The Oscar nominations hav been announced, and Scorsese's "Aviator" is the favorite, getting 11 nominations (comparable to LOTR3 last year). Am I the only one who is somewhat underwhelmed by that movie? Aside from the open ending and the confusing introduction (or lack thereof) of the characters, the story just did not feel like it was "flowing".

And as much as I like Alan Alda, I do not think that his performance warrants a nomination as Best Supporting Actor. Nevermind Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn.

Personally, I'd think Clint Eastwood's "Million Dollar Baby" and perhaps Jamie Foxx's "Ray" would be more deserving.

 

List of 77th annual Academy Award nominations

Picture: The Aviator, Finding Neverland, Million Dollar Baby, Ray, Sideways.

Director: Martin Scorsese, The Aviator; Clint Eastwood, Million Dollar Baby; Taylor Hackford, Ray; Alexander Payne, Sideways; Mike Leigh, Vera Drake.

Actor: Don Cheadle, Hotel Rwanda; Johnny Depp, Finding Neverland; Leonardo DiCaprio, The Aviator; Clint Eastwood, Million Dollar Baby; Jamie Foxx, Ray.

Actress: Annette Bening, Being Julia; Catalina Sandino Moreno, Maria Full of Grace; Imelda Staunton, Vera Drake; Hilary Swank, Million Dollar Baby; Kate Winslet, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Supporting actor: Alan Alda, The Aviator; Jamie Foxx, Collateral; Morgan Freeman, Million Dollar Baby; Thomas Haden Church, Sideways; Clive Owen, Closer.

Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett, The Aviator; Laura Linney, Kinsey; Virginia Madsen, Sideways; Sophie Okonedo, Hotel Rwanda; Natalie Portman, Closer.

Writing (Adapted Screenplay): Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke, Before Sunset; David Magee, Finding Neverland; Paul Haggis, Million Dollar Baby; Jose Rivera, The Motorcycle Diaries; Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Sideways.

Writing (Original Screenplay): John Logan, The Aviator; Charlie Kaufman, Michel Gondry and Pierre Bismuth, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; Brad Bird, The Incredibles; Mike Leigh, Vera Drake.

Foreign Film: As It Is In Heaven (Sweden), The Chorus (Les Choristes) (France), Downfall (Germany), The Sea Inside (Spain), Yesterday (South Africa).

Animated Feature Film: The Incredibles, Shark Tale, Shrek 2.

Animated Short Film: Birthday Boy, Gopher Broke, Guard Dog, Lorenzo, Ryan.

Live Action Short Film: Everything in This Country Must, Little Terrorist, 7:35 in the Morning (7:35 de la Manana), Two Cars, One Night, and Wasp.

Documentary: Born Into Brothels, The Story of the Weeping Camel, Super Size Me, Tupac: Resurrection, Twist of Faith.

Documentary Short Subject: Autism Is a World, The Children of Leningradsky, Hardwood, Mighty Times: The Children's March, Sister Rose's Passion.

Art Direction: The Aviator, Finding Neverland, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Phantom of the Opera, A Very Long Engagement.

Cinematography: The Aviator, House of Flying Daggers, The Passion of the Christ, The Phantom of the Opera, A Very Long Engagement.

Film Editing: The Aviator, Collateral, Finding Neverland, Million Dollar Baby, Ray.

Costume Design: The Aviator, Finding Neverland, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, Ray, Troy.

Makeup: Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Passion of the Christ, The Sea Inside.

Original Score: Finding Neverland, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Passion of the Christ, The Village.

Original Song: Accidentally In Love from Shrek 2, Al Otro Lado Del Rio from The Motorcycle Diaries, Believe from The Polar Express, Learn To Be Lonely from The Phantom of the Opera, Look To Your Path (Vois Sur Ton Chemin) from The Chorus (Les Choristes).

Sound Editing: The Incredibles, The Polar Express, Spider-Man 2.

Sound Mixing: The Aviator, The Incredibles, The Polar Express, Ray, Spider-Man 2.

Visual Effects: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, I, Robot, Spider-Man 2.

 

I've still to see Sideways, but thought Finding Neverland, $$$ Baby and Ray were all superior films with more complete stories over The Aviator.

 

We have yet to see the Aviator. It was sold out when we went to see it so we saw Ocean's 12. That was boring to me. We did like Finding Neverland a lot though. Haven't seen any of the other nominations.