Oscar Wrap Up: The hierarchy of Nobility

Forget the red carpet: the 83^rd annual Academy Awards were all about the arts. 2010 started off as a dry season but culminated in a grand crop of highly unique and captivating films. This wasn't some ordinary venue for Lady Gaga's dress to steal the show; this past Sunday, February 27, bore witness to the highest pinnacles of acting and directing that gripped audience members around the world. In case you missed it, here's a brief run through of the great winners and losers of Hollywood's biggest night.

BEST PICTURE

"The King's Speech" directed by Tom Hooper

"The King's Speech" appropriately captured the ballot from Oscar voters. The film fit all the criteria for a Best Picture: 5-star acting, provocative directing, and a sharp, enticing script – but the biggest attribute to this films success is that audience members kept talking about it. We've all heard the Oscar buzz from this movie's release, and it was directly related to the feeling that audience members were left with. The ending of the film left us changed in many ways, and in the end carried that momentum into Oscar votes.

BEST ACTOR

Colin Firth: "The King's Speech"

Firth's absolute portrayal of King George the VI showcased his classical training but won the Academy Award because he broke free from it. The daunting task required the actor to play a role within a role: he had to balance the prestige of a King while representing an utterly terrified man. His performance played a large part in the film's nod for Best Picture, and in my mind was the only correct vote for this nomination.

BEST ACTRESS

Natalie Portman: "Black Swan"

A haunting, possessed, and sometimes alarming Portman graced the screen in my favorite film of the year, "Black Swan". Her performance was equally as memorable as the movie itself, and there was clearly no doubt in the voter's minds that Portman deserved this one. In almost all regards, she became the character in the most alarming and provocative of manners. I felt for her safety, and she booked a flight for the audience to join in her in her wonderful downfall. Portman's always been undeniably talented, but no one knew she was this talented.

BEST DIRECTOR

 Tom Hooper: "The King's Speech"

I was a little disappointed with this year's decision on Best Director, not because Hooper didn't deserve the honor, but rather because Darren Aronofsky was that good. "The King's Speech" represented the quintessential Oscar nod, but with this choice it also solidified the category as lacking a more contemporary grip. "The King's Speech's" greater whole lifted it into excellence, but Aronosfky's stylized take on film put me on edge. "Black Swan" was more of an experience than a movie as a result of Aronosfky's directing, and because of this I felt it would have been a more deserving fit.