The Social Network and Inception Emerge as Early Oscar Contenders

It’s coming up to that time of year again.  The summer blockbusters filled with terrific action and bad one-liners have faded into memory.  The scary Halloween slasher films with their gore and popcorn-spilling jolts have been reduced to the occasional nightmare.  The air is ripe with the smell of the sometimes sweet and often treacly films that come with the holiday season.

And sandwiched between all these genre films are the likely contenders for the biggest award show of the year; The Oscars.  The following are some early contenders likely to see a nod from the academy.

Best Actor:

Aaron Eckhart – Rabbit Hole – In this film Eckhart plays a father grief-stricken over the death of his son.  The subject matter alone is enough to generate buzz, but add to that Eckhart’s proven ability to portray strength and vulnerability in equal measure, and the murmurs of possible acknowledgement by the academy are not hard to believe.

Mark Ruffalo – The Kids Are All Right – This film has been generating Oscar talk since its premier in the midst of the summer onslaught.  Ruffalo portrays Paul, the long-lost sperm donor to a lesbian couple (Annette Benning and Julianne Moore) who is contacted by his biological children.  The mix of comedy and drama required for the role has people talking.

Colin Firth – The Kings Speech - The Brits are always an academy favourite.  Now throw in the story of a shy man thrust unwillingly into power, who must overcome a severe speech impediment in order to rally his citizens to remain strong during World War II.  Yeah, Colin Firth is a very good candidate for a nod.

Best Actress:

Annette Benning/Julianne Moore – The Kids Are All Right – The academy may well choose to nominate both of these veteran actresses.  The film called for the two to work in tandem so nominating one over the other seems unlikely.

Natalie Portman – The Black Swan – The twisted Darren Aronofsky script calls for the actress to go to a very obsessive and warped place, as her character, a veteran dancer, becomes more and more obsessed with her rival, (Mila Kunis) over a role in the ballet, Swan Lake.

Best Picture:

The Social Network - This film received almost unanimously positive reviews from critics across the country.  The actors involved were praised unilaterally and the academy is always a sucker for a true story involving greed and betrayal.

Inception - Almost certain to be nominated, this visual feast from “The Dark Knight” director Christopher Nolan, is also sure to be listed on almost every critic’s top 10 list for the “Best Films of 2010”.  The non-linear, mind-bending story telling is generally something the academy likes to encourage.  If nothing else the film is guaranteed to take home some special effects trophies.

Toy Story 3 - This film is sure to be nominated for and win the “Best Animated Picture” category.  However, like “Up” last year, it seems highly likely that the academy will recognize the film’s well-written plot and perfectly realized characters with a “Best Picture” nod.  When a film is good, it’s good, whether it’s live action or animated.  This incredibly popular film may finally help the academy figure that out.

It’s very early to look at Oscar’s likely line-up, but as always, the competition will be stiff.