Initial Reaction to the Oscar Nominees

Let's start with the big controversy: Kathryn Bigelow and Ben Affleck completely shutout of the Best Director race. This is truly unbelievable; granted, there were a lot of big names and great direction to limit to just five picks. For instance, I knew Quentin Tarantino would be excluded. However, these were two of the biggest, most talked about directors all of last year. Spielberg was a given and Michael Haneke was a nice inclusion but I would have removed Benh Zeitlin and a toss-up between Ang Lee and David O. Russell (leaning more towards Lee) to include these two more deserving people.


The Best Picture nominees were a definite given. Of course, LES MISERABLES has the Stephen Daldry award for the worst film to be up for the highest honor. I wasn't able to see AMOUR and I still need to convince myself to buy a ticket for a 3D screening of LIFE OF PI. Also, just because Affleck is nominated as a producer, it doesn't forgive the exclusion in Director.


I didn't really expect Hugh Jackman in Best Actor for his work in LES MISERABLES, instead thinking of Richard Gere, John Hawkes or a very dark horse Jack Black. He was the second best actor of that troubled production though. However, it will be a triple threat match between Daniel Day-Lewis (the extremely expected winner), Bradley Cooper (the wunderkind and my favorite actor of last year), and Joaquin Phoenix (the underdog who could snatch the win).


I have no qualms at all for Best Actress. Four of the best were there, along with the surprising Emmanuelle Riva for AMOUR. Riva has been riding high ever since last year's Cannes Film Festival and has a chance of winning. The problem is, as noted by Emma Stone during the announcement, that Riva has the gimmick of being the oldest nominee ever, which could cancel her out along with the youngest nominee ever, Quvenzhané Wallis for BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD.


Seth MacFarlane and Emma Stone said it best: the race for Best Supporting Actor is really no fun, since every single actor has already won an Oscar (four of them in this exact field!). It's like a battle royale consisting entirely of Walter Brennans. Phillip Seymour Hoffman might be the holder of the award come February, though it is more expected to be given to Tommy Lee Jones and to a lesser extent, except for myself, to Christoph Waltz.


No Matthew McConaughey anywhere. How sad. Also, given all of the love for BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (4 nominations), no Dwight Henry?


Jacki Weaver with the shocker in Best Supporting Actress. I did like her, giving her the distinction of being an underrated and underappreciated actress last year for her two very small roles in film. Anne Hathaway is of course the front-runner and likely winner, with Amy Adams sneaking in the background to possibly upset her.


If you couldn't figure it out, AMOUR will obviously win Best Foreign Language. If it doesn't, then the majority of the Academy is going through dementia.


Woo! WRECK-IT RALPH in Animated Feature! PARANORMAN would be the reasonable pick to win and I agree with it. Having BRAVE in the category stirs up very mixed feelings, just like the overall reaction to the movie itself.


Speaking of RALPH, the short before the film, PAPERMAN, is up for consideration in Best Animated Short. I think it will be the winner, most notably for its advancement of animation technology.


LINCOLN has the most nominations with 12. It will turnaround with 4 at best: Actor, Adapted Screenplay, Costume or Production Design, and including the possibility of taking Best Picture.


HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE is the top selection for Documentary, though it could go to THE INVISIBLE WAR and the very much acclaimed SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN.


Any superhero films at all nominated? Only in Best Visual Effects for THE AVENGERS.


Hey! Look! A real pop song under Best Original Song! "Skyfall" should win, especially over the crap that was "Suddenly".


Though I'm still annoyed a lot by the Best Director category, I am glad that this year's Oscars could go to anyone and any film.