So disappointed

So I finally got around to checking out Oscar.com and viewing the nominations. I saw a lot of movies last year, some great - some not. After looking what the Academy had to think were the best offerings I am thoroughly disappointed. Of the five nominees (Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, The Reader, Milk, and Slumdog Millionaire) only Slumdog was able to captivate me for the entire length of the movie with strong performances throughout and a great story. Not that the other films didn't have elements making them great movies but nothing was able to grab me, the audience I saw the picture with, and several audiences across this and other countries as well as Slumdog was. And yes it's all subjective and an opinion but comparing the films of this year to previous Oscar years and they do seem rather lacking. And were is The Wrestler? A movie about nothing but heart and one of the movies that I can point to as a reason that I still love movies and see several every month. Another tidbit worth pointing out is the lack of The Dark Knight being on the list as well. Blockbuster movies always get panned and under normal circumstances I would never point to box office results but the movie was great. Heath Ledger knocked the ball out of the park in his performance. Christopher Nolan gave the franchise its fangs and claws back without compromising anything. And it has grossed over $1 billion dollars worldwide. Of all the movies I saw last year, I paid to see it twice (once regular once IMAX) and bought the Blu-Ray disc with digital copy to play on portable devices. It will be watched by me and several million other people countless times throughout the years. 10 years from now we will still be talking about it. Doesn't a movie like that deserve a best picture nomination? So Oscar, I think you screwed up this year, but I still believe in you. I hope next year you'll return to form.

Side note: I am really looking forward to seeing AR Rahman perform Jai Ho and O... Saya with M.I.A. That is more than reason enough for me to watch.