2012 Oscar Nominations

[Mitch Henessey]

The nominations for the 84th Academy Awards were announced earlier this morning, and here's the list nominees:

BEST PICTURE
THE ARTIST
THE DESCENDANTS
THE HELP
THE TREE OF LIFE
HUGO
MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
MONEYBALL
WAR HORSE
EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE

A very, very tough choice this year. This list is loaded with a nice list of superb films, and it's hard for me to make up my mind right now. I haven't seen Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close, or The Tree Life, and The Artist has received tons of praise, but I still need to watch this film. This is an outstanding list, but right now, I'm leaning towards Midnight In Paris. This was a great romantic comedy, and Woody Allen was at his best for this film.

Also, I'm kind of surprised Drive and The Ides Of March didn't make the cut here. I had a feeling The Ides Of March might receive the snub treatment, but Drive? Really???

But the rest of the nominees won't matter, because The Artist probably has this award in the bag. For those of you who are unaware, The Artist recently won the award for Best Film from the Producers Guild of America. Usually, winning this award from the PGA pretty much guarantees a victory in the Best Picture category at the Oscars. This has been a noticeable trend over the years, so The Artist should take home the big prize.

BEST ACTOR
George Clooney, THE DESCENDANTS
Brad Pitt, MONEYBALL
Jean Dujardin, THE ARTIST
Damien Bachir, A BETTER LIFE
Gary Oldman, TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY

No nominations for Ryan Gosling? Gosling delivered two Oscar worthy performances in Drive and The Ides Of March, and I am literally shocked he didn't make the cut this year. Gosling deserved some recognition at the Oscars this year, and the Academy really dropped the ball by leaving his name off the list.

Right now I'm leaning towards Brad Pitt. I had a chance to watch The Descendants recently, and George Clooney did deliver a fine performance, but Pitt was fantastic in Moneyball. The rest of the cast was very enjoyable, but Pitt's performance really was the highlight of Moneyball.

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

Easily the toughest category this year, and this one is hard to predict.

I haven't had a chance to see My Week With Marilyn or Albert Nobbs yet, but right now, I'm split between Rooney Mara and Viola Davis. Both women delivered great performances in their respective films, and it really is hard for me to make a choice right now. Also, seeing Meryl Streep receive her seventeenth Oscar nomination doesn't surprise me at all. The Iron Lady might have been an underwhelming film, but Streep still managed to deliver a marvelous performance, and The Iron Lady could've been a lot worse without her.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Kenneth Branagh, MY WEEK WITH MARILYN
Nick Nolte, WARRIOR
Jonah Hill, MONEYBALL
Max von Sydow, EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE
Christopher Plummer, BEGINNERS

Moneyball is the only film I've seen on this list. Jonah Hill was enjoyable in that film, and you will see one of his better post Superbad roles here. Again, I'm kind of lost on this category, because besides Moneyball, I haven't had the chance to watch these other films.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Berenice Bejo, THE ARTIST
Melissa McCarthy, BRIDESMAIDS
Janet McTeer, ALBERT NOBBS
Octavia Spencer, THE HELP
Jessica Chastain, THE HELP

Melissa McCarthy? Are you serious? McCarthy's character did provide plenty of funny moments in Bridesmaids, and she really was the highlight of the entire cast. Yeah, I know, most critics would pick Kristen Wiig, but she tried way too hard here, and Wiig could be so fucking annoying in this film. McCarthy was very solid in Bridesmaids, but I really didn't see any Oscar worthy qualities from her performance.

Anyway, Jessica Chastain wins this for me. Chastain had an outstanding year in 2011, and she was just great as Celia Foote. The Celia Foote character was someone, who you could really feel for, and Chastain did deliver a very convincing performance in this film. Chastain is a tremendous talent, and she does have a bright future in Hollywood.

