Popcorn Talk Oscar Reactions, Vol. III: Best Picture- The Good, The Bad and the "Gigli"

Finally, we have arrived at the biggest award of the night of the Awards: yes folks, I'm talking about costume design! I kid, of course, the main attraction is obviously the Academy Award for Best Picture. The nominees were Amour, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Django Unchained, Les Miserables, Life of Pi, Lincoln, my personal favorite Zero Dark Thirty, and the winner, Ben Affleck's Argo. This year has a wonderful selection of films, but it is actually very obvious why Argo won, underneath all the fluff. Both Django Unchained and Les Mis are, as I have mentioned before, niche films. Despite their acclaim, each has a target audience that loves the movie through thick and thin; I consider myself to be a member of the Tarantino fanbase myself. However, niche and cult films are often losers, despite all acclaim, such as with Looper. Amour also lost in a similar fashion to the two aforementioned films. It was a foreign film that, while it was acclaimed, failed to achieve widespread exposure due to the fact it did not boast anything special enough, as a foreign film, to interest the filmgoing masses in the United States. Beasts of the Southern Wild is something of a curious case. It was Benh Zeitlen's directorial debut and an unexpected hit, but the director (and cast's) youth prevented its success at the awards. Life of Pi, despite featuring a moving story and masterful direction by Ang Lee (who earned the Oscar for Best Director this year), I personally feel the film relied too much on cinematography and computer generated imagery than its story, detracting it like a PowerPoint with one too many effects. Lincoln's biggest attraction was Day-Lewis's excellent acting and the star power of Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in attracting audiences. However, it does't do it in a corny or callous fashion; it, like Les Mis, uses it star power in good measure and excellent choice by the casters and directors, unlike the cornucopia of films who abuse star power into being their main and only attraction.  Otherwise, it's a roughly strait-forward film that presents its topic excellently, but not Oscar-worthy. Now to the final films: Argo and Zero Dark Thirty. Why I thought the latter would win was multifaceted: it was visceral, thought-provoking, allegorical, brilliant, and, overall, relevant. More relevant than Argo. Both films possessed a thrilling story, superb acting choice, and excellent direction. But that's what differentiates Argo from Zero Dark Thirty: Ben Affleck is an absolutely incredible director. He's long since abandoned flops like Jersey Girl, Daredevil, and his barely forgivable Gigli, and broken into the upper echelon of filmmaking with Gone Baby Gone, The Town, and his period piece opus, Argo. It's even more impressive than Kathryn Bigelow's career, and it is his historic comeback that earned him this award.