Oscar Nods, Snubs and Surprises

Highlighted titles are the ones that I predicted.

Best Picture:

The Artist

The Descendants

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

The Help

Hugo

Midnight in Paris

Moneyball

The Tree of Life

War Horse

Snubs:
None from where I'm standing

Surprises: 
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. After being snubbed by major guilds and the Golden Globes, it is indeed quite a shock to see this movie here. But I'm happy it's made it into the race. Stephen Daldry needs to be congratulated for his directorial work. All four of his directed motion pictures are capable competitors of the Oscars, and while he hasn't squeezed into the crowded field of Best Director this year to shoot for a 4/4 record, his picture is still in the biggest race.

The Tree of Life may be less of a surprise. It probably only means that though it is arguably the most ambitious films in decades, the picture and the well-loved director Terrence Malick have earned enough first-place votes for this work. It is a great example of how films benefit under the new 5% rule. Perhaps the majority doesn't like The Tree of Life, but some really love it, so it's still in because it has obtained the 5% first-place ballots required.

9 Pictures. It's definitely a surprise. I've heard people guessing there will be 7-8 pictures, and some 6, and some even say 5. But from what I remember, very few predicted 9. (I came up with 8)

Best Leading Actor:
Demián Bichir - A Better Life

George Clooney - The Descendants

Jean Dujardin - The Artist

Gary Oldman - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Brad Pitt - Moneyball

Snubs:
Leo Dicaprio - J. Edgar. I don't think he is superb but I thought he would get nominated anyway. Now it seems that his spot is stolen by Demián Bichir or Gary Oldman

Michael Fassbender - Shame. His performance in Shame is completely in another level and I don't know how that certain performance can be compared to performances by other actors. He is good and it is indeed a pity that his kind of performance is not recognized by the Academy.

Surprises:
Demián Bichir's mention in SAG probably meant something, and now it is confirmed. Once again, the SAG proves to be a great indicator. One mention in the SAG is sufficient for a nomination.

The amazing Gary Oldman's first Oscar nod is long overdue, but I never thought this year would be year for him to manage a nomination with all the frontrunners. Turns out I'm indeed wrong.

Best Leading 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

Snubs:
Tilda Swinton for sure. Her astonishing performance throughout We Need to Talk About Kevin hasn't earned her this Oscar-winning Actress a lead-acting nomination.


Surprises:
Rooney Mara's in, but I guess it is not that much of a big surprise. Definitely Tilda Swinton not being nominated is more like one.

Best Supporting Actor:
Kenneth Branagh - My Week with Marilyn
Jonah Hill - Moneyball
Nick Nolte - Warrior 

Christopher Plummer - Beginners

Max von Sydow - Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Snubs:
Albert Brooks for Drive. It seems Drive hasn't been well treated in this year's Oscar.


Surprises:
Not really, though I'm trying to get used to the title Academy Award nominee Jonah Hill.

Best Supporting Actress:
Bérénice Bejo - The Artist

Jessica Chastain - The Help

Melissa McCarthy - Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer - Albert Nobbs

Octavia Spencer - The Help

Snubs:
Carey Mulligan in Shame, and Shailene Woodley's breathtaking performance in the beginning of The Descendants. This category is probably too crowded this year with far too many possibilities. Basically beside Octavia Spencer and Bérénice Bejo, anything is possible.


Surprises:
Melissa McCarthy is probably one if you didn't pay much attention to the recent rise of Bridesmaids. Though this simply comedy flick didn't prove itself worthy in the Best Picture race, it definitely has helped Melissa McCarthy get in this supporting race.


Best Director:

Woody Allen - Midnight in Paris

Michel Hazanavicius - The Artist

Terrence Malick - The Tree of Life

Alexander Payne - The Descendants

Martin Scorsese - Hugo

Snubs:
There are quite a number of worthy contenders snubbed, but it's too good a year for directors. Steven Spielberg, Tate Taylor, David Fincher. It's easy to name a few more yourself.


Surprise:
Not much. As usual, the DGA nods and the Academy nods don't line up, with one mismatch. Many can join the race alongside Allen, Hazanavicius, Payne and Scorsese, and the Academy has chosen to give that honor the beloved Terrence Malick for his brave work The Tree of Life. I would say it's very well deserved.