BEST ANIMATED FILM
RANGO
CHICO AND RITA
A CAT IN PARIS
KUNG FU PANDA 2
PUSS IN BOOTS

Kind of lost here. I really don't get into animated films anymore, and I haven't seen any of the movies on this list, so I can't comment on this category.

BEST DIRECTOR
Michel Hazanavicius, THE ARTIST
Alexander Payne, THE DESCENDANTS
Martin Scorsese, HUGO
Woody Allen, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
Terrence Malick, THE TREE OF LIFE

I'm disappointed Steven Spielberg didn't make the cut here. He did a masterful job with the directing in War Horse, and his name deserves to be on this list. Also, J.C. Chandor's name deserved to be on this list. He deserves the recognition, because his stylish directing did take Margin Call to the next level.

I guess I'll have to contain the Scorsese fanboy inside of me for this category. Hugo was an outstanding film.....but this one is loaded with CGI effects, and this could hurt my favorite director's chances this year. I'll have to give The Tree Of Life a try soon enough, and I still haven't seen The Artist, but for now, my pick is going to have to go to Midnight In Paris. The entire cast was great, but as far as directing goes, Woody Allen was at best for Midnight In Paris.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Nat Faxon, Alexander Payne and Jim Rash, THE DESCENDANTS
Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian, MONEYBALL
John Logan, HUGO
George Clooney and Grant Heslov, IDES OF MARCH
Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan, TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY

Another tough choice, but I going with Moneyball here. The screenplay was just great, and Sorkin was one of the co-writers, so this doesn't surprise me at all. Also, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo didn't make the cut, and this particular snub does surprise me a lot.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Woody Allen, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
Michel Hazanavicius, THE ARTIST
Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumulo, BRIDESMAIDS
JC Chandor, MARGIN CALL
Asghar Farhadi, A SEPARATION

......They give J.C. Chandor a nomination for Best Screenplay, but he doesn't receive a nomination in the Best Director category? I really don't understand the Academy sometimes, and this decision just baffles me. Anyway, Woody Allen wins this for me. Allen was able to provide an excellent mixture of romance and comedy, and this film could feel genuinely sentimental. Also, Allen was able to provide a magical touch here. Woody Allen should win this, and this isn't a close call for me.

I've only listed the major awards, but you can take a look at the entire list of nominees here: http://oscar.go.com/nominees

What are your thoughts? Do you agree with the Academy's decisions? Are you disappointed by any Oscar snubs this year?

 

[FunKay the Inevitable]

I have to get this off my chest to start because I'm overwhelmingly disgruntled that it happened, but Drive earning one nomination overall (and that that being in a technical category) is appalling. I don't care who you are, but you cannot deny Drive had a number of fine performances (Gosling and Brooks being most prominent) and was quite arguably the most directed film of the year with everything shot to precision and with a great deal of class. Refn should be pissed he got snubbed. Oh and there's no Senna or The Skin I Live In either in Documentary or Foreign Film which is daft also.

That aside, it's the usual mixed bag. Supporting Actor looks pretty weak and Jonah Hill will probably win it in a walk. The other nominees are almost only there to make up the numbers. I'll be shocked if anyone other than Hill wins. The fact that Bridesmaids got nominated for Best Supporting Actress is mind bogglingly moronic. I've seen it and it was funny, but Oscar worthy? Come the fuck on.

The lack of Tinker Tailor etc... and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo surprises me significantly. The Tree of Life has received more nominations than either and I find it really very odd. It's been forgotten and the others have risen, so lord knows what the Academy have on their minds. Also, I'd never even heard of Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close before the nominations, and based on the 6.2 it has on iMDB, it isn't overly exciting.

In terms of the main acting awards, The Artist is the dark horse for both categories, but I see Clooney and Streep taking the awards. They're the two most talked about performances of the award season and I fully expect to see those two win. If I'm picking Best Director, then I'm thinking it's Michel Hazanavicius, but something in my gut tells me they'll give Scorsese his second.

