Friday Five: Oscar Nominations

I love movies. Shocking revelation, I know. Tuesday was Oscar nomination day, and I have opinions on those nominations. Again, shocking.

1. Unless you've been living under a rock (or simply don't care, which if that is the case, I won't be offended if you stop reading now), the AMPAS expanded the best picture list to include 10 (10!) movies. Crazy. Nominees and my reaction below.
   -Avatar
   - the Blind Side
   - District 9
   - An Education
   - Hurt Locker
   - Inglourious Basterds
   - Precious
   - A Serious Man (have not seen)
   - Up (have not seen)
   - Up in the Air
   
   Super excited about the inclusion of District 9 on this list. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Avatar has to have the worst dialogue of any Best Picture nominee, possibly ever. So bad it was distracting. The Blind Side, really? Tim McGraw can now say he starred in an Oscar-nominated movie.
   
   
2. Overall, don't see the point of expanding the list when the Best Director category is still five. Movies there weren't nominated for best directing are the "second-class citizens" of the best pic race. But with the inclusion of Avatar, the Blind Side, Up and Inglourious Basters, maybe ratings will increase.
   
   
3. What happens if Up loses the Oscar for animation? How can the Academy justify that? It was good enough to be nominated for the overall best picture race, but somehow is not considered the best animated film?
   
   
4. Kathryn Bigelow might become the first woman to win the Oscar for best director! Lee Daniels is the first African American man to be nominated for best director! Exciting! Except I have mixed feelings about Daniels inclusion. Saw Precious, liked it, recommend it. Daniels pulled incredible performances out of his cast - two receiving Oscar nominations - and deserves credit. But I didn't like many choices he made shooting and editing the film, including, but not limited to, the scenes in and around the fantasies. So mixed feelings.
   
   
5. In the Loop was nominated for adapted screenplay. Wow. Just saw this movie last week. Probably the most profane movie every nominated for an screenplay Oscar. You know how sometimes, you watch a movie with repetitive foul language and you get used to it by the end. The profanity in this movie is so over the top (and creative) that you always notice it. It's a British comedy about the lead up the Iraq war. But it's very smart and clever and deserving.