Who's Getting the Gold? Oscar Picks for 2011

The winners of the 83rd Academy Awards are set to be announced Sunday, a group that may include films and actors from Patch's . Here are Patch's Oscar picks:

(Editor's Note, Feb. 27: Looking for the winners? .)

• Best Motion Picture of the Year

127 Hours                                 The King's Speech

Black Swan                               The Social Network

The Fighter                               Toy Story 3

Inception                                   Winter's Bone

The Kids Are All Right           True Grit

Who wins? The Social Network

The Social Network has captured the technology-drunk, fast-paced world that we live in. The film is about the birth of something that keeps us “connected,” created by someone who specializes in isolation. Some may not believe that it deserves to be called a generation-defining film, but let's not concentrate on that right now.

Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield and the rest of the cast deliver perfectly nuanced performances, Aaron Sorkin’s script is smart and sharp, and David Fincher beautifully directs the film. It’s a film that ponders why we’d rather text than call, why we invest in the Internet as a better way to connect, and why we’re constantly plugged in. It’s a story about how Mark Zuckerberg killed off the old ways of communication by giving birth to Facebook. The Social Network isn't necessarily a generation-defining film, but it's still the Best Motion Picture of the Year.

Personal pick: The Social Network

• Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Javier Bardem (Biutiful)

Jeff Bridges (True Grit)

Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network)

Colin Firth (The King’s Speech)

James Franco (127 Hours)

Who wins? Colin Firth

It's simply his time to win. Not to take away from the performance, as it is a marvel, but the Academy Awards are somewhat notorious for awarding an actor for a great performance to make up for a fantastic performance they overlooked in the past. That aside, Firth is truly deserving of the Oscar, as he plays the timid, stammering, but warmhearted King George VI exceptionally well. The suffering of the king is constantly felt, as Firth once again shows his ability to give his characters complex depth. His journey to find a King's voice is absolutely satisfying and wholly inspiring. Firth is almost a shoo-in. 

Personal pick: Ryan Gosling

Ryan Gosling, not nominated this time around, gave a heartbreaking, truly honest performance, as Dean in Derek Cianfrance's Blue Valentine. Gosling plays an everyday blue-collar worker with a caring heart who operates outside of the stereotypical expectations of a man. Dean is charismatic, funny and very caring, but is overly comfortable wasting his potential. The performance is layered, entertaining and heartfelt to the brim.

•  Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role:

Annette Benning (The Kids Are All Right)

Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole)

Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone)

Natalie Portman (Black Swan)

Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine)

Who wins? Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman truly leaves it all on the blood-stained dance floor as Nina Sayers, a ballerina looking for an opportunity to shine. Nina’s push for perfection, and her rebellion against her constrictive mother are projected in vivid strokes by Portman.  Portman starts off as an innocent, socially repressed little girl, but clips her wings and takes the fall into adulthood, and the raw evolution is a site to behold. At times you feel sympathetic towards Nina, and in other instances she is terrifying. Portman masterfully pushes our emotional buttons with her stifling performance. She is completely riveting, and cannot be denied the gold.

Personal pick:  Natalie Portman

• Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Christian Bale (The Fighter)

John Hawkes (Winter’s Bone)

Jeremy Renner (The Town)

Mark Ruffalo (The Kids Are All Right)

Geoffrey Rush (The King’s Speech)

Who wins? Christian Bale

After Christian Bale clocked in phenomenal performances in American Psycho and The Machinist, it’s surprising to note that this is the first time he has been nominated for an Academy Award. Once again Bale shocks us with his method acting approach, completely transforming his body to be almost unrecognizable. He doesn’t stop there, as he picks up Dicky Eklund’s mannerisms and accent as well. Bale completely morphs into Eklund, a has-been boxer turned crack addict, but he also manages to become the heart of the film. Bale is funny, sincere and heartbreaking all at once, projecting a character that is unforgettable. The audience is able to connect to the life of a crack addict because Bale’s charismatic, unfeigned performance humanizes the pathetic traits of Eklund, showing us that one aspect does not define a person.

Personal Pick: Christian Bale

• Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Amy Adams (The Fighter)

Helena Bonham Carter (The King’s Speech)

Melissa Leo (The Fighter)

Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit)

Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom)

Who wins? Melissa Leo

As Alice Ward—the family-first mother that purposely ignores the drug problems and failures of her family for a shot at fame and hefty paychecks—Melissa Leo shines. Leo’s performance is fully developed and really adds to the film's drive. She is both villainous and heroic in the film, as she holds Micky back from a real shot at being a contender but later adjusts to help nurture Micky’s life and career in a positive way. Alice Ward is tirelessly devoted to her family, so much so that she can’t distinguish whether she’s helping or hurting, and Leo captures and makes that complexity crystal clear.

Personal pick: Hailee Steinfeld

It is rare that a younger actress would win such a prestigious award early on, but Hailee Steinfeld more than held her own in a film with Jeff Bridges, one of the best at his best in True Grit, along with the rest of the amazing cast. Steinfeld plays Mattie Ross, a headstrong young lady fixated on laying down vengeance on the man that killed her father. She plays the role with pure confidence, as well as compassion, and she delivers a snapping, humorous performance that is truly entertaining.

• Best Achievement in Directing

Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan)

Ethan Coen, Joel Coen (True Grit)

David Fincher (The Social Network)

Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech)

David O. Russell (The Fighter)

Who wins? David Fincher

David Fincher is almost definitely one of the best directors of the past decade, and his work doesn’t slump in The Social Network. Fincher directs a film about the birth of Facebook, which may sound boring on paper to most, but he makes it an intellectual, hip and humorous cinematic experience. Fincher has a great chance of winning because of his consistent, stellar work and the overall praise of his film.

Personal pick: Darren Aronofsky

Darren Aronofsky is certainly one of the best directors of the past decade, and he continues to build a respectable filmography with his current brainchild, Black Swan. Aronofsky paints an eerie, terrifying picture of a ballerina obsessed with glory, but he also finds the unexpected beauty in it. His direction is unhinged, intense and fascinatingly poetic. What he does with the camera is magnificent, and the performances he gets out of the entire cast are amazing. Fincher has the more mainstream material, but Aronofsky has the tougher job in mastering chaos with a camera.

Editor's Note: This story originally ran Jan. 26 just after the Academy Awards nominations were announced.