And finally, Best Picture. The Artist is the undisputed favourite with some top contenders underneath it. When it all boils down to it though, The Artist is in the same role as The Kings Speech, Slumdog Millionaire and Titanic before it; it's a sentimental favourite that people of all ages can enjoy. It's the way they normally go and I fully expect it to go that way once more.

Sorry for rambling a bit here folks.

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

BEST PICTURE
THE ARTIST
THE DESCENDANTS
THE HELP
THE TREE OF LIFE
HUGO
MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
MONEYBALL
WAR HORSE
EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE

There are some incredible choices on this list, and I'll throw in my hat as well for being shocked that Drive isn't among the choices. If history is to be taken into consideration, the more "artistic" film wins the Best Picture pretty much every year. And honestly, that's how it really should be. Certain movies can be amazing, but when we're talking about something with as much longevity as the Academy Awards, the award for Best Picture should go to the one that breaks the most ground, and does something truly creative. Like I said, there are a lot of good movies on this list, but if we are to follow the criteria I just put in place, it comes down to "The Artist" and "The Tree of Life". Now the question is, does the Academy go with the gimmicky, black-and-white classic or the existential perspective piece? Both are incredibly "artsy" (no pun intended) but I have to go with "The Tree of Life" to take it all. Never before has a director set out to capture the perspective of all of existence in one movie, or rather, never before has one done it so incredibly well. Brad Pitt's performance was excellent, and the period piece was executed perfectly, but the "plot" of the movie isn't even what the film is about. You'd have to watch it to "get" it, and even then only those who really know the industry and appreciate a film that doesn't force-feed you plot will like this one. It is in no way "accessible" to the casual fan, but this isn't Kid's Choice, it's the Oscars.

BEST ACTOR
George Clooney, THE DESCENDANTS
Brad Pitt, MONEYBALL
Jean Dujardin, THE ARTIST
Damien Bachir, A BETTER LIFE
Gary Oldman, TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY

I love Brad Pitt, and he's been on fire for years now. But have any of you tried telling a story without the use of words? Try turning that game of charades you played at Aunt Betty's house last Christmas into an Academy Award winning performance! Yeah, these other guys did great jobs. Not sure where Daniel Craig and Matt Damon are on this list, but it doesn't really matter. Same goes for Ryan Gosling. He should be on this list - the fact that he was not nominated for this, nor was Drive in the previous list is just stupid. But like I said, it doesn't matter. Jean Dujardin takes this, hands down. If he doesn't, it's a travesty.

As for best Actress, I'll be honest...the only movie out of the ones listed that I actually saw was "Girl With the Dragon Tattoo". So as my vote is rather ignorant, I with refrain from any further comment on the matter. Except perhaps, to say that I will likely see them in the next month before the awards actually take place.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Kenneth Branagh, MY WEEK WITH MARILYN
Nick Nolte, WARRIOR
Jonah Hill, MONEYBALL
Max von Sydow, EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE
Christopher Plummer, BEGINNERS

How far has Jonah Hill come in the last few years? The guy is a fantastic straight-man in comedies, he's a fantastic serious actor, and he just keeps getting better! Probably with him is though, I don't see him being that great carrying a film. He's lost a lot of weight, so maybe that will change how people generally see his role, but for now he should stick to being a secondary character. Anyways... Some good choices here, I guess. You know who should be here? The kid from Tree of Life. Seriously, best child actor I have ever seen! And while you're at it, where the hell is Lawrence Fishburn for Contagion! I mean, it was only a decent movie, but he was AWESOME in it!

Supporting actresses. Yeah.

Same goes for animated films. What a terrible year for animation... Pixar finally broke its streak of near-perfect movies with Cars 2. Hopefully it redeems itself with Brave this year! But seriously, awful year for animation.

