Nine films are nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards this year, begging the question: who deserved a tenth spot on that list? "Oscars 2012: 10 Spot" answers that question, as the MTV Movies team highlights some of 2011's greatest films and argues why they deserved a nod as the tenth Best Picture nominee.

"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" deserved the tenth spot in the Best Picture category for reasons based in both quality and politics. Many Oscar analysts reasoned that the Tomas Alfredson film could pull off a surprise nomination based on the prominence of the British contingent within the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences, a big factor in last year's win for "The King's Speech," but that was not the case.

The spy story, based on the novel by John le Carré, has been loved in the UK since its release and the famous miniseries adaptation starring Alec Guinness, so revisiting "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" on the big screen came with challenges already built in.

What Alfredson delivered was an aesthetically beautiful, cold and cool suspense thriller that lived up to the legacy set by all of the previous iterations. He most certainly had the help of Gary Oldman, who turned in a career performance as the subdued but exacting George Smiley, the man tasked with finding a Soviet mole in British intelligence.

In a field of safe, easily accessible Best Picture nominees ("Tree of Life" being the welcome exception), the purposely confusing structure of "Tinker Tailor" would have helped the Academy fight off accusations of simply taking Oscar bait. The quality is certainly there, as evident by the Adapted Screenplay nomination for Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan, and the star-studded ensemble added a cold reality to each quietly tense scene.

Unfortunately, the Academy went the route of much safer picks, simultaneously passing over more complex and interesting pictures of which "Tinker Tailor" is but one example.

The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Stick with us for everything you need to know leading up to the awards show, and on Sunday, February 25, tune into MTV.com at 5:30 p.m. ET for our three-hour red-carpet live stream and updates on the night's big winners.

Nine films are nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards this year, begging the question: who deserved a tenth spot on that list? "Oscars 2012: 10 Spot" answers that question, as the MTV Movies team highlights some of 2011's greatest films and argues why they deserved a nod as the tenth Best Picture nominee.

"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" specifically points out what's wrong with the Best Picture race this year. Of the films in the conversation, David Fincher's adaptation of Stieg Larsson's best-selling novel did deserve a nomination for the Oscar top prize in 2011, but in almost any other year, I think the snub would have been justified.

That is because "Dragon Tattoo" has one thing that all of the Best Picture nominees, with the exception of "Tree of Life," severely lack: an edge.

With the field almost entirely filled with nostalgia movies ("Hugo," "The Artist," "Midnight in Paris," "War Horse," "The Help"), a lack of variety bogs down the race, leaving it without a real sense of drama. The films, while enjoyable, don't represent the gamut of subjects the medium can touch and result in a fairly one-note race.

"Dragon Tattoo" went dark and stayed dark, and did so without apologizing. With an essentially incompetent male protagonist, a female rape-victim has to use her intellect to serve justice, and when the murderer is cornered, he dies because of his inability to drive with a shattered jaw. Though its formulaic thriller plot ultimately lessens the story's impact, a nomination for "Dragon Tattoo" would have added spice to the race and shown some daring on the part of the Academy.

Even ignoring the subject matter and the story, Fincher made a technically masterful film, as he tends to do, and reaffirmed his place as one of the genre's best directors, always ready to innovate. At this level, the snub seems particularly insulting when you consider that Tate Taylor's by-the-numbers "The Help" earned a spot on the list. Also consider that Fincher's loss to the undeserving Tom Hooper at last year's ceremony should have qualified for the Academy's love of payback.

Then again, my whole argument comes with a caveat: I don't think "Dragon Tattoo" is all that great, and it wouldn't deserve a nomination if the other nominees had been of a higher caliber. The snub exists based on the merits of comparison and not solely on the film itself. That being the case, however, adding "Dragon Tattoo" to the tenth spot would have lent a little more respect to a category that I think sorely needs it.

The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Stick with us for everything you need to know leading up to the awards show, and on Sunday, February 25, tune into MTV.com at 5:30 p.m. ET for our three-hour red-carpet live stream and updates on the night's big winners.

Nine films are nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards this year, begging the question: who deserved a tenth spot on that list? Oscars 2012: 10 Spot answers that question, as the MTV Movies team highlights some of 2011's greatest films and argues why they deserved a nod as the tenth Best Picture nominee.

