The 83rd Annual Academy Award nominations were announced today. The King's Speech (which was quite exceptional) leads the pack with 12 nominations. But the real story of the day is the Academy's snubbing of Christopher Nolan as Best Director for Inception. And while The Social Network and True Grit were fine movies, neither of them featured a freight train running through the middle of a Manhattan intersection or folding buildings.
But by all means, Academy, give the nomination to David O. Russel, director of The Fighter instead. Lord knows Hollywood just doesn't churn out enough films based in Boston. And it must be a real pain in the ass to get actors to talk to each other in Bostonian accents all day long. "Look ah me, Tawwmmy! I'm ah fightah! And I'm nawt fightin' fah you, you, ohah you! Let's go Sawks!!" See the list of nominees and our thoughts after the jump.
Of note was two of the films being screened at this year's Miami International Film Festival, Canada's Incendies, and Denmark's In A Better World, were nominated for Best Foreign Language film.
Nominations
Best Picture
Black Swan (A long shot, but Hollywood loves crazy)
The Fighter (All movies baaased in Bawhstaaan ah tha wicked greatest movies evah!)
Inception (Nice try, Academy... but it doesn't make up for Nolan's snub!)
The Kids Are All Right (A decent flick but Oscar worthy? Not really)
The King's Speech (Our favorite to win... plus the Academy loves stories about overcoming obstacles! They also love 3D movies about blue aliens and their love-tree, so you never really know)
127 Hours (More like five minutes of carnage! He cuts off his arm with a pocket knife! Gack!)
The Social Network (A movie that'll be relevant for years to come, because Facebook will be with us forever. Just like the MySpace!)
Toy Story 3 (Pixar never fails to make us cry, so kudos. Damn your cartoon portrails of sentimentality, Pixar!)
True Grit (Good movie. But if this spurs Hollywood to remake The Wild Bunch, we will punch some one square in the dick.)
Winter's Bone (Didn't see it. Heard good things. Has no chance.)
Actor
Javier Bardem, "Biutiful" (What is the most you have lost on a coin toss?)
Jeff Bridges, "True Grit" (The Dude gets his second-straight nod. We abide.)
Jesse Eisenberg, "The Social Network" (Smarmy nerd!)
Colin Firth, "The King's Speech" (Great performance, and the clear favorite. The Academy loves performances like this. A speech impediment? WINNER!)
James Franco, "127 Hours." (A fine actor. But also the evening's host. So, no chance)
Actress
Annette Bening, "The Kids Are All Right" (This lady makes a movie, and ping! Nominated for an Oscar. It's uncanny.)
Nicole Kidman, "Rabbit Hole" (Really?)
Jennifer Lawrence, "Winter's Bone"
Natalie Portman, "Black Swan" (Might lose out if Colin Firth wins, just to keep the whole thing balanced)
Michelle Williams, "Blue Valentine."
Supporting Actor
Christian Bale, "The Fighter" (The favorite to win. "THINK FOR ONE FUCKING SECOND!")
John Hawkes, "Winter's Bone"
Jeremy Renner, "The Town" (This guy again? HAWKEYE!)
Mark Ruffalo, "The Kids Are All Right" (He gets to bone Julliane Moore and gets nominated for it? Well played, Ruffalo.)
Geoffrey Rush, "The King's Speech." (Great performance. Also, it's not the Oscars without a proper Englishman being nominated)
Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, "The Fighter" (She should win just by virtue of how ugly she made herself in this flick. The hell, Amy Adams?).
Helena Bonham Carter, "The King's Speech" (Good to see her in a movie not directed by Tim Burton)
Melissa Leo, "The Fighter"
Hailee Steinfeld, "True Grit" (We loved her in this movie. And not in a creepy lurchy way)
Jacki Weaver, "Animal Kingdom."
Directing
Darren Aronofsky, "Black Swan" (I WANT MORE INTENSITY FROM MY CRAZY BALLERINA! Also, he got Mila Kunis and Natalie Portman to make out. WIN!)
David O. Russell, "The Fighter" (Let's go Red Sawxs!!)
Tom Hooper, "The King's Speech"
David Fincher, "The Social Network"
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "True Grit." (Brilliant film makers. But since True Grit only has one scene where someone gets shot in the face, they are automatically disqualified)
You can watch the Oscars live on ABC on February 27 at 8:00 p.m.