BEST DIRECTOR
Michel Hazanavicius, THE ARTIST
Alexander Payne, THE DESCENDANTS
Martin Scorsese, HUGO
Woody Allen, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
Terrence Malick, THE TREE OF LIFE

Ugh. Say what you will, but this should be a contest between Terrence Malick and Duncan Jones! Who, you ask? DUNCAN FUCKING JONES! The guys has put out two movies: Moon a few years ago, the scifi/thriller that blew people's minds and put Jones on the map as the next up-and-coming artsy director...and Source Code! I loved that movie! How did Source Code manage to slip under the radar for this entire awards ceremony!? I'm not sure, but I'm not happy about it at all.

 

[Blade]

Very disappointing set of nominations this year.

- Best Picture. No Drive? Very disappointing. Deathly Hallows Part 2 should be there two, like Inception was last year, simply because it was a movie with such ambition and they pulled it off so well. And also, though it was always going to be a long-shot, I was hoping 50/50 might get a nod, but it was snubbed completely.

The movies I named above not being in it was bad enough, but the fact they weren't in it when War Horse, Extremely Loud and Tree of Life are? The first two are average in every way. The Help is good, but better tan those named above? And Tree of Life only gets a nomination because it's so pretentious. The movie itself is very flawed. But I guess the Academy wants to keep whatever credibility it has left..

- Best Actor. No Ryan Gosling for Drive or Ides of March. No Joseph Gordon-Levitt for a performance that was better than Pitt and arguably Bachir. And worst of all, no Leonardo DiCaprio for J. Edgar. Why do the Academy hate DiCaprio so much? Snubbed for Catch Me if You Can, snubbed for the Departed and now this. They can't use the excuse that he wasn't nominated because the movie wasn't great despite his performance being great. If that were true Meryl Streep wouldn't be nominated. DiCaprio deserves an Oscar by now, instead they're giving him the Scorsese treatment.

- Melissa McCarthy? Really? Hell, why not give Seth Rogen a supporting actor nod if we're giving any entertaining comic performances a nomination.

- One major nomination for the Warrior. Seriously? Best film and best actor for Tom Hardy are deserved.

- Tintin snubbed, Kung Fu Panda 2 isn't. Enough said.

- 50/50 doesn't even get a best original screenplay nod? Screw you, Academy.

 

[jmt225]

I think I'm most disappointed in the lack of love for 50/50 and Drive.

Drive definitely deserved a Best Picture nomination, and maybe Best Director. Ryan Gosling, however, while great... this wasn't an Oscar performance. Blue Valentine was, but not this.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, on the other hand, that motherfucker gave an Oscar worthy performance in 50/50 and I'm most pissed he wasn't nominated. You watch that movie... I mean, first of all, he took it on a week's notice, and to still give a genuinely funny and heartbreaking performance (when he tells his mom, "Please make sure I wake up," that was one of the saddest things I've ever seen in a film) is beyond remarkable. It's really a shame he didn't get the recognition he deserved.

And yeah... Melissa McCarthy being nominated is a fucking joke. I didn't even think she was funny in the flick, personally, but the fact of the matter is, if that performance is worthy of an Oscar nomination, then why didn't, I don't know, Zach Galifianakis get nominated for The Hangover? I'll tell you why... it's fucking Hollywood trying to shove female comedians down our throats and convince the World that women are as funny, if not funnier, than men. And like I said... it's all a fucking joke.

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

Rooting for Tree of Life to win ... but I doubt it will. The Artist is going to steamroll the Oscars, which is fine I guess. It's a more deserving winner than last year's King Speech.

I'm suprised people were shocked to see 50/50 miss here. It's a young hipster comedy like 500 Days of Summer, which was better received, and that got snubbed too.

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

Watching the Red Carpet ... I didn't know George Clooney is dating Stacey Kiebler. Will this mean George Clooney will be at Wrestlemania? Come on Vince you know the media attention for this would be insane.

My predictions ...

