Well the 83rd Academy awards have just finished and it confirms to me that the Academy are out of touch when it comes to deciding the best films of the year. The Social Network did not claim the best picture award which in my opinion and no doubt millions of others it deserved. The award of course went to The Kings Speech, not in reality that big of a surprise more of a formality when thought of retrospectively.
The other prediction that went array was that for Best Director. My prediction of who would win was David Fincher, but no he left the Kodak theatre gold statue-less and left me with the impression that he was done something to rub the academy the wrong way, as if he was ever going to win you would imagine it would have been this year. Nonetheless this year’s award went to Tom Hooper yes you heard me right Tom Hooper. A man with only two features to his name, the first being the incredibly historically inaccurate Damned United. This award in my opinion really shows what a good Oscar campaign can really do. No doubt The Kings Speech is an impressive piece of work but realistically is anywhere near as good directorially as Aronofsky, Fincher or even the Coen’s for that matter. Even though it is a great achievement for British cinema I personally believe that the Academy will look back on this as an opportunity missed.
The acting awards went predictably to say the least. All of the book maker’s favourites took home the award and I have no quibbles with the outcome. Firth and Portman were the two standout performances of the year. Leo and Bale both give amazing performances in The Fighter and honestly both are worthy of the accolade. Leo who many believe should have won two years ago for Frozen River finally receives the award she so unashamedly desired and Bale who in my opinion is such an amazing actor and it is fitting that he receives the award for a role in which his acting ability is shown but also his incredible dedication to the craft.
Finally I’d just like to mention Christopher Nolan, after the debacle of not receiving a nomination for the directorial award I took solace in the fact that he would surely win best original screenplay. Sadly the academy pulled the proverbial chair out from under me and gave the award to David Seidler for The Kings Speech, a great script yes but as good as Inception not in my mind. My only hope is that the Academy will see sense and final honour him with the forthcoming final instalment of his Batman Trilogy.
Andy Northedge 