Nominees for…
1. Best Pictures
The Favorite
The Artist will be this year’s winner, despite a small showing at the box office. It has only grossed $12 million, which is $3 million less than it cost to make the movie. For comparisons sake, The King’s Speech last year was also considered a small-grossing movie, and in the same time span as The Artist it racked up $57 million. A weak field will produce a weak winner, and yet, there was..
The Snub
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. I’m not a huge Potter fan. Far from it. But the final installment in the series was a pretty good movie, and in a year like this, how did it not make the top 10? A spot was even left blank! And ten years from now will people still be watching Moneyball? This one was a crime. (Runner up for Snub- Drive)
2. Best Actor
The Favorite
I’m going with Gary Oldman on this one. George Clooney and Brad Pitt don’t need the Oscar, and the voters know that. Demian Bichir and Jean Dujardin may be too unfamiliar for the voters to be ready to hand over that statue just yet. But Oldman has the career worthy of finally winning.
The Snub
You often hear about people losing a race by a nose. Michael Fassbender may be the first person to lose by a penis. I wish I was kidding. According to reports, Fassbender is packing a sizable one-eyed trouser snake, which was on full display in Shame and may have distracted voters from his overall performance. (Runner up Snub- Ryan Gosling, Drive)
3. Best Actress
The Favorite
Meryl Streep. As Jim Carey once said, “in the category of best actress of all time, the nominees are Meryl Streep, Meryl Streep, and Meryl Streep.” Expect to hear her name called again this year for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher. The only real competition she has is Rooney Mara, who may have won over voters with her chilling performance in the remake, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.
The Snub
Tilda Swinton gave an amazing performance in We Need to Talk About Kevin, which is about a mother who has to deal with an awful son. If this category had six nominees, she would definitely be in. Popular belief is that the voters’ infatuation with Glenn Close stole her more deserved spot.
(Runner up Snub- Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene)
4. Best Director
The Favorite
I have no idea. Terrence Malick may finally be due for a win. Though The Tree of Life wasn’t as well-received as the other movies on this list, Malick certainly imposed his vision on it more than any other director did on their films. But with heavyweights like Scorsese and Allen in the picture, he may be left out in the cold again.
The Snub
David Fincher, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. This is criminal. Fincher should have won last year for The Social Network, and this year he isn’t even nominated. I don’t know what the Academy has against this man, but he must’ve pissed someone off along the way. (Runner up Snub- Steven Spielberg for The Adventures of Tin Tin).
The Real Snub
Society. For having to sit through four or five hours of an awards ceremony for a year that will be remembered for not being remembered.
