The Oscar Nominations

Early this morning The Oscar nominations were announced and this year more than most, I've got some serious homework in front of me. Just looking at the Best Picture nominations, I've only watched one of them. Going to be a busy month as the Oscars air February 26th on ABC.


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

Thoughts from the Media Room: Like I said, only watched Moneyball so far. From what I've read this appears to be down to The Artist and The Descendants. Hoping to catch those in the coming weeks. Hugo also got a bit of attention at The Globes a few weeks ago.


Best Director
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life

Thoughts from the Media Room: I'm kind of surprised Girl With the Dragon Tattoo didn't sneak in to this category.


Best Actor
Demián Bichir, A Better Life
George Clooney, The Descendants
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Thoughts from the Media Room: I don't know about you, but I can't wait for the battles and smack talk between Pitt and Clooney in this category. Are they still having the nominees coming to the stage? Did they do that last year? I can't remember.


Best Actress
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

Thoughts from the Media Room: Does anyone have a chance against Meryl this year? I really don't think so from what I've read and the clips I've seen so far.


Best Supporting Actor
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Max von Sydow, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Thoughts from the Media Room: I'd like to see Jonah Hill get it here, just because really. No real reason.


Best Supporting Actress
Bérénice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer, The Help

Thoughts from the Media Room: I'd LOVE to see McCarthy get this award here. Just to see her get up there for this movie would be amazing. I'm also thinking her speech could be epic if she were to win.


Best Original Screenplay
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids
J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Asghar Farhadi, A Separation

Thoughts from the Media Room: Wow, I've seen two movies in the category. I'd like to see Bridesmaids win here for the same reasons as above.


Best Adapted Screenplay
Alexander Payne, Jim Rash, and Nat Faxon, The Descendants
John Logan, Hugo
George Clooney, Grant Heslov, and Beau Willimon, The Ides of March
Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian, Moneyball
Peter Straughan and Bridget O’Connor, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Thoughts from the Media Room: I got nothing for this one, could really go to any of them couldn't it?


Best Animated Film
A Cat in Paris
Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango

Thoughts from the Media Room: I'm thinking Rango here for some reason.


Best Foreign Language Film
Bullhead (Belgium)
Monsieur Lazhar (Canada)
A Separation (Iran)
Footnote (Israel)
In Darkness (Poland)

Thoughts from the Media Room: Always the tough call when making picks, but I'll go with Canada since that's where I'm from.


Best Cinematography
The Artist
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
The Tree of Life
War Horse

Thoughts from the Media Room: From the clips I've watched, Dragon looks trippy in a good way, so I'm going with that one for this.


Art Direction
The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
War Horse

Thoughts from the Media Room: Again, I got nothing.


Costume Design
Anonymous
The Artist
Hugo
Jane Eyre
W.E.

Thoughts from the Media Room: Not going to lie, but when I first saw Anonymous I thought of the hacking groups that's been working overtime since last week. I got nothing else to add to this one.


Documentary Feature
Hell and Back Again
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Pina
Undefeated


Documentary Short
The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement
God Is the Bigger Elvis
Incident in New Baghdad
Saving Face
The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom


Film Editing
The Artist, Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
The Descendants, Kevin Tent
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
Hugo, Thelma Schoonmaker
Moneyball, Christopher Tellefsen

Thoughts from the Media Room: Dragon Tattoo should get it just for the brilliant first trailer. Do you remember that thing? Oh boy, it was a beaut eh.


Makeup
Albert Nobbs, Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston, and Matthew W. Mungle
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk, and Yolanda Toussieng
The Iron Lady, Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland


Music (Original Score)
The Adventures of Tintin, John Williams
The Artist, Ludovic Bource
Hugo, Howard Shore
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Alberto Iglesias
War Horse, John Williams

Thoughts from the Media Room: Two for John Williams and one for Shore, yikes. Tough Category.


Music (Original Song)
“Man or Muppet” from The Muppets, Bret McKenzie
“Real in Rio” from Rio, Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown, and Siedah Garrett

Thoughts from the Media Room: Just two original songs? Muppets every time.


Short Film (Animated)
Dimanche/Sunday
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life


Short Film (Live Action)
Pentecost
Raju
The Shore
Time Freak
Tuba Atlantic


Sound Editing
Drive
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse

Thoughts from the Media Room: Transformers gets a nom, gotta get my geek on and go with that.


Sound Mixing
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Monyeball
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse

Thoughts from the Media Room: Again, I'd like to see Transformers get it.


Visual Effects
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Real Steel
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Thoughts from the Media Room: Did you watch Planet of the Apes? Wow, that was some crazy effects. The Apes looked fantastic. I have to give them an award for that.

So that's it, what were some of your favorites this year. Do you have some serious catch up to do to try and watch some of this years nominees?

Will you be tuning in February 26th?