The Oscars 2012: The Noms, Predictions & Snubs

So, the Academy have just announced the Oscar nominations for this year with the help of the lovely Jennifer Lawrence but, as predicted, there were notable snubs for 2011's big hitters, Ryan Gosling and Michael Fassbender, as well as the absence of animation heavywights, Pixar. There was no place for acclaimed documentaries like Project Nim or Senna either, and no sign of my beloved Carey Mulligan. But enough negativity; lets take a look at who was included shall we...

BEST PICTURE

Nominations:

The Artist
The Descendants
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
The Help
Moneyball
War Horse
The Tree of Life

My winner: The Artist

Predicted winner: The Artist

Thoughts: Some good, if not great film choices here (bar The Artist and The Tree of Life). War Horse shouldn't be anywhere near this category and neither should Moneyball, but what about inexplicable inclusion of Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close? Yeah, I've never heard of it either.

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BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Nominations:

Demian Bichir (A Better Life)
George Clooney (The Descendants)
Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
Gary Oldman (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy)
Brad Pitt (Moneyball)

My winner: George Clooney

Predicted winner: Jean Dujardin/George Clooney

Thoughts: A mixed, but strong selection here with notable turns from Pitt and Oldman, even if some the films themselves weren't amazing. Clooney feel like the favourite after his Golden Globe success, but faces stiff competition from Dujardin and even a sterling effort from Brad Pitt.

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BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Nominations:

Best Supporting Actor
Kenneth Branagh (My Week With Marilyn)
Jonah Hill (Moneyball)
Nick Nolte (Warrior)
Christopher Plummer (Beginners)
Max Von Sydow (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close)

My winner: Nick Nolte

Predicted winner: Christopher Plummer

Thoughts: Perhaps the fiercest category of the lot with some very strong performances here. Both Hill and Branagh are solid, but Nick Nolte was superb in Warrior and is probably not getting the credit he deserves. However, as per his Golden Globe win, Christopher Plummer seems odds on.

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BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Nominations:

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)

My winner: Rooney Mara

Predicted winner: Meryl Streep

Thoughts: This has to be my least favourite category as being a fan of Williams, I was vastly underwhelmed by her role in My Week With Marilyn. Similarly, Streep's Thatcher isn't the most popular of sorts, but most likely to win. Rooney Mara, for me, was the most appealing so she gets my (some say outrageous) vote.

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BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Nominations:

Berenice Bejo (The Artist)
Jessica Chastain (The Help)
Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids)
Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs)
Octavia Spencer (The Help)

My winner: Berenice Bejo

Predicted winner: Octavia Spencer

Thoughts: There's a distinct lack of Carey Mulligan here (predominantly for Shame, but also for a subtle effort in Drive) and I'm not happy. There's also an interesting nomination for Chastain who was superb in Take Shelter and just as good in The Tree of Life, but it recognised for The Help. My most likeable choice is Bejo in the fantastic The Artist, though.

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WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)

Nominations:

Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris)
JC Chandor (Margin Call)
Asghar Farhadi (A Separation)
Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)
Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo (Bridesmaids)

My winner: Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)

Predicted winner: Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris)

Thoughts: The surprise for me is how Bridesmaids is present; not only because it's a mainstream comedy, but for the fact it's a funny, albeit average film. Nice to see Margin Call here but again, The Artist steals it for me, even though Woody Allen could swipe it.

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WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)

Nominations:

Alexander Payne, Nat Faxton, Jim Rash (The Descendants)
John Logan (Hugo)
George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon (The Ides of March)
Aaron Sorkin, Steven Zaillian (Moneyball)
Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughn (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy)

My winner: Aaron Sorkin, Steven Zaillian (Moneyball)

Predicted winner: Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughn (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy)

Thoughts: A good collection, but Aaron Sorkin has a slick, well written film in Moneyball, but the panel might opt for the Brit ensemble thriller Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, even though it was hit-and-miss with audiences, including myself.

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DIRECTING

Nominations:

Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris)
Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)
Terrence Malick (The Tree of Life)
Alexander Payne (The Descendants)
Martin Scorsese (Hugo)

My winner: Terrence Malick (The Tree of Life)

Predicted winner: Any one of them

Thoughts: All worthy contenders and, in truth, I can see any one of these directors walking away with the prize. Malick is probably the outsider, even though The Tree of Life is a fantastically made film, but Scorsese will almost certainly be battling it out with Hazanavicius and Allen.

