Buzz Special Edition: Oscar Nominations 2012

The nominations for 2012 are here! We have some odd surprises, Oscar snubs, and the usual gang of suspects up for the golden statue this year. Let's explore the exciting highlights:


Best Actor in a Leading Role
Demian Bichir "A Better Life"
George Clooney "The Descendants"
Jean Dujardin "The Artist"
Gary Oldman "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"
Brad Pitt "Moneyball"

What happened to Leo DiCaprio for "J. Edgar Hoover"??? This may be the biggest Oscar snub of this year. The most disappointing thing about this list, however, is the lack of standout performances. It's missing that crazy Colin Firth stuttering, or the Phillip Seymour Hoffman "Truman Capote" voice, or an inspiring "transformation" type of performance, like Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler." All of this year's nominated performances, while I'm sure they're subtle and nuanced, are lacking any memorable qualities. (Like, does anyone remember Richard Jenkins being nominated for Best Actor for "The Visitor"? Or does anyone remember anything in particular about that performance?) I'm just sayin'. I'm putting my money on Gary Oldman, though.

Best Actress In A Leading Role
Glenn Close "Albert Nobbs"
Viola Davis "The Help"
Rooney Mara "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo"
Meryl Streep "The Iron Lady"
Michelle Williams "My Week With Marilyn"

I am happy to see Rooney Mara's nomination. It was one that I suspected, but you never know. Glenn Close is one of my favorite actresses (have you ever seen Damages? I mean, COME ON!) And, Meryl Streep's nom is no surprise with her hammy Margaret Thacher mimicry. I also predicted Michelle Williams, and I'm very happy for Viola Davis. If I were an Academy voter, though, I would vote for Glenn Close.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Kenneth Branagh "My Week With Marilyn"
Jonah Hill "Moneyball"
Nick Nolte "Warrior"
Christopher Plummer "Beginners"
Max Von Sydow "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"

Where is Phillip Seymour Hoffman for "Moneyball?" While Max Von Sydow gets my vote for coolest name, I will have to put my money on Nick Nolte for best performance. Could be Kenneth Branagh, though. Disclaimer: The only movie I've even seen out of this bunch is "Moneyball".

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Berenice Bejo "The Artist"
Jessica Chastain "The Help"
Melissa McCarthy "Bridesmaids"
Janet McTeer "Albert Nobbs"
Octavia Spencer "The Help"

I am excited about Melissa McCarthy being nominated for "Bridesmaids." I fell over in my chair when this one was revealed. Also, Octavia Spencer was amazing in "The Help."

Best Picture
Hugo
Midnight In Paris
The Descendants
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
War Horse
The Artist
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
The Help

It's interesting that there are only 9 nominees this year. The Academy changed their process, and they will only nominate a movie for Best Picture if it receives more than 5% of the votes. They complained that there were two or three movies in the past couple of years that got nominated that were not up to par. (Um..."The Kids Are Alright", anyone? Or how 'bout "A Serious Man." I actually sat through that crap.) That means there could be anywhere from 5 to 10 nominees, depending on the vote percentages.

I'm proud of my prior blog entry with my Best Pic predictions. I never would have suspected that "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" or "The Help" would get noms in a million years. I'm disappointed that "Drive" didn't make the cut, although it was nominated for Sound Editing, or something. (That's one less nomination than "Transformers: Dark of the Moon". Oh, The Academy can be so cruel!)

War Horse came out so late in the year, I didn't really have time to make up my mind about it. But, it seems like a deserving pick. Plus, it's nice to see Steven Speilberg in the Oscar mix once again. I'm sure that filming multiple and complex scenes with a horse is extremely difficult (Seabiscuit). It's probably something that's best left to a master filmmaker like Speilberg.

Midnight In Paris just has that special "it". It's a beautifully filmed movie with incredible art direction. The scenes of Paris are inspiring and artful. The writing is good, too. And, it's a good utilization of Owen Wilson and several other actors in wonderful roles. It's one of my favs this year.

Moneyball and The Help are also good. I haven't decided if The Artist is true artistry, or skillful gimmickry. But, I trust the genius of the Academy. Also, Hugo looks wonderful.

Even though I predicted The Tree of Life to get a Best Pic nomination, it still seems like an odd choice. Every year there are one or two Best Picture nominations that are plucked from art house obscurity, like "The Piano", or "Black Swan" just to add variety. The Tree of Life, however, seems a bit too art house for my taste. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it's full of mind-blowing genius. But, it seems a bit too abstract for a mainstream audience. (It brings to mind the first time I saw Best Pic nominee "The Thin Red Line", and I actually thought it was a war movie. In fact, it was a strange, poetic, skillfully made poem about life and death.)

Also, there is some controversy about Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. It is the lowest Rotten Tomatoes ranked movie in the last 10 years to be nominated for Best Picture. (It is ranked at a stale 48%). Is this because of the 60 years and older Academy voter demographic? Is it because of the politics of the Academy nominating process?



Summary:
This is a satisfying year. It seems to be missing an Avatar, or a The Dark Knight to draw massive mainstream appeal. However, it's plenty satisfying for me, and I have some movies to go see now. I always guess the Best Picture wrong, but I will have to say I hope Midnight In Paris or War Horse will take home the grand prize. However, if I were betting money, I would guess The Descendants or Hugo.