2008 Oscar Nominations

They have arrived. Anything you agree with? I can very much say I'm unhappy that both "American Gangster" and "Zodiac" were snubbed. "American Gangster" is a bit more surprising I suppose, but the lack of "Zodiac" is disappointing simply because it was probably Fincher's best. But this is what happens when a high calibar movie gets released so early in the year: It becomes forgotten in the excitment of summer blockbusters. (I suppose "Gladiator" is one of the few exceptions.) "Eastern Promises" is, naturally, the movie I thought was screwed over the most. Meanwhile the glorified chick-flick "Atonement" gets its undeserved place in the best picture rankings.

I'm very, very happy to see "Juno" nominated for best picture and Ellen Page nominated for best actress. I predicted they would be nominated, but win? I wish. Viggo Mortensen was at least nominated for best actor. But due to the lack of his movie's popularity I doubt he'll get it. Yet again, I wish he would.

As of right now my greatest hope lies in "No Country for Old Men." I would love "Juno" to get it, but I don't see it happening. "There Will Be Blood" will probably get it, though I've yet to see it. So I don't know whether or not it deserves it. Perhaps I'll see it soon. (Not that any of this matters. The Academy is full of crap anyway, hence the lack of "Eastern Promises," "American Gangster" and "Zodiac." So naturally... I'm going to watch it.)

Overall, I'm disappointed in the best picture nominations, but most of the others make sense. Here's the list:

Best Picture

Atonement
Juno
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

Best Director

Paul Thomas Anderson - There Will Be Blood
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen - No Country for Old Men
Tony Gilroy - Michael Clayton
Jason Reitman - Juno
Julian Schnabel - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Best Actor

George Clooney - Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
Johnny Depp - Sweeney Todd
Tommy Lee Jones - In the Valley of Elah
Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises

Best Actress

Cate Blanchett - Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie - Away from Her
Marion Cotillard - La Vie en Rose (La môme)
Laura Linney - The Savages
Ellen Page - Juno

Best Supporting Actor

Casey Affleck - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Charlie Wilson's War
Hal Holbrook - Into the Wild
Tom Wilkinson - Michael Clayton

Best Supporting Actress

Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There
Ruby Dee - American Gangster
Saoirse Ronan - Atonement
Amy Ryan Gone - Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton

Best Original Screenplay

Juno - Diablo Cody
Lars and the Real Girl - Nancy Oliver
Michael Clayton - Tony Gilroy
Ratatouille - Brad Bird
The Savages - Tamara Jenkins

Best Adapted Screenplay

Atonement - Christopher Hampton
Away from Her - Sarah Polley
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Ronald Harwood
No Country for Old Men - Joel and Ethan Coen
There Will Be Blood - Paul Thomas Anderson

Best Animated Feature

Persepolis
Ratatouille
Surf's Up

Best Cinematography

Roger Deakins - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Seamus McGarvey - Atonement
Janusz Kaminski - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Roger Deakins - No Country for Old Men
Robert Elswit - There Will Be Blood

Best Art Direction

Arthur Max and Beth Rubino - American Gangster
Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer - Atonement
Dennis Gassner and Anna Pinnock - The Golden Compass

Best Costume Design

Albert Wolsky - Across the Universe
Jacqueline Durran - Atonement
Alexandra Byrne - Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Marit Allen - La Vie en Rose
Colleen Atwood - Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Best Documentary Feature

No End in Sight
Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience
Sicko
Taxi to the Dark Side
War Dance

Best Documentary Short

Freeheld
La Corona
Salim Baba
Sari's Mother

Best Film Editing

Christopher Rouse - The Bourne Ultimatum
Juliette Welfling - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Jay Cassidy - Into the Wild
Roderick Jaynes - No Country for Old Men
Dylan Tichenor - There Will Be Blood

Best Makeup

Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald - La Vie en Rose
Rick Baker and Kazuhiro Tsuji - Norbit
Ve Neill and Martin Samuel - Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

Best Original Score

Dario Marianelli - Atonement
Alberto Iglesias - The Kite Runner
James Newton Howard - Michael Clayton
Michael Giacchino - Ratatouille
Marco Beltrami - 3:10 to Yuma

Best Original Song

Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova - "Falling Slowly" from Once
Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz - "Happy Working Song" from Enchanted
Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz - "So Close" from Enchanted
Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz - "That's How You Know" from Enchanted
Nominees to be determined - "Raise It Up" from August Rush

Best Animated Short

I Met the Walrus
Madame Tutli-Putli
Even Pigeons Go To Heaven
My Love
Peter and the Wolf

Best Live Action Short

At Night
The Substitute
The Mozart of Pickpockets
Tanghi Argentini
The Tonto Woman

Best Sound Mixing

Scott Millan, David Parker, and Kirk Francis - The Bourne Ultimatum
Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff, and Peter Kurland - No Country for Old Men
Randy Thom, Michael Semanick, and Doc Kane - Ratatouille
Paul Massey, David Giammarco, and Jim Steube - 3:10 to Yuma
Kevin O'Connell, Greg P. Russell, and Peter J. Devlin - Transformers

Best Sound Editing

Karen Baker Landers and Per Hallberg - The Bourne Ultimatum
Skip Lievsay - No Country for Old Men
Randy Thom and Michael Silvers - Ratatouille
Matthew Wood - There Will Be Blood
Ethan van Der Ryn and Mike Hopkins - Transformers

Best Visual Effects

The Golden Compass
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Transformers

Best Foreign Language Film

Beaufort (Israel)
The Counterfeiters (Austria)
Katyń (Poland)
Mongol (Kazakhstan)
12 (Russia)