The Oscars
Gosh.
I don't even know why I feel so bad about The Social Network losing. I actually really enjoyed The King's Speech, and it made me leave the theater with a warm fuzzy feeling in my gut and a respect for the monarchy. But maybe that's the problem. Maybe it's because I don't think the Academy should honor films based solely on the fact that they make you feel good. Sure, The King's Speech was a very nice and happy film, but that's really all it did for me. I don't think about the aftereffects of the film or the implications of certain events. It's just a straight up portrayal of historic events. Nothing else to ponder. What I am now finding out about The Social Network is that it made me uncomfortable. And that is a wonderful thing. Just because there makes you squirm as it makes you question yourself does not make it a bad film. Sure, it can be said that it was cold and heartless, and I think that's what I ultimately enjoyed about it. It's not trying to burrow itself into your heart. It's raising questions about how we as humans interact in this technological age. It shows the joys and downfalls of what a successful idea can do for you. Even after that film, I am still pondering things that it brought up. And honestly, whoever thought that someone could make a movie about facebook? And a good one at that.
I must admit that I feel a bit hypocritical as I type this. After all, there have been numerous past nominees that I have enjoyed based on the fact that they warmed my heart over many times. But now that I actually watch all of the nominated films, I'm finding that a dark film with an ambiguous ending can be an even more powerful thing. There are no happy bow ties in life, and maybe that is why I find myself gravitating more towards films that imitate life with its downs and infuriating results. All I know is that I just needed to get all of this out because it is actually making me sad that The Social Network did not win. Sentimentality will often trump ruthless tact. A heart is preferred over a mind.
I don't even know why I feel so bad about The Social Network losing. I actually really enjoyed The King's Speech, and it made me leave the theater with a warm fuzzy feeling in my gut and a respect for the monarchy. But maybe that's the problem. Maybe it's because I don't think the Academy should honor films based solely on the fact that they make you feel good. Sure, The King's Speech was a very nice and happy film, but that's really all it did for me. I don't think about the aftereffects of the film or the implications of certain events. It's just a straight up portrayal of historic events. Nothing else to ponder. What I am now finding out about The Social Network is that it made me uncomfortable. And that is a wonderful thing. Just because there makes you squirm as it makes you question yourself does not make it a bad film. Sure, it can be said that it was cold and heartless, and I think that's what I ultimately enjoyed about it. It's not trying to burrow itself into your heart. It's raising questions about how we as humans interact in this technological age. It shows the joys and downfalls of what a successful idea can do for you. Even after that film, I am still pondering things that it brought up. And honestly, whoever thought that someone could make a movie about facebook? And a good one at that.
I must admit that I feel a bit hypocritical as I type this. After all, there have been numerous past nominees that I have enjoyed based on the fact that they warmed my heart over many times. But now that I actually watch all of the nominated films, I'm finding that a dark film with an ambiguous ending can be an even more powerful thing. There are no happy bow ties in life, and maybe that is why I find myself gravitating more towards films that imitate life with its downs and infuriating results. All I know is that I just needed to get all of this out because it is actually making me sad that The Social Network did not win. Sentimentality will often trump ruthless tact. A heart is preferred over a mind.