Snub -- Movies We Actually Saw: Sure, the Oscars are known for recognizing critically acclaimed flicks and indie darlings, but this year's decision to open up 10 Best Picture slots instead of the usual five was supposed to mean that populist, blockbuster flicks would be given a better shot at a nomination. The new rule did allow room for The Blind Side and District 9, but fan favourites like The Hangover (which won the Golden Globe for best comedy), Star Trek and (500) Days of Summer were shut out.

Surprise -- The Blind Side (Best Picture): Let's be honest: there is no way The Blind Side, a paint-by numbers tearjerker about overcoming adversity, would have been nominated for Best Picture if the category only had five nominations this year.

Snub -- Invictus: To be fair, Invictus wasn't completely shut out: it got nods for both best actor (Morgan Freeman) and best supporting actor (Matt Damon). But it's incredible that the film was shut out of the best-picture race, while The Blind Side got a nomination. Both are true stories of unlikely triumphs in sports, but Invictus is about one of the most influential political figures of the last century, Nelson Mandela.

Surprise -- Matt Damon (Best Supporting Actor, Invictus): However, it's still a little surprising that Damon was nominated for Invictus -- he did a fantastic job, but wasn't on anyone's radar for this movie. Most predicted that if Damon did get a nomination, it would be for The Informant!, but the Steven Soderbergh comedy was ignored by the Academy.

Snub -- Julianne Moore (A Single Man): Maggie Gyllenhaal's surprise nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category meant that one of the other five predicted actresses would get squeezed out. Unfortunately, that honour went to Julianne Moore, who won over critics with her small but unforgettable role as Colin Firth's boozy BFF in A Single Man.

Surprise -- Maggie Gyllenhaal (Best Supporting Actress, Crazy Heart): Crazy Heart has been picking up crazy steam in the past few weeks, but the weakest part of the otherwise fabulous flick is Jeff Bridges' character's unlikely romance with a young single mother played by Maggie Gyllenhaal. Her nomination came out of nowhere.

Snub -- Karen O (Where the Wild Things Are): Was there a better movie song last year than Karen O's gloriously jubilant All is Love from Where the Wild Things Are? Instead, Academy voters nominated a pair of Randy Newman songs from The Princess and the Frog, Take It All from Nine, Loin de Paname from Paris 36 and The Weary Kind from Crazy Heart. At least Karen O is in good company: Jack White, Paul McCartney, Lykke Li and Linkin Park were also snubbed in this category.

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Check out a photo gallery of Oscar nominees, read reviews of the 10 films in the running for best picture, and see more stories about the Academy Awards at ottawacitizen.com/entertainment