The 2012 Oscar nominations hit the Internet yesterday, but revealed themselves gently ““ most of the nominees for this year’s Academy Awards are reunited in their devotion to feel-good cinema. This is a stark contrast from 2007, which was dominated by violence and movies about the depravity of mankind, like “No Country For Old Men” and “There Will Be Blood.”
Resting at the top of the pecking order for nominations (arguably, the award that audiences care about the most), are those for Best Picture. There are those that rightfully deserve the hierarchical primacy, lauded by critics since their release (“The Artist,” “Hugo,” “The Tree of Life”), and then there are those that seem to be riding on the coattails of subjects guaranteed to inspire audiences (“Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” and 9/11, “War Horse” and its success as a theatrical production).
And, as much as nostalgia lovers and literary admirers may cross their fingers and hope that Woody Allen’s latest work will win Best Picture, it doesn’t have a viable chance. It is, however, better suited to win Best Original Screenplay.
In the category for “Actor in a Leading Role,” Gary Oldman received his first Academy Award nomination, a long overdue designation given his acting prowess. Brad Pitt, interestingly, did not receive a nomination for his role as a stoic father-figure in “The Tree of Life,” but instead for “Moneyball.” Pitt, who has illustrated his grasp on dramatic expression with past roles in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” has been nominated for this award in the past, but has yet to win his first Oscar.
Glenn Close’s role as a woman trying to pass as a man at the beginning of the 20th century in “Albert Nobbs” is likely to impress members of the Academy, and she will probably be the actress wielding the golden statue for Actress in a Leading Role by the end of the night. It’s somewhat unfortunate that Rooney Mara had to compete with her this year, since her performance in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” was remarkable. Thankfully, she is very young and will probably pick up equally admirable roles in the future.
Those committed to Terrence Malick feature films (yes, all five of them over the course of his four-decade career) and fans of steadicam handiwork will undoubtedly stand by “The Tree of Life” for Cinematography. It’s probably the most aesthetically pleasing film in the mix this year, and it will not be surprising if Malick receives the award for Directing as well. The camera lens waltzes with Pitt, Penn and Chastain gracefully, when it could have easily become nauseating.
In any case, there will most likely be upsets and affirmations of early predicted winners at this year’s Academy Awards, just like every year. But perhaps the biggest upset of all is the lack of presence that “Drive” had among the nominees. A Sound Editing recognition, while probably welcomed, seems to underscore a lack of appreciation for the film’s unabashed creativity. Then again, this was not the year for violent films. Perhaps “Drive” was conceived in the wrong year.