Director Jonathan Levine's affecting "50/50" would be worthy of recognition if, for no other reason, than transcending an unfortunate shorthand (It's a cancer comedy!) to earn its place as a well-regarded piece of cinema. But what makes the dramedy truly Oscar-worthy (and a decided snub on the part of the Academy) is that it's a film greater than the sum of its (very good) parts, touching on a buffet of themes (life, death, love) without the oft-requisite side of stinky cheese.

Inspired by his real-life battle with a rare form of spinal cancer, screenwriter Will Reiser introduces us to 27-year-old Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who's facing his own diagnosis and 50/50 odds. And the young man's support system is a motley crew to say the least—well-meaning best friend Kyle (Seth Rogen), high-strung mom Diane (Anjelica Huston) and therapist-in-training (and potential love interest) Katherine (Anna Kendrick).

Though Kendrick delivers an earnest performance reminiscent of her Oscar-nominated turn in "Up in the Air," it's Gordon-Levitt who's the tortured force behind "50/50." The actor is so much everyman Adam that it's sometimes hard to remember he isn't actually Adam. Even when improvising—like he and Rogen did for the memorable head-shaving scene—he wears Adam's strife like it's a bespoke suit.

And it's no wonder considering the well-measured material he has to work with. Reiser provides a script that expertly toes the line between comedy and tragedy (and what a thin line it can be). Whether it's a light-hearted scene in which Adam tries to use his diagnosis to pick up a woman or a morose moment in which a fellow cancer patient's seat in treatment is tragically empty, Reiser knows when to employ humor and when to let the emotion of the moment carry a scene.

For many, "50/50"'s Adam serves as a sort of surrogate for the cancer patient in their own life, providing a level of empathy and catharsis few films can. "The Descendants" is another such film that hurts so good and it deservedly earned a nod from the Academy. So where is "50/50"'s?

The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Stick with us for everything you need to know leading up to the awards show, and on Sunday, February 25, we'll put you on the red carpet and bring you all the winners.

Nine films are nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards this year, begging the question: who deserved a tenth spot on that list? Oscars 2012: 10 Spot answers that question, as the MTV Movies team highlights some of 2011's greatest films and argues why they deserved a nod as the tenth Best Picture nominee.

If there's a movie that made you laugh harder and more consistently in 2011 than "Bridesmaids," I'd certainly love to hear about it. For my money, no such film exists: the Kristen Wiig comedy was an instant classic with all the guffaws and gross-out jokes seen in the "Hangover" movies, but with considerably less bro-humor and a whole lot more brains.

For the few of you out there who haven't seen "Bridesmaids," a quick primer: Wiig plays Annie, a down-on-her-luck baker-sans-bakery who finds her loneliness heightened by the upcoming marriage of her lifelong best friend, Lillian (Maya Rudolph). As Lillian's maid of honor, Annie dances around her own depression by stumbling in the faces of the rest of the bridesmaids: waspy control-freak Helen (Rose Byrne), cynical mom Rita (Wendi McLendon-Covey), doe-eyed newlywed Becca (Ellie Kemper) and the impossibly filthy Megan (Melissa McCarthy). Hilarity, heartbreak and other hijinks ensue.

"Bridesmaids" isn't entirely without Oscar support this year. The film snagged a nod for Best Original Screenplay, and to the surprise of nobody, McCarthy is up for Best Supporting Actress. Her turn as Megan stands out to me as the funniest performance of 2011, if not necessarily the deepest one of the year. Comparing McCarthy's Megan to "Hangover" man-child Zach Galifianakis' Allen doesn't do the role justice: both are unhinged, thoroughly ridiculous human beings, but where Allen is a semi-psychotic dimwit with a big heart, Megan has enough brains to keep up with her bananas.

But McCarthy isn't the only reason why "Bridesmaids" works so well. The film's biggest laughs come from her, sure, but it's the group chemistry of Lillian's bridesmaids and the emotional downward spiral of Annie that keep things moving forward at such an amazing pace. Is it groundbreaking dramatic material? Perhaps not, but it does put you through your paces with a fantastic lead character in Wiig. Her identity crisis is no less fascinating to me than Billy Beane's struggle in "Moneyball," or Gil Pender's time-traveling escapades in "Midnight in Paris." Honestly, if it were me, I'd put "Bridesmaids" through to the top nine over either one of those films.