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ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

Nominations:

A Cat In Paris

Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango

My winner: Rango/Chico & Rita

Predicted winner: Rango 

Thoughts: The lack of Pixar's presence is the big shock (or is it after Cars 2?). Rango is a wonderfully dark, quirky and beautifully animated movie, which has winner written all over it. Saying that, Chico & Rita is a lovingly made and charming foreign film.

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CINEMATOGRAPHY 

Nominations:

The Artist
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
The Tree of Life
War Horse

My winner: The Tree of Life

Predicted winner: War Horse/The Tree of Life

Thoughts: I didn't enjoy War Horse, but the thing I took from it was the battle scenes and visual scale of it. Having said that, Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life is a thing of sheer beauty, so therefore gets my vote.

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BIGGEST SNUBS:

Drive
Shame

Senna
The Skin I Live In 
Take Shelter
Submarine
Tyrannosaur 
Melancholia
50/50

Thoughts: Pretty self explanatory here. The worst ones left out are Drive and Senna, which I rate extremely highly and it's also a shame to see British flicks Submarine and Tyrannosaur forgotten as well. Oh, one final word: Shame.

Review: Shame

Rating: 18

Duration: 101 mins

The breakthrough of 2011 may be awarded to Ryan Gosling, but dismissing the competition would be a vast oversight. Appearing in no less than five movies over the past year, including X-Men: First Class and Jane Eyre, Michael Fassbender is without doubt one of the brightest talents to emerge as of late.

Following on from Steve McQueen's acclaimed début drama, Hunger, Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan star in his latest efforts about a New Yorker and his inner battle with sex addiction.

The adult-themed, intense story of Brandon (Fassbender), exists in a very private, sordid and emotionally isolated life as he indulges in his addiction until younger sister Sissy (Mulligan), turns up unexpectedly seeking somewhere to stay. Suffice to say Brandon is not keen on the invasion of his personal space, as McQueen depicts the, at times, explosive co-existence of the siblings as their troubled lives collide with severe consequence.

Fassbender issues a powerful and very accomplished performance as his character swings from charming to   brooding; kind and considerate to overtly aggressive, with a genuine volatility of a person constantly battling with his demons at every turn: whilst on the outside he appears to be pleasantly suave when it comes to the opposite sex, his sexual depravity and obsessive womanising more often than not takes over.

Mulligan also offers a fine performance as Sissy, who seems to be the element that pushes Brandon to the brink as he tries in vain to submerge his problems from those closest to him as well as himself. In fact, both actors work superbly together as we are exposed to moments of supportive embrace, followed by extreme resentment, which adds genuine intensity to the situation.

Steve McQueen delivers an accomplished film that delves into the emotionally complex lives of Brandon and Sissy. He captures the essence of the city they inhabit, notably through such scenes as a late night jog that literally tracks Brandon through the rich diversity of the streets: it lasts for a while as a continuous shot and is a delight to watch. McQueen also oddly manages to convey a somewhat conflicting, yet engaging view of Brandon: the semi-glamorous lifestyle of a liberal bachelor, versus the painfully damaged deviancy that allures him on a daily basis.

It's no shock to learn that there are several explicit sexual scenes that are key to the plot, but then were you expecting anything else? The close-up reveal of  Fassbender's penis within the opening few minutes is an indication of things to come, as the narrative takes us through his day-to-day endeavours: Internet pornography, prostitution, as well as a frontal snippet of Mulligan's torso, yet is contextually in keeping with  the story without feeling contrived or frivolous. 

Amongst several beautifully shot scenes, perhaps the one that stands out more than any is Sissy's rendition of New York, New York: it encompasses the heartfelt sorrow of her character. It also tonally defines the film itself, as she treads ever so carefully through the song, with a prolonged shot of her eclectic, impassioned face for the entire duration: McQueen certainly knows how to engage his audience and capture the mood to striking effect.

It's a shame (no pun intended) that this character driven piece will be swept aside come the Oscars: it's far too brash and overt to fit in with the conservative conformity of the committee, yet hopefully won't devalue its worth and merit as a great film.

VERDICT: Shame is a fascinating character study of a man plagued by insecurity and an inability to emotionally relate to, well, anybody. A dark, and arguably seedy story, given a sense of elegance, class and beauty by director McQueen, allows Fassbender - and Mulligan to a lesser extent - to resonate in their roles. The explicit nature of the film will undoubtedly turn some viewers away, but be sure of one thing: these will be the ones missing out on something well worth the ticket price.