Oscar Nominated Rankings

Social Network
1. Witty, especially the language
2. Fast Paced
3. Modern, appropriate to our time
Winter's Bone
1. Depressing
2. Meaningful story
3. Slow paced
Toy Story 3
1. Good ending- for both the film and the trilogy
2. Many plot twists
3. Well developed characters
The King's Speech
1. Fits a mold
2. Strong performances by many actors, especially Bertie
3. The closing speech scene was good; not too overdone
True Grit
1. Fitting of the Western style
2. Well developed, tough characters
3. Mattie is very good, especially with the ending
Inception
1. Action
2. Futuristic
3. Fantasy

1. True Grit- I was struck by this film from the very beginning.  Mattie's voice narrating the opening set the stage perfectly for what was to come, and I like the way the scene starts so dark, then slowly zooms in and comes in to focus to reveal what becomes vital to the story, Mattie's father's body.  The way the characters all talked, not using any contractions, caught my attention every time anyone spoke.  The script was impeccable.  Mattie learns a lot about herself during her journey, so in a sense True Grit is a coming of age story.  The actress playing Mattie is really able to express a strong yet real character. We also see a different side of Rooster from what anyone would have expected in the beginning.   More importantly than this, the movie is flawlessly made.  It perfectly fits the style of the Western, the conversation is quick and well-written, and the scenery is vital for establishing the style and setting.
2. Social Network- The language and conversation in the film is what impresses me most.  Through language, we are able to better understand Mark Zuckerberg as a character.  The movie recounts the founding of Facebook, which is very relatable to most people, but it also succeeds in making computer hacking and programming interesting.  The fast pace of most every part of the movie keeps the audience interested, and also implies the fast pace of the internet and life with social networking.  The set up, with the action done as a flashback and the result as the present, ensures that the full story is told, without a fast paced beginning and then a very slow ending.  The slow slow motion that appeared in some scenes really struck me as well.  I'm also a huge fan of Jesse Eisenberg, and seeing him in this type of role really thrilled me.  He captured this idea of Zuckerberg as really confused and awkward, not a complete jerk.
3. Winter's Bone- The main reason I like this movie is because Ree was so impressive to me.  She is strong, does way more than should be expected of her, and is incredibly determined.  These traits are all good on paper, but the actress playing Ree is able to make them real.  I also think the film does a good job of creating the setting and the characters within it.  Even Ree, despite rising above most other people in her community, still has the tough exterior that is apparent in all the characters.  The story definitely moved along slowly at points, and from a literary perspective I wouldn't rank it too high.  The low-budget aspect of the film makes in more realistic in many ways, and the lack of bright colors really sets the somber mood.  If this movie had moved more quickly, I would have ranked it higher, but nonetheless it was a good film.
 4. Toy Story 3- The ending was decent (though a bit corny), but other than that I was disappointed with most every aspect of the story line.  The evil toys, the long journeys the toys must make, almost getting dumped in the garbage... it all seemed a little to weird.  I did like the way the characters have aged, Mr. and Mrs. Potato head were especially good.  All the characters have their same personalities, but they are different enough to reflect the time that has passed.  The one scene that sticks out in my mind is when Mrs. Potato head sees back into Andy's room through her other eye; the way they showed that scene was pretty cool.
5. The King's Speech- I though this movie fit way too much of a mold.  I'm sick of period movies about royalty, though the movie was my no means badly made.  Bertie is fantastic in his role, the way he dealt with his speech issue and the anger welled up inside him was very interesting to see.  The theme of the long hallways was effective in showing Bertie's isolation.  The script was well down; I especially like hearing the King say tongue twisters and screaming out in anger, as well as the way the speech therapist addressed royalty.
6. Inception was a very good movie, and I have nothing against it.  It's just not the type of movie that I enjoy.  Ellen Page was very impressive, she seemed innocent yet emotional, and she really stood out to me.  The setting of the film was very in-depth and basically perfect.  I was confused at a few points during the movie, so I think seeing it again would be helpful.