Feature

Oscar nominations: your guide at what to be outraged by

Ali

25th January 2011

Ah, the Oscars: the perfect time for film bloggers to get up in arms about [insert pointless topic here]. Here's your 5-step guide to getting your knickers in a twist about this year's nominations.

By now, I'm sure you've already read, digested and remembered the complete list of Academy Awards nominations for this year's Oscars. If not, go here and do a speed read. Still can't be arsed? Here's the abridged version in a nom-shell: The King's Speech was nominated for everything, True Grit dun good, the Academy 'like' The Social Network, and so on.

What I'm interested in is what we don't see on the list. Twist! Why bother writing about what did get nominated when you can earn valuable rage points by banging on about 'snubbed' actors and 'Academy prejudice'? Here are five things you are officially allowed to be outraged by.
It took a while for me to even realise it was eligible, but Shutter Island's complete and utter lack of recognition is a mystery on a par with Martin Scorsese's nuthouse thriller. Ungamely shunted out of contention last year, it seems voters plum forgot it even existed this year. That's what you get for releasing your film in February, idiots.

It's perhaps not one of Scorsese's best, but if a film like The Kids Are All Right can get a nod for Best Picture, then surely Shutter Island could stake a claim too. I can just about buy voters being split between Leo DiCaprio in this and Inception, but not even a technical nomination? The cinematography in this film is incredible. Incredible. Grrr.

Huff rating: Mildy narked.
Yeah , yeah, I know. Since when has a film aimed at socially retarded young geeks ever been relevant to a guild of socially retarded old fogies? I wasn't expecting big lesbians for Scott Pilgrim Vs The World in the acting categories, or directing for that matter.

However, the lack of recognition in the technicals is a bitter pill to swallow. The Visual Effects category saw fit to reward gaudy monstrosities like Alice In Wonderland and shit like Hereafter (memorable special effects shots: 1), but every frame of Pilgrim is stamped with an utterly ace visual style; effects that compliment the movie instead of distracting from it.

Huff rating: Seriously peeved.
Haha, Tron Legacy getting nominated for an Oscar. Good one, guys. Believe it or not, it did get thrown a bone in the form of a Sound Editing nomination, but I don't remember anyone exiting the cinema saying, "What I really loved about that film was the way the sound was edited."

Tron Legacy's one redeeming feature was the soundtrack provided by Daft Punk - not only was it a score that was pretty magnificent in its own right, but it felt completely organic to the Tron universe and looks to have set a precedent: now every big CG movie is going to want an A-list soundtrack. If Daft Punk could take their helmets off, I'm sure we'd see two sad, French faces. 'Merde', they'd say.

Huff rating: Substantially vexed.
I didn't like I'm Still Here, mainly because I felt it was trying too hard to make us feel sorry for Joaquin Phoenix instead of making some sort of point, whatever that was supposed to be. Beards are stupid, or something.

That said, Joaquin Phoenix is one dedicated motherfucker. Not only did he gain weight and completely trash his reputation around Hollywood, he lived the role of a fat useless rapper for almost two years. That's two years spent making a film that wasn't even very good. Sucks to be Joaquin right now, let me tell you.

Huff rating: Pretty darn peturbed.
GARRRRRFIIIIEEEEELD! The Social Network got more than a couple of nominations in all the right categories, and even in ones that it maybe didn't deserve. I love Jesse Eisenberg as much as the next guy (unless the next guy is Michael Cera) but I wouldn't call his a Best Actor kinda performance.

But Andrew Garfield? He's the guy who went through the wringer; he's the guy pulled from pillar to post; he's the guy who runs the gamut of emotions. Zuckerberg is the enigma, sure - the more interesting character without a doubt. But the guy's a total blank: as unreadable as a Richard Littlejohn novel. Garfield should have got the nod for Best Supporting Actor - let's just hope he's consoling himself with a nice lasagne.

Huff rating: Totally fucking pissed off.
That's about it. No love for Kick-Ass in the Best Adapted Screenplay; no Enter The Void; no token Affleck votes. No real surprises. Also, no black people. Shame on you, Academy, you stupid racists.

More:  Oscars  I Am Outrage
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