Best Motion Picture
Will Win: The Artist
Alternative: n/a
Should Win: The Tree of Life


Best Best Achievment in Directing
Will Win: Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist
Alternative: Martin Scorsese for Hugo
Should Win: Terrence Malick for The Tree of Life


Best Actor in a Leading Role
Will Win: Jean Dujardin in The Artist
Alternative: George Clooney in The Descendants
Should Win: Brad Pitt in Moneyball (considering the strength of his performance in the Tree Of Live)


Best Actress in a Leading Role
Will Win: Viloa Davis in The Help
Alternative: Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady
Should Win: Viola Davis in The Help


Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Will Win: Christopher Plummer in The Beginners
Alternative: Max Von Sydow in Extremley Loud and Incredibly Close
Should Win: Christopher Plummer in The Beginners


Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Will Win: Octavia Spencer in The Help
Alternative: Berenice Bejo in The Artist
Should Win: Jessica Chastain in The Help (considering the strength of her performance in the Tree Of Live)


Best Adapted Screenplay
Will Win: The Descendants
Alternative: Moneyball
Should Win: Hugo


Best Original Screenplay
Will Win: Midnight in Paris
Alternative: The Artist
Should Win: A Separation


Best Foreign Language Film
Will Win: A Separation
Alterantives: In Darkness


Best Animated Feature Film
Will Win: Rango
Alternative: Chico and Rita


Best Animated Short Film
Will Win: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
Alternative: Wild Life


Best Live Action Short Film
Will Win: Raju
Aletarnative: Tuba Atlantic


Best Documentary Feature
Will Win: Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Alternative: Pina


Best Documentary Short Subject
Will Win: Saving Face
ALternative: Incident in New Baghdad


Best Art Direction
Will Win: Hugo
Alternative: The Artist
Should Win: Hugo


Best Cinematography
Will Win: The Artist
Alternative: The Tree of Life
Should Win: The Tree of Life


Best Costume Design
Will Win: Jane Eyre
Alternative: The Artist
Should Win: Hugo


Best Film Editing
Will Win: The Artist
Alternatives: Hugo
Should Win: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo


Best Makeup
Will Win: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Should Win: The Iron Lady


Best Original Score
Will Win: The Artist
Possible Alternative: War Horse
Should Win: Hugo


Best Original Song
Will Win: "Man or Muppet" from The Muppets


Best Sound Editing
Will Win: War Horse
Alternative: Hugo
Should Win: ???


Best Sound Mixing
Will Win: Hugo
Alternative: War Horse
Should Win: Hugo


Best Visual Effects
Will Win: Hugo
Alternative: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Should Win: Hugo

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Well I finally got a chance to watch the Oscars, and I wanted to share my my thoughts on some of the winners.

Best Picture
WINNER: "The Artist"

No surprise here. As I said in the first post of this thread, The Artist won the Best Film award from the Producers Guild Of America a while back, and any film that wins this award usually takes home the big prize at the Oscars. It's been a noticeable trend over the years, so this doesn't surprise me at all.

I really can't complain about this choice too much, because The Artist is worthy of a Best Picture award. Midnight In Paris is the only other film in this category, that could come close to the honor of a Best Picture award, and you might be able to throw The Descendants and Moneyball into the mix. I'm just happy Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close didn't win anything. That mediocre piece of shit really didn't deserve a Best Picture nomination, and EL & IC was way too melodramatic for my taste.

I'll probably watch The Tree Of Life someday, but I'll have to force myself into this one somehwere down the line. I genuinely despise Terrence Malick. He's a poor man's Stanley Kubrick, and his film's usually bore me to death.

Best Director
WINNER: Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"

Hazanavicius was probably a lock for this award early on, but Woody Allen should've taken this. He really did a great job with Midnight In Paris, and Allen showcased some of his best work in years with this film (Match Point would probably be a close second). Midnight In Paris was a great romantic comedy, and Allen's directing took everything to the next level.

