Dear Readers,

With the Golden Globes over with, it's time to usher in the more respected awards show. It's time to get ready… for the Academy Awards.

Yup, on Sunday, February 24th, the year's most prominent awards show is coming to us, and this year is quite a close race. With plenty of fantastic movies this year, it could be a slightly unpredictable night. So many good acting performances, so many good scripts, and so much good camerawork. It was quite a challenge for me to decide the best of the year, and I'm sure it will also be for the Academy. But, before the winners are announced, we have to know who even has the slightest chance of winning. A while back, the nominees for the various awards got released via a stream, which led many people to discuss the good, the bad, and the snubbery. Today, I am here to give you guys my opinion on the nominees shown, as well as who will win, who SHOULD win, and who was left out. After I enjoyed giving you all my initial thoughts of the Oscars last year, I want this year to have some preparation involved. Now, I can't give a solid opinion on everything, since I sadly missed a lot of the year's (allegedly) best films. But, I can give nods where nods are due. It's time for Flaps' to give his cinephile view. It's time for…

FLAPPERDOODLE ON THE 85TH ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS NOMINATIONS

We're just gonna go in the order of the website.

 

Who Will Win: Django Unchained OR Lincoln

Who Should Win: Silver Linings Playbook

Snubbed: Skyfall

Best Picture is a very close race here. There's plenty of films here that I could see winning. Argo could win, as it obviously has been seen as a fantastic film. Beasts of the Southern Wild is a good surprise pick for the golden statue, and it actually has gotten a few other nominations. Life of Pi has (annoyingly) gotten several nominations, it pretty much was perfect Oscar bait to begin with, but I don't think anybody saw it as the best film of the year. Zero Dark Thirty was said to be fantastic, but there is just too much controversy surrounding it to be appreciated for an award. Sadly, I don't see Les Mis or Amour winning this, simply because they both seem out of place here. Hey, who knows, I've never seen Amour, so it could be awesome, but Les Mis definitely looks a bit out of place here. Sure, it has a great cast, but I dunno if it is as good as a Best Picture nominee should be. I would love to see Silver Linings Playbook win this award, simply because I loved the film. I feel it was one of the best of the year, and it deserves universal praise. Sadly, it doesn't help this movie is essentially only nominated because of Harvey Weinstein. He obviously did some manipulating, which is why it has some pretty hefty noms here. I want it to win, it would be awesome if it did, but I have a very good feeling that it won't.

I can see this going to either Django Unchained or Lincoln. For one, Django Unchained is Tarantino's most ambitious project. It is is said to be fantastic (I plan to see it very soon), and has a wonderful ensemble cast. It was edgy, it was dramatic, it was funny, and it had a truthfully different story than most movies. If anything is holding it back, it's the entire subplot of slavery. But at the same time, slavery also is a perfect subject for a film trying to get an Oscar. Why Lincoln? … Why not Lincoln? Lincoln not only has the most nominations this year, it also is a biopic about one history's most beloved people. Abraham Lincoln is a true American hero, so telling his story is a perfect subject for a movie to win an Oscar. Let's not forget to mention that it has one of the best performances of the year from Daniel Day Lewis, a screenplay by Tony Kushner, and direction from Steven Spielberg. That alone is… a fantastic trio. I could see either of these movies taking the spot.

As for snubs, there's only one major snub I see from this category, and that is Skyfall. Skyfall got barely any nominations for anything too major, and it sucks. Skyfall is a fantastic movie, and I don't see why it wasn't nominated. Do James Bond movies work like Batman movies and get snubbed? I hope not, because Skyfall was really good. I would say The Hobbit, but many critics did not enjoy the movie, and though I disagreed with the complaints, I'm sure the Academy agreed with them. I would also say Looper, but I think the plot was just too convoluted. I highly enjoyed the plot, but it was riddled with various plot twists and strange time travel craziness. It also has a crazy plot. I could see the Academy looking away from it. But c'mon Academy? Why not Skyfall? It doesn't help you are giving the James Bond franchise a tribute. Yup… making a tribute to a franchise where the movie it most recently released isn't nominated for any awards is truly a good and not at all odd decision. YUP.

