REACTIONS TO THE OSCAR NOMINATIONS-A SAVAGE CINEMA EXCLUSIVE

The nominations are in and here's my initial reaction.

First things first, I send my most heartfelt congratulations to "Boyhood," "The Grand Budapest Hotel" and "Birdman (Or The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance)" for the healthy amount of nominations all three films received this morning. While I have not even begun to post my four part Savage Scorecard series detailing my favorite and least favorite films of 2014, it should be no mystery to any you frequent visitors to this site of my love for those three aforementioned films as they not only represented three of the very best films 2014 had to offer, but all three filmmakers of Richard Linklater, Wes Anderson and Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu as boldly wondrous creative artists who each created their finest films to date. I am thrilled for all of them without question.

Additionally, I was thrilled to see the blistering, exhausting "Whiplash" nominated for Best Picture as well as veteran character actor JK Simmons nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category for his searing, violently charismatic work in the same film. To that end, I was also very happily surprised to see Felicity Jones deservedly nominated in the Best Actress category for her powerfully subtle work in "The Theory of Everything," as well as Laura Dern and Emma Stone each nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category for "Wild" and "Birdman" respectively. And seeing Michael Keaton nominated for his outstanding performance in "Birdman" within the Best Actor category felt like nothing but vindication for me since I have LOVED him ever since Ron Howard's "Night Shift" (1982) baby!!!!!  

But you know, I have to say that one of the happiest surprises I had while watching the nominations was seeing the selection "Lost Stars" nominated for Best Original Song from the underseen and under valued "Begin Again." It is a beautiful piece of music, so melodically rich and within the film, is utilized in a variety of formats, all of which convey different meanings to the purity and impurity of music, especially when it is co-opted by the music business. Keira Knightley, sings this lovely song, so very well and I am amazed that it made the cut at all  

But at the same time, the nominations felt to be a bit unimaginative or at least most curious as to what exactly was omitted. First of all, I was completely shocked that "The LEGO Movie" was completely snubbed, especially as it was a critical smash in addition to being a box office behemoth. When the nominations for Best Animated Feature Film were announced and "The LEGO Movie" was not mentioned, I was initially puzzled but figured that it would show up within the Best Picture category. When it still refused to appear in any further nominations, my mouth dropped completely open in disbelief. Now certainly, anything that helps the excellent "How To Train Your Dragon 2" in possibly receiving the Best Animated Film award is fine with me but even so, this omission was the jaw dropper.

And please, DO NOT get me started on the Best Film Score category. How it is possible that Composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Composer Mica Levi, and Composer/Drummer Antonio Sanchez, the creators of the musical soundscapes to "Gone Girl," 'Under The Skin" and "Birdman," respectively, and the three most innovative scores of the year hands down, were omitted?!?!? Your friendly neighborhood film enthusiast is frothing at the mouth right now!!!!

But let's keep moving along....

Where was Amy Adams for "Big Eyes"? Nowhere to be found. Where was Scarlett Johansson for her career best performance in the supremely haunting "Under The Skin"? What about David Oyelowo for his highly celebrated work as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in "Selma"? And frankly, why was "Selma" as a whole nearly entirely snubbed, especially considering the heaps of praise that film has received? Where was Ralph Finnes for his top of the line performance in "The Grand Budapest Hotel"? Or even Jake Gyllenhaal's celebrated disturbing work in "Nightcrawler"? While I was so happy to be Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette were both nominated for their work in "Boyhood" but what of the boy himself? Why was Ellar Coltrane, the film's STAR, not nominated, for without him, there is no "Boyhood"?!  And really, it just broke my heart that Director Steve James' "Life Itself," celebrating and commemorating the life, writings, love and death of Roger Ebert, was snubbed entirely as well as it sadly did not make an appearance in the Best Documentary Feature Film category. Honestly, what was Oscar thinking?

And look, does Meryl Streep own stock in the Academy Awards or something? I don't care what anybody says but they HAVE GOT TO STOP nominating Meryl Streep just for showing up on a film set at the expense of other actresses who have performed top flight work within the year. Yes,strong roles for women are indeed lacking, and to apathetic degree, but truthfully not so much that Meryl Streep has to be a default nominee every single year.

Now, all of this being said, and for all of the highs and lows within the nominations themselves, we are off to the races again and I do have a little catching up to do. Out of the eight Best Picture nominees, I have seen five of them and I am hoping to catch the final three over the next few weeks. Wish me luck and let's get ready for the show!