Meditations...On the Oscar Nominees, Part I

Well, after months of prognostication, wishes, and viewings, the Oscar finally announced their nominees yesterday morning. For the readers who know what happened, I am not extremely upset about the results. It could have been much worse, Mickey Rourke cold have been snubbed, Milk could have been completely shut out, Kate Winslet could have gone without any nominations. We should all be greatful that this year the Oscars are honoring films directed by Danny Boyle, David Fincher and Gus Van Sant, and whats more is that their films all received at least 8 nominations. Be greatful that actors like Richard Jenkins, Frank Langella and Mickey Rourke have finally recieved a nomination, and that Michael Shannon, Taraji P. Henson and Viola Davis are being honored. The Oscars may not have rewarded The Dark Knight, but they were brave enough to give movies like In Bruges, Happy-Go-Lucky and Frozen River nominations.
Yes, The Dark Knight was snubbed, yes Woody Allen and Jenny Lumet were robbed, yes, Leonardo Dicaprio wasn't nominated for the best male performance of the year.
The only snub that angered me was the Boss' not being recognized for his genius.
But in the end, at least the Oscars once again gave us something to talk about, at least we can all now bitch until the next January. That's half the fun of the Oscars anyways isnt it.
Either way, here are my thoughts on this year's nominees.

Best Picture
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
- Frost/Nixon
- Milk
- The Reader
- Slumdog Millionaire

This is what we all expected isnt it. The entire year, bloggers battled over whether or not the Dark Knight was going to be nominated, and in the end it wasn't. Yes, I thought the Dark Knight was one of the superior films from 2008, but there is not one film on that shortlist that was completely undeserving. The Reader, was not a bad film. In fact, it was actually a pretty decent movie, one that was generally well liked by critics and awards bodies alike. Frost/Nixon & Milk were fantastic biopics, boasting great direction and performances. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was one of the most fascinating film going experiences of the year, and Slumdog Millionaire was universally acclaimed despite a now rising backlash.
This is not a bad short list at all.

Best Director
- Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire
- Stephen Daldry for The Reader
- David Fincher for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
- Ron Howard for Frost/Nixont
- Gus Van Sant for Milk
Once again, how can you complain when Danny Boyle, David Fincher and Gus Van Sant show up as nominees. They are three of the most beloved cult directors, and they all nailed their movies with phenominal direction. I feel ambivalent towards Ron Howard's nod, and while Stephen Daldry did his best directing yet in The Reader, I still think that Christopher Nolan was robbed. His direction was iconic, and any number of images in that movie can be remembered with staggering clarity.