Oscar 2012: The nominees

Best Picture

Amour
Argo
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Django Unchained
Les Miserables
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty

The rest of the nominees.

Kathryn Bigelow snubbed for Best Director? Are you kidding me? How is it possible that ZDT gets in for Picture, Actress and Original Screenplay but not Director? I know some people are likely gonna cry conspiracy, saying Bigelow's getting punished for making a controversial movie and pissing off the wrong people - no, more to the point, being a WOMAN and making such a movie. At this moment I almost feel inclined to agree, because this makes no goddamn sense. Props to Benh Zeitlin for making the cut; Beasts was a terrific movie, but what Bigelow achieved with ZDT was on a completely different level, made in the face of political bickering, national security issues, and yes, gender bias within Hollywood. For her to not be recognized for what she accomplished is an absolute disgrace, and the Academy should hang their heads in shame over it.

On another level, no Ben Affleck for Directing either? Especially after he scooped up a Director's Guild nomination? Argo gets Picture, Adapted Screenplay and Supporting Actor, but  AMPAS couldn't throw a bone to a director who has only gotten better and better over the course of his career, made a movie that appealed to everyone and made beaucoup bucks, and is following in the grand tradition of good actors turned great directors that includes Eastwood, Redford and Clooney, among others? I had a feeling Michael Haneke might still get in for Director, but certainly not at Affleck's expense. This is more disappointing than disgraceful, and makes me worry about Argo's Best Picture chances (though I still say it's Lincoln's to lose).

I wasn't sure if Amour had what it took to go all the way, but there are certainly enough precedents for a foreign language Best Pic candidate. Still, it'll probably have to settle for the Foreign Language Oscar, though how amazing would it be if Emmanuelle Riva were to take Actress?

On the other hand, Skyfall fell just short of a Best Pic nom. There was talk about the James Bond film possibly making it in, but once again, the Academy's genre bias rears its ugly head. It's what kept The Dark Knight out (and, for that matter, The Dark Knight Rises), it's what kept Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 out, and it makes one wonder why they bothered to expand the Best Pic field to ten nominees, and now five-to-ten, in the first place.

Props to the following for making it in: Hugh Jackman for Actor (he's come a long way since The Clawed One), Quvenzhané Wallis for Actress (I think I've figured out how to pronounce her name now; it's kwah-VEN-shah-NAY), Searching for Sugar Man for Documentary Feature (thank you, John, for telling me about this movie!), and Flight and Moonrise Kingdom for Original Screenplay.

As usual, a lotta good, a lotta bad.

Your thoughts?

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Previously:
Oscar 2011: The nominees
Oscar 2010: The nominees