Best Picture 2010 Ranking

• True Grit
• Somewhat hard to understand on occasions
• Down-to-earth
• Compelling
• Cool opening
• Maggie (character and actor) is amazing
• Toy Story 3
• Picked up where the other two left off despite sizable time gap
• Somewhat funny, but jokes feel reused
• Good animation (as expected from Pixar)
• Not really deserving of a nomination, felt simple
• Intense, scary moment near the end
• The King's Speech
• Something my mom would like, but I like it too
• Colin Firth is excellent and very believable
• Had sweet as well as intense moments
• Good insight into the English culture at the time (both the aristocrats and the regular people)
• Inception
• Creative storyline
• Made me dizzy at times
• Complicated story, yet easy to follow
• Had an "Aha!" moment at the end
• Winter's Bone
• Ree is an excellent character
• Draws you in
• Slow at first, but you stay to see the ending
• The Social Network
• Witty
• Serious at times
• Overdid the whole "college life" aspect
• Good music that adds to the current feelings of the scene
• Good editing and flow, despite sounding choppy if you try to explain it
• Very current

          1. The Social Network- This movie is very addictive from the very start, and embodies, in my mind, excellence as far as films go. The music was skillfully chosen and used, the actors were perfectly cast, the script was serious when it needed to be but funny at other times, the editing was stellar, and probably the most important aspect: the characters were quirky and memorable.  (Although this might not be a good thing if your name is Mark Zuckerberg)
          Your first impression of the main character and creator of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, is very informative.  He is obviously intelligent to an extreme level, but has no personal skills.  The script is so wordy and Jesse Eisenberg (Mark) delivers it so fast that you feel like your brain is processing a sentence behind what you're hearing.  This sounds somewhat off-putting, but is a very good way to represent the character.  He intentionally leaves the audience behind because that's the general experience of Mark Zuckerberg.
          Another noticeable thing that leaves you in the dust at first is the storyline.  It is constantly going back and forth from the current (or at least in terms of the movie timeline) meeting between Zuckerberg, the Winklevoss twins, Eduardo Saverin, and all their lawyers discussing the rights of Facebook.  All the other scenes you're back in time seeing the event that is currently being discussed in the meeting.  You don't realize this at first since it's so smooth yet sudden, another one of the appealing things about this movie.  It is in no way soft, like "The King's Speech" or "Winter's Bone," where there is light music and not a lot of sudden cuts, yet it still retains an aspect of smoothness.  This combination is very hard to come by but very cool to see.
          Intentionally disorienting and confusing but interesting and addicting, "The Social Network" earns its place on the list through stellar editing, ambiance, acting, and an excellent story.  This is the movie that captivates the year 2010 and shows off unbelievably good movie qualities.  I don't expect it to win (unfortunately, though I'm sure it's very good, "Black Swan" seems to be the winner) but this is the best in my mind.

          The King's Speech-  My mother often rents some movie based off of novels by Charles Dickens or the like and drags me downstairs to watch them.  They have this certain feel (if you look beyond the boredom) that to me is very English.  "The King's Speech" had this feel, yet was very interesting to me.  I'm not positive about what the difference is between this movie and other more "Dickens" ones, but this was able to hold my attention and intrigue me.
          One of the factors, without a doubt, was Colin Firth.  Playing King George VI (or Bertie according to close family and friends) Colin does an amazing job capturing the character's struggles and burdens.  This poor man, once a mostly unseen and silent second prince of England, suddenly becomes England's King after his father dies and his brother marries an American divorcee.  The movie captivates Bertie's struggle with attempting to overcome a stutter he's had almost his whole life in time to give his speeches, of which many are ahead considering the looming threat of Germany and the soon-to-be second world war.
          Helena Bonham Carter was another reason this movie captivated me, but not for her acting (although it was very good.)  No, I simply expected her to pull out a crooked wand with a sneer on her face and start cursing and killing muggles.
          Geoffrey Rush was also superb.  Playing the speech therapist Lionel (who isn't actually a doctor) that helps Bertie through his recovery and all the speeches, Rush embodies the witty, sometimes sassy, but practical nature that some British seem to embody.  In many ways he reminded me of a lesser-knowing Doctor Who.  He uses methods that, at the time, were considered stupid (yet today are the same ones current speech coaches use to help people get over a stutter) but work without question.  Even Bertie has a hard time believing that what Lionel was saying was working and often argues with Lionel, occasionally breaking off their acquaintance.  Lionel is ever patient though, and forgives Bertie no matter what.  They become true friends over time.
          I find that the best parts of this movie was the characters and the actors.  The story was interesting, but somewhat mildly.  The setting was pretty, but a bit dreary.  There was nothing really remarkable about any of the other aspects, they were just good.  The reason why this movie is second on my list is simply because the good aspects (acting and actors) were very very good.  By far the best when comparing all the other movies (including "The Social Network" too)  If the other aspects were up to par then the number one spot would easily go to "The King's Speech" but alas it falls short on levels beyond the acting.
    
