Official Oscar Nominees and reaction

Best Picture
“Black Swan”
“The Fighter”
“Inception”
“The Kids Are All Right”
“The King’s Speech”
“127 Hours”
“The Social Network”
“Toy Story 3″
“True Grit”
“Winter’s Bone”

9/10. Missed 127 Hours for The Town. I heard the academy loved The Town, but I guess it was like their screening of Casino Royale several years ago. Loving it doesn't equate with taking it seriously. Can't really argue with any of these nominees, even if I didn't care for The Kids Are All Right. Glad I stuck to my guns on Winter's Bone all season, it really paid off. Given the nomination haul, The King's Speech is the frontrunner, but The Social Network is still very much in the hunt. 

Best Director
Darren Aronofsky, “Black Swan”
David O. Russell, “The Fighter”
Tom Hooper, “The King’s Speech”
David Fincher, “The Social Network”
Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, “True Grit”

4/5 Missed Ethan and Joel Coen for Christopher Nolan. I'm really upset about Nolan missing out here, but these five are pretty deserving anyways. The Coens didn't replace Nolan. Look at the nomination count. True Grit was nominated for 10 Oscars, Inception 8, The Fighter 7. I think Russell was the one who took Nolan's spot here, but again, with ten nominees, we'll never know who the five would have been. Inception could have been in a Jaws situation where it was nominated across the board but lost out on Director ("I got beat out by Fellini!" was the first thing that came to mind when Nolan wasn't called). Or it could be like District 9 last year; a highly respected blockbuster that likely came in 6th and just couldn't compete with more traditional fare. I'm upset Nolan still has yet to receive a Best Director nod, especially considering he's been nominated by the DGA three times. But nothing we can do now. Very happy to see Aronofsky and the Coens here however.  

Best Actor
Javier Bardem, “Biutiful”
Jeff Bridges, “True Grit”
Jesse Eisenberg, “The Social Network”
Colin Firth, “The King’s Speech”
James Franco, "127 Hours"

4/5 Missed Javier Bardem for Robert Duvall. Thank God they didn't nominated Bobby. I love him as much as the next guy, but the performance and the film were nothing special. Javier Bardem, however, is extraordinary, no matter which side of the Biutiful debate you fall on. This is Colin Firth's to lose, and he deserves it. Ryan Gosling should have been here, but it was a very crowded year for leads actors. 

Best Actress
Annette Bening, “The Kids Are All Right”
Nicole Kidman, “Rabbit Hole”
Jennifer Lawrence, “Winter’s Bone”
Natalie Portman, “Black Swan”
Michelle Williams, “Blue Valentine”

4/5 Missed Michelle Williams for Lesley Manville. Very happy to to see Williams, but it feels wrong to have one half of the Blue Valentine duo without the other. Just feels icky and wrong. But I'm glad she's in. Annette Bening doesn't deserve to be here. She's nice in the film, but if any woman from that film should have been nominated, it should have been Julianne Moore. Natalie Portman has this sewn up, so I can't complain too much. 

Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale, “The Fighter”
John Hawkes, “Winter’s Bone”
Jeremy Renner, “The Town”
Mark Ruffalo, “The Kids Are All Right”
Geoffrey Rush, “The Kind’s Speech”

4/5 Missed John Hawkes for Andrew Garfield. Can't complain about anything here. I'm not sure Ruffalo was as good as Garfield but he gave a very good performance in a film I didn't care for, so kudos. I ador John Hawkes and to see him nominated is awesome. Christian Bale will win and deserves to win. 

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, “The Fighter”
Helena Bonham Carter, “The King’s Speech”
Melissa Leo, “The Fighter”
Hailee Steinfeld, “True Grit”
Jacki Weaver, “Animal Kingdom”

4/5 Missed Jacki Weaver for Mila Kunis. A really strong category again. Can't really complain. Hailee Steinfeld better win or I will choke a bitch. 

Best Adapted Screenplay
“127 Hours”
“The Social Network”
“Toy Story 3″
“True Grit”
“Winter’s Bone”

5/5. Finally I got one right. Nothing to complain about here. I would have put in The Town or How To Train Your Dragon over Toy Story 3, but Toy Story 3 is such a greta screenplay I can't argue with its inclusion here. The Social Network walks away with this in a cakewalk. 

Best Original Screenplay
“Another Year”
“The Fighter”
“Inception”
“The Kids Are All Right”
“The King’s Speech”

4/5 Missed Another Year for Black Swan. I had a feeling Black Swan might get left out, since the script is it's weak link, and Aronofsky's films have yet to get a screenplay nomination. Not a fan of The Kids Are All Right being here at all. It has the writing quality of a Lifetime Orignal Movie, but whatever. I guess I will happily remain in the minority on that film. The King's Speech will likely win, but I think Inception deserves it for sheer command of structure, page discipline, and thematic resonance. But I wouldn't be upset if The King's Speech won, since it is a great screenplay as well. 

Best Art Direction
“Alice in Wonderland”
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I”
“Inception”
“The King’s Speech”
“True Grit”

4/5 Missed Harry Potter for Shutter Island. One of many categories Shutter Island was shut out of, garnering zero nominations for what I think is a masterpiece of craftsmanship. But whatever. Inception deserves to win this in a hearbeat, since it's Architecture: The Movie. 

