My Personal Oscar Rankings - Not Predictions

In this post, I will rank the contenders in each of the major categories based on how I would vote if given the opportunity. These are not my predictions.

Best Picture (saw all ten)
I’ve done something this year that I definitely didn’t do last year – I saw all ten Best Picture nominees. Based on my enjoyment of the films and my thoughts on their deservedness of Best Picture:

1. The Social Network (How have our lives and the way we interact changed by Facebook? When is an idea just an idea? Does money really define who we are? How far should we go to get what we want? As cliche as it seems, this might be the film of our generation.)
   
2. The King's Speech (I loved both the top two, but what sealed it for me was realizing I didn't enjoy The King's Speech as much the second time I watched it as the first. The Social Network held up just as well on the second...and third...viewing).
   
3. The Fighter
4. True Grit (I really liked this, which surprised me)
   
5. 127 Hours
6. Toy Story 3 (cried a little)
   
7. The Kids Are All Right
8. Black Swan
   
9. Winter’s Bone
10. Inception (not a fan, but in fairness, I only saw it on DVD)
    

Best Director (saw all five)

1. David Fincher, The Social Network (I think Fincher did some cool things and paced his film in a way that made it more entertaining. The regatta scene is the most beautiful scene I've seen all year. Hooper's film was beautiful, but some of his camera angles were distracting and some of his pacing was a bit slow in crucial scenes.)
   
2. Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech
3. David O. Russell, The Fighter
4. Joel & Ethan Coen, True Grit (Also to blame is the cinematographer, but the last five minutes of green screening was distracting.)
   
5. Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan

Best Actor (saw 4/5)

1. Colin Firth, The King’s Speech (brilliant once again; should have won last year for A Single Man)
2. James Franco, 127 Hours (the game show scene made me tear up)
   
3. Jeff Bridges, True Grit (I actually forgot I was watching Jeff Bridges)
   
4. Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network (after seeing him on SNL, I'm not sure he was acting)
   
5. Javier Bardem, Biutiful (haven’t seen it)

Best Actress (saw 3/5)

1. Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right (didn't need blood, sweat and tears to make this role work)
   
2. Natalie Portman, Black Swan
   
3. Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone
4. Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole (haven’t seen it)
5. Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine (haven’t seen it)

Best Supporting Actress (saw all five)

1. Melissa Leo, The Fighter (hair and mom jeans were a bit distracting, but I enjoyed it)
   
2. Amy Adams, The Fighter (a VERY close second)
   
3. Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit (should be in Best Actress - she's on screen for basically the entire film)
   
4. Helena Bonham Carter, The Fighter
5. Jackie Weaver, Animal Kingdom (would replace with Mila Kunis, Black Swan or Dale Dickey, Winter’s Bone)

Best Supporting Actor (saw all five)

1. Christian Bale, The Fighter (In this role, I liked him. Terminator: Salvation? Not so much.)
   
2. Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech (funny)
   
3. John Hawkes, Winter’s Bone
4. Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right (would replace with Andrew Garfield, The Social Network)
5. Jeremy Renner, The Town (would replace with Armie Hammer, The Social Network)

As you’ll find in my next post, I’m pretty sure my #1 in all but two of these categories will go on to win the Oscar. Does that mean I have great taste? Yes, yes it does. J My predictions will be in all categories, not just these major ones.