2012 Oscar Nominations -- Not Much Risktaking

Another year, another set of Academy Award nominations.

Best Picture: This year there are nine contenders, including front-runners “Lincoln,” “Zero Dark Thirty,” “Life of Pi,” and “Silver Linings Playbook.” Other nods went to “Django Unchained,” “Les Miserables,” and “Argo.” A surprise in this category is the inclusion of “Amour,” which is Austria’s entry for best foreign language film (nominated). To my recollection, the last time a film was nominated for best picture and best foreign language film was 2001’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” one of my favorite films, directed by Academy Award-winner Ang Lee, who is also up for best director for “Life of Pi.”

My only complaints: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences can nominate up to 10 films. I don’t understand why it didn’t make room for “Skyfall,” which received critical acclaim as well as made big box office. Perhaps it’s because it’s a James Bond film, and the Academy isn’t ready to embrace it as a top pick. In my most recent post, I wrote that the director and writers took their reboot of “Bond, James Bond” seriously, giving this franchise a much-needed shot in the arm. Sigh.

Also, I may be the only moviegoer saying this, but I didn’t get “Beasts of the Southern Wild.” I didn’t know if it was about surviving on a remote Louisiana island after hurricane Katrina or about a daughter learning to survive after her father takes ill, or about a fantasy mirroring the 6-year-old girl’s reality. I wished it had settled on one theme and went with it.

Best Actor: One might as well engrave the Oscar statuette and give it to Daniel Day-Lewis for his much-lauded portrayal of “Lincoln.” If he wins, he will be the only actor to win three times in the leading actor category and join a handful of actors who have three Oscars, including Jack Nicholson, Walter Brennan, Ingrid Bergman, and, just last year, Meryl Streep. Only Katharine Hepburn earned four acting Oscars, all in the lead category.

As for the other nominees – Bradley Cooper, Joaquin Phoenix, Hugh Jackman, and Denzel Washington – I would hope any of them would have a decent shot. I know Denzel already has two Oscars, but a third wouldn’t hurt. (Just saying!) I’m glad Hugh Jackman finally got an Oscar nod. My complaint: Why is Joaquin Phoenix even nominated when he said publicly he hates the Oscar promotion process? The Academy should have given Phoenix’s spot to John Hawkes for his portrayal of a polio patient in an iron lung who wants to lose his virginity in “The Sessions.”

Best Actress: Repeat after me: kwuh-VEN-jah-nay. This is how Quvenzhané Wallis pronounces her first name. The 9-year-old is the youngest ever nominated for the best actress Oscar. On the other end of the age spectrum, “Amour’s” nominee Emmanuelle Riva, the oldest nominated for best actress, will turn 86 when the Academy Awards air on February 24 on the ABC television network. But I think it will be a battle of the J’s – Jessica Chastain for her role as Maya in “Zero Dark Thirty” and Jennifer Lawrence as a troubled widow in “Silver Linings Playbook.” I believe Naomi Watts is the dark horse for her portrayal of a mother surviving the real-life tsunami in Thailand in “The Impossible.”

Best Supporting Actor: Emma Stone, who announced the Oscar nominations this morning with Oscar host Seth MacFarlane, summed it up nicely: All the nominees are previous Oscar winners. They are Tommy Lee Jones for “Lincoln,” Christoph Waltz for “Django Unchained,” Robert De Niro for “Silver Linings Playbook,” Alan Arkin for “Argo,” and Philip Seymour Hoffman for “The Master.”

Complaints: Hey, Academy, where’s the love for Leonardo Di Caprio for “Django”? Or John Goodman, one of the hardest working actors in Hollywood, for either “Flight” or “Argo”? Or even Javier Bardem for his tortured villain in “Skyfall”? How does one root for any of the nominated actors when each has at least one Oscar? (OK, Bardem has an Oscar for “No Country for Old Men.”)

Best Supporting Actress: The big surprise was Jacki Weaver for playing the mother in “Silver Linings Playbook.” I think it will be a knockdown fight between two-time Oscar winner Sally Field for her portrayal of Mary Todd Lincoln in “Lincoln” and Anne Hathaway for her role as Fantine in “Les Miz.” Amy Adams (“The Master”) and Helen Hunt (“The Sessions”) may end up as also-rans.

Best Director: Note to the Academy: No Ben Affleck for “Argo”?! No Kathryn Bigelow for “Zero Dark Thirty”?! Are you freakin’ kidding me?!

Steven Spielberg may take his third Oscar for “Lincoln,” unless David O. Russell is swept on a wave of popularity for “Silver Linings Playbook.” I think Michael Haneke will have to be satisfied with best foreign language film for “Amour.” I don’t think it’s Ang Lee’s year for “Life of Pi” because it’s a crowded directoral field. And, frankly, Benh Zeitlin, director of “Beasts,” is too young and inexperienced to even be in this category. He took a place that should have been for either Affleck or Bigelow.

