10 Oscar Fails in 2012

Every year, we get a set of Oscar nominations and there's always something to complain about. This year might just be a prime example of that. I did this post at the same time last year, so I figured I could do it again. So here are the snubs in top 10 order, the way I see them...

10. Best Original Score: The Chemical Brothers - Hanna

I may not have been the biggest fan of Hanna, but that score has been on replay on my iPod ever since I bought it in October. It is filled with so many strange sounds that take you to this fantastical place worlds away from here. It really is an out of this world score. Perhaps it is the absence of violins or other orchestral instruments that don't make it an obvious choice, but it was truly the best thing I'd heard since The Social Network's score. And how about 'Container Park'? That song makes me wish I was chasing down some evil people and beating the crap out of them. But then I've got to remember that I'm walking down the main street of Dannevirke.

9. Best Original Screenplay: Mike Mills - Beginners

I must admit, while I liked Beginners, I wasn't the hugest fan of it when I first saw it. Then I bought the DVD and I was completely taken away with it. While the performances at the front are all brilliant (it is so sad that Ewan McGregor is going unnoticed for his work), it is the somewhat personal script by writer/director Mike Mills shines through. It is raw and realistic - in many ways, what The Descendants ultimately failed to do for me. I particularly loved the "this is what .... looks like", and the fractured timeline. Not to mention the dialogue that Arthur got!

8. Best Animated Feature: The Adventures of Tintin

Don't quote me, but I thought that The Adventures of Tintin was all cleared to be eligible for this award. And hey, motion capture is the way of the future, so why wouldn't this be eligible? It may not have been perfect, but it was a bloody fun ride and I'd definitely pick this over Puss in Boots any day. The snub hurts...and it particularly hurts NZ, too. While everyone was crying foul over the more obvious snubs like Fassy, every news program in NZ kept going on about the Tintin snub. It's okay, we in NZ are used to being pushed aside and forgotten...

7. Best Picture: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II

There were many deserving films that missed out on a Best Picture nomination - Drive, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo etc etc etc, but no snub hurts as bad as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II. Say what you will about the series, but there have been some great films that have come out of it and they sure have a huge fanbase. This film was particularly good, becoming the highest grossing film of the year and one of the most critically acclaimed, too. But the reason that this film should have been nominated is the fact that it is literally the end of an era. The Harry Potter films have had their fair share of technical nominations, but this was the last chance it ever had to be nominated for something more. It seems like such a waste and a little offensive that they wouldn't give this last film an award that the series genuinely deserved. Oh well, the Academy are going to regret it in a few years.

6. Best Original Score: Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Sure, they may have won last year and sure, this score isn't as good as The Social Network's, but their just about three hour long score is a beast. Literally. Starting with a cover of 'Immigrant Song' and ending with a brilliant vocal song called 'Is Your Love Strong Enough?', with plenty of dark ambient tones in between, this has the power to be at times either relaxing or terrifying. In some of the songs, I feel like I should be wearing a leather jacket and chasing after an Enya enthusiast, and in others, I feel like walking around like a badass. But just like The Social Network, the soundtrack makes me feel like a total badass when I'm typing. I definitely would have shafted both of the John Williams scores for this one and Hanna. Because with the War Horse one, if I played that whilst walking across a lush green field I wouldn't feel like a badass.

5. Best Actress: Kirsten Dunst - Melancholia

It is a little weird to think that Melancholia didn't get any Oscar recognition (but I think Lars von Trier kinda ruined that for himself), because it did deserve it. Especially deserving was Kirsten Dunst, who delivered my second favourite female performance of the year (the first being Rooney Mara, say what you will, she was amazing) as the depressive Justine who is out to destroy herself and everyone around her. Considering that Dunst went through a similar type of depression not so long ago, you have to praise her for revisiting what was probably a horrible time in her life in crippling fashion. Her performance was absolutely heart-breaking while making me hate her because of her nihilistic views of the world and how she ruins everything. I thought that her Cannes win would have given her some momentum, but alas, a truly great performance is forgotten in favour of mimicry from Meryl Streep.