Best Cinematography
“Black Swan”
“Inception”
“The King’s Speech”
“The Social Network”
“True Grit”

4/5 Missed The Social Network for Shutter Island. Again no love for Robert Richardson's work in Shutter Island, which was the best cinematography of the year. But it was foolish to bet against The Social Network. Roger Deakins will likely win here, and certainly deserves to. But in all honestly, as much as I love his work in True Grit, this should be Pfister or Libatique's to lose. I love Deakins, but I prefer his more interesting work in Jesse James or No Country for Old Men. But if he wins, I will be very happy for him. He deserves it. I just would prefer Pfister for Inception. 

Best Costume Design
“Alice in Wonderland”
“I Am Love”
“The King’s Speech”
“The Tempest”
“True Grit”

3/5 Missed I Am Love and The Tempest for Shutter Island and Inception. Should have went with my head on this one instead of my heart. But I didn't want to be against my favorite costume design of the year in Inception, nor against the beautiful work in Shutter Island. If this is our slate, True Grit should win, but The King's Speech or Alice will probably win. 

Best Film Editing
“Black Swan”
“The Fighter”
“The King’s Speech”
“127 Hours”
“The Social Network”

4/5 Missed 127 Hours for Inception. Almost more infuriating than Nolan missing out for Best Director is Lee Smith missing out for Editing in Inception. HOW do you not nominate the true best editing of the year? It's insane. The film is an editing showcase, the third act in particular. The editing branch really ought to be ashamed of themselves here. Just appalling. The Social Network likely wins here, but Black Swan should win. 

Best Makeup
“Barney’s Version”
“The Way Back”
“The Wolfman”

1/3 Missed The Way Back and Barney's Version for Alice in Wonderland and The Fighter. Never underestimate aging makeup. The Way Back likely wins, but The Wolfman should win. This isn't Best Makeup in a good movie, folks, it's Best Makeup period. Rick Baker's work in The Wolfman is a work of art. 

Best Music (Original Score)
“How to Train Your Dragon”
“Inception”
“The King’s Speech”
“127 Hours”
“The Social Network”

4/5 Missed 127 Hours for Toy Story 3. I would be happy with How to Train Your Dragon, Inception, or The Social Network winning, but I think this is Zimmer's to lose, and I couldn't be happier. But Reznor is breathing down his neck here. Daft Punk really should have been here for their amazing work in TRON: Legacy. 

Best Music (Original Song)
“Coming Home” from “Country Strong”
“If I Rise” from “127 Hours”
“I See the Light” from “Tangled”
“We Belong Together” from “Toy Story 3″

3/4 but I predicted 5 nominees so technically 3/5. Missed Country Strong for Burlesque/Waiting for Superman. I think A.R. Rahman takes home his third Oscar, since Randy Newman and Alan Menken will likely split the Disney votes. 

Best Sound Editing
“Inception”
“Toy Story 3″
“TRON Legacy”
“True Grit”
“Unstoppable”

4/5 Missed Unstoppable for The Social Network. Not surprising, but disappointing. Loudest =/= Best. Inception wins here, and deserves to. 

Best Sound Mixing
“Inception”
“The King’s Speech”
“Salt”
“The Social Network”
“True Grit”

3/5 Missed The King's Speech and Salt for TRON: Legacy and Black Swan. Nothing to say about Salt other than, again, loudest =/= best. The King's Speech being her shows major support that will push it to a Best Picture win I think. Inception wins this category as well, and deserves to. 

Best Visual Effects
“Alice in Wonderland”
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I”
“Herafter”
“Inception”
“Iron Man 2″

3/5 Missed Hereafter and Iron Man 2 for TRON: Legacy and Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. What an embarrassment here. I guess de-aged Bridges was a deal breaker for VFX guys, but everything else in the film is breathtaking. Hereafter has one tsunami scene that I honestly thought looked atrocious. But what do I know? Scott Pilgrim missing out here is just shameful, one of the most, if not the most visually inventive film of the year. The way VFX blends seamlessly with the Art Direction of the film is stunning. I didn't think the visuals in Iron Man 2 were anything special, save for some cool 3D interface stuff. But seriously, this is awful. Inception will win and deserves to win. 

Best Animated Feature Film
“How to Train Your Dragon”
“The Illusionist”
“Toy Story 3″

3/3. FINALLY I got another one right. They chose the right films. How to Train Your Dragon and The Illusionist were better than Toy Story 3 but it will win, and I'm ok with that, since I love all three films. 

Best Foreign Language Film
“Biutiful” (Mexico)
“Dogtooth” (Greece)
“In a Better World” (Denmark)
“Incendies” (Canada)
“Outside the Law” (Algeria)

4/5 Missed Dogtooth for Live, Above All. I haven't seen any of these films outside of Biutiful and Dogtooth. I think Biutiful is a work of art, but I love Innaritu. Dogtooth, on the other hand, is akin to Antichrist; a big avant garde fart. Sorry fanboys and fangirls. Biutiful should win, but In A Better World will win. 

Best Documentary Feature
“Exit Through the Gift Shop”
“Gasland”
“Inside Job”
“Restrepo”
“Waste Land”

4/5 Missed Exit Through the Gift Shop for Waiting for Superman. One of the best categories of the year. Even though I didn't love Exit Through The Gift Shop, it's a highly entertaining documentary. But I will be rooting for Restrepo all the way. Inside Job likely wins, but watch out for Banksy. 

Overall, a mixed bag. Some great stuff, some bad stuff, some meh stuff. But that's just like every year. I faired decently on predictions. How did you do? How do you feel about the nominations? Have at it in the comments section.