Hmm, that’s a very interesting point you make. I figured it was a technical thing, but I also wonder if there are some other factors.
I look it ans and Avatar won these.
Best Art Direction - Avatar - Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair
Best Cinematography - Avatar – Mauro Fiore
Best Visual Effects - Avatar – Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones
Visual effects, I’m fine with.
But Art Direction and Cinematography in a totally CGI film? Absurd.
Not every year but once in a while I would be fine with.
If the 2012 Oscar nominations were a fruit, it’d be the moldy half-squished papaya at the bottom of the store basket. I don’t like them this year.
Mainly the snubbing of certain films and worshipping of others. My problem with the Oscars has always been the biased attitudes towards individuals working in film, and this year was probably the strongest proof of that.
The winners:
Best Achievement in Cinematography
The Artist (2011): Guillaume Schiffman
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011): Jeff Cronenweth
Hugo (2011/II): Robert Richardson
The Tree of Life (2011): Emmanuel Lubezki
War Horse (2011): Janusz Kaminski
Best Achievement in Art Direction
The Artist (2011): Laurence Bennett, Robert Gould
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011): Stuart Craig, Stephenie McMillan
Hugo (2011/II): Dante Ferretti, Francesca Lo Schiavo
Midnight in Paris (2011): Anne Seibel, Hélène Dubreuil
War Horse (2011): Rick Carter, Lee Sandales
Best Achievement in Costume Design
Anonymous (2011/I): Lisy Christl
The Artist (2011): Mark Bridges
Hugo (2011/II): Sandy Powell
Jane Eyre (2011): Michael O’Connor
Best Achievement in Makeup
Albert Nobbs (2011): Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnson, Matthew W. Mungle
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011): Nick Dudman, Amanda Knight, Lisa Tomblin
The Iron Lady (2011): Mark Coulier, J. Roy Helland
W.E. (2011): Arianne Phillips
Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
Bullhead (2011): Michael R. Roskam(Belgium)
Footnote (2011): Joseph Cedar(Israel)
In Darkness (2011): Agnieszka Holland(Poland)
Monsieur Lazhar (2011): Philippe Falardeau(Canada)
A Separation (2011): Asghar Farhadi(Iran)
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Bérénice Bejo for The Artist (2011)
Jessica Chastain for The Help (2011)
Melissa McCarthy for Bridesmaids (2011)
Janet McTeer for Albert Nobbs (2011)
Octavia Spencer for The Help (2011)
Best Achievement in Editing
The Artist (2011): Anne-Sophie Bion, Michel Hazanavicius
The Descendants (2011): Kevin Tent
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011): Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter
Hugo (2011/II): Thelma Schoonmaker
Moneyball (2011): Christopher Tellefsen
Best Achievement in Sound Editing
Drive (2011): Lon Bender, Victor Ray Ennis
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011): Ren Klyce
Hugo (2011/II): Philip Stockton, Eugene Gearty
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011): Ethan Van der Ryn, Erik Aadahl
War Horse (2011): Richard Hymns, Gary Rydstrom
Best Achievement in Sound Mixing
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011): David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce, Bo Persson
Hugo (2011/II): Tom Fleischman, John Midgley
Moneyball (2011): Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, David Giammarco, Ed Novick
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011): Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush, Peter J. Devlin
War Horse (2011): Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson, Stuart Wilson
Best Documentary, Features
Hell and Back Again (2011): Danfung Dennis, Mike Lerner
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front (2011): Marshall Curry, Sam Cullman
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (2011): Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky
Pina (2011): Wim Wenders, Gian-Piero Ringel
Undefeated (2011): Daniel Lindsay, T.J. Martin, Rich Middlemas
Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
A Cat in Paris (2010): Alain Gagnol, Jean-Loup Felicioli
Chico & Rita (2010): Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal
Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011): Jennifer Yuh
Puss in Boots (2011): Chris Miller
Rango (2011): Gore Verbinski
Best Achievement in Visual Effects
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011): Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler, John Richardson
Hugo (2011/II): Robert Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossmann, Alex Henning
Real Steel (2011): Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Danny Gordon Taylor, Swen Gillberg
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011): Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White, Daniel Barrett
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011): Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew E. Butler, John Frazier
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Kenneth Branagh for My Week with Marilyn (2011)
Jonah Hill for Moneyball (2011)
Nick Nolte for Warrior (2011)
Christopher Plummer for Beginners (2010)
Max von Sydow for Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
The Adventures of Tintin (2011): John Williams
The Artist (2011): Ludovic Bource
Hugo (2011/II): Howard Shore
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011): Alberto Iglesias
War Horse (2011): John Williams
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song
The Muppets (2011): Bret McKenzie(“Man or Muppet”)
Rio (2011): Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown, Siedah Garrett(“Real in Rio”)
Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
The Descendants (2011): Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
Hugo (2011/II): John Logan
The Ides of March (2011): George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon
Moneyball (2011): Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, Stan Chervin
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011): Bridget O’Connor, Peter Straughan
Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
The Artist (2011): Michel Hazanavicius
Bridesmaids (2011): Kristen Wiig, Annie Mumolo
Margin Call (2011): J.C. Chandor
Midnight in Paris (2011): Woody Allen
A Separation (2011): Asghar Farhadi
Best Short Film, Live Action
Pentecost (2011): Peter McDonald
Raju (2011): Max Zähle, Stefan Gieren
The Shore (2011): Terry George, Oorlagh George
Time Freak (2011): Andrew Bowler, Gigi Causey
Tuba Atlantic (2010):
Best Documentary, Short Subjects
The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement (2011): Robin Fryday, Gail Dolgin
God Is the Bigger Elvis (2012): Rebecca Cammisa, Julie Anderson
Incident in New Baghdad (2011): James Spione
Saving Face (2012): Daniel Junge, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom (2011): Lucy Walker, Kira Carstensen
Best Short Film, Animated
Sunday (2011): Patrick Doyon
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (2011): William Joyce, Brandon Oldenburg
La Luna (2011): Enrico Casarosa
A Morning Stroll (2011): Grant Orchard, Sue Goffe
Wild Life (2011): Amanda Forbis, Wendy Tilby
Best Achievement in Directing
Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris (2011)
Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist (2011)
Terrence Malick for The Tree of Life (2011)
Alexander Payne for The Descendants (2011)
Martin Scorsese for Hugo (2011/II)
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Demián Bichir for A Better Life (2011)
George Clooney for The Descendants (2011)
Jean Dujardin for The Artist (2011)
Gary Oldman for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)
Brad Pitt for Moneyball (2011)
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Glenn Close for Albert Nobbs (2011)
Viola Davis for The Help (2011)
Rooney Mara for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady (2011)
Michelle Williams for My Week with Marilyn (2011)
Best Motion Picture of the Year
The Artist (2011): Thomas Langmann
The Descendants (2011): Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011): Scott Rudin
The Help (2011): Brunson Green, Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan
Hugo (2011/II): Graham King, Martin Scorsese
Midnight in Paris (2011): Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum
Moneyball (2011): Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz, Brad Pitt
The Tree of Life (2011): Sarah Green, Bill Pohlad, Dede Gardner, Grant Hill
War Horse (2011): Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy
Kinda disapointed La Luna didn’t win best short. Seems Pixar will go winless.
