’ve seen him in interviews where he seems perfectly charming and not at all like he might have kidnapped someone.  If you haven’t seen The Town, rent it.  It’s the most underrated film of the year.

Alison:  My first reaction was “Oh definitely Christian Bale in The Fighter.” He disappeared into that role, like he does with pretty much every role. He’s got to be one of the most intense and dedicated actors in Hollywood. But then my memory started working (my brain is slow sometimes) and I remembered watching Geoffrey Rush’s excellent performance in The King’s Speech. And then I couldn’t decide, so I’m calling a tie, because I really loved both performances equally.

Two Blondes Countdown to the Oscars: Best Adapted Screenplay

We’re counting down to the Oscars on Feb. 27 by giving our thoughts and opinions on each of the major categories, one per day, until the big day.  First up, Best Adapted Screenplay!

The Nominees:

127 Hours

The Social Network

Toy Story 3

True Grit

Winter’s Bone

WHO WE THINK WILL WIN

Jessica:  The Social Network

Alison: The Social Network.

WHO WE WANT TO WIN:

Jessica:  The Social Network.  I know film is a visual medium, but man, do I love talky movies and The Social Network is talky.  I love Aaron Sorkin’s style – that rat-tat-tat-tat dialogue.  On top of that, this movie was ‘adapted’ from a book that was being written simultaneously based on deposition transcripts and interviews with the real-life people.  That’s a fascinating process.

Alison:  This one’s tough for me. Was I utterly absorbed by the movie The Social Network? Yes.  Did I love some of the dialogue heavy scenes between Jesse Eisenberg and the lawyers pursuing a case against him? Yes!! (Double exclamation was on purpose.)  Was I emotionally attached to the characters in the film?  No.  Was I emotionally attached to the characters in Toy Story 3 and may have even teared up a little while watching that film….yes.  So there is a part of me that wants Toy Story 3 to win because it moved me more.  I still think The Social Network is a great film and would be happy to see Aaron Sorkin win.  But for me, the thing I remember most from that film is the music.  I LOVED the music.  But that’s another topic for another blog post.