 

Who Will Win: Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)

Who Should Win: Daniel Day Lewis  (Lincoln)

Snubbed: Daniel Craig (Skyfall)

As much as I want Bradley Cooper to take this award out of sheer love for Silver Linings Playbook and his performance, he just wasn't as good as Daniel Day-Lewis. But before we go on why he rocks, who else is here? Well, I can easily see why Joaquin Phoenix was nominated from The Master, as it pretty much was one of the best performances he has ever done according to critics. Hugh Jackman for Les Mis is a bit odd to me, but I'll play along. Apparently he's a great singer, and he is a good actor, so I'll give him that. But let me ask, what is Denzel Washington doing here for Flight? Seriously, why is FLIGHT being nominated for anything? It wasn't very good via word of mouth, box office, or critics, so why is it even considered? I dunno, it just shocks me he is hear when there are so many other choices I heard about this year. Why not Michael Fassbender for Prometheus? How about Anthony Hopkins for Hitchcock? What about Martin Freeman for The Hobbit? Hell, even Joseph Gordon-Levitt from Looper could've been more accepted. If anything, Denzel Washington should've been nominated for Safe House over Flight.

Daniel Day-Lewis just owns his role as Abraham Lincoln. He perfectly embodies him. This IS Abraham Lincoln, there's no question, The way he gives off his lines, the way he does all of his gestures, the way he executes the guilt, honor, and care of Lincoln is nothing short of god-like. He takes the character and perfectly portrays what this guy would do. It definitely pleases me to see such an obvious choice. I loved his performance, and it is easily my favorite of the year. Period.

As for my definitive snub, I gotta go back to Skyfall here and say it sucks Daniel Craig wasn't nominated. He was so suave and sophisticated in the movie, yet broken and breaking down on the inside. Craig turns Bond into a complex enigma, and it's a shame he gets no credit for it on an Academy level. He deserves it whole-heartedly. Does it deserve to beat Lewis, or hell, even Cooper? No, but it is still worthy of being nominated to show people actually give a damn. As for honorable mentions, I would have to say Martin Freeman. Look, The Hobbit may not have been universally praised, but there is no doubt Martin Freeman completely sold his role as Bilbo Baggins. Another HM would easily be Jamie Foxx. I didn't Django… but my god, how is he not a part of this list? Wasn't he like… fricken amazing in Django Unchained? Or am I missing something…

 

Who Will Win: Jennifer Lawrence (Sliver Linings Playbook)

Who Should Win: Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)

Snubbed: Judy Dench (Skyfall)

This is.. a very strange category. We have some pretty obvious nominations like Jessica Chastain and the inevitable winner of this category Jennifer Lawrence. But then, we have two records broken. Emmanuelle Riva is the oldest Oscar nominee being 86 years old (for Amour), and Quvenzhane Wallis is 9 (for Beasts of the Southern Wild). Either of them could win, just out of sheer age. Riva isn't getting younger, no offense, and this could be one of her last amazing performances. Wallis is so young, and this is such a feat for acting and the Academy as a whole, that Wallis could actually win the award, no sweat. But then there's Naomi Watts, who stars in a movie where she is more dramatically invested in a role than ever. I mean… she cries… and sobs. VERY hard. It's hard to say who's gonna snag this category, so I'm gonna go with my guy and root for Lawrence.

Ya see, as much as I hate to admit it, there aren't too many awards that I feel Silver Linings Playbook have in the bag. If they have any… it's this one. Lawrence has been on a roll with her career choices lately. Despite House At The End Of The Street, everyone has seemed to fall in love with her. First Winter's Bone, then X-Men First Class, then The Hunger Games, and now Silver Linings Playbook. Her role is so complex and intricate, yet Lawrence steals the show in portraying it. It's dramatic, it's hilarious, but it is also riveting. I was enjoying her on screen presence from beginning to end. It's awesome to see Lawrence taking on roles slightly out of her comfort zone, and I am psyched to think of a future she could have with these roles. Let's hope she wins, cause she deserves it.

Sorry to keep getting Skyfall mixed up in all of this snubbery again, but Skyfall got SO SNUBBED. Judy Dench is perfect for this award. I could see her replacing Naomi Watts or Emmanuelle Riva. She was so good in the role. She played a very pained, serious character who is finally showing signs of being broken. It was deep, and dramatic, and totally worthy of ANY award. There's no excuse. A role that sophisticated and challenging to pull deserves credit where credit is due. As for anything else, a few of my friends saw Perks of Being a Wallflower, and they said Emma Watson should've gotten nominated. I didn't see the movie, but I heard she was wonderful, so I could've seen that being a thing. But man… why no Dench man.. WHY NO DENCH.

