Oscars 2013: What I Liked

The Oscar nominations were announced this morning. I was prepared to go on yet another tangent about the awards and cover all that I thought were snubbed. Then I realized that noting that absence of Jack Black in "Bernie," Marion Cotillard in "Rust and Bone," and Leonardo Dicaprio in "Django Unchained" would just feel like preaching to the choir.

Instead, I've decided to keep things a little more positive. As much as there was to hate in the nominations this year (and there certainly was a lot *cough* "Les Mis" *cough*) there was also a lot to like in a particularly strong year for film. So, why not give the Academy credit for once, even if they don't need it? Here are my favorite nominees for this year's Oscars: