Have you seen the Oscar nominee list yet? No? Okay, go here and then let’s talk:

81st Annual Academy Awards Nominees

You back? Great. Here are my initial reactions.

  • Dark Knight snubbed! In my opinion, it should have gotten noms for Best Picture, Best Director and one of the screenplay awards. Somebody buy Christopher Nolan a drink, even this early in the morning.
  • How did I overlook Frozen River? Completely missing from my pre-nomination list. Forgive me, Melissa Leo.
  • Damn the costume award! It always makes me see a movie I don’t want to. This year, that’s Australia (shudder).
  • Yay for In Bruges! That was a brilliant but mostly overlooked film that got some love from both the Golden Globes (winner, Colin Farrell, Best Actor in Musical or Comedy) and the Academy (nominee, Original Screenplay). Well done.
  • Nothing for…I’ve Loved You Too Long, Gran Torino, or Burn After Reading. Hmmm.
  • Foreign film noms did not include Let the Right One In. Go see it anyway.

Tomorrow I’ll post my revised “movies to see” list, and in coming days, reviews of Slumdog Millionaire and The Wrestler.