5. Skyfall
Another surprise omission this year is the James Bond film Skyfall, directed by Sam Mendes. Although, not only Bond films - but action films in general - do not usually get recognised at the Academy Awards, there are a number of reasons I expected to see it feature in numerous categories this year. Firstly, Skyfall marks the 50th Anniversary of the Bond series (and we all know how traditional and nostalgic the Academy usually is). Also, if Bond films needed a reputation boost, Sam Mendes is probably the most famed and critically acclaimed director ever to be attached to the films, and opposite Daniel Craig as 007 and the exceptionally talented and watchable Javier Bardem as villain Raoul Silva. Add to this the new cast members including Ben Wishaw (Im Not There, Layer Cake), Naomie Harris (28 Days Later, Miami Vice) and Ralph Fiennes (The English Patient, The Constant Gardener), then you really do have an ensemble of talent which should overshadow any negative preconceptions of the genre. Though it seems all of these qualities the 23rd Bond film boasts, it's still not enough for one of cinema's all-time most successful film series to be taken seriously. It has only been nominated in four categories, and although it may not fare well in three, it will surely take centre stage for one category: Music Original Score. Adeles collaboration with Paul Epworth resulted in one of the most powerful and iconic Bond themes to date. Obviously it helps that Adele is adored and successful in many countries including America, as well as the fact that she will be performing that very song on the evening of the Oscars. So if Adele was not to win this category, it would create one of the biggest surprises of the night.