The nominees are out, and I really don't have any major snubs to be outraged about this year. Except for the Supporting Acting categories (see below), I think the Academy followed the crowd, i.e., other awards shows, in filling out its ballot. When they did divert from the norm, it was a pleasant surprise -- 3 nominations for "Tree of Life" and a nod for Gary Oldman's under-appreciated role in "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy."
The one trend the Academy is proving to be way behind the curve on is motion capture technology. Andy Serkis will get his due one day in an acting category, but the Oscars will be the last to do it. How they could ignore the best animated movie of the year ("The Adventures of Tin Tin") in favor of two obscure foreign imports (!) is beyond my comprehension. It is obvious they do not 'get it.'
Shailene Woodley ("The Descendants") has good cause to be bummed that she was left off the final five for her fine supporting performance. I don't expect the Oscars to ever add categories, but since the Screen Actors Guild recently filled the Oscar void by awarding stunt work in film and tv, SAG should consider a "Best Young Performer" category.
The wealth of outstanding male supporting performances this year made these omissions disappointing, but understandable: Albert Brooks, "Drive"; Armie Hammer, "J. Edgar"; Viggo Mortensen, "A Dangerous Method." I stopped trying to figure out the arcane rules for nominating Documentary Features, but yet again, they passed over some of the best in 2011: "Buck", "Bill Cunningham: New York", and "Project Nim."
This is the spot reserved for my Annual anti-John Williams Rant:
Funny, I was prepared to give him his due this year for his nomination-worthy work in "Tin Tin": it was an engaging, fun score, without unduly calling attention to itself. The Academy left me no choice, however, by ALSO nominating that overblown, overproduced, overbearing and over-everything (it really was a wall of sound!) score for "War Horse." Spielberg obviously gave him free reign, and he used every second of it! That bloated catastrophe of a score makes a nice contrast with the two absolute BEST scores this year: Howard Shore's work in "Hugo," and especially the deft touch of Ludovic Bource in "The Artist" -- he really did have to fill (almost) every second with music, and he did it in the grand tradition of silent movies: with variety, cleverness, and an unerring sense of mood (the use of a Bernard Hermann tune for a key scene was a stroke of brilliance!)
End of rant (the tradition continues).
Jessica Chastain's official Awards Show victory pose
(get used to it!)
(get used to it!)