         Winter's Bone- A tale of drugs, the Ozarks, and family, "Winter's Bone" brings two refreshing aspects to the typical movie with drugs in a family, and both have to do with the main character Ree.  She is truly the centerpiece of the movie, the cornerstone if you will.  Without that exact character the movie would crumble.
       The first refreshing aspect Ree brings to the table is a very simply one: she is not a druggie.  She understands the world of drugs, and understands that her family is deeply rooted in it, yet she never partakes, most likely due to her exposure.  She also doesn't run to the cops and tell them about her drug making family which is atypical of a character similar to her in other movies.  She's not a wishy-washy helpless vulnerable addict that works to get her next fix but a girl that fights for what she rightly deserves.
       The second aspect is that the movie has a somewhat positive outlook on family.  True, at times her family betrays her, turns their back when she's in need, beats her up, and makes her hold her dead father's hands while they saw them off but they honestly have her best interests in mind.  They think that what they are doing is what they need to do for her.  If the popular phrase "it's the thought that counts" is true then Ree's family is very kind to her.  This is harder to see since they're going about it in all the wrong ways, you have to dig deep to see this.  It is especially evident when you look at Teardrop, another amazing actor and character.
         The main message of this movie is strength in the face of adversity, and the bond of family, even a drug producing mean Ozark family.  It shows how the US can really vary from place to place and in social classes.  Those that say this is an anti-drug movie are sorely mistaken.  This is a family movie (as in a movie about family, not a movie you would see with your family).  The seemingly harsh and downcast light on drugs that some perceive is nonexistent, it is simply an honest light.
         "Winter's Bone" was amazing in all aspects and stellar when it came to Ree and writing.  It fell short to "The Social Network" because of it's ambling pace that occasionally got on my nerves and "The King's Speech" because no performance could top that of Colin Firth. Still, "Winter's Bone" clearly deserves its nomination and all the prestige and recognition it should and most likely will receive.

         True Grit- Ahh, the classic western, except for not at all.  True Grit incorporated many western feelings, but overall it lacked the original charm of the older westerns.  It does make for a better story when you dig into it because it is more deep than some of the other old time westerns, but it looses something in the process.
         The first thing I noticed about True Grit was the brilliant opening scene.  There are way too many qualities in just that single scene to list but some things stood out more than others.  Mainly, the unfocused lens and the long zooming shot.  The blob of almost fire-like light is your first visual in the film.  It gives you a feeling of flames, but not like a raging house fire.  No, a feeling of a warm fire in a house or a bonfire out in the range, a homey but wild comforting feeling.  As the scene goes on it slowly focuses on the house and reinforces the feeling of family.  Toward the end of the scene you notice the corpse, and then the runaway criminal interrupts the still image with a quick getaway on a stolen horse.
        If the whole movie lived up to the first scene in all aspects then my following complaints would seem like irrelevant dribble.  Unfortunately, I found a few things wrong with this movie.  The main thing was (and I really hate to say this) Jeff Bridges.  I really love Bridges, but not in this movie, although my experience of his acting might have been increasingly interfered by classroom noises including jocks chatting behind me and the kid in front of me constantly sticking his fingers into the guinea pig cage.  The main issue I found with Bridges, actually the only issue, was his dialogue.  I honestly understood very little of what he said.  This was due to his rough voice (which I happen to love, don't get me wrong) his periodic southern drawl and his constant state of inebriation.  I think he mumbled a bit too.  Either way, it sounded like the words were filtered through water and a cement wall before they reached my ears.  I understand he's trying to be accurate, and he was indeed that, but inaccuracy and understanding would have been a more pleasing alternative.
        Enough of the negative.  True, I didn't really understand what was happening most of the time, but other factors of the film were simply amazing.  The shining star of this film was Maddie.  She was tough, brave, had true grit, and was a stellar character.  The writing wasn't enough though, the actress they had to choose had to be just as good.  They found one better.  The true lead in the movie, Hailee Steinfeld, is superb.  She portrayed the character above and beyond the script and screenplay set out for her.  I also appreciated her clear and crisp voice, it made good contrast.
        The unintelligible voice of Jeff Bridges unfortunately bogged this movie down the ranks a lot.  Even though it's the fourth there is a wide space between "Winter's Bone" and "True Grit."  Speaking of true grit, we should take a moment to acknowledge the character with the most true grit in the movie: Blackie.  Blackie's death shook me more than Rooster's did, but I can understand shooting him to put him out of his misery.  Blackie died a noble death and lived a noble life.  We shall miss him terribly.  RIP Blackie, RIP.     

