The Oscars: What Might Have Been
Before I get to the movies that were nominated and who will win and who should win, I just need to take a moment to rage in defense of the movies/people that were not nominated whose absence on the ballot is a travesty of epic proportions. Where, for the love of all that is good, is Michael Fassbender's name on the best actor category?? The man turned in the performance of the year in "Shame." In fact, "Shame" itself should be on the Best Picture list! Carey Mulligan should be in the Best Supporting Actress category for her part in that movie. It was one of the best movies I've ever seen and it was completely shut out. Not totally surprising, I suppose, given the subject matter, but shame (no pun intended) on the Academy for passing over a worthy movie because some puritanical, squeamish old white men are scared of Michael Fassbender's penis.
Where is a Supporting nomination for Albert Brooks for his performance as a gangster in "Drive"? Or a nomination for Ryan Gosling for that matter? I would have picked "Drive" for a Best Picture nomination before that clusterfuck of a movie, "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close."
They gave Nick Nolte the nod for Supporting for basically being himself in "Warrior" but skipped right over an incredible Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton who both helped make "Warrior," a movie that in no way should have worked, an emotional tour-de-force.
Where is the love for Tilda Swinton in "We Have to Talk About Kevin"? I'm pretty disappointed in the Best Actress category this year, not because I hate the people nominated, but because there were better choices.
How about a little joy for Michael Shannon in "Take Shelter"? They blessed Jessica Chastain for her work in "The Help" but that was by far her weakest role of last year. What about her performances in "The Tree of Life" or "Take Shelter"?
Rooney Mara was good in "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" but I would much rather have seen "Melancholia"'s Kirsten Dunst or "Martha Marcy May Marlene"'s Elizabeth Olson grab the Best Actress nomination instead. And speaking of "Martha Marcy May Marlene," what about a the phenomenal John Hawkes as a charismatic and deeply disturbing cult leader? I would have been super excited to see a screenplay nomination for that movie, too. Even a Best Director nod, although if you're snubbing Speilberg, I guess shunning relative newbie director Sean Durkin is no biggie.
I could go on, but I won't. What I will do is beg you to see some, if not all, of the movies mentioned above, that weren't nominated. They deserve to be seen. You can thank me later, after you've gotten a good look at Michael Fassbender's penis.
Where is a Supporting nomination for Albert Brooks for his performance as a gangster in "Drive"? Or a nomination for Ryan Gosling for that matter? I would have picked "Drive" for a Best Picture nomination before that clusterfuck of a movie, "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close."
They gave Nick Nolte the nod for Supporting for basically being himself in "Warrior" but skipped right over an incredible Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton who both helped make "Warrior," a movie that in no way should have worked, an emotional tour-de-force.
Where is the love for Tilda Swinton in "We Have to Talk About Kevin"? I'm pretty disappointed in the Best Actress category this year, not because I hate the people nominated, but because there were better choices.
How about a little joy for Michael Shannon in "Take Shelter"? They blessed Jessica Chastain for her work in "The Help" but that was by far her weakest role of last year. What about her performances in "The Tree of Life" or "Take Shelter"?
Rooney Mara was good in "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" but I would much rather have seen "Melancholia"'s Kirsten Dunst or "Martha Marcy May Marlene"'s Elizabeth Olson grab the Best Actress nomination instead. And speaking of "Martha Marcy May Marlene," what about a the phenomenal John Hawkes as a charismatic and deeply disturbing cult leader? I would have been super excited to see a screenplay nomination for that movie, too. Even a Best Director nod, although if you're snubbing Speilberg, I guess shunning relative newbie director Sean Durkin is no biggie.
I could go on, but I won't. What I will do is beg you to see some, if not all, of the movies mentioned above, that weren't nominated. They deserve to be seen. You can thank me later, after you've gotten a good look at Michael Fassbender's penis.