Of Golden Statuettes

The Oscar nominations were announced today. I am by no means a film buff, but I do enjoy watching movies and have a few favorite actors and actresses that I will defend at all costs. I do watch the Golden Globes and Oscars every year, and just like with my sports teams, I always have favorites. This year's nominations had some surprises, as always. Most notably, the fact that Dreamgirls, which leads all films with eight nods, was snubbed in the Best Picture category.
Even though - if the Globes are any indication - this means that the insufferable Babel will likely take home the prize, I must say that I am happy about this. I don't like the actors in Dreamgirls, if you can even call them that, the premise is not Oscar-worthy, and I certainly do not want to spend two hours listening to people ruining perfectly good songs with their insane, contrived vocalizations.
I understand it is a musical, but when the leading contender for Supporting Actor is a comedian best known for portraying fat families in not one, but two movies, and the apparent Supporting Actress shoo-in is a castoff from American Idol (whom I felt was none too good on that show), that's not saying much for the film or the film industry.
My personal choice for Best Picture is The Departed. Overall, I am not a huge fan of mob movies, but this was one of the best films I've ever seen. I was first intrigued by the cast and went in thinking it would be good because how can a Scorsese film with Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, and Mark Wahlberg not be brilliant. I was, however, surprised how much I loved it personally and not just because it was so well-crafted. (The only downside, in my own crazy opinion, was that in some of the scenes, a picture of the Red Sox 2004 World Series victory could be seen on the wall. I've tried to forget that moment ever happened. Other than that, it was cinema at its best.) I am disappointed that it received no acting noms other than Wahlberg for Supporting Actor. Leo is thankfully nominated for Blood Diamond, but his performance, really all of the performances, in The Departed are certainly Oscar-worthy.
Since Scorsese won the Globe for Best Director, hopefully he'll end his drought and finally win the Oscar. Then again, he won for another favorite of mine, The Aviator, and then was defeated at the Academy Awards. I sincerely hope Clint Eastwood does not win. I understand he's great, but enough is enough. And, I certainly don't think Letters from Iwo Jima is better than The Departed. I just don't see how a legend like Scorsese walks away empty-handed year after year.
Anyway, I'm quite looking forward to the Academy Awards. Nothing ever goes my way, but hopefully this year will be different.