Oscar 2012

Too soon to start thinking about Oscar season 2012...well perhaps considering so far nothing of any particular note has come out yet.  Whatever, AMPAS announced the nominations for the 85th Academy Awards will take place January 15, 2013.  This is one week earlier than announced this past year, which makes me wonder a little bit if that will have any impact on either side.  Will it impact on members ability to watch all qualifying films in time-- one doesn't care for another Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close moment that 2011 will sadly have to live with.  Or could that impact eventual winners giving studios, publicists, nominees one more week of scandalous play to doll out for our precious amusement.  Or am I just over-thinking this, and it will remain but a trivial non-sequitor for a probable long in the tooth season.

One film that's already been released that might have an awards play:

• The Secret World of Arrietty, the Japanese retelling of the classic children's story The Borrowers was co-written by Oscar-winner and master stylist Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away) and released through Disney's Studio Ghibli.  It's a low-key, but enchanting movie, beautifully animated and enriched with creativity.  That the film come out last month to a bit of sluggish box office return may hurt it's chances at a Best Animated Feature slot, as well as Disney's likely strategy to go full throttle with Pixar's upcoming Brave come awards season, it may be unlikely to hear The Secret World of Arrietty uttered on January 15th.  Even still-- it's stronger than any of the 5 nominees from 2011, and an early release dates didn't hurt Coraline in 2009.  Plus, Miyazki's name at the very least, should mean something to branch that gave him a statue in 2002.