Perhaps "Bridesmaids" is just too much funny, not enough sappy, for Oscar voters to get behind in a big way. Comedies at the Oscars are usually the saddest ones of all, as Jack Black, Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly once happily pointed out. But with only nine films nominated and a tenth spot available, I see no reason why Oscar couldn't have broken their usual comedy bias with a movie as touching, deserving and -- yes -- disgusting as "Bridesmaids."

Which 2011 film deserved a spot as a Best Picture nominee? Tell us in the comments section or hit us up on Twitter!

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" got snubbed at the Oscars. It's something that most of us here on the MTV Movies Blog team -- and many of you fans out there -- can agree on. But apparently leading man Daniel Radcliffe agrees with us, and he's made his displeasure known.

"There's a certain amount of snobbery," Radcliffe said in an interview with the Radio Times (via The Guardian). "It's kind of disheartening. I never thought I'd care. But it would've been nice to have some recognition, just for the hours put in."

"I don't think the Oscars like commercial films, or kids' films, unless they're directed by Martin Scorsese," Radcliffe added. "I was watching Hugo the other day and going, 'Why was this nominated and we're not?' I was slightly miffed."

"Potter" fans, yours truly included, share Radcliffe's disappointment. Many expected -- as I did -- that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences would honor the last and best of the "Potter" films similar to how they rewarded Peter Jackson and his "Lord of the Rings" films back in 2004. But no cigar.

It's not that "Potter" necessarily deserved to win Best Picture, but it at least deserved to be recognized for, as Radcliffe put it, "the hours put in," as well as the fact it was genuinely a high quality film. If I could have had it my way, these would have been the three nominations "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" received.

Best Picture -- As I've already argued, "Deathly Hallows: Part 2" was one of the best pictures of the year. And with one slot left unfilled in the Best Picture category, I think it should have been given to "Harry Potter."

Best Supporting Actor: Alan Rickman -- The adult actors in the "Harry Potter" franchise have always shone brighter than its young stars, but none more than Alan Rickman. He gave a phenomenal performance as Severus Snape in "Part 2," and should have been acknowledged for it.

Best Director -- I have my qualms with David Yates directing style for the many of the "Harry Potter" movies he helmed, but I think he really brought it all together in "Deathly Hallows: Part 2." The pacing, the action and the performances he drew out of his stars were all top notch. It would have been nice if the Academy had felt the same.

Do you agree with Radcliffe about "Harry Potter's" Oscar snub? What categories do you think the movie should have been nominated in? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!

So much goes into predicting and ultimately deciding Oscar nominations that it can be difficult to decide which award shows to pay attention to and which to ignore. This week's Oscar nominations, however, proved that one award show in particular can be very useful in predicting some of the Academy's more surprising picks.

The Screen Actors Guild Awards announced their nominations weeks before the Academy's and showed that their picks should not be overlooked during award season. SAG both honored and turned away many of the same performances that the Academy shocked and snubbed earlier this week.

Here's our breakdown.

Demián Bichir
The "A Better Life" actor had stayed just outside the award conversation for most of the season, earning some recognition with critics' circles, but never snagging a big nod. That changed with the SAG awards, which gave Bichir recognition that the Academy echoed weeks later.

Michael Fassbender
One of the most daring roles in film this year didn't yield award returns to the man who bared it all, Michael Fassbender. He may have earned a Golden Globe nomination for his role as a sex addict in "Shame," but Fassbender didn't repeat for the Screen Actors Guild and was ultimately shut out at the Oscars. It just goes to show that nudity doesn't always mean awards.

Jonah Hill
If the Golden Globes nominate a big star, it's never a guarantee that an Academy Award nomination will follow. While Hill was a more likely nod than Bichir was before the Oscar nominations, he was far from a lock. The SAG nomination certainly helped bolster his chances, and when the Academy's nod came weeks later, it was much less of a surprise.

Albert Brooks
Throughout award season, Brooks made no secret of the campaign to get him a nomination for his villainous role in "Drive." He joked openly and often about his nominations and wins, but when he missed out on a SAG nomination, the laughing stopped, and the conversation changed. The Academy snub this week came as only a mildly surprising disappointment.

