Oscar Nominations – Best Actor

The List:

Hooray for:

Bichir, another surprising performance in a little-seen movie. He’s not just the hot guy from Weeds anymore!

Where the hell is:

Michael Fassbender in either Shame or A Dangerous Method (he probably canceled himself out)
Ryan Gosling in The Ides of March or Drive (ditto)
Ralph Fiennes for Coriolanus (again, not letting go of that one)
Daniel Craig for Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (the guy never gets enough credit)

Instead of:

Oldman’s restraint in Tinker, Tailor is admirable, but there’s not much to the role, really

My prediction:

Clooney has been cleaning up, and probably will again (deservedly so – it’s his best work). Keep an eye on Dujardin, though.

Oscar Nominations – Supporting Actor

The List:

Hooray for:

Nolte, who has been an underdog in this category. Good to see he wasn’t forgotten. Also, Jonah Hill!!

Where the hell is:

Ben Kingsley for Hugo (all the noms for that movie, and not one for its best performance?)
Alan Rickman for Harry Potter (come on, he was fantastic)
Andy Serkis for Rise of the Planet of the Apes (someday, Oscar voters will realize how good this guy is)
Viggo Mortensen for A Dangerous Method (no love for that movie, for some reason)

Instead of:

Branagh, who was terribly miscast as Laurence Olivier in Marilyn

My prediction:

This is Plummer’s to lose. And about time, too!

The List:

Hooray for:

Chastain, who could easily have canceled herself out with the 800 or so movies she made in 2011. And, of course, McCarthy, who is just damn funny.

Where the hell is:

Shailene Woodley for The Descendants (she was great, what happened?)
Vanessa Redgrave for Coriolanus (I will not let go of that film)
Carey Mulligan for Shame (so good, she almost makes you forget about Michael Fassbender’s enormous schlong)
Keira Knightley for A Dangerous Method (I think it’s a lead performance, but either way, she should be here somewhere)

My prediction:

Octavia Spencer has been riding a wave lately. She’ll probably nail it, but this can be a tricky category…