Dark Knight Oscar Snub

I love movies, and I'm a budding amateur critic. There's always room for differences in taste amongst people, so if you like a movie that I don't and vice versa, I will totally understand. There is no excuse, however, but plain old-fashioned stodginess for why Christopher Nolan's Batman epic, "The Dark Knight" did not receive a Best Picture nomination for the Academy Awards.

To me, there's two main parts in assessing a movie's quality. First, there's the "tangibles" - the technical categories like Art Direction, Cinematography, Make-up, Costumes, Editing...you get my meaning. Though these areas may be hard to judge for those of us that aren't in the biz, people that are in-the-know can tell the shoddy from the shining. I know very little about these categories, and I trust the people who are responsible for analyzing these films to get it right come awards time.

The second part is the "intangibles" - aspects of a film that are more open to opinion or interpretation. These subjective areas include the writing, the direction, and the acting, which really combine to give us what the movie really strives to be.

Unquestionably, the Dark Knight was a great technical success. It has garnered 7 nominations in technical categories. Its huge budget no doubt gave this movie a big advantage in these areas. It would be pretty hard to capture Hong Kong at night as brilliantly as cinematographer Wally Pfister did without being able to spend millions on chartering planes and helicopters.

So there's part one - the tangibles. What does the Dark Knight have for intangibles, you ask?

1) A Best Supporting actor nomination for Heath Ledger in a brilliant and iconic performance that many rate as one of the best they've ever witnessed. (And probably a win at the Oscars in a couple of weeks.) And don't discount the other performances in the movie either. An exceptional cast gives a terrific, if understated (except Batman's big-boy voice) ensemble performance.

2) A Director recognized by the DIRECTOR'S GUILD of AMERICA (not by Oscar). Think those guys know anything about directing?

3) A screenplay recognized by the WRITER'S GUILD of AMERICA (not by Oscar). Think those guys know anything about writing?

And finally, the biggest reason why THE DARK KNIGHT deserves some love for Best Picture. It is by no means an easy task to do a good comedy, a good actioner, or a good drama. Which is why it's so incredible that TDK pulls of its blend of drama, action, suspense, and even humor so brilliantly.

Throw all of the technical and non-technical aspects aside, and the creators of this movie were still able to do something incredible with this film. It is almost universally acclaimed by critics, fans, and general audiences. Last year's winner, No Country For Old Men, was an amazing movie, but with a very narrow appeal. The Dark Knight is an amazing movie with almost UNIVERSAL appeal. In addition to being technically solid, dramatically moving, and intellectually engaging, it is massively entertaining!

TITANIC won Best Picture about 10 years ago. It's not the best drama I've ever seen, or the best love story, or the best historical epic. But few other movies could pull off a dramatic love story set in the early 20th century amidst a backdrop of one of the most epic disasters ever seen on film. A production that huge and polished deserved its critical acclaim, awards, and a billion dollars.

And that, my friends, is why the absence of the Dark Knight in the Best Picture category will make the Oscars so dull and pointless this year. It's huge, it's great, it's got immense support and it is completely unique, unmatched and ground-breaking. None of the other movies that will be recognized will have nearly as much going for them.

So take my advice - don't tune into ABC on Sunday the 22nd. Get some popcorn, a soda, and a comfy spot on the couch. And spend your evening watching "THE DARK KNIGHT."