Below are the nominations for the 2014 Oscars, which rewards the films of 2013.

Interesting batch this year. Some personal thoughts on the list:

• So glad Roger Deakins’ cinematography on Prisoners was nominated. Contemporary dramas and thrillers often get overlooked in this category, but his incredible lighting definitely stood out, even on the small screen I watched this great film on.
• No Visual Effects nom for Pacific Rim?!! Robbery, I say. This is probably a snub against a film that wasn’t considered a big hit at the box-office. When it comes to big ‘popcorn’ studio movies, a film often has to be a big hit to be acknowledged by the Academy.
• Nice to see four young newcomers get nominated for their song from Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. I wish them the best. Who knows, maybe they’ll be the next U2 some day?
• Jonah Hill again? He doesn’t need any more help after the Moneyball nom.
• Meryl Streep again? Seriously, these “Academy darlings” take up spots that could be filled to recognize lesser-known actors that took on much more challenging roles this year.
• Why is Before Midnight considered an Adapted Screenplay? It must fall under some odd classification, but that still doesn’t mean it makes sense. I loved the film and think it deserves acknowledgment as a wholly original work. Read more

Here they are. Let us know who you’re rooting for in the Comments below and who you feel got snubbed.

Nominations for the 85th Academy Awards

Best motion picture of the year

• “Amour” Nominees to be determined
• “Argo” Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck and George Clooney, Producers
• “Beasts of the Southern Wild” Dan Janvey, Josh Penn and Michael Gottwald, Producers
• “Django Unchained” Stacey Sher, Reginald Hudlin and Pilar Savone, Producers
• “Les Misérables” Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward and Cameron Mackintosh, Producers
• “Life of Pi”Gil Netter, Ang Lee and David Womark, Producers
• “Lincoln” Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers
• “Silver Linings Playbook”Donna Gigliotti, Bruce Cohen and Jonathan Gordon, Producers
• “Zero Dark Thirty”Mark Boal, Kathryn Bigelow and Megan Ellison, Producers Read more