Melissa McCarthy
The "Bridesmaids" breakout went through a series of ups and downs during her campaign for a nomination. The buzz around the role and the film's popularity catapulted McCarthy into the conversation, but a snub at the Golden Globes made some doubt that the Academy would recognize a comedic role. Fortunately for McCarthy, she rode the wave of the SAG nomination and turned it into her ticket to Oscar night.

Tell us what you think about the SAGs in the comments section and on Twitter!

One of the biggest surprises coming out the Academy Award nominations from Tuesday (January 24) was how significant the SAG nominees ended up being. No SAG nomination for Albert Brooks in "Drive"? No Oscar nomination for Albert Brooks in "Drive."

It might be easy to dismiss them, but the SAG awards mean a great deal in the grand scheme of all things Oscars. The winners there often repeat later at the Academy Awards. When actors are choosing the winners, people pay attention.

Here are our picks for the Screen Actors Guild Awards:

Best Ensemble - "The Artist"
This film has two big factors going for it. It's all about how magical movies are, and it's silent. Actors have more respect for their own craft than anyone else, and part of that is honoring its origins. Not only is "The Artist" the front runner for Best Picture, but it's a movie Hollywood loves because it loves Hollywood.

Best Actor - Jean Dujardin in "The Artist"
Dujardin gets all of the benefits that "The Artist" has. His performance hearkens back to everything that made the pictures magical. It's the kind of role that SAG loves to celebrate.

Best Actress - Viola Davis in "The Help"
Let's call Meryl Streep's Golden Globes win a fluke. Viola Davis, along with some help from Octavia Spencer, carried "The Help," a movie that won't see much love outside of the actress categories.

Supporting Actor - Christopher Plummer in "Beginners"
Plummer is an acting legend in a role that embraces alternative lifestyles. That's simple award season arithmetic.

Supporting Actress - Melissa McCarthy in "Bridesmaids"
Megan simply stole the show in "Bridesmaids," and this award makes for the perfect opportunity for the guild to praise a comedic role.

Best Ensemble (Comedy Series) - "Modern Family"
TV's easiest show to love should have the easiest time reclaiming the award it won last year. With virtually the same field of competitors, a repeat shouldn't be a problem.

Best Ensemble (Drama Series) - "Game of Thrones"
As a true ensemble piece, "Game of Thrones" has the same advantage "Boardwalk Empire" had for its win last year, but tie goes to the newbie.

Best Actor in a Comedy Series - Steve Carell in "The Office"
Both the Emmys and the Golden Globes ruthlessly snubbed Carell after his final year as Michael Scott. Here's to hoping the guild will correct this egregious error.

Best Actress in a Comedy Series - Edie Falco in "Nurse Jackie"
Betty White got her obligatory award last year, and the "Modern Family" moms should cancel each other out. Falco will edge out Fey because of her more "dramatic" role in a comedy.

Best Actor in a Drama Series - Coach Taylor in "Friday Night Lights"
Yes, we're aware that his name is actually Kyle Chandler, but the two are one in the same. He cleared our eyes and filled our hearts for five years. It's time he wins every award possible.

Best Actress in a Drama Series - Jessica Lange in "American Horror Story"
It's Constance. She's new, creepy and crazy. "American Horror Story" was the only true water cooler show of the new season, and Lange played a large part in that.

Best Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries - Paul Giamatti in "Too Big to Fail"
Because he's Paul Giamatti.

Best Actress in a TV Movie or Miniseries - Kate Winslet in "Mildred Pierce"
Because she's Kate Winslet.

Who do you want to see win at the SAG Awards? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter!

Well, we finally know who will be competing for Oscar gold come Feburary 26, and with everyone everywhere talking about this year's nominees, a lot of people are ticked off.

So much of the post-nomination Oscar conversation gets swallowed up by the angry cries of snubs and shutouts. While we're just as mad about some of the nominations as you are (No Albert Brooks? No "50/50"? "Extremely Loud"?), there are plenty of nominations that came as pleasant surprises and have us really looking forward to Oscar night.

Here is the list of our favorite nominations.

Gary Oldman for Best Actor
Today is the day many—Gary Oldman included—have waited for. After making a career for himself playing some of the movies' darkest and most memorable characters, Oldman finally earned an Oscar nomination. The Academy must have realized how foolish they looked for passing the legendary British actor over for decades. Perhaps they were waiting for Oldman to turn the volume down, because his role in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" is by far is quietest, but nonetheless powerful.