Best Song: Just give it to Adele and Paul Epworth for the title song from “Skyfall” and call it a night.

Best Animated Feature: Too much of a horse race between “Frankenweenie,” “Brave,” and “ParaNorman” to call it. I think “Wreck-It Ralph” and “The Pirates: Band of Misfits” are bringing up the rear.

OK, I’m all typed out. Thanks for reading.

Writing Diva

Oscars -- A Mixed Goodie Bag

The 84th Annual Academy Awards were a mixed bag for me. An example was Meryl Streep’s third Oscar win for her wonderful portrayal of U.K. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in “The Iron Lady.” I am glad that Streep broke her 29-year Oscar drought. I’m disappointed, however, that it had to be at Viola Davis’ expense.

First, I think that the Academy takes Meryl Streep and her acting prowess for granted. I think she should have won for playing Karen Silkwood in “Silkwood” (1983) or for “Out of Africa” (1985) or “The Bridges of Madison County” (1995) or “The Devil Wears Prada” (2006) or “Julie and Julia” (2009). Streep inhabits almost every role she plays. She’s a chameleon. But I believe Academy members, while awed at her acting ability, tends to believe she’ll be nominated later or tends to give someone else a chance.

After Davis’ Screen Actors’ Guild win for her role as housekeeper/nanny Aibileen Clark in “The Help,” I thought she was a shoo-in for best actress, becoming only the second African-American female thespian after Halle Berry to take the statue. I saw “The Help” and noticed in Davis’ eyes and her posture her transformation from an oppressed maid with small dreams to a woman with hope, even in the dawn of the civil rights era. Davis was the heart of that movie, which was nominated for best picture while “The Iron Lady” wasn’t. But I will give Davis credit for being gracious in defeat to her friend Streep. As my sister Black Woman Blogging said, “Davis is kind, smart, and important. And inspirational.”

I saw “The Artist” on Saturday at the Varsity Theater in Davis. I liked it. The dog Uggie tugged at my heartstrings. While it deserved its five Oscars, I thought it was a good film but not a great one. A great film, in my opinion, is one where you see it numerous times and find something new in each viewing. “The Artist” had much breadth, with its homages to “A Star Is Born,” “Citizen Kane,” “Singing in the Rain,” and some Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers musicals, but it lacked depth. Yet it was good enough to be the Academy’s flavor of the year.

I’m glad Christopher Plummer finally got his long-awaited Oscar for “Beginners.” I’m happy that Octavia Spencer won for best supporting actress for “The Help.” While her role as Minny could have been written off as another sassy maid, it was her compassion and conviction buried beneath her tough exterior that carried the performance.

As for Jean Dujardin, his best actor win ranked with Roberto Benigni’s win for “Life Is Beautiful.” I doubt that I will see Dujardin in another film shown in the United States. Frankly, I think George Clooney should have netted his second Oscar for his tragicomic portrayal of Matt King in “The Descendants.” I think the Academy felt it needed to award an actor along with its flavor-of-the-year film.

With the technical awards, I was off my game. I expected the Harry Potter finale to take some awards. Instead, four technical Oscars went to Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo.”

Host Billy Crystal did a “pretty good” job. At least he wasn’t the awkward couple that was Anne Hathaway and James Franco. I’m not sure if the Oscar producers will invite Crystal back next year. It is difficult to have a host who is funny yet respects the acting audience.

So, what did you think?

Oscar Nods Plus a Pleasant Surprise

My closest friends know that I am an Oscar geek. I could tell you when was the last time there was a tie in an acting category was in 1968 with Barbra Streisand and Katharine Hepburn. Streisand won for "Funny Girl," while Hepburn took home the third of her four Oscars for "The Lion in Winter."

Today, I am giving myself a pat on the back. The newspaper critics kept predicting the usual suspects for best actor: George Clooney for "The Descendants," Brad Pitt for "Moneyball," Jean Dujardin for"The Artist," Leonardo DiCaprio for "J. Edgar," Ryan Gosling for "The Ides of March." Well, I kept saying, "Don't rule out Gary Oldman for 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.'"

Hah! I was right!

Oldman, who is in the newest series of Batman movies as Chief Gordon, was nominated for his first Oscar for his role as George Smiley, along with an unknown Mexican actor named Demian Bichir for "A Better Life," which I hadn't heard of. Oldman has also been a character actor in the Harry Potter series. I heard of him when he was in "Sid and Nancy" about doomed rock star Sid Vicious and his girlfriend Nancy Spungeon. He was so overdue for an Oscar nod.

Unfortunately, making room for Oldman and Bichir meant that Leo got skipped (again!), along with Gosling. Michael Fassbender, who played a sex addict in "Shame," also got overlooked. Oh, well.