Best Original Screenplay:

The Artist

Bridesmaids 
Margin Call
Midnight in Paris
A Separation


Snubs:
Quite a lot like most of the time. Win Win, Young Adult...


Surprises:
Margin Call is a shock to me. I've watched this movie and I never really considered it to be serious Oscar contender. Well, what's happening now is that this not-so-different thriller has earned itself an original screenplay nod.


A Separation. I never expected this foreign language film to soar above so many US options.


Best Adapted Screenplay:

The Descendants

Hugo

The Ides of March

Moneyball

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy


Snubs:
The Help and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. If Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close has made its way into the Best Picture glory, why hasn't it got this? Same thing for The Help


Surprises:
I considered The Ides of March for this category but I didn't think it was a very strong contender. It seems this the Academy does want George Clooney to have double nominations this year. And Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, since it's been mostly snubbed, I never really thought about this getting in this category.


Best Animated Feature:
A Cat in Paris
Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2

Puss in Boots

Rango

Snubs:
Wow. Just wow. The Adventures of Tintin. Where the heck has it run off to? This is probably one of the greatest surprises of the announcement as well.


Surprises:
Tintin indeed, and maybe it's just me, but I've never even heard of A Cat in Paris and Chico & Rita.
 
Best Foreign Language Film:
Bullhead
Footnote
In Darkness
Monsieur Lazhar
A Separation

Snubs:
Obviously I'm not an expert of this category and I personally do not watch many foreign films, so I can't say.


Surprises:
I guess a list that includes In Darkness, Bullhead and the frontrunner A Separation is not much of a surprise.

Best Cinematography:
The Artist
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Hugo

The Tree of Life

War Horse

Snubs:
No for me

Surprises:
I must admit, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is quite a surprise for me.

Best Editing:
The Artist
The Descendants
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Moneyball

Snubs:
Drive and War Horse, The Tree of Life, and I think I can name a lot more. This category is too tricky to guess for me.


Surprises:
Nope

Best Art Direction:
The Artist
HP 7.2
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
War Horse

Snubs:
Not that I notice and not that I'm expert. I just think that The Artist, HP and Hugo definitely deserve it.

Surprises:
Not that I can tell. War Horse perhaps. And the fact that I just know I mysteriously missed this category in my previous prediction.

Best Costume Design:
Annymous

The Artist

Hugo
Jane Eyre
W.E.

Snubs:
Not for me to say, but I don't think there's any obvious snubs.

Surprises:
W.E. is probably the surprise for me here.

Best Makeup:
Albert Nobbs

HP 7.2

The Iron Lady

Snubs:
Hugo and The Artist. The two Best Picture frontrunners.

Surprises:
None

Best Original Score:
The Adventures of Tintin

The Artist

Hugo
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
War Horse

Snubs:
With Drive being deemed ineligible, I am not that into this race anymore. I personally only loved the music from Hugo, War Horse and Drive.

Surprises:
The Adventures of Tintin, getting one nod compensating for it being weirdly missed out in the animated category.

I never expected Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Best Original Song:
The Muppets - Man or Muppet
Rio - Real in Rio

Snubs:
All I can say is what the heck. Seriously, two songs. How about The Living Proof from The Help which had been one of the most potential nominees since the beginning. How about Hugo's amazing piece at the end of the movie? How about more songs from The Muppets.


Surprises:
The number of nominees itself despite all the worth pieces this year is a huge surprise. The reasonable explanation is that many do not get sufficient ballots to be nominated.

Best Sound Mixing:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Moneyball
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse

Best Sound Editing:
Drive
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse


Snubs:
Super 8?

Surprises:
I can't believe Super 8 didn't receive dual nods in the sound categories. The train-wreck scene is adequate for the nods. What's wrong with you Academy members?

Best Visual Effects:
HP 7.2
Hugo
Real Steel

Rise of the Planet of Apes

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Snubs:
No, no obvious ones. And no, I never thought The Tree of Life would be nominated.

Surprises:
Not that I can tell. Real Steel is probably the most surprising one here.