Overlooked by the Oscars

Every year, the Oscars overlook some of the year's best films. Some people chalk it up to "politics," but I have come to realize that it's mostly a matter of consensus. You can't get 100 people to agree on much, let alone 6000. If they do agree, the result is likely to be something in the "lowest common denominator" realm. Not to mention that this mob is easily influenced by whatever the trend of the moment is. If a film is hot for about a month and it's hot right at voting time, you can bet it has a good shot, even if it has a short shelf life.

So here's a list of this year's best overlooked items, culled from actual critics awards, critics' mentions and other year-end accolades.

Most Overlooked Best Picture: Drive

Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive was among the top five most mentioned films on critics' ten best lists in 2011. Additionally, Refn won the Best Director award at Cannes. But it's clear why it wasn't nominated. It's a pure genre film with no other real "message," and it's exceedingly violent, which probably turns the stomachs of the Academy's older voters.

Other overlooked Best Pictures: Melancholia, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Shame, A Dangerous Method, Margaret, Take Shelter, Meek's Cutoff.

Most Overlooked Best Director: Nicholas Winding Refn, Drive

See above.

Over overlooked directors: David Cronenberg (A Dangerous Method), Steven Spielberg (War Horse and The Adventures of Tintin), Lars von Trier (Melancholia), Abbas Kiarostami (Certified Copy)

Most Overlooked Best Actor: Michael Fassbender, Shame

Fassbender received the most votes and awards of those not nominated for an Oscar. Again, it's fairly easy to see why. Shame is not focused on a plot, or on a resolution or redemption. It's a fairly harsh depiction of sex addiction, with graphic nudity. It's the type of movie that safe, stodgy voters would not even bother to watch, much less vote for.

Other overlooked Best Actors: Michael Shannon (Take Shelter), Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar), Ralph Fiennes (Coriolanus), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (50/50), Brendan Gleeson (The Guard), Owen Wilson (Midnight in Paris), Woody Harrelson (Rampart)

Most Overlooked Best Actress: Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin

I hate this film, but I concede that Swinton is a superb actress and does some startling things in her role. The film is a quasi horror movie about a "bad seed," though wrapped up in a message about Columbine-style school slayings. It's an uncomfortable mix, as seen through the eyes of an unreliable narrator, and the cross of over-the-top, unrealistic horror and the very real Columbine theme is somewhat appalling. There's no doubt as to why Oscar voters did not buy into this.

Other overlooked Best Actresses: Elizaebth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene), Kirsten Dunst (Melancholia), Anna Paquin (Margaret), Juliette Binoche (Certified Copy), Kirsten Wiig (Bridesmaids), Yun Jung-hee (Poetry), Vera Farmiga (Higher Ground), Saoirse Ronan (Hanna)

Most Overlooked Best Supporting Actor: Albert Brooks, Drive

This was a most bizarre omission. Brooks won more critics awards than any other actor in this category, and he's absolutely astounding. It's one of those performances that changes the direction of an entire career. Could the voters have hated Drive that much? (Its lone nomination is for Best Sound Editing.)

Other overlooked Best Supporting Actors: Patton Oswalt (Young Adult), Andy Serkis (Rise of the Planet of the Apes), Brad Pitt (The Tree of Life), Jeremy Irons (Margin Call), Kevin Spacey (Margin Call), John Hawkes (Martha Marcy May Marlene), John C. Reilly (Cedar Rapids), Ryan Gosling (Crazy Stupid Love), Colin Farrell (Horrible Bosses), Viggo Mortensen (A Dangerous Method), Alan Rickman (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2)

Most Overlooked Best Supporting Actress: Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

I'm not a huge fan of this movie; I think that while many scenes are satisfying in themselves, it doesn't add up to a whole, and the balance is off. But Woodley, who is just 20, gives a remarkably intuitive performance opposite a major movie star (George Clooney). She's wise, wounded, and funny. Otherwise, there was very little consensus in this category this year, mainly because Jessica Chastain had all the good parts, and because The Help got all the nominations.


Other overlooked Best Supporting Actresses: Carey Mulligan (Shame), Vanessa Redgrave (Coriolanus), Cate Blanchett (Hanna), Rachel McAdams (Midnight in Paris), Marisa Tomei (Crazy Stupid Love), Amy Ryan (Win Win), Judi Dench (My Week with Marilyn)

Most Overlooked Best Original Screenplay: Will Reiser, 50/50

In the other categories, it's easy to see why things were overlooked, but 50/50 seems tailor made for Oscars; it's a cancer story, based on a true story, and with a happy ending. Not to mention that it's a really good, well-made movie, and actually quite funny. Maybe it was too much of a tough sell; perhaps Academy members didn't want to see it? (Or perhaps it was too funny?)

Other overlooked Best Original Screenplays: Tom McCarthy (Win Win), Jon Raymond (Meek's Cutoff), Kenneth Lonergan (Margaret), Lee Chang-dong (Poetry), Diablo Cody (Young Adult), Abbas Kiarostami (Certified Copy), John Michael McDonagh (The Guard), Mike Mills (Beginners), Terrence Malick (The Tree of Life), Sean Durkin (Martha Marcy May Marlene)

Most Overlooked Best Adapted Screenplay: Hossein Amini, Drive

One more time, shall we? What happened to Drive? Even weirder, this category has been clearly dominated by two powerhouse scripts: Moneyball and The Descendants. Any others are distant dark horses. So why couldn't Drive have snuck into this category?

Other overlooked Best Adapted Screenplays: Tate Taylor (The Help), Moira Buffini (Jane Eyre), Christopher Hampton (A Dangerous Method), Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller (The Muppets).