The awards are not about cultural populism. It amazes me how every year some populist wonders “why didn’t the latest Pixar anime grossfest get nominated?” I enjoyed Guardians of the Galaxy, but it wasn’t Oscar-worthy. Neither were those awful Hobbit movies (all of them), which is why I was upset when the academy honored “Return of the King.”
They’re about a fine balance. The Oscars virtually never honor truly under the radar films that hardly anyone saw...films that barely get distributed and only play at festivals.
Glad to see the Polish movie “Ida” nominated for Best Foreign Language Picture.
I was speaking of the performance. In my opinion Pratt, and Bautista, at the least, turned in worthy performances. The script was well done and deep. The music well done. Overall, it was a better picture than the others, in spite of the cultural elites spite over popular movies.
If the most popular films of the year were the nominees then the top 5 would be...
Transformers: Age of Extinction
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Guardians of the Galaxy
Maleficent
X-Men: Days of Future Past