Thoughts on the Oscar Nominations

I'm still woefully behind on seeing 2008 movies, so I'll keep this brief:

-- It's cool that Richard Jenkins got nominated for best actor; "The Visitor" is a personal fave. Though I'm not sure why the screenplay didn't get nominated.

-- It's also nice that the Academy is recognizing a fairly obscure, early-in-the-year indie like "Frozen River" (best actress for Melissa Leo, best screenplay).

-- It's nice to see Marisa Tomei back in the nominations. It would also be nice if she'd make more than one good movie a decade.

-- I'm not sure whether Mickey Rourke's oddball Golden Globes acceptance speech is going to hurt him or get him an Oscar.

-- Heath Ledger is a gimme pick.

-- Four of the five Best Picture Nominees were also nominated for best editing (the other Best Editing Nominee was The Dark Knight, which should have snagged a Best Picture nomination). Maybe it is all about the editing.

-- Milk was nominated for Best Costumes, which seems sort of odd. Basically all you need to do is look at old photos, and go to the right thrift shops.

-- Benjamin Button was nominated for best makeup and for best visual effects. I'm wondering how many people can tell which was which....