10 Times The Oscars Recognized 'Cool' Movies
8. Inception
Notable Nominations: Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.
If you asked any of Christopher Nolan's many fanboys, they'd say that the ambitious auteur should have a trophy case full of Oscars by now. Alas, he's been passed over on several occasions, but he came quite close with Inception.
Nolan's most ambitious film (and probably one of the most ambitious mainstream films ever made), Inception is a heist film set inside the world of dreams. The unique and complex setting for an action thriller was a risk, but audiences loved it.
They were blown away by the inventive action set-pieces, engrossed in the tangled plot, and obsessed with dissecting everything about the film. The online community touted it as a near-perfect film, and while tempers have cooled since its release, there's still plenty of people talking about that ending.
The campaigning of the film's rabid fans payed off, although not to the extent that they had hoped. The film garnered a number of technical awards at the 2011 Oscars, but lost in its two major categories, Best Screenplay and Best Picture. While Nolan went home empty-handed, the mere fact that he pulled off this movie is amazing and a couple nominations is just icing on the cake.