The Rialto Channel’s Oscar’s Collection comes to an end this week, and what a collection it’s been – thought-provoking, moving, funny, and challenging. This week we finish on a high, featuring 3 of the big winners from last year’s Academy Awards; The King’s Speech (Saturday 31^st March, 8.30pm), In a Better World (Tuesday 27^th March, 8.30pm) and Inside Job (Thursday 29^th March, 8.30pm).

Oscar winning British period drama The King’s Speech received 12 Oscar nominations, and while it only took home four golden statues they were the big ones; best motion picture of the year, best performance by an actor (Colin Firth), best directing, and best writing, original screenplay.

I’ve been rude and telling people to let their mothers know this film is on, but I’m also looking forward to settling into the couch and absorbing it again. I first saw this film with a girlfriend at a multiplex cinema (which shall remain nameless) which was so cold we spent the entire film contorting ourselves into positions so our bodies were covered by as much clothing as possible.

I was caught out. We all know cinemas are cool and even in Summer I travel to the cinemas with my NOM*D woolen version of a pashmina known as the Butterfly Wrap. I know I am digressing, but ladies it is the best cinema accessory ever - as long as you remember to take it.  

Anyhow, due to the climatic challenges I missed out on being charmed by this film. I did note its smart and well crafted script, amusing nuances, costumes (they all looked so warm), and the grand Sunday Master Theatre tone. I loved the humanity Helena Bonham Carter brought to the role of Queen Elizabeth, and Colin Firth as the stuttering King George VI was worthy of his Oscar. I always love it when Firth wins awards, especially in America, his eloquent, humble and amusing speeches put everyone else to shame.

Possibly its greatest success though is that this film was made on a production budget of US$15 million and has gone on to gross over US$400 million worldwide. A reasonable return.

One of the most talked about films of 2010/2011 was Charles Ferguson’s Inside Job, winner of the best documentary, features category. Ferguson’s intelligent and accessible documentary explains how tens of millions of people lost their savings, jobs and homes in the Global Economic Crisis of 2008.

Inside Job is an interview driven documentary with an impressive cast of characters. Academics, media, politicians, lobbyists, and members of the financial sector (with nothing to hid) all make an appearance and tell a compelling story. It seems in retrospect plenty of people knew a deregulated Wall St was a house of cards waiting to crumble, but they refused to do anything about it.

Matt Damon narrates and provides plenty of background information into the financial sector and deregulation, he’ll also have you talking about CDO’s (collateralised debt obligation), derivative markets and sub prime mortgages like a pro. What I found most disturbing though was how much of an “old boys club” the world of finance is. Its members are able to move from Wall St to the White House and the most highly regarded universities with little regard for conflicts of interest.

What’s more frightening is I’m not convinced many of those involved have learnt anything from 2008.

Also this week, you can catch the best foreign language film of 2011, Susanne Bier’s In A Better World. A slow burning and powerfully film about two Danish boys struggling to cope with changes at home who form a friendship that leads to devastating consequences. It stars Swedish actor Mikael Persbrandt, who is currently filming The Hobbit playing the role of Beorn, and the stunning Danish actress Trine Dyrholm.

By the way, Dyrholm also stars in Bier’s latest work All You Need Is Love, staring Pierce Brosnan. It’s something a little different from Bier, a film she described to Indiewire as a "tiny little romantic comedy.”

I think part of the challenge as an artist is to challenge yourself and do things you haven't done before," Bier told Indiewire. "I think it's the right time now to do something else." All You Need is Love is listed as being in post-production, but no doubt it will be ready for festival season later in the year.