The Oscars 2011 - Best Picture Nominations

Tongues are wagging, critics are musing, and bloggers are speculating as to which film will take the Best Picture Oscar at the 83rd Academy Awards on February 27.

 

The nominations present an eclectic mix, from the dark psychological thriller The Black Swan, through to the joyous Pixar animation Toy Story 3. This unusually diverse selection has inspired heated speculation as to which way the Academy will lean.

 

There are a couple of films that have history on their side – historical biopics, for example, have often fared well at the Academy Awards (think A Beautiful Mind, Braveheart, Gandhi and Amadeus, just to name a few). Which makes Tom Hooper’s biopic of King George VI of Britain, The King’s Speech, a firm favourite to take the gong this year. The King’s Speech has also received nominations across 11 other categories, and is currently riding high on leading man Colin Firth’s Golden Globe win for Best Actor.

 

Also strutting confidently into the ring is sporting drama The Fighter, aiming to follow in the heavyweight footsteps of boxing films such as Rocky and Million Dollar Baby, that have KO’d the competition at previous award ceremonies.