Hey, I've seen every single Best Picture nominated film! All Hail TIFF, etc. I'm overall reasonably happy with the noms - lots of different films being acknowledged in varying categories and some unexpected pleasures (Leslie Manville for Phantom Thread, yay!) I, too, would have liked more love for The Florida Project. I feel like The Darkest Hour was perfectly solid but not exceptional? I mean, Gary Oldman would probably win Best Actor and I'd be OK with that, but his performance is the only remarkable thing about it.

(The Best Actor category must be pretty weak because while I have not seen it, I heard Roman J Israel Esq was... not a good film.)

I am REALLY happy that both Gerwig and Jordan Peel got Best Director noms. Would have liked to have seen Sean Baker there, but I'm flush in the Phantom Thread spell right now so can't be too sore about PT Anderson being up there.

The ones I'm really rooting for to win: Willem Dafoe for Best Supoorting Actor, Roger Deakins for cinematography for Blade Runner 2049 (whatever my issue with the movie, it was the most singularly visually stunning movie of 2017), and Jonny Greenwood for Phantom Thread score.

I haven't seen anything but Get Out, really, but in terms of Oscars, I feel like even Meryl Streep would agree she maybe doesn't deserve a nomination every year. (And I say that loving her completely.)

Also, nothing for Wonder Woman? Not costumes, even?

The Best Actor category must be pretty weak because while I have not seen it, I heard Roman J Israel Esq was... not a good film.

I would say this has been true for the last ten years at least (in that the actress category is often far more competitive, with more "deserving" performances than the actor category). It is probably more obvious this year because (for once) female-led films are more prevalent among the nominees in general.

Off to see The Darkest Hour...

I really wanted to go see The Shape of Water after work tonight, but it's not showing on my side of the straits. Pout.

It is probably more obvious this year because (for once) female-led films are more prevalent among the nominees in general.

t nods Both Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories this year have much more interesting and varied performances than the respective male counterparts. Which is GREAT.

On a non-Oscar news, the adaptation of Nick Hornby's Juliet Naked just premiered in Sundance and it's reportedly great, which makes me happy: [link]

It's been eons since I read the book, but the casting seems spot on. I mean, Chris O'Dowd and Ethan Hawke - OF COURSE. And I love Rose Byrne when she plays comedy.

Also, nothing for Wonder Woman? Not costumes, even?

I'd like to have seen noms for Wonder Woman in Production Design (I thought its was clearly better than Dunkirk's) and Cinematography. All of the Costuming contenders are really good in that respect though, so I'm not sure whether or not it deserves one of the slots.

I also feel like Patty Jenkins ought to get some sort of special award for swimming upstream against the waterfall of DCEU crappiness and MRA backlash with an excellent, uplifting movie on her shoulders.

I just saw Phantom Thread and the best part was seeing my friend and drama school comrade Jane in a bit part near the end.

I feel like The Darkest Hour was perfectly solid but not exceptional? I mean, Gary Oldman would probably win Best Actor and I'd be OK with that, but his performance is the only remarkable thing about it.

This was what I expected before seeing it, but I have to say that I thought it was a fresh take on that genre. Lots of interesting camera angles and great sound work. Good score too. As I said to the Math Greek just now, it is still my third favorite Dunkirk movie of 2017 but it's not that far down the list. (And it makes a great companion piece to the others.) I'm not sure I would have given it costume, but I have no quibble with it getting six nods.

I'm seeing Shape of Water tomorrow evening. Most years I don't tend to see all the best picture noms, and it doesn't look like this year will be different. Still, it looks like I have a lot of good stuff to look for on Netflix, eventually.

Lots of interesting camera angles and great sound work

Joe Wright is fond of showy camera work - I still think of that continuous take of the beach of Dunkirk (geez, another one) in Atonement. Nothing quite as audacious as that in The Darkest Hour but I remember going oooh at that overhead shot of the squadron about to be bombed.

The scene of Churchill meeting up with the common folk in the tube though - I thought that was super cornball.

Re: Phantom Thread. Not quite as bad as Three Billboards, but reactions to the movie are turning out to be quite divisive. I was listening to PCHH podcast this AM on the movie and and gang mostly did not care for it.