100 Words Or Less: 2010 Best Picture Noms

The Hurt Locker

When watching The Hurt Locker, you won’t find any sweeping political statements about the war in Iraq. You also won’t find a layered plot filled with twists and turns. What you will find is an intense, expertly orchestrated thriller about people who risk death every day they go to work. Jeremy Renner’s Sgt. William James is addicted to war. He needs it to live. Without it, he is invisible. Director Kathryn Bigelow has never been better. Her ability to stage heart-pounding action and extract real emotion from her actors is worthy of high praise.

Inglourious Basterds

There isn’t a film school that would instruct students to start a script with a 20-minute conversation. Quentin Tarantino, however, graduated from his own school of film. From the moment the Jew Hunter interrogates that French dairy farmer, this dialogue master’s clinic keeps you hooked with originality, subtext and, well, humor. Q.T. has always been funny — just not this funny. Brad Pitt and Cristoph Waltz are equally brilliant. The film reaches its peak when Holocaust survivor Shoshanna prepares her Nazi revenge to Bowie’s Cat People theme. Speaking of the song, this is one fire that can’t be put out.

Precious

This Indie urban tale of survival, based on the book, is an emotional roller coaster of a film that you’ll probably only want to see once, yet never will be able to forget. Newcomer Gabourey Sidibe (Precious) and comedian turned thespian Mo’Nique cook up one of the realest mother-daughter relationships in film history. Director Lee Daniels also holds nothing back, plunging his audience into the depths of Precious’ hell-like life. In the end, this is the tale of a girl with nothing, nothing except a heart big enough to forgive the cruel world and love a baby named Mongoloid.

Up

The first twenty minutes of Up is a poignant tale about love and loss. The last 70 minutes is your typical Disney animated adventure complete with striking vistas and talking dogs. For Carl Fredricksen, it’s the journey, not the destination, that matters most. Compared to other recent Pixar efforts, like for instance WALL-E, this doesn’t quite clear the fences. However, its heart is in the right place and the 3D graphics are superb. It also enters select company as only the second animated film to receive a Best Picture nomination.

Up in the Air

If you’ve ever been downsized from a long-term job this film will likely have a greater affect on you. Writer/director Jason Reitman’s endearing adaptation of Walter Kirn’s novel is both sad and hopeful. Sad, in that it serves as a reminder that none of us are immune to life’s pitfalls. Hopeful, in that it shows anyone is capable of changing his/her path. The writing is nuanced, the performances are solid and the sentiment is relevant to the times. Just remember: squeezing your entire existence into a single backpack won’t solve all your problems.

This post was written by FlickSided’s editorial staff: Adam Best, Michael Smith and Scott Tunstall. Be sure to check out the rest of our 100 Words or Less reviews!

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