I wish that there could be a tie between Meryl Streep in "The Iron Lady" and Viola Davis in "The Help." Both received kudos for their performances. But if Oscar is true to form, Davis may get it because "The Help" was nominated for best picture and "The Iron Lady" wasn't. However, I would love to see Streep get one more Oscar to tie with Jack Nicholson and the late Walter Brennan. Come on, let's have a tie! The two acted together in "Doubt," and Streep was up for best actress and Davis for best supporting actress. As Streep said to Davis during the Golden Globes, "You're my girl." Yeah, a tie!

Surprise snubs from best actress: Tilda Swinton, she of the tornado hair and garbage bag dress, for "We Need to Talk About Kevin," and Charlize Theron for "Young Adult." Maybe Tilda could stay home on Oscar night.

As for best supporting actor, the Motion Picture Academy may as well wrap up a statuette for Christopher Plummer for "Beginners." His closest competition is Max Von Sydow for "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close." Both have their second nomination and, yes, both are old (82). I would have liked to have seen Albert Brooks nominated for "Drive."

Both Octavia Spencer and Jessica Chastain are nominated for best supporting actress in "The Help." But I think the wild card in this category isn't Berenice Bejo for "The Artist," but Melissa McCarthy for "Bridesmaids." What could happen is that Spencer and Chastain cancel each other out, making room for McCarthy to take it.

The best song category was harsh. No Madonna for her song from "W.E." No Mary J. Blige for her song from "The Help." Only two songs nominated, one from "The Muppets." (I forgot the other one.) Harsh!

As for the movies, the only one of the nine I saw was "The Help." I have some catching up to do. I think "The Descendants" will take it, based on current awards. I was very surprised that part two of the last Harry Potter wasn't nominated for best picture, just some technical awards. The Screen Actors Guild awards on Sunday night may make the Oscar predictions clearer.

The lead story from the Los Angeles Times has more information.

Writing Diva (and Oscar Geek)

The Academy Awards -- My "Super Bowl"

OK, it's been two months since I've posted an entry. I may discuss later why I haven't been writing.

Today's topic is what Joy Behar of ABC's "The View" described as "the gay Super Bowl" --the Academy Awards.

For me, the Oscars have been my big bowl game. As a movie buff and Oscar geek of my family, I look forward to this more than I do Christmas. The day after the Oscar announcements, I try to see every movie nominated for an Oscar. I haven't been as attentive this year, though. So far, I've seen "Precious," "Coraline," and "Julie and Julia," the latter I saw Friday night. (I give the movie a "B." I give best actress nominee Meryl Streep's performance an "A-."

I've been watching the Oscars for 40 years. (Again, I'm dating myself.) I fell head over heels for perennial best supporting/best leading actor nominee Al Pacino ("The Godfather," "Serpico," The Godfather Part II," and "Dog Day Afternoon," to name a few). Each time he was robbed, I tell ya, robbed! It wasn't until he won his best actor Oscar for "Scent of a Woman" that I was satisfied. I know it was more for his body of work than for that particular performance. Works for me, though.

Like life, the Oscars have had their ups and downs for me. I was thrilled when Louis Gossett Jr. became the first African-American actor to win best supporting actor for "An Officer and a Gentleman." I whooped and hollered when Whoopi Goldberg won best supporting actress for "Ghost," one of my favorite movies. The biggest night, though was when Halle Berry became the first African-American woman to win the best actress Oscar for her role in "Monster's Ball." Her win was quickly followed by Denzel Washington garnering his second Oscar, this time for best actor, for "Training Day." (He also won several years earlier for his supporting role in "Glory.") I was watching with two of my older sisters, and we gave a loud, collective "Whoa!"

On the other hand, I thought the great Ruby Dee was robbed of her supporting actress Oscar in 2007 for "American Gangster." Tilda Swinton came out of nowhere to win that year for "Michael Clayton." (And she wore a dress that looked like a dark plastic garbage bag. But I digress.) The year before Eddie Murphy was the front-runner going into the 2006 Oscars but was beaten by ... himself. He approved the release of the really bad movie "Norbit" weeks before the Oscar telecast. He lost to Alan Arkin for "Little Miss Sunshine."

This year, unless a tsunami washes away the Kodak Theater, Mo'Nique is a lock for best supporting actress for "Precious." (She was a monster in her role as Mary, Precious's mother.)
Christoph Waltz is expected to get his Oscar for best supporting actor for "Inglourious Basterds." (Correct spelling) Jeff Bridges may edge George Clooney as best actor for "Crazy Heart." But the real tossup will be for best actress between the aforementioned Streep and Sandra Bullock, who earned her first Oscar nomination for her role in "The Blind Side."

(Note: I'm typing with a cat [Diva] in my lap.)

Best picture is going to be a tossup, too, between "Avatar" and "The Hurt Locker."

Anyway, time for me to go to my sisters' and bug them to death about Oscar.

Writing Diva