Welcome to the first annual Maxxie Awards... The Netheredge of Reality's answer to The Oscars. Except more awesome! We'll go through the categories and give you my pick... and some interesting commentary. There will be punches, there will be jabs... security might be called to keep me from hitting on Amy Adams... but dammit, we're gonna have a good time!
I'll also give ya my bet for the real Oscar... I'm usually pretty on... probably should go to Vegas right now...
So here we go:
Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale (The Fighter)
For the first time in several movies and years, Christian Bale reminds us that yes, he can indeed act. As a washed-up crackhead boxer, Bale steals the show from the rest of the cast. He gets to the depths of human frailty and delusion in his comeback-kid character while maintaining a sense of true loyalty to his rising-star brother. It was very much like his performance in The Machinist, a must see if you haven't yet.
Honorable Mention: Andrew Garfield (The Social Network)
This was my pick before seeing "The Fighter". Garfield plays a convincing portrayal of a man rising to the peak of success just to get screwed over by his best friend. As the 'foil' to Mark Zuckerberg, his Eduardo Saverin demands respect and sympathy, and is held in it's own light against MZ's other 'victims'
Who will win: Christian Bale
He's just that good.
Probably the only supporting actress to 'Wow' me this year was The Fighter's Melissa Leo. As the acerbic, overbearing mother and manager of Marky Mark's boxer, you almost want to reach into the screen and strangle her. Anyone who can inspire that much anger definitely warrants the award.
Honorable Mention: Chloe Moretz (Kick-Ass)
Who can forget Hit-Girl, the foul-mouthed killing machine super heroine... who is only a little girl. It may be a gimmicky role, but she is great in her role as a brainwashed-from-birth trained assasin, and gets most of the laughs and attention in the movie. Or maybe it's just that anyone looks like an Oscar-winning actor next to Nicholas Cage...
Who will win: Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit)
Ok, the biggest Oscar mystery this year is... HOW THE HELL DID SHE GET NOMINATED IN THIS CATEGORY!?!?! Really... she is the obvious main character of the movie and has nearly 100% screen time. Did her press agent pull some tight strings... and if so, why wasn't she hired by Annette Benning to get her into THIS category? Does Hollywood not take young, first time actresses seriously? Somehow Tatum O'Neal also got nominated in the supporting category for her leading Oscar performance. Or does the Academy just love the Coen Brothers to a fault? Either way, Steinfeld gives an amazing peformance which nearly rivals Natalie Portman in the lead category, and will win the Oscar. I just can't put her in this category for my award.
The first big Oscar screw-over goes to Leo in his twist-and-turns role in Scorcese's thriller as a man tormented by family tragedy and his ongoing quest to find a missing mental patient. DiCaprio keeps you engaged in the role, not knowing what he's going to do next. It's been one of his best roles to date, and should have been honored.
Who will win: Colin Firth (The King's Speech)
Another great performance this year. And a tamer movie which will invite more votes. It's a sweet role and you sympathize and cheer for his character, even though you know it ends well. Firth overcomes adversity in this role, which is absolute Oscar bait. And the British charm and history of past nominations doesn't hurt... And you don't want to insult the Queen Mum's father...
Honorable Mention: Vincent Cassell (Black Swan)
Cassell's dance instructor keeps you guessing in his role. Is he supporting her? Is he driving her insane? Is he just some pervert who likes Jewish girls in tights? A very convincing role, which I'm surprised didn't get a nod for lead or supporting.
The first nominee I would have put money on to win right after seeing the movie. Talk about someone losing herself in a role. She fits perfectly in to Aronofsky's scheme of characters falling apart under their own obsession, and this time he goes even deeper. Physical performances like this require significant dedication, and lesbian scenes... well, they get attention. Portman sucks you in to her character, making you forget it's an actress and not a documentary about a crazed ballerina.
She'll win the Oscar, and with Steinfeld in the wrong category, she has no competition for the award...
