Each year when Academy Award nominations are announced I find myself in a similar predicament. I wait and wait, hoping that this year will be different. Hoping that this year, they don’t overlook something as integral as nominating Ryan Gosling as Best Actor for his stellar performance in Blue Valentine (or in Lars and the Real Girl while we’re at it) or nominating Sofia Coppola’s Somewhere for Best Picture or even Best Director. But alas, this year is no different in terms of my crushed hopes and dreams. This year, I waited and waited, and, yet, find myself with a familiar feeling– a mixture of an expected lackluster letdown with that of realized betrayal.

Some of the nominations were deserved for sure. I, as I’m sure many others, would have been incensed if Rooney Mara did not receive a nomination for her downright outstanding performance in Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I would have also felt similarly if Terrence Malick as well as his film, Tree of Life, were not recognized for the Best Director and Best Picture categories, respectively, the way they were during this year’s Golden Globes. I was also pleasantly surprised by the Academy’s decision to nominate Mellisa McCarthy for her supporting role in Bridesmaids, not that this was my favorite movie this year (not by far) but it does not go unnoticed that they are breaking ground by nominating a television actress for her role in a comedic film, especially an actress who does not fit the typical Hollywood standards in terms of looks.

But, those expected and deserved nominations aside, I still cannot get over some of things the Academy decided to pass on. For example, this year, the Academy decided to nominate only nine films (of the slotted ten) for the Best Picture category, probably coming off the heals of the criticism they received for nominating a movie like The Blind Side two years before. So they only nominate nine films– The Help, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, and even War Horse being among these nine. And in doing so, they chose to overlook The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, We Need to Talk About Kevin and Drive? Or they just didn’t think that any of these films could even be considered in the same category as The Help? I mean, come on! The Oscars are supposed to be the definitive of the best films each year, right? Well then, we must be seeing different movies under the same name.

And that’s not all. Where were Ryan Gosling and Albert Brooks’ nominations for their roles in Drive? And perhaps most frustrating of all, where was Tilda Swinton’s more-than-deserved Best Actress nomination for her amazing performance in We Need to Talk About Kevin?

And I’m not a crazy feminist here, but in a sea of male Best Director nominees, it would have not only been nice, but also much deserved to see Lynne Ramsay nominated for her film We Need to Talk About Kevin. Or, if that’s too risque for you, what about David Fincher? Did he really not deserve to be recognized for his take on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo?

Yes, I admit I had high hopes–perhaps even too high of hopes seeing as I was also gunning for an unexpected Elizabeth Olsen Best Actress nomination for her breakout role in Martha Marcy May Marlene– but the Academy proved just how remiss they are with the films and performances they decided to leave out. Instead, the Academy went the safe route. A Best Film category filled with movies made by Steven Spielberg, Woody Allen, and Martin Scorsese? How unoriginal.

What does this mean? Nothing, really. I will continue watching the Oscars, and continue hoping that one year, just one year they will get it right. But, sadly, this year ain’t that year.