2011: Favorite Performances

In an attempt to reboot this whole sad blog thing, I decided to finally add a new post recapping 2011 at the movies. With Oscar nominations being announced tomorrow morning, this felt... appropriate. Hopefully I'll return with regular posts very soon. Hopefully I'll stop taking myself so seriously.

Below are my five favorites, the five I would nominate in each category if someone was dumb enough to give me full control over my own awards ceremony; the choice listed in bold would be my winner. This is in no way any sort of Oscar prediction, but rather just a chance to share what I loved.

Best Actor
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Michael Fassbender, Shame
Ryan Gosling, Drive
Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Solider Spy
Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Best Actress
Viola Davis, The Help
Kirsten Dunst, Melancholia
Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady

Best Supporting Actor
Alan Brooks, Drive
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Brad Pitt, The Tree of Life
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Alan Rickman, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II

Best Supporting Actress

Bérénice Bejo, The Artist

Jessica Chastain, The Help

Carey Mulligan, Shame

Octavia Spencer, The Help

Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

Best Director
David Fincher, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life
Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Steven Spielberg, War Horse

Best Original Screenplay
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Diablo Cody, Young Adult
Asghar Farhadi, A Separation
Will Reiser, 50/50
Kristen Wiig & Annie Mumolo, Bridesmaids

Best Adapted Screenplay
Bridget O'Connor & Peter Straughan, Tinker Tailor Solider Spy
Steven Zaillian & Aaron Sorkin, Moneyball
John Logan, Hugo
Steven Zaillian, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Tate Taylor, The Help

Best Original Score
Ludovic Bource, The Artist
The Chemical Brothers, Hanna
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Howard Shore, Hugo
John Williams, War Horse