So I only saw four of the pictures nominated for best Picture: Artist, The Descendents, Hugo, and Moneyball.
Overall I’m extremely pleased with this year’s ceremony. Crystal was a great host, very entertaining.
*As much as I love Jean’s performance, I was rooting for Clooney. He’s so beautiful! And gave a great preformance.
*Very pleased about Rango’s win. As for best animated shorts, I haven’t even seen all of them! I’m going to tommorrow though, my theatres playing them. So I’ll decide then. I was rooting a bit for La Luna. It looks darling, and I love Pixar. But the film that won looks fantastic too. And I may be biased because the filmmakers said that the main character is based on Buster Keaton. 
*If I could make some changes, it’d be that Martin Scorcese win Best Director, however, Allen’s win makes me more excited to see Midnight in Paris. Also I’d of liked to see Harry Potter win once, just once Oscar since they haven’t! (I believe that’s so, feel free to correct me though)
.
My sister and I had a bet, whoever predicted the most wins! And I totally won! $5 whole dollars!
*Great people handing out awards this year, I paticularly like Galifinakis & Ferrell.
I downloaded “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore” from iTunes for free. It’s about 15 minutes and is absolutely gorgeous to watch. Not the best short I’ve ever seen but certainly indicative of talented visionaries and future potential.
Admittedly, I’m not surprised by the winners with maybe the exception of Hugo winning for Best Cinematography (I thought Tree of Life might have won that) and a few other categories. If I had an Oscar pool to participate in I would undoubtedly have won some money! But I think that has less to do with my guesses and more to do with predictable Oscar ceremonies…
Agreed. That was a total surprise (and the first award of the night). The Tree of Life was the favorite on that category, and War Horse was second.
Hugo had great photography, no doubt, but it relied heavily on CGI, so I didn’t thought it would win.
Now That The Artist won Best Picture I wanna see it. Just don’t know how.
I’m okay with Pixar losing this time. From what I’ve heard, Morris Lessmore is a great short and it was worthy. Unlike the short La Luna lost to at the Annies. DYK that it wasn’t even nominated for Best Animated Short last night? WTH Annies? And Cars 2 at least deserved a nomination. No Pixar but TWO DreamWorks? Not cool, Academy, not cool. It also should have been nominated for Best Score. Mikey G’s score was one of the best parts of the movie. And with only two nominees, Collision of Worlds or My Heart Goes Vroom deserved a nomination. But whatever, it’s over. So why am I still ranting?
I’m so happy Rango and Man or muppet won!
Although was a bit dissapointed no wins for la luna or war horse.
Am I the only one who liked Real in Rio better than Man or Muppet? (Or am I a Muppet?)
It’s still playing in theatres, look around I’m sure there’s a theatre if not in your town than a nearby one. It’ll be out on DVD soon anyway.
I loved both dearly, and would be happy with either win. But Seeing Bret McKenzie up there defintely was one of my favorite moments of the night.
One thing I wished was different from the cereomonies is I wish they would of played both the songs. I mean, there was only 2 of them. And they were both good songs.
What did you guys think of the theme of “Discovering the Movies?” I liked hearing the interview clips from celebrities and what the movies mean to them.
I thought that song was great! For most of the news here in New Zealand they were talking about him winning and interviewing his family.
I’m with you on that one. “Real in Rio” is a cute little song, and like I’ve said before, I like Jason Segel, the Muppets franchise, and Disney, but I don’t think “Man or Muppet” is exactly Oscar-worthy material. It doesn’t even have so much to do with the content and silliness but more so the song itself… It’s just okay! I think, anyway.
I’m still grumpy over Winnie the Pooh’s “So Long” and Hugo’s “Coeur Volant” being ignored. Much much better songs. 
Coeur Volant was much nicer.
They always do that to a certain extend, but they obviously used it more this year because, as I’ve said, 2011 was notable for its nostalgic homages to classic cinema.
It meant a lot to me, because I could see myself in what that people declared (minus the success ). Films mean as much to me.
I read Hugo and The Artist both won 5 Awards. Seem’s as there was a race between them.
That’s so awesome! Bret is so talented, New Zealand defintely has a right to be proud!