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Joshua Pasch: It's not even close, David-Social Network-Fincher leaves Christopher-you must still be dreaming if you think Inception has a real Oscar chance-Nolan in the dust, both everyday, and in the Social Network/Inception showdown.

Inception is heady and ambitious, but my own qualms with the film's shortcomings aside, its not the stuff Oscars are made of. The Social Network doesn't perfectly fit the bill, either, with its teenage cast and very simple, almost emotionally cold storyline working against its Oscar chances. It is, however, an incredibly well crafted and acted drama with a surprising funnybone - it's the same type of dark comedy that made Fincher's Fight Club so likable (though it's not nearly as crude or dark).

Ultimately, I think Inception will be relegated to the technical categories for the most part while Social Network garners several of those prestige noms but not many victories.

Matthew Huntley: Since I'll be seeing The Social Network tomorrow, I can't say with utmost confidence what the heavy favorite is between these two films. However, if I had to choose, I think Fincher's film has the upper hand because it is now October, and with Social Network being on everybody's mind at the moment, it has a greater chance of staying in people's heads until the end of the year. Inception definitely has some indelible scenes, and its running time and box-office can only work to its advantage (we all know the Oscar folks love long, money-making hits), but as far as awards season is concerned, it has the misfortune of being a July release, which rarely get remembered when it comes to the more prestigious categories.

To continue the Fincher/Nolan debate, I think Fincher is the better character/mood/tension director, while Nolan is more talented when it comes to grandiose spectacle and innovation. Perhaps the two should direct a movie together. Imagine the possibilities. But who would get top billing?

Edwin Davies: I haven't seen The Social Network yet, but based on what is being said about it I think that it has a better chance of winning on the night than Inception. I love Inception, but I can see that it's a film that is way too ambitious and out there for Academy tastes, and there's a timely quality to The Social Network that would allow the Academy to look hip and with it (certainly more hip and with it than me, someone who uses the phrase "hip and with it") rather than the stuffy bunch of old people that they actually are.

On the other hand, I think Inception will still get a ton of nominations - it's that rare film that is both a critical darling and a blockbuster - and I reckon that Christopher Nolan is in with a shot of winning Best Original Screenplay as a consolation prize (since The Social Network is based on a book it'll be nominated for Best Adapted, so they won't be competing against each other for that award) but the lion's share on the night will go to team Durden/Bartlett.

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