Oscar season always brings with it plenty of shocks and surprises. 'American Hustle' and 'Philomena' not being completely ignored were certainly two of the largest in terms of making the cut, but this year the most talked about decisions are those films and performances that were not chosen. Some of the very early front runners for Best Actor and Best Actress have been left out of the nominations entirely and a number of tipped films have been snubbed. So here is a list of the eight most glaring omissions from the 2014 Academy Awards shortlists. Which are the biggest mistakes and more importantly, with surprises so early on, is this a sign that 2014 will be a year with a shock like 1977 where underdog 'Rocky' beat 'Taxi Driver' to Best Film? As always expect spoilers if you haven't seen the films mentioned in the headings.
8. Woody Allen - Best Director, 'Blue Jasmine.'
"Return to form." Those three words have been damning Woody Allen's films with faint praise for over a decade. Of course not all of his films are fantastic (Cassandra's Dream anyone?) but for a man who writes and directs a new film every year it is remarkable that his quality is so high. If proof were needed 'Match Point', 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona' and 'Midnight in Paris' have each been hailed as a return to form with the latter two winning Oscars of their own. It seems that critics have selective amnesia as the first comments made about 'Blue Jasmine' again chose to wheel out this phrase. Although he is a regular in the Original Screenplay category, Allen's work directing is often taken for granted due to the sheer number of films he produces. 'Blue Jasmine' is truly him at his directorial peak and he deserves to be among this year's contenders.