4. Best Actor: Michael Fassbender - Shame

No, I haven't seen Shame. But I know enough. Michael Fassbender should have been nominated, goddamit. What pisses me off the most about this snub though, is the reason that an Academy voter gave to the LA Times: "He's a guy who's unfamiliar to a lot of people and did a movie that's really intimate. That was a super-brave performance but…perhaps it inspired people to fantasize, and not actually vote." All I have to say is fuck you. That is a bullshit excuse for not voting someone in. You're just too scared to nominate something so explicit and you're jealous because Michael Fassbender's penis is bigger than yours. Assholes.

3. Best Supporting Actor: Alan Rickman - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II

I would have loved to have seen either Ralph Fiennes or Alan Rickman nominated for their brilliant work in the Harry Potter movies, but if we were going for just this one film, Alan Rickman deserved some recognition. He was one of the only actors who found consistency in his character right throughout the series. But it is in this particular film where he is given his time to shine (somewhat briefly, though), and he is absolutely heart-breaking. He is beyond amazing as Severus Snape that it makes me wonder why, in such a weak field, he didn't come forth as a proper competitor. Rickman's voice gives me the chills, too.

2. Best Director: Nicolas Winding Refn - Drive 

Give Refn a few years and a few more films like Drive, and I think he'll emerge as one of the best modern directors. Before Drive I saw Bronson, which I really disliked, but I LOVED his directorial style. With Drive, this is more of a Hollywood film with half of the budget, and he delivers with style. Calm, fresh style. The car chases aren't edited to incomprehensibility, and the really violent scenes are directed in slow-mo so they get under your skin. Add in the hand-picked 80s style soundtrack and you have so much badassery it is criminal. I look forward to what Refn has in store for us...he is awesome.

1. Best Editing: Senna

Okay, so it was never going to happen. And I'm still fuming that it didn't make to the Best Documentary shortlist. But let's look at it this way: the films nominated had a few hours of footage to edit into the story from the screenplay and add a bit of style. And for all we know, they did that well. Senna, however? That had footage from a man's entire LIFE to edit down. What it got edited down to was something pretty close to a normal looking narrative, and it doesn't even use interviews from the present day, just archival footage. It features some of the most phenomenal editing I've ever seen, and it would run rings around any of the other films and their editing released in 2011.

What are your Oscar fails of 2012?

AAN: Inception score vs. The Social Network score.

Annual Awards Nerdism: With both of these lovely scores currently on replay on my iPod, I thought it would be interesting to compare the two. Especially because I really cannot decide which one is better. Other people may not think so, but I reckon these two scores are the front runners in the Oscar race, and they also just may be among the best scores of all time.

OPENING TRACK:
Inception-Half Remembered Dream

The Social Network-Hand Covers Bruise


Inception opens with some piano 'pings' (as I like to call them) playing while the first studio logos come on, and then it proceeds into a sound that is actually the tune to Edith Piaf's 'Non, je ne regrette rien' extremely slowed down. Its such a clever way to open the movie-and the soundtrack-as the whole thing is infused with tones of 'Non, je ne regrette rien' (probably because it serves as the 'kick'). Within the short track it also has a lot of eerie sounds which contribute to the 'dreaminess' aspect of it, and the second half sees a bit of music which is used throughout most of the movie.
The Social Network, of course, opens with the infamous break up seen, but the titles see 'Hand Covers Bruise' accompany Mark Zuckerberg running to his dorm (it takes a very long time). Trent Reznor says "I liked this noble melody that feels damaged, fraying around the edges with strings in the background. I like the tension, the feeling of falling apart." That is exactly what this track is all about. Its played several times throughout the movie, but I feel its best use is when Eduardo is explaining to Gretchen about how everyone elses shares weren't diluted but his were. Its an interesting track, though some would hardly recognize it as 'music'. Nevertheless, it seems to contribute to the 'betrayal' theme of this movie, somehow.
Winner of this round: The Social Network

CLOSING TRACK:
Inception-Time

The Social Network-Soft Trees Break the Fall


Inception's score ends on a high note, whereas by the time you get to the end of The Social Network's, it has toned down immensely. Another difference the two have is the fact that 'Time' is played during the film and 'Soft Trees Break the Fall' is played after the credits start rolling. All in all, they are both really beautiful tracks, but since I am a long time fan of 'Time', it will always win.
Winner of this round: Inception