 

Who Will Win: Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained)

Who Should Win: Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln)

Snubbed: Javier Bardem (Skyfall)

When she was presenting these nominations, Emma Stone was making a joke that each person here has won before, and Seth McFarlane added on to it. And I was, honestly, extremely disappointed that the Academy decided to go with five actors who were already nominated. I mean, it would've been very hard to avoid, even with the snubbed, but there some choices. It just upsets me no new talent was up for grabs for a gold statue in this category. As for the nominations themselves, I am happy to see Robert De Niro in this category, as he did great is Silver Linings. It's also good to see Philip Seymour Hoffman from The Master in here, as they say he was amazing. Alan Arkin is a bit odd for me, because many people I knew who saw Argo were impartial to his role, but whatever, a good job is a good job. And of course, Tommy Lee Jones was hilarious and truly genius in Lincoln. I personally think he deserves this award before anybody else.

But after Christoph Waltz won the Golden Globe just a few nights ago, it seems like he has the slight edge. I don't know why, but a strange feeling is telling me that he is just going to win it. I don't know if he is better than Jones in his role, but I do know that in situations like this, usually the Academy sticks with ideas from the HFPA. I'd say it'd be a safe bet to go with Waltz on this one. Waltz did a fantastic job, and he is most likely going to win, in my opinion. Honestly, I could see Jones or De Niro taking it… but for some reason I can just see Christoph Waltz taking this one.

I don't think I even have to say how snubbed Javier Bardem was for best Supporting Actor here. He was fantastic and truly maniacal as the villain is Skyfall, and him not getting even the chance of an award for that saddens me… so deeply. Now, he has won an Oscar already, so that doesn't help my point about a new winner. But however, my point still stands if I bring up Ian McKellan. He was amazing as usual with The Hobbit. It surprises me that Ian wasn't nominated, even worse that some people didn't consider him. May I remind you that was nominated for his roll as Gandalf just ten years ago? I dunno… it would seem appropriate to nominate him. I dunno. Other small mentions are for Ezra Miller and William H. Macy. I could see them.

 

Who Will Win: Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables)

Who Should Win: Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables)

Snubbed: None

This category, unfortunately, is not much of a race. There's some obvious people here who are probably not going to win. For one, I'm sorry Jacki Weaver, but why are you here? I mean, you were good in Silver Linings Playbook, but… I don't see an award in your future. Also, no offense Helen Hunt, but this is definitely an awkward nomination for you, as it is so odd to see John Hawkes not get a nod as well. It's just weird. Amy Adams is talented, but many assume she's only here because Weinstein was able to do some manipulation to get a spot. This year, you could tell the Academy was indeed scrapping the bottom of the barrel.The race is truly between Sally Field and Anne Hathaway. Sally Field was truly emotional in Lincoln, and she played the role with sheer impact. Emotional doesn't even begin to describe it.

But… I honestly don't think that Sally Field's performance can even compare to the hauntingly beautiful Anne Hathaway in Les Mis. Let's be honest here folks, her rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" is marvelous. She deserves a fricken Grammy for that. But it's her on screen presence that allows her to nail the role. It's just the way she shows herself off in the movie. She's a hurt character, and she is so scarred in the film, you can't help but see her character in so many new lights thanks to her envisioning brought to life. I think she deserves this award, simply due to her getting so into her character.

I'm sorry guys, but there is nobody who I can think of that were snubbed. I'm sure some of you can… but I'm too lazy because I can't. I'm sure there are some sure-fire choices… but I didn't even get familiar with them sadly.

 

Who Will Win: Steven Spielberg (Lincoln)

Who Should Win: Steven Spielberg (Lincoln)

Snubbed: Sam Mendes (Skyfall)

This one… is hard. This category is kinda like an annoying multiple choice question. You can cancel a few options, but there are a few that still stand possible. Let's get this out of the way, Ang Lee will not win in my book. Sure, Life of Pi was an alright film, but it can't hold a candle to the other films here. Then, sadly, I can kinda get rid of David O. Russell. I loved his directing of Silver Linings, but it'll make sense if he doesn't get it. But for some reason… Michael Haneke seems to be more and more possible. He's a shoe-in for Best Foreign Film, so it kinda seems possible for him to win. And even Benh Zeitlin can be considered to win simply due to the fact that it's the black sheep of the group. It would seem possible.

