Oscar Roundup: The Fighter (David O. Russell, 2010) ***1/2

Director: David O. Russell
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Melissa Leo, Amy Adams

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress (Leo), Best Supporting Actress (Adams), Best Supporting Actor (Bale), Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing

Story: Follows the true story of up and coming boxer Mickey Ward (Wahlberg) and the struggle he faces trying to make the best decisions for his career and balancing that with staying loyal to his brother Dicky Eklund (Bale), a former boxer who has become a crack addict.

Review: If you want to see what great acting is all about, The Fighter is a shining example. This is one of the best ensemble performances by a cast in a long time. Much has been writ of Bale's stunning transformation and his performance is deserving of every bit of praise it has received, and so are the much praised turns from Amy Adams (as Ward's feisty girlfriend) and Melissa Leo (as his melodramatic mother). However, I think Wahlberg's own central performance has been sadly overlooked. It's a quiet, nuanced performance that provides a strong emotional foundation at the center of the film. With all these parts in place, David O. Russell (director of previouos greats Flirting With Disaster and Three Kings) creates an authentic depiction of lower class urban life and a moving depiction of the battle between family loyalty and personal fulfillment. If there are any flaws, it's that everything gets tied up a little too neatly in the end. It's the one part of the film that feels more "written" than real.

Oscar Outlook: Christian Bale is an absolute lock to win his first Oscar. Melissa Leo is the frontrunner in the Supporting Actress category (although I think her costar Adams was better), but there has been some talk of a possible Hailee Steinfeld upset. The Fighter has no chance in any of the other categories.

Trivia: Wahlberg had been trying to get this movie made since 2005. He previously tried to get Martin Scorsese to direct and later had Darren Aronofsky on board, who left to work on fellow Best Picture nominee Black Swan. Matt Damon and Brad Pitt were previously attached to play the role of Dicky Eklund.  

Oscar Roundup: Black Swan (Darren Aronofsky, 2010) ***

Director: Darren Aronofsky
Cast: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Lead Actress, Best Editing, Best Cinematography

Story: A ballet dancer gets the coveted lead role in Swan Lake, but in her drive to perfect the role, she slowly loses her mind obsessively trying to be more like the evil "Black Swan".

Review: I've been a big fan of Aronofsky's previous work. Two of his films (The Wrestler, Requiem for a Dream) have previously made my top 10 lists. However, I couldn't help but be disappointed by this latest feature. There's no doubting that Natalie Portman gives a stunning performance in the lead role. It's a bold, forceful portrayal that you knew she'd always be capable of if given the right material. Unfortunately, the film doesn't capture either the  persistent craziness of Requiem for a Dream, not does it have the strong emotional pull that was there in The Wrestler. It seems to be aiming for both, failing to fully achieve either. Now my review seems a little negative, but I definitely recommend the film. It's a visually impressive movie that ultimately does capture the obsessive drive of an artist, just not a powerfully as I had hoped or expected.

Oscar Outlook: Natalie Portman is the frontrunner for Lead Actress and I expect her to win on Oscar night, although there is a small possibility that Annette Bening could pull off an upset. Black Swan has no chance in any of the other categories.

Trivia: Darren Aronofsky was previously slated to direct The Fighter. He eventually dropped out due to other commitments (including Black Swan). The Fighter went on to be a fellow Best Picture nominee and also nabbed a nomination for the director who replaced Aronofsky, David O Russell.

Oscar Roundup: 127 Hours (Danny Boyle, 2010) ****

(This is the first in a series. As part of my goal to watch every Oscar nominee from every category excluding Foreign films that won't be available this year, I will also be doing a write up on each film, with my own review of the film and detailing it's chances for winning on Oscar night.)

Director: Danny Boyle
Cast: James Franco, Kate Mara, Amber Tamblyn, Treat Williams

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Lead Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Original Song, Best Original Score

Story: Based on the ordeal experienced by climber Aron Ralston (James Franco), whose arm got trapped by a boulder, leaving him stuck for several days and causing him to resort to extreme measures to free himself.

Review: A movie about a guy whose arm was stuck in a rock for 5 days doesn't sound very exciting. It would seem difficult to stretch such a story to make a feature length film. But never count out the artistry of Danny Boyle, who comes up with a film that is actually better than his good (but ultimately overrated) Oscar winner Slumdog Millionaire. He's aided by a stellar performance in the lead role by James Franco, who has come a long way as a dramatic actor in recent years. In the past, he had reverted to a mumble mouthed line delivery in many of his early dramatic roles that was off putting, but here he gives an incredibly ingratiating performance and does a terrific job of carrying the film as the only person on screen for most of the story. I've sometimes felt that Boyle goes over the top with flashy and self conscious directing techniques, but here the style works perfectly to capture what was going through the mind of his main character. It's a shocking, but ultimately triumphant story of a man who does whatever he can to stay alive, thematically similar (if stylistically very different) to Robert Zemeckis' outstanding Cast Away.

Oscar Outlook: 127 Hours will most likely walk home empty handed, although the song category is unpredictable. It certainly has no shot for Picture, Lead Actor, or Screenplay, as all three of those categories are essentially locks at this point.

Trivia: James Franco is an Oscar nominee in the same year that he is hosting. This has happened 5 times previously, with hosts Frank Capra (You Can't Take it With You) and David Niven (Separate Tables) winning, while hosts Michael Caine (Sleuth), Walter Matthau (Sunshine Boys), and Paul Hogan (Crocodile Dundee screenplay) watched someone else take home the trophy. Franco will undoubtedly join that latter group as Colin Firth is a certainty in the lead actor race.