Best Picture Nominations

The Oscar nominations are finally here! Part one of my first Christmas of the year. With only nine nominees for best picture this year instead of ten, Drive is the obvious snub. In fact, it was only nominated for one award: original sound editing.

Nominee 1:
War Horse
The story of a boy and his horse and their journey through WWI. Steven Spielberg and John Williams team up again to create an enjoyable movie. The acting was good. Surprising performance from a new young Jeremy Irvine. The story was fun to follow, but left something to be desired. More connection to the actors was needed. Instead we were attached to the horse and not the people. Worthy of the nomination? Yes, but nowhere near a winning slot.

http://etanreviews.blogspot.com/2012/01/war-horse.html

Nominee 2:
The Tree of Life
Not really a story at all. Basically just following a boy growing up in an odd family situation. The acting was incredible and the cinematography was great. I think it is too obscure to win best picture, but bigger surprises have happened.

http://etanreviews.blogspot.com/2011/06/tree-of-life.html

Nominee 3:
Moneyball
A baseball team with no money and a manager willing to try anything hires an analyst, Jonah Hill's character, to utilize the amount of money they have and create the best team possible. Turns out to not be about baseball very much at all. It becomes the journey of Brad Pitt's character, fighting for what he believes in, and becoming a better family man. Notable performance: Jonah Hill. Absolutely incredible!

http://etanreviews.blogspot.com/2011/10/moneyball.html

Nominee 4:
Midnight In Paris
Jumping through different time periods in Paris, this Woody Allen flick is whimsical and fun to watch. It starts a little slow, but picks up very quickly. Owen Wilson plays his stereotypical role as the charming guy who is trying to figure himself out. The acting overall was decent, but not noteworthy. The story, thanks to Allen, was fantastic!

http://etanreviews.blogspot.com/2012/01/midnight-in-paris.html

Nominee 5:
Hugo
Following an orphan, Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield, "Nanny McPhee Returns") we are propelled into a world of mystery and adventure. The 3D definitely adds to the movie and makes this an event not to be missed in theaters. Simply the best 3D usage see to date. Much better than "Avatar," the technology really immerses you in the story world. The acting is good for the two main characters being children, Ben Kingsley, as George Méliès is outstanding as he always is. And the directing is something to be admired. Martin Scorsese tells the story in ways only he can.

http://etanreviews.blogspot.com/2012/01/hugo.html

Nominee 6:
The Help
An endearing story of a college educated white aspiring writer who decides to write a book from the perspective of the "help." Surprisingly entertaining at parts and both heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time I'm glad to see this movie get recognized even though it takes us through a terrible time in our country's history. Notable performance: Octavia Spencer. She easily has the win for supporting actress in the bag without question.

http://etanreviews.blogspot.com/2012/01/help.html

Nominee 7:
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Following a nine-year-old boy whose father died in the World Trade Centers on 9/11 who is trying to find the lock that a key his father left him belongs to. This should have been a powerful movie, but 9/11 overshadowed it. I cannot believe that this was nominated and Drive was not. That is ridiculous. The acting was good from Sandra Bullock and Tom Hanks, but the kid was unbearable to listen to. His voice was just irritating. Notable performance: Max von Sydow and "The Renter." It was a good performance, but it came during Christopher Plummer's year for his role in Beginners.

http://etanreviews.blogspot.com/2012/01/extremely-loud-and-incredibly-close.html

Nominee 8:
The Descendants
A story of an estranged father trying to reconnect with his two daughters. George Clooney's performance is being hailed as spectacular, but frankly it's not. His performance is bland and repetitive. One of the same characters he plays in every movie he's ever done. It's a good performance, possibly worth of the nomination, but I don't think his performance was "spectacular." However I think Shaliene Woodley should have been nominated. Her performance was outstanding. Not surprisingly, Alexander Payne was nominated for best director and he is deserving of it, but won't win.

http://etanreviews.blogspot.com/2012/01/descendants.html

Nominee 9:
The Artist
It's Hollywood in 1927 and silent movie stars are all the rage. But talking pictures start to take over and the silent stars are in trouble if they can't make the transition. George Valentin is the stubborn and proud silent movie star who refuses to make the transition. Hands down the best picture of the year. Absolutely incredible! I can't say enough good things about this movie. The acting: Jean Dujardin as George Valentin, Bérénice Bejo as Peppy Miller, and all of the outstanding supporting cast. Unfortunately, Bejo's performance is going up against Octavia Spencer in the supporting actress category. Any other year and Bejo would have the award already in hand. Jean Dujardin however will blow George Clooney out of the water. The best performance of the year with no exception. And the directing is beautiful. Very well done and fun to watch. Michael Hazanavicius will win this award as well. And the score. Obviously a silent picture needs a beautiful score and The Artist has it. The music added a lot to the movie and made it that much more fun to watch.

http://etanreviews.blogspot.com/2012/01/artist.html

Honorable Mention:
Drive
A Hollywood stunt driver who moonlights as a contract driver learns that a hit has been placed on him after a job gone wrong. Not for a long time has a character said so little, but been so captivating and powerful on the screen like the Driver, played by Ryan Gosling. His performance was nuanced and one of best of his career. I am astounded that he is not being recognized for this performance. Carey Mulligan as Irene was powerful and a great counterpart to the Driver. The score was perfect for the movie. Perhaps not enough music to be nominated, but it fit like a missing puzzle piece in the film. And the directing and cinematography are the other two notable things of Drive. They were amazing! Perhaps it wasn't worthy of best picture, but I just can't get over the fact that this great movie only received one nomination for sound editing.

No matter what, the 85th Academy Awards will be fun to watch and attempt to predict. The chance for surprises is limited due to the strong performances and movies this year, but anything is possible. Now we just have to wait until February 26th to find out who wins, so get out and see as many as you can before then and decide for yourself who should win and who should lose.