Best Actor
WINNER: Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"

Again, I'm not surprised by this choice. Dujardin wasn't bad in The Artist, in fact, he was pretty damn good. He was able to tell a story without words, and his performance was the driving force behind The Artist. Brad Pitt was phenomenal in Moneyball, and he really was the only other candidate in this category, that could've been worthy of this award.

Best Actress
WINNER: Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"

Easily the biggest shocker of the night for me. Meryl Streep is a great actress, but The Iron Lady was a pretty dull biopic. Although, Streep delivered a perfect performance in this film, and she did carry The Iron Lady on her back, because without her, The Iron Lady would've been a disastrous failure. Still, this should've went to Viola Davis or Rooney Mara. They really did deliver a pair of once in a lifetime performances in their respective films. Streep turned a bad film into something average. Mara and Davis turned good films into great films with their performances.

Best Supporting Actor
WINNER: Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"

Didn't get a chance to watch Beginners, so I'm kind of lost here. Although, I'm kind of surprised Jonah Hill didn't take this. He really was at his best in Moneyball, and this will probably be his last shot at winning an Oscar, because he sure as hell isn't going to win anything for 21 Jump Street, Neighborhood Watch, or How To Train Your Dragon 2.

Best Supporting Actress
WINNER: Octavia Spencer, "The Help"

I have to disagree with this one. Yes. I understand. Spencer's win the other night was a real surprise, and her speech did provide the moving feel good moment of the night. She was the underdog, and nobody really expected her to win, but for the most part, her character just provided the majority of the comic relief in The Help. Jessica Chastaian really did deliver one of the better performances in The Help, she nailed her character, and she would've been the better choice here. But I guess I can't complain too much, because Melissa McCarthy didn't win. She would've been the worst choice for this award, and I still can't believe she received a nomination for Bridesmaids.

Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
WINNER: "The Descendants"

This choice doesn't upset me a lot, but still, I can't agree with this decision. The Descendants was a remarkable film, but Moneyball really did give the audience an in-depth look at the business side of Major League Baseball, and they were able to tell the story of Billy Bean's life at the same time. As far as storytelling goes, Moneyball really did balance everything well, and this was one of the most unique sports films I've ever seen. In fact, Moneyball deserves some serious consideration as the best sports film ever. Yeah, its that good. The Descendants wasn't bad at all. It's actually a very good film, but as the years go by, this one will just be remembered as one of those dramas, that managed to rack up a lot of Oscar nominations, but The Descendants won't have that memorable impact in the long run, and it will fade away ten years from now.

Best Writing (Original Screenplay)
WINNER: "Midnight In Paris"

Excellent choice. As I said before, Midnight In Paris was a great romantic comedy, and Woody Allen did put his heart and soul into this one. Midnight In Paris was sweet, sentimental, charming, funny, and Allen was able to pull the audience into a magical fantasy world. I didn't get a chance to see A Separation, but The Artist could've been the only other respectable choice in this category. Oh, and I'm SOOOOO happy Bridesmaids lost this one. Look, Bridesmaids can be a funny female-driven R-Rated comedy, but this film is very overrated, and it really didn't deserve any Oscar nominations at all.

I can't comment about Rango's win, because I didn't watch any animated films in 2011, and I didn't get a chance to watch any of the nominees in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

I won't go into in an in depth explanation about the technical awards, but Hugo really dominated these categories with five wins. I don't have any complaints about the Best Visual Effects win, because Hugo did feature some truly breathtaking visuals. Although, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo or War Horse could've been good choices for Best Cinematography. I guess this award could've gone either way between these three films, but I don't think Hugo was the best choice here.

Hugo was dominant in the technical categories, but this film couldn't win any of the big awards (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay). Scorsese will probably produce another Oscar worthy film in the near future, but he's starting to rely on CGI effects way too much (Shutter Island, Hugo), and this new trend will probably hurt his chances of winning anything in the future.