         Inception-  Delving into dreams, the most basic and honest form of the human psyche.  The creativity of this film seemed like the widow's oil.  It flowed in an endless refreshing stream that pulled you in.  After a while you were lost in the flow and just sat in amazement.  This is my favorite movie on the list, though "The Social Network" is a very close second.
         So why does this movie occupy the fifth spot on my Oscar list you ask?  For a very simple reason: it just isn't up to snuff.  Actually, its originality of the story line is all it has going for.  The special effects are spectacular and it is a very visually pleasing movie (though at the theaters I got a bit dizzy as the hotel was spinning around and around).  The actors do a good job, mainly Ellen Paige (that's for you Seth) who puts on another noteworthy performance after her role in "Juno."  I wanted her totem to be a hamburger phone.
         So what do we have?  Special effects? No movie should hinge on just that, so we'll throw that out.  Creativity?  A very important factor, and this movie outshines the rest by far in this category, which is enough to land it a nomination but not enough to have it be close to winning.  All other aspects, like cinematography, lighting, other acting, music, were all very well and good, better than most, but "Inception" simply doesn't have what it takes to be a Best Picture winner.  At least it outshines the bottom movie by a significant amount.

         Toy Story 3- Ironically, I found three major things wrong with "Toy Story Three."  Don't get me wrong, I own every Disney/Pixar film ever made and I absolutely love them (this movie included) but it isn't Best Picture worthy, not by a long shot.  It's a cutsie story and is excellent at picking up where the other two left off as if no time had passed.  It's also a good family movies with good values and funny moments.
         I can't avoid this any longer.  The first thing that I found wrong with this movie: the fiery suspenseful "oh my god all the toys are gonna melt in a molten plastic hell" moment was just stupid.  The moment, and the climax of the movie, occurs at a garbage dump.  Our heroes the band of toys lead by Buzz and Woody avoid being crushed, chopped, mulched, and pressed only to fall into the room of doom: the melting room.  They then accept their fate, hold hands, and close their eyes to await their doom (only to be saved at the last second of course, we can't have toys die, only leave for another house).  This was overdone, unnecessary, and just a bad move.  The climatic moment could have occurred at any other place on the assembly line of horrors and reshaping and the effect would have been better.  This unnecessarily scared the target audience and made my usually mild mannered cousin say "what the hell?"
         The second issue is that it's not a deep story at all.  It's very simple and superficial, which is all fine and well, but not for a nominee of this stature.  The whole Andy growing up storyline I like since my age is consistent with Andy's and I could relate.  (I really am dreading picking what Beanie Babies to take to college, my mom says I can only take two).  There isn't anything deeper, no sense of another, more underlying plot.  It was straightforward, predictable, and simple.  In other words, it was a movie geared toward children.
         Finally, the third strike against "Toy Story 3" is that it brings nothing to the table other than the stellar animation.  Like usual, Pixar is able to make amazing animation look realistic while still giving it that animated feel and look, a very important element.  This movie is just another blip on the radar and was added just so the Academy wouldn't get reamed for only having movies with inappropriate content for children in them.  It is an undeserving, somewhat overrated film, but a good movie.  I would encourage people to watch it, but not as a deep work of art.  It is a whimsical fun story, a simple happiness, and trying to push it farther just makes you feel disappointed.