Day 03 | Favorite Oscar-nominated movie from most recent ballot
This is too easy. Not only was District 9 my favorite Best Picture nominee, but it was also my favorite film of the year. The fact that it got a lot of Oscar love was like icing to the cake since when I saw it last year, I had no idea how loved it was going to be with the usual stodgy Academy. I don't think anyone had any idea since it was after all a gory sci-fi film that came out in the usual wasteland of August.
But not only did it get a well-deserved Best Picture nomination and an expected Visual Effects nomination, it also was nominated for Editing along with the Oscar front-runners and Adapted Screenplay! District 9 ultimately walked away empty-handed, but its success up to that point already made it one of last year's cinematic winner.
Why did I love it so much? I think it was because I had zero expectations walking in and then subsequently being absolutely floored as the story unfolded on screen. District 9 takes place in a version of our world where aliens made first contact with humans as refugees. The aliens were then cordoned off in an area in South Africa dubbed "District 9" where they've lived for years in slum-like and deplorable conditions.
We see this world through the eyes of Wikus van der Merwe played by breakthrough actor Sharlto Copley. His journey of self-discovery and survival in the film as he deals with his own prejudices amidst his changing relationship with the aliens was the heart of this wonderfully original and thrilling film.
This is the only picture nominees (probably the only English Language Oscar nominee) that I haven't seen. I don't know what's keeping me...
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