The Academy Award nominations were announced on Tuesday, and many of them were almost surprisingly predictable this year.

We were sad to see a few films not make the cut — “The Ides of March,” “Crazy, Stupid, Love,” “Melancholia” — but considering the volume of high-budget dramas (is anybody else tired of Brad Pitt?), we’re not really surprised by most of the nominations, or the snubs for that matter.

Here we break down the nominations for three of the most popular categories and give our views on what the Academy has selected.

Best picture

The Academy only nominated nine films this year, a decision we find interesting given the snub of excellent films such as “Carnage,” “Shame” and “Melancholia.” It’s disappointing to see “Moneyball” take up a nod. The slow-paced, lackluster sports film cannot keep stride with most of its competitors.

Actor in a leading role

Again, the “Moneyball” nomination is a waste. Brad Pitt’s character was mediocre, especially in comparison to Michael Fassenberger’s riveting performance in “Shame” (which has been all together snubbed). We can’t complain with the other four. While we’re happy to see Gary Oldman nab a nod, we’re inclined to think the Academy will follow suit to the Golden Globes in this category.

Actress in a leading role

This may be our favorite category. The Academy was spot on in recognizing some of the year’s most outstanding female performances. The queen of Oscar nods, Meryl Streep’s performance is just as deserving as ever. Michelle Williams is a favorite of ours, but who can argue with any of these?

The Life & Arts Staff