Oh Oscar, Oscar Oscar!

The Oscars are fast approaching, and I find it extremely ironic that the first ever chance I have to watch them "Live" has to content with the fact that I'm just 8 days away from a potentially life-changing examination. Oh bugger. And did I mention that this year's the first time that Channel 5 isn't screening it 'Live' as well?!? When I get the opportunity to watch it "Live", Channel 5 chooses to screw with me and decides not to screen it! What's up with that! Is this a sign that Karma's just not on my side?!?!

Anyway, there's no secret that I am totally rooting for 'The Social Network' to win Best Picture and Best Director at this year's Oscars. But I wanted to watch 'The King's Speech' as well because I wanted to size up the competition, and also to find out if it was really better than 'The Social Network', considering that it beat 'The Social Network' in so many other major award ceremonies. So I decided to go watch it.

The truth is, I liked it. 'The King's Speech' is an uplifting movie, the kind of movie that Oscar voters definitely love. It reminded me of 'The Queen' that was released a couple of years ago, a film that was incidentally, about the current Queen, Queen Elizabeth II, who just happens to be the daughter of the King featured in 'The King's Speech'. Nonetheless, 'The Queen' also found Oscar gold. 'The King's Speech' has an inspiring and relatively simple plot - the real life story of His Majesty, King George VI's attempt to overcome his outward stammer and inward fears, to find the courage to step out of his father's and brother's shadow and to find the conviction to be a great King and lead his weary nation in her desperate time of need. It is an awe-inspiring and truly humbling tale that sheds new light on the amount of courage, dignity and strength that the British Royal Family must possess to rule. Its hard not to find new found respect for the Windsors, even if their recent and modern antics would provide their detractors with tons of ammunition against them.

'The King's Speech' works because of the superb acting craftsmanship of its principal cast. Colin Firth is amazing as His Majesty, King George VI. While he looks nothing like the late King at all, his subtle take on portraying the King's complex feelings is just pure genius. Its not the realistic stutter that crowns his glorious performance, but the subtle hints into the King's hidden feelings of fear, pain, anger and frustration that he allows to surface throughout the film, that truly renders him the favourite to win the Best Actor trophy in the upcoming Oscars. Geoffrey Rush's performance as the Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue is also brilliant, his confident,eccentric, patient and calm Logue, a perfect foil to the frustrated and conflicted King. Helena Bonham Carter's Queen Elizabeth, wife to the King (and mother of the current Queen Elizabeth II) was surprisingly warm and motherly, which is a welcome change from the usually over the top characters that she likes to play. Nonetheless, she manages to inject a little tinge of cheekiness into her portrayal of the Queen, which is in keeping with the fact that the late Queen was indeed well known for her sharp wit and quotable quotes.

Without this strong cast, the film wouldn't have done so superbly. As a film, it is well made, touching and inspiring, a perfect feel good movie that just spells Oscar gold, though the only gripe I have with it is that it does feel, at times, rather too lengthy and draggy for its own good. Still, it has swept many of the major awards during the pre-Oscar award season, turning it into THE front runner at this year's Oscars, with 'The Social Network', the initial favourite now becoming the Underdog film trying to score an upset. In many ways, this year's battle has evolved into a battle of the Traditionalist versus the Progressive: The traditional, inspiring, grand and stately film that is 'The King's Speech' versus the sleek, intelligent, youthful and slightly radical film, 'The Social Network'.

I'm inclined to support 'The Social Network' in this two way battle. I feel that while 'The King's Speech' was a genuinely good movie, 'The Social Network' was simply downright spectacular. I've never felt so invigorated by a movie in a very long time. It was well crafted, well acted and so brilliantly edited into this incredibly smart, sexy and intense film - such a ground breaking film that made film making feel exciting again. I feel that 'The King's Speech' winning would be a very safe victory. And while it was a great film, it just didn't have that added oomph that 'The Social Network' had. No question about it. It didn't have that extra spark that 'The Social Network' had, and that undoubtedly made me love the former even more.

I feel that David Fincher, the Director of 'The Social Network' should win Best Director as well. I feel that it was more technically challenging to make a fast-paced, frenetic film like 'The Social Network' than 'The King's Speech'. To be able to interpret an awesome, brainy, technically-invasive script like that of 'The Social Network' and to envision the kind of film that it eventually turned out to be is just evidence of the man's incredible talent. David Fincher deserves the Best Director trophy, much more that Tom Hooper, director of 'The King's Speech'.

In terms of who I want as Best Actor, I'm so horribly torn. A big part of me knows that Colin Firth will win it (and understandably so because after watching his performance, he truly deserves it.) But I'm such a huge fan of 'The Social Network' star Jesse Eisenberg, that a HUGE part of me wants him to score an upset as well, even if the odds to that are exceedingly low. But oh Jesse! You are so freaking talented I hate to see you lose! Argh. Then again, you'll probably hate winning and having to go up on stage to make an awkward speech, and with your prodigious talents, you'll probably be nominated again for some other role real soon. So even if you don't win it this year, you'll get it soon! And I'll still be obsessed over you! You and your freaking talent and awkwardness! Sigh.

In terms of Best Screenplay - Aaron Sorkin is going to win hands down for 'The Social Network'. He has swept every single screenplay award and the Oscar is just waiting to be handed to him. His script was AWESOME. JUST FREAKING AWESOME. Such brilliant lines, such intriguing and witty conversations. Double sigh.

Best actress - Natalie Portman for Black Swan. I'm just wondering if she'll go into premature labour while on stage accepting the award. It'll be so cool if that happens!

Hmmmm.... I don't really care for the other awards. Let's just see who wins them on the 27th! Can't wait! Oh Oscar, Oscar Oscar!