And the Winner Is...

This week the sad news is that Justin Bieber did not win a Grammy.   If I could, I would give him one of mine, but both my Grammies died decades ago.  I could give him an Auntie instead.  I still have one of those.  On second thought, I'd rather keep her.  Justin will have to fend for himself.

While I'm thinking about awards and award shows, I'd like to ask a question.  Why is it when I see Halle Berry, or Julie Roberts, or Sandra Bullock, or Meryl Streep, on a talk show, they claim to be actors?  Yet, when the Oscars come around I never see one female nominated for Best Actor.  Suddenly, the label Actress is no longer shunned.

As for Best Picture, the 2011 nominees are:
1.   Black Swan
2.   The Fighter
3.   Inception
4.   The Kid's Are Alright
5.   The King's Speech
6.   127 Hours
7.   The Social Network
8.   Toy Story 3
9.   True Grit
10. Winter's Bone

I have seen all except for The King's Speech and The Kid's Are Alright.  Of the ones I have seen, the only ones I plan to see a second time is "Black Swan" and "True Grit."  I have already watched "The Fighter" and "127 Hours" twice.  "The Fighter" was worth the encore, "127 Hours" was not. The reason I would watch "Black Swan" again, is to try and catch the minute details I have missed on the first showing.  Kind of like watching "The Sixth Sense" again; to search for the clues that you now know is there.  On the other hand, I would re-view "True Grit" to fill in the blanks that I opened by using the bathroom, talking on the phone and making snacks during the film.  This John Wayne remake may be better than the original, but not different enough to keep me rooted to my seat.

Right now, if I were the one who chooses the Best Picture, I would select "The Fighter."  My opinion may change after watching "The King's Speech" or "The Kid's Are Alright."  I have not seen enough of the movies that featured the Best Actor and Best Actress nominees to post my opinion for those categories.  But I do have a sentimental favorites; Natalie Portman and James Franco.  Natalie's movies have always pleased me, starting with her first: "The Professional."  And James Franco is superb in "127 Hours."

If you're wondering how I can like James Franco in "127 Hours" and not select it for Best Picture, the reason is this:  Franco made you feel his character's pain, you suffered along with him.  Only great actors can do that.  The movie itself was such a downer, there was no redemption.  This was a true story that I did not find inspiring.  He has to cut off his own arm to live, but it was his own megalomania that resulted in this self amputation.  If his deformity saved others from doing the same, then the movie may have had a worthwhile message.   If you burn your fingers by touching a hot iron and you don't do that any more, that's a message only to yourself.  If you burn your fingers by touching a hot iron and then stop others from doing the same, that's a message with meaning.

Another nomination that bothers me is "Toy Story 3."  It is running in both "Best Picture" and "Best Animated Feature Film" categories.  I can understand the second category, but not the first.  Is it because they doubled the amount of nominations that a cartoon is now included for Best Picture?  If "TS3" can run for Best Pic, then "Inception" should be included in the Best Animated category.  What's next, adding Buzz Lightyear to the Best Actor selection?

I've been seeing the advertisements for this year's Oscar Ceremony, and I must say that Anne Hathaway and James Franco may make the show worth watching.  The little stunts they do in the ads are very funny.  I liked the wardrobe malfunction bit where Franco tackles Hathaway with a wrap-around tarp.  If these commercials are glimpses of what's to come, I definitely will watch.  I generally start watching the awards every year, but after a few of the extraordinarily long acceptance speeches, I will change channels and only return to watch the very end.

I have under two weeks to watch "The King's Speech" and "The Kids Are Alright."  When that task is complete, I will report my opinion of what should be the Best Picture of 2011.  Who knows I may even throw in some nominations of my own.  If cartoons can be included, why not porn?