So the Oscar nominations are out since yesterday and we're a little late in addressing them but thing about that is, who asked you anyway? Here are the main categories. If you want to see the technical categories you're sufficiently into film that you've already seen them. We know. Don't lie to us.
Best Film
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Director
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - David Fincher
Frost/Nixon - Ron Howard
Milk - Gus Van Sant
The Reader - Stephen Daldry
Slumdog Millionaire - Danny Boyle
Actor In A Leading Role
The Visitor - Richard Jenkins
Frost/Nixon - Frank Langella
Milk - Sean Penn
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button -
Brad Pitt
The Wrestler - Mickey Rourke
Actor In A Supporting Role
Milk - Josh Brolin
Tropic Thunder - Robert Downey Jr.
Doubt - Philip Seymour Hoffman
The Dark Knight - Heath Ledger
Revolutionary Road - Michael Shannon
Actress In A Leading Role
Rachel Getting Married - Anne Hathaway
Changeling - Angelina Jolie
Frozen River - Melissa Leo
Doubt - Meryl Streep
The Reader - Kate Winslet
Actress In A Supporting Role
Doubt - Amy Adams
Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Penélope Cruz
Doubt - Viola Davis
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Taraji P. Henson
The Wrestler - Marisa Tomei
Adapted Screenplay
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Eric Roth, Robin Swicord
Doubt - John Patrick Shanley
Frost/Nixon - Peter Morgan
The Reader - David Hare
Slumdog Millionaire - Simon Beaufoy
Original Screenplay
Frozen River - Courtney Hunt
Happy-Go-Lucky - Mike Leigh
In Bruges - Martin McDonagh
Milk - Dustin Lance Black
WALL-E - Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Pete Docter
Animated Feature
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
WALL-E
Looking through the list, there's some notable nods and absences. There's been a lot of consternation about The Dark Knight not being nominated for Best Film but it's time that people remembered that it's just a film. It had no divine right to get nominated. It wasn't in our Top 5 of the year (which is a little skewed compared to the Oscars because of European release schedules so it was up against some classics from early last year) and while it's a little annoying that the aging academy ignored the first genuine opportunity to nominate an action/adventure/superhero movie in many a year, they are quite entitled to.
We'd be more put out by the fact that Nolan didn't get a nod for Best Director. While the film wasn't without it's flaws, his achievement was astounding and his absence just highlights the laziness of nominating the directors of the the 5 Best Picture nominees. And while we're on the subject of laziness, the tendency of nominating films released towards the end of the year and ignoring anything before September is at it's most apparent and startling this year. Honestly, we know the academy members are old but we didn't know they had Alzheimer's.
Other absences which are perhaps more surprising for people who actually watch films, are Revolutionary Road, The Wrestler (though the actors got nominated) Chagenling and Clint Eastwood in general who's Gran Torino is supposedly something to look forward to. Clint didn't even get a nod for Original Score or Best Song for Changeling and Gran Torino respectively. And speaking of scandalous omissions in The Best Song category, The Boss, Bruce Springsteen was ignored for his tune from The Wrestler. Other pet peeves include no Waltz With Bahir for Best Animated Feature (Kung Fu Fuckin Panda anyone?) and no Gonzo in Best Documentary.
Nice surprises included Martin McDonagh's nod in the Best Original Screenplay category for In Bruges, and well, that's it actually. Another year where they've missed the mark and expect viewership to be way down yet again, especially since they failed to nominate the highest grossing movie of the year. Don't they know the wrath of the fanboys?
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