Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture:
“Bridesmaids”
“The Artist”
“The Descendants”
“The Help”
“Midnight in Paris”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role:
George Clooney, “The Descendants”
Demian Bicher, “A Better Life”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “J. Edgar”
Jean Dujardin, “The Artist”
Brad Pitt, “Moneyball”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role:
Michelle Williams, “My Week with Marilyn”
Glenn Close, “Albert Nobbs”
Viola Davis, “The Help”
Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady”
Tilda Swinton, “We Need to Talk About Kevin”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role:
Nick Nolte, “Warrior”
Kenneth Branagh, “My Week with Marilyn”
Armie Hammer, “J. Edgar”
Jonah Hill, “Moneyball”
Christopher Plummer, “Beginners”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role:
Octavia Spencer, “The Help”
Berenice Bejo, “The Artist”
Jessica Chastain, “The Help”
Melissa McCarthy, “Bridesmaids”
Janet McTeer, “Albert Nobbs”

For a full list of winners, including winners from the television categories, click here.

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.

After looking again at a list of winners, there are a few things that immediately stand out. Yes, many awards went to the obvious choices– no one was really that surprised that Jean Dujarin took home the best actor award in a comedy or musical for his silent performance in The Artist, or that Meryl Streep was the top pick for best actress in a drama for her role in The Iron Lady, or even that The Artist was chosen as the best comedy or musical film (God, was Harvey Weinstein having his heyday).

But then, like any good award show, there were the shocks that let us all eagerly anticipating the Oscars know that we have a real race ahead of us. For example, is George Clooney really the top pick for the Best Actor category for his lead performance in The Descendants over his friend, Brad Pitt’s role (and higher-praised at that) in Moneyball? Or what about the best director award? It came as a shock to me (and I’m sure to many) that given as many awards The Artist was slated to take home, its director, Michel Hazanavicius, lost it to Martin Scorsese for his animated Hugo. Will The Artist actually win all the Oscars its slated to? (I not-so-secretly hope not).

Shocks aside, you also have to wonder if the obvious choice-wins were the Awards Season’s way of throwing us off our game for the Oscars. For example, will Meryl Streep actually take home the Best Actress Oscar, or, in a (probably deserving upset) will the award go to Rooney Mara for her amazing performance in Girl with the Dragon Tattoo or even Viola Davis in The Help? And with Octavia Spencer winning the Best Supporting Actress Globe, does that mean that Jessica Chastain has a better chance of winning any Oscar she may be nominated for (after all, she was in a staggering number of well-received films this year)?

I guess there is no way to tell until first, the Oscar nominations are released, and second, until the actual Oscars happen. But let me tell you, if Terrence Malick’s Tree of Life is snubbed the way it was at the more viewer-friendly Golden Globes, the award show is going to have some ‘splaining to do.

Overall, I thought the Golden Globes were great this year (due in large part to its three-year-running great host Ricky Gervais). Hopefully, the Oscars will learn a thing or two from this event. Until this can be discerned, I thank the Golden Globes (and the Hollywood Foreign Press) for a good night full of some expected awards and some shocks.

Here’s a look at the 5 nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Feature Film for 2011:

Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris

David Fincher, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Michel Hazanavicious, The Artist

Alexander Payne, The Descendants

Martin Scorsese, Hugo

Out of the nominees I’d say Scorsese, Payne, and Hazanavicious were definitely predictable. ‘The Artist’ has been raved about for being so unique (black and white, silent film), ‘Hugo’ is receiving a lot of praise for being such a change of form for Scorsese, and ‘The Descendants’ has been labeled by many as the best film of the year (I’ve seen it and while it wasn’t my favorite film of 2011, I definitely loved it).

Although Woody Allen’s ‘Midnight in Paris’ has received a lot of positive buzz some don’t believe it is one of the top 5 films. I personally have not seen the film so I can’t really pass judgment, but I have been hearing some pretty fantastic things about this underrated film.
A welcome surprise for me was the inclusion of David Fincher for ‘The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo’, which was somewhat absent from the SAG and Golden Globe Awards but seems to be picking up some more steam (at the box office and with award shows). This was definitely one of my favorite films of the year and even if it doesn’t get the win Fincher deserves the recognition for making such a faithful and fresh adaptation.

It seems many people think Nicolas Winding Refn and Steven Spielberg were robbed for ‘Drive’ and ‘War Horse’ respectively.

If I had to take a guess, I would go with Michel Hazanavicious for ‘The Artist.’ I haven’t seen this movie yet but it takes a really talented director to make a black and white silent film enjoyable in 2011. Kudos to him!

Congrats to all the nominees! The winner will be announced at the 64^th Annual DGA Awards Dinner on Saturday, January 28^th, 2012 in Hollywood.

Who do you think was the best director of 2011 Banters?

A ‘trailer’ for the 84th Academy Awards has recently been released online. And guess what? It’s for the kiddies.

Well, no, it’s not. It’s an attempt to make the kiddies think that the adults are funny and hip. Did you know adults have seen actions/suspense movies? They totally have! They know the stereotypes! They love cameos like the younger folk! Megan Fox!

However, when your cameos include Vinnie Jones and Robin Williams, you may still be alienating a younger demographic. Because while I’m sure many kids loved Snatch and Good Will Hunting, it is still hard to care that either of them show up.

“It’s obvious he transformed into a yeti!” – another classic Robin Williams line

This year there is no need to skew the Oscars younger. Their best bet is to focus on next year. Billy Crystal will have four good jokes, so that’ll win the older demographic. With Best Picture nominations likely to include a silent film, one set in the 1960’s south, and one about the death of a spouse, it seems maybe children and young adults may not be tuning in anyway? Probably not? Is anyone else getting that vibe?

“I hope Albert Nobbs wins!” – no one under the age of 80

But don’t fret. This trailer ended with a perfectly placed in 2012 texting joke. Oh, MAN! Only good stuff here. I’m sure there will be more of these before the actual show on February 26th, so if you enjoyed this, lucky you. For the rest of us, we’ll talk in 2013.