But first, I have to refer you to Kris Tapley's annual top ten list for the best moving images of the year; an absolute treat I look forward to reading and linking to every Oscar season.
Like last year, I'm limiting my list of shots to the five nominees for Best Cinematography, simply because I haven't the time to go sifting through all the year's movies again to find my favourites overall. Anyway, see them after the cut.
Black Swan
It's so hard to choose a single image from this film because the photography serves more as a way of putting its viewer into a state of mind. The overall effect is more lasting than any one shot. But one image that accomplishes that purpose while also standing out for its artistic and technical excellence is this quick and creepy shot of Nina's eerie doppelganger lurking ominously in the shadows, only to emerge and reveal itself as Lily, who is not all that different from who it initially appeared to be. You can chalk as much of this up to incredibly subtle effects work as you can to Matthew Lebatique's moody lighting, but the fact remains that it is a concise, interesting, and thematically meaningful shot that nicely encapsulates the film's tone.Inception
This must seem horribly cliche of me, but I'd be lying if I claimed any shot from Inception impressed me more than this gravity-defying fight sequence that puts 2001: A Space Odyssey and Fred Astaire's ceiling tap dance from Royal Wedding to shame (Wait, I take that back: Fred Astaire's ceiling dance is still really awesome!). Again, special effects supervisor Chris Corbould and production designer Guy Dyas deserve just as much credit as Wally Pfister for the "wow!"-factor this shot imparts. It's become one of the film's defining moments, and serves as a great reminder that you don't always need globs of CGI to bedazzle an audience.The King's Speech
This POV shot from Bertie's mortifying royal address really struck me as a thoughtful and thematically relevant communication of his character. The dour, nameless faces to which Bertie must meekly squeeze out his broken words are intimidating enough, but the focus pull to the portrait in the background enforces the point that the cause of his stammer is less simple than a run-of-the-mill fear of public speaking. It stems from his neglected childhood, and having grown up believing that he could never fill the shoes of all the monarchs before him. This whole scene is wonderfully shot by Danny Cohen, as all eyes in the room (including those of the paintings) seem to be staring Bertie down.The Social Network
Jeff Cronenweth's lensing of The Social Network really isn't the sort of work that lends itself to flashy images. It's really more about telling the story as efficiently as possible without getting in the way. I hugely appreciate him for taking that approach, but it does make singling out one shot kinda difficult. As with The King's Speech above, I ended up settling on this one for its simple but indisputable definition of character. Mark Zuckerberg, flanked on either side by his dressed-for-success lawyers, shows up to his administrative hearing wearing a hoodie, jeans, and his now-famous "fuck you" flip-flops. It perfectly conveys his arrogant childishness, and how out of place but unflinching he is in the world of professionals.True Grit
God willing, Roger Deakins will finally collect his long overdue Academy Award on Sunday, even if I (and many more, I imagine) don't consider it his best work. Nevertheless, it's gorgeously lit and fluent photography as we can always expect of the man, but the one shot from the film that's most memorable to me does not showcase his talent for lighting and movement so much as for his efficient composition. Having just forded the raging river to join a reluctant Rooster and LaBoeuf on the other side, Mattie stands before the two men not as a little girl, but as an equal. She's proven herself, and she now has the high ground. Rooster and LaBoeuf can only look stunned, and they seem awfully small in that frame compared to Mattie.
