Oscar nominations

So the AMPAS sticks a big middle finger up at the superhero genre, embraces the Holocaust (again), and tells Sally Hawkins that there is no room for a nominee who is not American and who isn't called Kate, Heath Ledger or Penelope.

Best Picture:
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,"
"Frost/Nixon,"
"Milk,"
"The Reader,"
"Slumdog Millionaire."

Well the Academy sent out a message today. They do not like genre films mixing with the 'real' movies. 'WALL-E' and 'The Dark Knight' snubbed (what do you expect? The best reviewed films of the year hardly make it in. The metacritc scores go like this: Button - 69, Frost/Nixon - 80, Milk - 84, The Reader - 58 and Slumdog - 86. A 56 made it in! WOW!

Best Actor:
Richard Jenkins, "The Visitor";
Frank Langella, "Frost/Nixon";
Sean Penn, "Milk";
Brad Pitt, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button";
Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler."



Ugh, Pitt? Really? Saw 'Gran Torino' last night and prefer Clints performance way over Pitts. Cannot argue with the rest of the bunch.

Best Actress:
Anne Hathaway, "Rachel Getting Married";
Angelina Jolie, "Changeling";
Melissa Leo, "Frozen River";
Meryl Streep, "Doubt";
Kate Winslet, "The Reader."



The AMPAS need to be shot. Jolie needs to send Sally Hawkins one of her children. So upsetting and so sad for Sally who really deserved to be here. Yay for Leo though

Best Supporting Actor:
Josh Brolin, "Milk";
Robert Downey Jr., "Tropic Thunder";
Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Doubt";
Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight";
Michael Shannon, "Revolutionary Road."



I am one of the few who did really not like Shannon's performance at all. Way too over the top. Very 'look at me' acting. Marsan should have been there instead.

Best Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams, "Doubt";
Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona";
Viola Davis, "Doubt";
Taraji P. Henson, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button";
Marisa Tomei, "The Wrestler."



Was Henson better that some of the other contenders? Not really, but she is adorable! Happy to see her here. Guess it is Cruz's to loose.

Best Director:
David Fincher, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button";
Ron Howard, "Frost/Nixon";
Gus Van Sant, "Milk";
Stephen Daldry, "The Reader";
Danny Boyle, "Slumdog Millionaire."



No Nolan, No Stanton. Stephen Daldry makes only three films and is nominated for each one. Never bet against him is the new lesson learned.

Best Foreign Film:
"The Baader Meinhof Complex," Germany;
"The Class," France;
"Departures," Japan;
"Revanche," Austria;
"Waltz With Bashir," Israel.



So need to see these films.

Best Adapted Screenplay:
Eric Roth and Robin Swicord, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button";
John Patrick Shanley, "Doubt";
Peter Morgan, "Frost/Nixon";
David Hare, "The Reader";
Simon Beaufoy, "Slumdog Millionaire."



Again the Dark Knight is f*cked over. Such prejudice against the genre.

Best Original Screenplay:
Courtney Hunt, "Frozen River";
Mike Leigh, "Happy-Go-Lucky";
Martin McDonagh, "In Bruges";
Dustin Lance Black, "Milk";
Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon and Pete Docter, "WALL-E."



Best category yet.

Best Animated Feature Film:
"Bolt";
"Kung Fu Panda";
"WALL-E."



Not surprised Waltz With Bashir is not here. Still need to see Bolt.

Best Art Direction:
"Changeling,"
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,"
"The Dark Knight,"
"The Duchess,"
"Revolutionary Road."



Wasn't Button mostly CGI? In that case WALL-E should so be here.

Best Cinematography:
"Changeling,"
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,"
"The Dark Knight,"
"The Reader,"
"Slumdog Millionaire."



Again, wasn't Button CGI?

Best Sound Mixing:
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,"
"The Dark Knight,"
"Slumdog Millionaire,"
"WALL-E,"
"Wanted."



These are the categories have have no say in as they are over my head...need to study up on them.

Best Sound Editing:
"The Dark Knight,"
"Iron Man,"
"Slumdog Millionaire,"
"WALL-E,"
"Wanted."



See above.

Best Original Score:
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Alexandre Desplat;
"Defiance," James Newton Howard;
"Milk," Danny Elfman;
"Slumdog Millionaire," A.R. Rahman;
"WALL-E," Thomas Newman.



The one place I expect The Dark Knight to show up is doesn't.

Best Original Song:
"Down to Earth" from "WALL-E," Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman;
"Jai Ho" from "Slumdog Millionaire," A.R. Rahman and Gulzar;
"O Saya" from "Slumdog Millionaire," A.R. Rahman and Maya Arulpragasam.



I love M.I.A. so over the moon for her. Poor Bruce though.

Best Costume:
"Australia,"
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,"
"The Duchess,"
"Milk,"
"Revolutionary Road."



Yay for Milk!

Best Documentary Feature:
"The Betrayal (Nerakhoon),"
"Encounters at the End of the World,"
"The Garden,"
"Man on Wire,"
"Trouble the Water."



Best Documentary (short subject):
"The Conscience of Nhem En,"
"The Final Inch,"
"Smile Pinki,"
"The Witness -- From the Balcony of Room 306."



Best Film Editing:
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,"
"The Dark Knight,"
"Frost/Nixon,"
"Milk,"
"Slumdog Millionaire."



So....The Reader isn't good enough for here then!

Best Makeup:
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,"
"The Dark Knight,"
"Hellboy II: The Golden Army."

yay Hell Boy and The Joker!

Best Animated Short Film:
"La Maison en Petits Cubes,"
"Lavatory -- Lovestory,"
"Oktapodi,"
"Presto,"
"This Way Up."

Presto! all the way

Best Live Action Short Film:
"Auf der Strecke (On the Line),"
"Manon on the Asphalt,"
"New Boy,"
"The Pig,"
"Spielzeugland (Toyland)."

Best Visual Effects:
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,"
"The Dark Knight,"
"Iron Man."

Surprised to see The Dark Knight here, but oh so happy. A great line up!

Is it far too dramatic to cry?