Denver Film Critics Society

The last critics group to announce their favorites of 2010, and I post with a certain pride in that Denver is the land that birthed me, or my mom birthed me, but the city was Denver.

PICTURE: The Social Network
DIRECTOR: David Fincher, The Social Network
ACTOR: Colin Firth, The King's Speech
ACTRESS: Natalie Portman, Black Swan
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Christian Bale, The Fighter
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Melissa Leo, The Fighter
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Inception- Christopher Nolan
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: The Social Network- Aaron Sorkin
ANIMATED FEATURE: Toy Story 3
DOCUMENTARY: Exit Through the Gift Shop
FOREIGN FILM: Mother
ORIGINAL SONG: "If I Rise," 127 Hours
ORIGINAL SCORE: TRON: Legacy- Daft Punk

It's been a whimper-filled week for David Fincher's The Social Network, as The King's Speech stole it's thunder at the PGA awards, and with the most Oscar nominations, which I suppose raising a question on the relevance of the critics as a whole.  The Social Network has bulldozed and killed the other films in contention with the critics, the a rippling sweep, and yet it's being thrown out to dry by the guilds, thus far.  Theories will arise, and till the end of time, I suppose there will be a degree of contentiousness whoever rises on top, but The Social Network has the technique, while The King's Speech has the heart-- heart usually wins, except it doesn't: remember last year, the critical darling was The Hurt Locker, a ball-busting war film that made no money.  I conquered all because of it's unparalleled technique, coupled with the the David vs. Goliath headline in it's tight race against juggernaut Avatar, again coupled with the attractive media hook of a female, Kathryn Bigelow, possibly making history.  The Social Network lacks that headline, and is, in truth, an unflinching character study of an asshole, which will make critics and cinephiles wet their respective pants, when done well, but not so for the industry at large; and with a boo and a snicker...