But I gotta give this one to Lincoln. Mainly because this movie was just such a good biopic, and it overall has the calling for an Oscar based on directing. Besides for writing and the main actor, director is probably the next best award that Lincoln would win. Spielberg is a classic director, and his envisioning to the film really helps it come to life. There's truly an elegance to the movie, and they have to give him credit for that. You can tell there was thought put into the film, and I think that deserves a pretty hefty award.

But yet, there are so many snubs in this category. I don't think I even have to begin on why Sam Mendes was snubbed for Skyfall, as he directed that beautifully. I also must question the snubbed Ben Affleck for Argo, and Kathryn Bigelow for Zero Dark Thirty. It just seems that those were very challenging movies to direct, and seeing them on so many people's top ten lists shows something of prowess. There's also people like Quentin Tarantino for Django Unchained, Wes Anderson for Moonrise Kingdom, Martin McDonagh for Seven Psychopaths, and even Stephen Chbosky for The Perks of Being a Wallflower. It just seems like many worthy additions are absent, and it's a shame. Christopher Nolan was obviously snubbed, but I feel it is still worth mentioning he did a fantastic job.

 

Who Will Win: Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained)

Who Should Win: Wes Anderson (Moonrise Kingdom)

Snubbed: Rian Johnston (Looper)

This is a very weird category, for a few reasons. For one, we have another nomination for Amour, a foreign film. It's not often a film like this (from Austria, nonetheless) gets in so many award categories. Then we have Flight… a film that is so out of place here, it baffles me. And then there's Zero Dark Thirty: a movie that could win the award, but the odd controversy holds it back. And then, we have Moonrise Kingdom. This is the ONLY award that Moonrise Kingdom is nominated for, and despite the fact that it deserves it completely, it is odd that it is only being nominated for this one thing. This is definitely a movie that has been getting snubbed all over the place. That's why I think it will win, which we'll get to. Who will win? Well, Django Unchained seems like the best bet. The movie has a wonderful concept, and it is only shown off at its best with the killer script from Tarantino. He won the Golden Globe for it, so it's a pretty good guess.

But going to who really should win, it really is deserved to be won by Moonrise Kingdom. As I said, Moonrise Kingdom hasn't been nominated for many things. From various reviews I have heard, Moonrise Kingdom is the sleeper hit of the year. It surprises me it hasn't been nominated for much. If it's only being nominated for one thing, I think it deserves to win SOMETHING. It has such a fun story, and plenty of amazing actors. I really do think Anderson deserves at least ONE win, if any.

As for a snubbery, there's obviously Skyfall. I mean, I've said it enough how snubbed it's been. So, why not bring something else up, like… I dunno… Looper. Yeah, remember Looper? The time travel movie starring Bruce Willis and Joseph-Gordon Levitt? Yeah, remember how good that one was? So, why didn't the script get nominated? It's a valid question, as the script in Looper was awesome. The confrontation scenes with Levitt and Willis are some of the best scenes of this year. So… where it is? Seriously, I am honestly surprised this didn't get nominated. The only reason I can think off is because it has a slightly confusing time travel plot. Yawn Academy… yawn.

 

Who Will Win: Tony Kushner (Lincoln)

Who Should Win: Tony Kushner (Lincoln)

Snubbed: Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

This is a very nice category, all around. We have some fantastic writers here from various films. Each one of these people deserve it. Argo, after watching various clips, looks to have brilliant writing. It looks very dramatic and awesome. Beasts of the Southern Wild looks very well written… even though I've seen no dialogue segments from it… hm. Life of Pi, for how meh to me it was, had a good script. It was very good writing, and it was done very well. With its subject matter, it's not too easy to write a book like this onto film. So, that's deserving for sure. And of course, because I loved it so much, I am rooting for Silver Linings Playbook. David O. Russell does a wonderful job at creating a real, and very wonderful script. When a movie's script makes you feel so happy and great afterwards, it deserves at least a nomination. Good job Russell.

But, even though all of those work very well, nothing… NOTHING can compare to the absolutely brilliant script by Tony Kushner for Lincoln. I couldn't believe how well done Kushner did with his portrayal of Abraham Lincoln. Ya see, Lincoln is not much more than simply talking and discussing what is going to happen next. If you are writing a script for a movie like that, you are pretty much writing yourself a death sentence. But Kushner handles it so delicately and truly put thought into this script. The conversations feel so real, and they are exactly how you would imagine them. Legit, they are so investing and so fantastic. Kushner needs this award so damn badly. I mean, he deserves this award so much. If he doesn't win, there is no remorse. Lincoln is so well spoken, and if it deserves any award… it's this one.

