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2011 Best Picture Oscar NominationsThe 2011 Academy Awards Best Picture nominees were announced on January 25, 2011 and make up perhaps the best collection of films ever assembled. The list is even more impressive when you consider that this year the field of movies was expanded to 10. The following are the films nominated.
The King’s Speech. Expertly directed with a perfect cast, The King’s Speech is
probably the best movie of the year. Colin Firth gives a performance even more
remarkable than last year’s A Single Man as he plays King George VI (Bertie),
the mild mannered, reserved "spare" to the throne who suffers from a
dreadful stammer. The movie begins with Bertie's disastrous and almost
incoherent 1925 speech at Wembley and ends with a still hesitant but
nevertheless eloquent speech declaring war on Germany in 1939. In between, the
movie chronicles the speech therapy that Bertie received from the Australian
Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush.). This is an immensely enjoyable and engaging film
on all emotional levels as a story of human beings, royal or not, dealing with
and overcoming hardships.
The Social Network Based on the book The Accidental Billionaires by Ben
Mezrich, The Social Network follows Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg as he
creates Facebook, the game-changing social network that has transformed how
people interact on the Internet. A movie about the founding of Facebook could
have been a very long, tedious film targeted to a very niche audience. But
writer Aaron Sorkin fashioned a story that is witty, fast-paced, thrilling and
never boring. Director David Fincher (Fight Club, The Curious Case of Benjamin
Button) takes you on a frenetically paced ride into the world behind Facebook,
with fascinating revelations and disclosures along the way. The Social Network
is expert storytelling with beautiful cinematography and a brilliant lead
performance by Jesse Eisenberg.
Black Swan Black Swan is the story of Nina Sayars (Natalie Portman) a
professional ballerina struggling to come of age when she fulfils her lifelong
dream of landing the lead part of her company's latest production, Swan Lake.
The thrill of this accomplishment is tarnished by the fact that she is unable
to deal with her overbearing mother (Barbara Hershey), questionably ethical
director (Vincent Cassel), taking over the throne of the former star lead
(Winona Ryder) and competing with free spirited newcomer (Mila Kunis). The
performances in this film are not to be believed. Natalie Portman is amazing.
Her performance was nerve wrecking, and she actually makes us feel the horror
rising in her character as she discovers that she is slowly moving from the
good to the evil side in an effort to hold onto everything she has ever worked
for. Black Swan is a dark and surreal
ride that takes us down some surprising turns and, like the ballerinas, keeps
us constantly on our toes.
The Fighter A candid and powerful portrayal of a dysfunctional family and how the fighter copes with these issues to achieve success. The movie starts rather unspectacularly but soon builds into a strong, compelling dramatic story about two incredibly strong characters, one of whom is sick, who stick with each other and help each other overcome their personal obstacles. The nature of the family dynamics and how they affect the main characters are presented believably. Instead of being corny or contrived, the story is presented in a straightforward manner that lays out the issues. Mark Wahlberg and Melissa Leo are outstanding, but this movie is a showcase for Christian Bale whose performance is remarkable bordering on incredible. Mr. Bale portrays a character who by any reasonable standard should be detested yet by the end of movie is worthy of admiration. The Fighter is a true knockout.
Inception Dom Cobb (Leonardo Di
Caprio) leads a highly skilled team, specializing in stealing secrets from
people's minds by entering their dreams. When they are hired by a mysterious
businessman, Cobb finally has a shot at redemption, but not before achieving
the near impossible. Rather than stealing an idea, they must do the complete
opposite: Inception. Planting the seed of an idea. The plot of this movie is
very pleasingly intricate with a twist-and-turn,
keep-you-on-the-edge-of-your-seat type feel. Christopher Nolan has given us a
smart film that is appealing to the eyes as well as the brain. The visuals are
used in a way that makes things feel like an amazing dream. The story is
interesting, and the actors all do a great job. Leonardo DiCaprio as usual is
fantastic. Others like Michael Kane and Ellen Page also are great.
The Kids Are Alright Stuffed with humor,
power and insight, this film helps to remind us what a family is really all
about. It's also a cautionary tale: Passionate sex, by its self, does not
automatically make for a good relationship. Strong feelings can overpower our
better judgment. Being dishonest with those we love causes a lot of suffering,
but it can be a forgivable offense. A long-term relationship is a big
investment - emotionally, financially and spiritually and it should not be
easily discarded when something substantial goes wrong. Same-sex couples can
have the exact same problems opposite-sex couples do.
127 Hours 127 Hours is about Aron
Ralston struggling to get out of a situation he was stuck in for 127 hours. Aron
is an ordinary guy working as an engineer in Intel. One day he decides to get
away for a weekend to Utah
for mountaineering without letting anyone know about it. He packs up his bag
and off he goes on his bike. Later, while mountain climbing, he is involved in
an accident where a very large bolder gets dislodged and drops on his right
forearm pinning him. This movie details Aron’s next 5 days alone as he tries to
dislodge his arm from the boulder and save his life. Even though his eventual
outcome is known world-wide, the gritty direction, gorgeous cinematography and
flat-out brilliant performance by James Franco keep the viewer on the edge of
their seat.
Toy Story 3 One of the year’s most engaging, laugh out loud funny and
deeply moving movies. It unashamedly goes for the heartstrings in the final act
as Andy leaves home to go to his freshman year at a US college. And that's what this
film is all about, the loss of childhood and what that means to a young man as
he comes of age. Toy Story 3 is a true comedy classic full of slapstick, crazy
chases and … as usual for a Pixar movie … a brilliant plot. The script sizzles
and the acting (by the usual humans - you know them all by now) is universally outstanding
True Grit True Grit is an outstanding movie that stands alongside
other great westerns such as Unforgiven and Tombstone. A remake, this movie follows more
closely the book than it does the John Wayne original film. The story is far
richer, and the characters are given greater depth. Jeff Bridges does an
excellent job filling the very big shoes of John Wayne in his famous portrayal
of Rooster Cogburn. Matt Damon plays Texas Ranger LaBeouf, and is perfect.
Barry Pepper plays Lucky Ned Pepper and even looks a little like Robert Duvall
from the original movie. But the real star of the film, and the person around
whom the story revolves is Mattie Ross, who is played with Oscar-worthy depth
and skill by the unknown actress Hailee Steinfeld. Expect to see much more from
her after this movie.
Winter’s Bone Jennifer Lawrence delivers
an unforgettable performance as Ree Dolly, a 17-year-old living in the Ozark
who cares for her mentally disabled mother
and two younger siblings. Ree's rural
existence is threatened by a legal framework which threatens to repossess her
home and woodland if her criminal father Jessup fails to appear for a court
date. Determined to track down her crystal-meth-producing dad in order to save
her family, Ree is forced to request the assistance of cold hearted relatives
who treat her with more than passing contempt. Adapting the story from Daniel
Woodrell's novel All of these great movies you can see at home if you watch movies online for free Article Tags: Best Picture, Social Network Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com
ABOUT THE AUTHORClyde is the creator and owner of one of the Internet's most popular movie review and trailer websites. Visit free movies online.
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