Culture

From psychotic ballerinas to stammering kings to a dude who cuts his own arm off, 2010 made quite the impression on moviegoers. The Source film columnists Morgan P. Salvo and Anne Pick spent the year watching as many movies as possible, liking some, hating others and always soaking in the joys (and occasional woes) of going to the theater. Here's a rundown of which filmmakers and actors they think should take home Oscar gold this weekend
ANNE PICK
Best Picture
Should Win: The Social Network. Contemporary, beautifully done and win or lose, you'll still be updating your Facebook status about it on Oscar night.
Will Win: The King's Speech. Honestly, I fell asleep toward the end and didn't get to see the king's actual speech.
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Should Win: Natalie Portman. Her stunning yet haunting performance in Black Swan makes Portman unbeatable.
Will Win: Natalie Portman. Sorry, Annette Bening, it's still not your year.

One of the only guarantees in life is that it ends and throughout our lives we must find ways to cope with loss. Oftentimes, when we lose someone close to us, many questions remain in their absence, and for those that affect us the deepest we wonder what happens now? In Rabbit Hole, everyone deals with grief in different ways, and no one has the same answer to that question.
Rabbit Hole tells the story of Becca and Howie Corbett (Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart), who eight months previous lost their four-year-old son, Danny, in a car accident in front of their house. Now, Becca and Howie each must return to their everyday lives and each of them copes with the loss in different ways. Becca reaches out to Jason (Miles Teller), the teenager who hit and killed her son. Howie finds solace in a support group and then later smokes pot and hangs out with Gabby (Sandra Oh), a woman he met at the group. Becca and Howie must learn how to reconnect with each other and how to go on with their lives.

Russell Crowe, Brad Pitt and Colin Farrell have all donned ancient Roman attire, and now we can add to the sword-and-sandal fraternity… Channing Tatum? Turns out it's not such a bad call, since The Eagle has little dialogue to screw up. This must be “survival month” at the movies because beyond the themes of honor and freedom, at the core this movie is another installment of “will they or won't they make it?”
The ominous tone sets this movie immediately apart from Hollywood mainstream gladiator territory. Academy Award-winning director Kevin MacDonald (The Last King of Scotland) teams up again with screenwriter Jeremy Brock for this historical epic set in second century Roman-ruled Britain. A young Roman soldier, Marcus Aquila (Channing Tatum), endeavors to restore honor to his father’s memory by finding his lost legion’s golden emblem, the treasured eagle. It's been 15 years since the Ninth Legion of 5,000 men, led by Marcus' father, went missing in the mountains of Scotland. Aquila’s only traveling companion on his quest for the eagle emblem is his British slave, Esca (Jamie Bell). Along the way they confront the savage tribes of the land and not knowing if Dad's actions were of cowardice or bravery, Marcus is at battle within to prove himself.

Here are two marketing ploys that are really not working for me anymore: “Based on true facts” and “shot in real 3D.” I figured that James Cameron's role as producer and the 3D cinema magic would all but force Sanctum to deliver. It doesn't. I know I'm not known for being lavish with my praise, but this truly is one of the worst movies I have ever seen.
The waterlogged story involves an underwater cave-diving team on an expedition to explore New Guinea’s Esa-ala Cave, one of the least-accessible cave systems in the world. When a flash flood cuts off their exit, the team is caught in a life-or-death situation. With supplies dwindling, the divers must navigate a treacherous labyrinth to find a new escape route or die in the process.