I couldn't think of many movies to add here to be snubbed. I could only think of Perks of Being a Wallflower, only because not only is it impressive that the writer of the BOOK wrote the movie, but the movie actually looks to have a truly real script, similar to Silver Linings Playbook. I don't think it would ever win, but it was worth a nomination… I think…

 

Who Will Win: Brave or Frankenweenie

Who Should Win: Wreck-it-Ralph

Snubbed: The Secret World of Arriety

This category is very impressive to me. I can tell the Academy was truly look at some truly of quality animated films. I love that ParaNorman is nominated, as it was a fantastic film, and I loved it very much. And it also helps that another claymation film, Pirates! Band of Misfits, getting nominated. It was a very funny, and very wonderfully animated movie. I feel it deserves a nomination. What doesn't help is that the movies that are most likely gonna win are Brave or Frankenweenie, two movies I found disappointing. Brave was beautifully animated, and had a great first third. Then, its plot twist happened, the and the movie degraded in quality so quickly. Frankenweenie overall was lacking a comedic element. It was chuckle-worthy, not hilarious. Let's not forget how the last third throws the plot out the fricken window.

Let's be honest here… Wreck-it-Ralph deserves this award. There is nothing that makes me doubt it should win. There's so many great things about Ralph's little adventure. For one, it's an excellent film, and easily the best animated film of the year. It had colorful animation, relatable characters, a good plot, hilarious jokes, and a good message for all ages. But it doesn't stop there. Wreck-it-Ralph reinvented the standards for movies featuring video game references and a video game premise. It doesn't ruin the source material by making poor decisions with the source material. It works off of the source material and creates its own thing. It allows itself to be creative, yet it still uses what it knows and allows for gamers to enjoy it. It doesn't make fun of the video games at their expense, it just plays off of common pop culture. It's great. Let's also not forget this was pretty much a breakthrough for Disney Animation, as they finally have a major franchise hit on their hands. After the flops that were Chicken Little, Meet the Robinsons, and Bolt, they needed a hit. Not even The Princess and the Frog, Tangled, or Winnie The Pooh truly became golden for them. RIGHT NOW, Wreck-it-Ralph is their franchise. It will keep them alive for years to come. Cheers to that.

As for snubbed, I hear the Secret World of Arrietty was very good. I would've accepted that over Brave or Frankenweenie, NO QUESTION. And… that's all I got.

 

OK, let's run through the rest of the less important ones. Here we go!

 

Best Cinematography

Who Will Win: Claudio Miranda (Life of Pi)

Who Should Win: Roger Deakins (Skyfall)

Snubbed: Steve Yedlin (Looper)

 

Best Original Score

Who Will Win: John Williams (Lincoln)

Who Should Win: John Williams (Lincoln)

Snubbed: Howard Shore (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey)

 

Best Original Song

Who Will Win: "Suddenly" from Les Miserables (Alain Boubilil, Claude-Michel Schonberg, and Herbert Kretzmer) or "Skyfall" from Skyfall (Adele and Paul Epworth)

Who Should Win: "Skyfall" from Skyfall (Adele and Paul Epworth)

Snubbed: "Safe & Sound" from The Hunger Games (Taylor Swift and The Civil Wars)

 

Best Visual Effects

Who Will Win: Life of Pi

Who Should Win: The Avengers

Snubbed: Looper

 

Small Shout-Out:

Paperman better win Best Animated Short Film, or someone will be shanked.

 

Ok, that's all I got. Oh man… this is gonna be one hell of a night. Be sure to check back at my gaming blog after the Oscars (probably a day or two after) to see my impressions of how the night turns out. I'll also be tweeting along with it @g1_Flaps. Join me if you wanna hear my insight. For now, let's hope for the winners to be deserving, and for Seth McFarlane to not have too much overkill in his jokes.

Also, speaking of movies, I've been EXTREMELY behind on my movie reviews, so I am going to be working on not only a review of the recent Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, but also a Movie Round-Up discussing a ton of 2012 films I never got the chance to fully review. I'll also be showing off my Top Ten Movies of 2012 sometime in February or so.

Alright, thanks for reading! See you all on the flip side, or should I say, the red carpet.

No? I shouldn't? OK. Fine.

- Larry :)