Announcement: The Oscar Nominations

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Note: Due to an internet difficulty, my original posting (below) has been delayed from the time of its original submission.

Well, I suppose, it was to be expected; I mean, from the moment of its announcement one couldn't really enjoy the prospect of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (AMPAS) nominating 10 films, instead of the long-standing 5, for its Best Picture award without resigning oneself to the fact that there would be at least 1 film surprisingly included that would reek of the sheer maudlin mediocrity, predicability, and banality that have characterized some of this group's most characteristic flubs. This first time around, there is no doubt, that such a film is The Blind Side. (Precious was, sadly, not a film surprisingly included.) Now, I won't say that The Blind Side was truly abominable, just completely awful, F-grade cinema; but I will say that its quality was just about par with that of the other Bullock-featuring, AMPAS-nominated entry from 2005...{shudder}.

And, speaking of Bullock, let me say, "WHAT?!" I mean, she's relatively charming and all (as a person) and, I suppose, she did hit a lot of precursive awards - which mystified me too - but come on! How could you nominate her for Best Actress? and for The Blind Side?? I mean, even in her own bubble wherein she is her only competition, she was far better in 2009's The Proposal than she was in that ooky, racial drivel. Ugh, AMPAS has no self-respect, but then we sort of knew that already.

Other surprises include:

• Maggie Gyllenhaal making it in amongst the Supporting Actresses for her work in Crazy Heart, which was heartening a bit because she was worthy for it (as well as for her work in Away We Go) and because the nomination wasn't entirely expected but which was also disheartening more than a bit because it ostensibly ousted Julianne (Moore; see my nominees) from the category who, I believe, was doing some of her best work in A Single Man;

• Bruno Delbonnel making it in amongst the Cinematographers for his work on Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which was quite overamped;

• Hans Zimmer and Buck Sanders & Marco Beltrami making it in amongst the Composers for their scores to Sherlock Holmes and The Hurt Locker respectively, which may not be all that surprising - given the relatively erratic track-record of the voting members of the Music branch of AMPAS;

• Reinhardt Wagner and Frank Thomas making it in amongst the Song-Writers for their song for Paris 36, which - oddly? - is a film that I don't think I've ever noticed before today;

• and the writers of (500) Days of Summer not making it in amongst the Original Screen-Writers, which is actually a good surprise as Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman are much more deserving nominees for their play The Messenger than the (500) duo ever was.

Sadly, however, Mr. Camon and Moverman apparently weren't deserving enough for their film to have preceded The Blind Side in the 'main event'. I'm still befuddled; I shake my head.

For more dirt on the many items that, I think, AMPAS got totally wrong, do a quick comparison-check of their list here with my list here.