Some thoughts on the Oscars

I don't really watch award shows (that's what all the avant-garde types say, right?) but this I kept a casual eye to the Oscars because, incredibly enough, I had seen five of the ten best picture nominees. All five are very good films and I highly highly recommend them (as if my recommendation meant anything in the first place, but we all like to humor ourselves sometimes with delusions of importance).

Here they are:

Inception (a dream within a dream within a dream?)
Social Network (the perfect story that captures the current internet generation)
True Grit (a damn good western. Plus Jeff "El Duderino" Bridges is in it. Oh and Hailee Steinfeld is outstanding).
King's Speech (who knew a movie about speech therapy for monarchs would be so riveting?)
Toy Story 3 (Buzz speaks in Spanish. I am sold!)

If you don't know, King's Speech won best picture AND best director AND best actor. The triple crown. The Social Network, an early favorite, got left out in the pouring rain (or the snow, judging by the bizarre weekend weather). That's a bit of a shame because I was convinced SN would win it. The Academy likes topical stuff (e.g. Hurt Locker), and this film basically speaks well for today's culture. Not to say KS wasn't a worthy film, of course. Very well-deserved Oscar nonetheless.

• Kirk Douglas should host next year's show. At 94, the man seemed to exude more youth than the presenters themselves.
• Christian Bale was surprisingly humble and modest during his speech.
• I kinda want to see best documentary winner Inside Job now. 
• Steinfeld didn't win best supporting actress? Shame. Such a huge shame.