Sighing over the Oscars and not in a good way

The nominations for the 88th Academy Awards were announced this morning and as usual, not too many surprises both good and bad. As a longtime fan, I should know what to expect by now yet I can't help hoping for sweeping new changes and faces to crop up in certain categories.

While there were a few noms that pleased me greatly, there are also far too many exclusions and odd choices to balance that out properly. Sure, it's great news that The Revenant got 12 nominations(guess Leo will finally get that Best Actor award he's been wanting for so long) and we all knew movies like The Martian, Inside Out and Joy would be well represented here.

However, that doesn't excuse the Academy for yet another year of "what the hell?" type of nominees, especially since this list proves just how out of touch they are with audiences and critics alike:

THE GOOD NEWS IS...

Let's start off on a positive note, as there were a few nice surprises. I did anticipate that Saoirse Ronan would be included in the Best Actress category but not that her movie Brooklyn  would also earn a Best Picture nod as well as Best Adapted Screenplay. For a little movie like that, it's a huge deal.


 Also happy that Room was given four nominations, including Best Picture and Adapted Screenplay, not to mention Brie Larson being a major contender in the Best Actress section.

 While I haven't seen the film yet, the novel by Emma Donoghue was an amazing read and not a story easily made into a movie, so for all involved, this is quite the artistic success.

Plus, I think that Larson has a real shot at winning the Oscar. Jennifer Lawrence already won one,as did Cate Blanchett recently, so no dire need to give either of them won. Charlotte Rampling is a grand actress but chances are that this will come down to either Ronan or Larson.

They're both wonderful character actresses but I do believe that Brie's performance, as a woman finally freed from captivity and struggling with living in the regular world along with her child, might edge Saoirse out:

ON THE OTHER HAND...

Once again, we have a batch of vanilla candidates in the acting categories and just as sugary white films under consideration as well. Why the love for Steve Jobs? Nobody cared to see it when it was out at theaters and for good reason, many of us don't feel sorry for or relate to a millionaire computer genius who's a reluctant dad.


Both audiences and critics connected better to films such as Straight Out of Compton(which was mostly overlooked) and Creed, that gained it's white co-star Slyvester Stallone a Best Supporting Actor spot but ignored leading man Michael B. Jordan.

 Don't tell me it's due to Jordan being in the summer flop Fantastic Four; if Eddie Redmayne can be up for both a Razzie and an Oscar(which he is) just like Sandra Bullock was when she won for The Blind Side, there is no real reason other than bias or Hollywood snobbery that caused Michael B. Jordan to be shut out of this category:

STILL NOT GETTING IT,GANG:

Mad Max: Fury Road  did get an impressive number of nominations, ten in all, including Best Picture and Best Director. However, most of the other noms were in technical categories and none for acting, much like Star Wars: The Force Awakens and the latter didn't even get a Best Picture nod.


At the very least, Charlize Theron should have been up for Best Actress, as her performance as Imperator Furiosa was one of the most influential female roles this year. That character was widely debated, discussed and admired as a solid, strong woman who many felt was the true lead of the film, not Max.

I refuse to buy that's due to the film being science fiction sequel; Siqourney Weaver got a Best Actress nomination for Aliens back in '86, so there is president here. Come on, people, get with the program, seriously. This was one of the most celebrated roles of the year, pay some respect!:

SIMPLY SHAKING MY HEAD:

My other complaints about the Oscar nominations aren't as big, although The Peanuts Movie being left out of the Best Animated Feature race is a pretty big slight there.


One of my biggest fears came true; a song from the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack is up for Best Song. Now, I know that "Earned It" by The Weeknd is probably not going to win since there happens to be a Bond movie tune up against it, but you guys couldn't let Megan Trainor's "Feel Better When I'm Dancing" get that spot?

 Yes, I'm bitter about the Peanuts Movie but come on, 50 Shades is a movie that's already garnered enough Razzie nominations that it may very well sweep those dubious honors without getting an Oscar nod in the bargain:

Well, I will still watch the Oscars and hope for the best, as much of it that there is. One thing is for certain and that is returning host Chris Rock certainly has plenty of material for his opening monologue this time out. I won't be the only person at home rooting for him to take all of Hollywood to town this time out, even more than he did previously. Yes, having Rock take the mike that night might make the show worth watching indeed: