Sweetest Girl (Acoustic) Wyclef Jean Feat. Niia : Scorsese's 'Hugo' leads 2012 Academy Award nominations
Scorsese's triumph was not unexpected, but the scope of it was. And for a silent film in black and white to do so well in 2012 is gob-smacking. By leading the field, "Hugo" essentially upset "The Artist," even though the Scorsese film did only moderately well in year-end awards, which "The Artist" dominated.
There were other surprises in a year when many predictions, including mine, were far from exact.
n Bennett Miller's "Moneyball," about a computer geek who knows nothing about baseball but upstages professional scouts, was third with six nominations.
n Alexander Payne's "The Descendants," which was expected to do better, was fourth with five.
n Even though many loved Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life" passionately, it was named for best picture, director and cinematography.
n Woody Allen, whom the Academy likes even though he never attends the Oscar ceremony, had a good day for "Midnight in Paris," the most successful picture of his career; its four mentions include best picture and director.