THE MOST INDIVIDUAL TRACK:
Inception-Mombasa

The Social Network-In Motion


In Inception's score, 'Mombasa' sticks out like a sore thumb. Everything else is so dreamy and overly dependent on an entire orchestra of strings, whereas this is seems so computerized. Yet it fits the 'reality' aspect of this film quite well, as when Cobb is running from Cobol Engineering in Mombasa, one of the guys says to him "You're not dreaming now, are you?" I guess the bombastic nature of this song seems to add to that statement. This song is probably best used when you are exercising or trying to type really really fast...its like a rush of adrenaline.
The second track in The Social Network's score is 'In Motion', which is used in the scene where Mark retreats to his dorm room and starts bitching about Erica and gathering photos for 'Facemash'. Its one of m favourite tracks, as it doesn't have those eerie themes of betrayal and ambition going with it. Instead, it is a fast and peppy song which conveys a great deal of geekery within it. And, for some reason, it always makes me type really fast or feel like hacking. Not that I know how to do the later.
Winner of this round: The Social Network

BEST USED TRACK:
Inception-528491

The Social Network-Magnetic


'528491', which is the number that is often planted in Fischer's mind throughout the inception stages of his dream, is also the song which corresponds with many of his scenes. We first hear it when we first see Fischer 44 minutes into the film, and it is played quite a few times through the film. Its best use, though, is when Fischer gets shot by Mal and Ariadne comes up with the plan to drag him out of limbo. The song escalates until they find themselves on the shore of their subconscious, where its like the whole song just 'drops' and we hear the famous 'brrrrrrrrrrrrm' again. Its as epic as epic can be!
'Magnetic' is one of my most favourite tracks off The Social Network's score. Its played during the first meeting between Sean and Eduardo and Mark, and boy, does it go with that scene well. You can almost here the disenchantment Eduardo has with Sean swelling around it, but the 'coolness' of Sean is covering it up. Its a pretty hip little song, too.
Winner of this round: Inception (mainly 'coz that song has been my ringtone for months now)

WEAKEST TRACK:
Inception-Paradox

The Social Network-3:14 Every Night


These two tracks have never really gelled with me. 'Pardox', which plays when the van is under the water and everyone is climbing out, just doesn't really reach the heights the rest of the score provides. In saying that, it is a nice bridge between 'Waiting for a Train' and 'Time', and it also serves as a nice entrance to 'Time'. But it just doesn't feel right for me. I have the same feeling with '3:14 Every Night', which plays during the scene where Divya informs the Winklevii about 'The Facebook'. It has such a strange sound going through it, which makes me a little uncomfortable (not in a good way). And it pisses me off a little that there is more piano towards the end of the track. I think that song's a little too sinister for a drama about Facebook.
Winner of this round (the better one out of the two): Inception

DEFINING TRACK:
Inception-Dream is Collapsing

The Social Network-A Familiar Taste


'Dream is Collapsing' is a song which will be most associated with Inception because of two reasons: it plays a lot during the film and it also the song that cuts into the spinning top, causing a lot of anger. When you listen to this song, its like being thrown straight into a sea of epicness (bad description, I know), so its exactly like watching Inception, just in 2 minutes 24 seconds. I put this as my ringtone once, and it gave each text a purpose. I'm strange like that.
'A Familiar Taste' is the song that plays when 'Facemash' is launched and everyone at Harvard is having a go at it. This track feels very dirty, but it epitomizes what the film has in store. It has those early themes of betrayal, power, greed and drive running rabid through it. I think it will always be remembered for the way it fits to that cleverly edited scene which combines the Phoenix party with the rest of the Harvard system and little old Mark and his buddies being at the centre of it all. Which pretty much sums up the rest of the film, don't you think?
Winner of this round: The Social Network (by a nose).

BEST OVERALL TRACK:
Inception-Time

The Social Network-In the Hall of the Mountain King


Of course, by a landslide, the best track on the Inception score has to be 'Time'. Listen to this song with the headphones in, the volume turned right up and your eyes closed...its fucking amazing. This song deserves an Oscar on its own. Such a thrilling end to an amazing movie.
I realize that 'In the Hall of the Mountain King' isn't exactly original to The Social Network, but the revamp that Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross give it is amazing. Its all in the way it zips and zaps. Thank goodness this was the song that accompanied that beautiful regatta scene.
Winner of this round: Inception

THE OVERALL WINNER:
The Social Network got 3 votes, but Inception came away with 4, just edging it out.
Hopefully this will be the case at the Oscars.