You had to expect a big night for The Artist, because this film received a tremendous amount of praise, and The Artist did take home the big awards last night. Although, this year's selection of films was pretty weak, especially when you compare it to last year's list. Just take a look at the films that were nominated for the Best Picture award last year:

The King's Speech
Black Swan
True Grit
Toy Story 3
Winter's Bone
The Social Network
127 Hours
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
​

Almost every film on this list is worthy of a five star rating, and the select few (127 Hours, Black Swan, The Fighter, True Girt, The Social Network) did feature some truly great performances. Last year's categories were very tough to predict, but this year, and I know I'm not alone on this, I just had this "Well , The Artist is probably going to win...again" feeling. The competition wasn't fierce at all this year, and you know things are bad, when a subpar film like Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close makes into the Best Picture category. Truly an embarrassment and a low point for the most prestigious category at the Oscars.

And for what it's worth, I guess I'm the only one, who enjoyed James Franco and Anne Hathaway as hosts last year. They were hilarious as a duo, and they really did have some great chemistry.

As far as the show goes, I thoroughly enjoyed this year's Oscar's. Billy Crystal played it safe, but still, he was a great host, and he did pull some laughs out of me. The opening montage really didn't do anything for me, but I still enjoyed Crystal. Although, I was looking forward to seeing Eddie Murphy give it a try. Thank you for fucking that up, Brett Ratner. Anyway, the 84th Academy Awards was a highly entertaining show. Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis brought me to tears, and I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard at an award presentation. The white tuxedos and the cymbals were the icing on the cake, and the entire presentation was something to remember.

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

As much as I am ok with The Artist winning I can't help it being forgotten in a few years as with "flashy" Oscar Films. Just like Slumdog Millionaire or Chicago back then they were the "cool" choices for Best Picture because either of the style of the picture (slumdog) or because its a homage to forgotten Hollywood genres (Chicago).

The Artist is a middle of the pack choice ... which is ok I guess but its hard to see if it's going to stand the test of time.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

As much as I am ok with The Artist winning I can't help it being forgotten in a few years as with "flashy" Oscar Films. Just like Slumdog Millionaire or Chicago back then they were the "cool" choices for Best Picture because either of the style of the picture (slumdog) or because its a homage to forgotten Hollywood genres (Chicago).

The Artist is a middle of the pack choice ... which is ok I guess but its hard to see if it's going to stand the test of time.

There's a chance this could happen. The Artist was an outstanding film. It was a fantastic tribute to the silent film era, and everyone can enjoy this one. Also, The Artist is only the second silent film ever to win the Best Picture award, and this was a remarkable achievement. But as of right now, you really can't put this film on the same level as classic Best Picture winners of the past. The Godfather, Casablanca, and Gone With The Wind have all managed to stand the test of time. And despite my personal feelings about Titanic being overrated, this film has gained iconic status. It's been fourteen years since this film won the award for Best Picture, but Titanic has managed to maintain its popularity, and a good amount of moviegoers will flock to see the 3D re-release next month.

The Artist has become that delightful treat, that everyone wants to fall in love with. Although, People could forget about this film ten or twenty years from now. Chicago won the Oscar for Best Picture, but Gangs Of New York or The Pianist could've easily took this award. Slumdog Millionaire became this instant sentimental favorite, but The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button or Frost/Nixon were Best Picture worthy films. This year the nominations in the Best Picture category were kind of weak, but when you look back at it, The Artist really was one of the better choices.

The Artist could become a classic over the years, or this film could be remembered as a fad, because "SOMEONE MADE A SILENT MOVIE IN 2011!!!!" We'll see if The Artist can measure up to the Best Picture winners of the future, and then we'll see if The Artist deserves a place amongst the classic winners of the past. These are important factors, when you determine The Artist's legacy. If people are still talking about this film after the other future winners of the big prize, and IF The Artist can find a place on the all time elite Best Picture winners list in Oscar history, then The Artist can begin to build some kind of legacy. But of course, all of this will take a lot of time.