Did I ever tell you I was a professional film editor? Probably not. But I know a thing or two about editing, so I'm gonna give the award to 127 Hours. How do you keep a movie where the main character doesn't move for 90 minutes exciting? Editing! It's a very fast paced movie despite the complete lack of movement. Most of the scenes take place within hallucinations and flashbacks and the pace and jumpiness of these scenes keep us focused and really help us get inside James Franco's head. And the famed 'arm' scene... well, lets just say the editing keeps us cringing, but makes the right cuts just before we lose our lunches...
Honorable Mention: The Social Network
I almost regret picking 127 Hours, as these two movies are two of the best examples of editing I have seen in a long time. The editing in TSN.. interleaving shots between frat parties and LAN parties... the pacing along Reznor's musical score.. the subtle cutaways that emphasize Zuckerberg's inattentive narcissism... pure genius... This one will take home the Oscar.
I'm not a huge Aaron Sorkin fan, but he does write some witty dialogue. Sometimes it works, sometimes its annoying. This time around, it's perfect. And who better to tap into geek culture... It's a very dialogue-intense movie, and the movie thrives on lines like "I'm bigger, stronger, and there's two of me" and "You think people aren't going to get you cause you're a nerd... but actually, it's because you're an asshole". The scripting is very consistent through the film with no dull points.
It will win the Adapted Screenplay Award. The King's Speech will likely take home the Original Screenplay award, but something in me wants to see Inception take it away. I like Nolan's mysterious stories, but the movie was too weird for too many to get him the votes this time. And remember, he's already lost to the token 'old-folks' movie, with Gosford Park beating out the classic noir, Memento.
So many elements came together for this movie that you can't not give it to Fincher. The pacing and conviction of the film make TSN the great movie it is. There is so much subltly to the film that it wouldn't have been a fraction as great if it was without. Notice the subtext... scenes like where the regular college kids are doing college things: drinking, sex, drugs, parties and the like... then see it cut between that and a group of nerds huddled around their computer for social interaction. Scenes like that make movies genius, and Fincher deserves the award.
He'll win the Oscar.
Honorable Mention: Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan)
A directing job that would win any year if it wasn't for Fincher. Anyone who can make a movie that draws you in like this proves his worth as a director. I mean, it's a movie about ballet that GUYS were lining up to see. He did something right. The last fifteen minutes of the film are so captivating you forget you're in the theater. Aronofsky is due for an Oscar one day (especially after missing a nom for Requiem for a Dream) but he just got edged out this year.
There were indeed a lot of good movies this year, but The Social Network was the one that blew me away. It's a story we're all familiar with, but don't have all the history or the details behind it. Fincher and Sorkin kept a nerdy computer story interesting without 360* action scenes or galactic thermonuclear war.
Of course, i'm sure you could say "of course a social media geek is going to pick that one"... and you're probably not wrong. But 500 million friends can't be wrong...
Honorable Mentions: Black Swan and 127 Hours
Well, you've read what I've said about Black Swan. Awesome movie. If you can tolerate "downward spiral" type movies, it's a must see. As for 127 Hours, it's a gripping survival drama that glues you to the screen. I don't cringe that much in most horror movies. I'd call it a mix between "Castaway" and "Saw" and I loved both those films...
Lightning Round for the other films... why they wont win:
Toy Story 3: Animated
Kids are all Right: Lesbians
Inception: Weird
The Fighter: Marky Mark
True Grit: Why do they hang the Coen Bros so high?
Winter's Bone: Redneck True Grit
Who will win: The King's Speech
In the end, The King's Speech will edge out The Social Network for the big prize. Why? It's simply a generational thing. Oscar voters prefer the more traditional movies, which Social Network was not. In addition, I'd expect some apathy field for the older voters towards a movie about trendy Facebook. The King's Speech was a cute, fun, positive feel good movie with a great underdog story and a historical backdrop... pure Oscar bait.
Thanks for watching, see you at the movies... or in the blogs!
1 comment:
Nice analysis on the why you picked these particular movies to win. I agree with most of them.
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