The Would Be Best Picture Oscar Winners from the XXI Century

In an alternate world, some films would have won the Oscar, while sometimes not even in a million universes would have defeated the real winner.

Let´s play a game. From all the winners and nominees (and from 2001 to 2008, even films that would be nominated) from the XXI century, what would have been the real winner in a year?

Imagine a year where There Will Be Blood would have defeated No Country for Old Men (because this decision was really, really hard...), or would have be another film that was not even considerated?

I would put an example, if you like we can continue the game or at least I will try :)

The year: 2010

I think this one is my favorite of all the most controversial Oscar decisions (while also in the middle of a streak of controversial decisions, that started with Slumdog Millionaire and ended with... really.. I think is still failing after all these years.. )

The nominees:

• The King´s Speech
• Black Swan (indeed got inspired, because I was watching the film today)
• The Fighter
• Inception
• The Kids are all right
• 127 Hours
• The Social Network
• Toy Story 3
• True Grit
• Winter´s Bone

The Winner: The King´s Speech

The "Would be?"s and why:

• Black Swan

I think is one of the best films created by Aronofsky, and the best performance made by Natalie Portman, is good to translate the sweet art of Ballet into psychological drama and body horror film, taking a good opportunity to use all that Aronofsky learned of Satoshi Kon´s Perfect Blue.

• Inception

Would we say that it was Christopher Nolan´s finest, despite having a choral cast that made hard to make Leonardo Di Caprio to shine, but, despite that, we have an excellent edition, fine photography and a gorgeous story to follow that probably Nolan was not longer able to achieve later.

• The Social Network

A movie about Facebook? What if we put the main character as an excellent defined anti-hero (or probably the origin of one of the worst real world super villains we ever see), the narrative is awesome, the casting fantastic and the way we see Facebook changed forever.

My would be: Despite my love for Inception and Natalie.. ahem, Black Swam, The Social Network is my would be winner and should have defeated The King´s Speech.

Why not the winner?: I think the Academy want to hit a secure spot by awarding a film that was putting a feel good story about someone with a disability and the way he was able to beat it, yes, it has wonderful acting, but, sometimes the Academy forget that it was something it was already awarded several times.

Securely, the owner of Facebook would not wanted to see a Best Picture Award to a film that puts him as the villain.

thoughs?

Edited by Travsam on Feb 14th 2024 at 4:11:37 PM