Once again, the big awards ceremony of the year has been pushed back a little later than usual, but the nominations are here which is full of snubs and surprises.
Here are the most notable talking points from the Oscar 2022 nominations announcement-
Big battle: Feelgood vs. Feeldark
For the best picture category, it’s likely going to come down to a fight between two very different movies- Kenneth Branagh’s warmly nostalgic Belfast, and Campion’s not-at-all-warm, acidic The Power of the Dog. Belfast provides comfort, while The Power of the Dog provides cathartic, steel-trap plotting, let’s see now who wins.
Could Flee go three for three?
The Danish film Flee is both a documentary and an animated feature. It’s the tale of a young man who fled Afghanistan with his family as a boy, and who has spent his lifeguarding various secrets ever since. This morning it received nods for best doc, best-animated feature, and best international feature. The best shot it’s got of a win is in the best documentary, but it’s up against the beautiful Summer of Soul. So, will it or not get any or all three?
Don’t Look Up did well
The movie got 4 nominations, including best picture, best original screenplay, best editing, and best original score. And while it joins the ranks of films nominated for best picture but not the best director, the film’s makers and its fans will always be able to point to these nominations.
Denis Villeneuve Denied for best Director
Despite nominations from the Director’s Guild, the Golden Globes, and many critics’ groups, Dune director Denis Villeneuve failed to receive what would have been his second-Best Director Oscar nod, the first coming for 2017’s Arrival. However, at both the Oscars and the BAFTAs, Dune is nominated in the Best Picture/Film category at both ceremonies.
Is ‘The dog’ powerful
Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog was the morning’s big winner, with 12 nominations, beating out Dune (10 nominations), West Side Story (8), Belfast (7), and King Richard (6). Jane Campion’s has been nominated twice in that category. Also, her win will mark the victory of the first best picture for Netflix as a major battle victory in the ongoing war between streaming and theaters.
More Oscar voters equal to more diversity
Nearly 9,500 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are eligible to cast votes this year that’s a more than 30% increase in voting membership since the 2016 #OscarsSoWhite movement drove AMPAS to take efforts to make its voting pool younger and more diverse.
Messy nomination announcement
To be fair to Tracee Ellis Ross and Leslie Jordan, the Academy did make them do the nominations announcement at the very specific time of 5:18 am PT but, even cutting them some slack for that, the whole thing felt like a shambles.