"The Tree of Life" for Best Picture/Terrence Malick for Best Director
As a rule, the nominees for Best Picture should include at least one film that features dinosaurs. With the exception of Terrence Malick's epic, this years contenders for the top prize represent the categories safest race in years. George Clooney's appeal makes even Alexander Payne's "The Descendants" Oscar-friendly. The Picture and Director nominations for the film and Malick were two of the few instances of the Academy defying expectations today, even if in a minor way.

Melissa McCarthy for Best Supporting Actress
A snub from the Golden Globes caused more than a little concern that this summer's breakout comedy star might get passed up for an Oscar nomination. Fortunately, that wasn't the case for Melissa McCarthy. The actress rallied for an Academy comeback to earn the nomination she missed out on from the Hollywood Foreign Press. Thus making crapping in a sink for "Bridesmaids" totally worth it.

"Man or Muppet" for Best Original Song
When "The Muppets" finally returned to the big screen, it was never a question of whether Bret McKenzie's songs would be nominated. "How many?" seemed more valid. The Globes passed him up, something we dismissed as odd HFPA politics, and even though the Academy only nominated two songs total, they picked the right one. "Man or Muppet" stole the show, so here's to hoping we get a live performance on Oscar night.

"Drive" for Best Sound Editing
It isn't often that we'll get excited for Best Sound Editing, but when we do, it's because that's the only nomination for "Drive." We may eventually get over the egregious oversight in the Best Supporting Actor category (sorry, Mr. Brooks), but if "Drive" doesn't take away one award, we might just lose it. Like, elevator scene, lose it.

Which of the Oscar nominations made you the happiest? Let us know in the comments below and one Twitter!

This morning, Harry Potter fans everywhere had to come to terms with some pretty big disappointment. Hopes that "Deathly Hallows – Part 2" might earn Oscars glory crashed and burned today with the nominations announcement.

It wasn't just the fans that prayed for a big night on Oscar night. Warner Bros. made a big push for award consideration with their ubiquitous "Consider" ad campaign. Many held out hope for a Best Picture nomination and perhaps recognition, at long last, for Alan Rickman and Severus Snape.

Alas, "Deathly Hallows - Part 2" did not make the cut, despite a relatively long list of nine Best Picture nominees, one less than the maximum. But were the awards dreams just fan delusions that got out of hand?

When a movie makes more than one billion dollars world-wide, you should pay attention. When a movie earns some of the most unanimous praise of the year from critics, you should pay attention. Despite both of these enormous factors, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2" scored only three nominations, all in technical categories.

The snub reveals the supreme stubbornness of the Academy, and two highly superficial and trivial factors led to Harry's disappointing morning.

First, for Academy voters, the "Harry Potter" films fall into two of Oscar's least favorite genres: the children's film and fantasy. There are notable exceptions for each, however. Just this year, "Hugo," a "children's film" earned the most nominations of any movie, but without its auteur director behind the camera, we would have seen a very different outcome. And despite its fantasy setting, "The Lord of the Rings" earned Best Picture nominations for each installment, but their dark and epic tone from the get-go made them more Oscar-friendly.

Secondly, "Deathly Hallows - Part 2" was the eighth film in a series and the second half of one complete story. Superficial things like numbers after a title can make the difference and spell disappointment for even the most qualified film. If you strip away the context and focus on the actual merits of the film, you'd have a hard time arguing that a movie like "Avatar," one with a comparable scale and box office haul, deserved the recognition that "Deathly Hallows" didn't get.

The Academy's oversight would have been more understandable had the nominee pool been stronger this year. Aside from "The Tree of Life," this year's Best Picture contenders make up the safest and most Oscar-friendly field of nominees in recent memory. A nomination for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2" would have defied Academy stereotypes and shook up a race that is destined to leave many viewers snoring.

Did you think "Harry Potter" deserved more Oscar attention? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter!

For his role in "Tinker Tailor Solider Spy," Gary Oldman is getting a lot of buzz as a potential Oscar nominee. It would be his first, if you can believe it. He’s popped up in so many memorable roles over the years, but he’s never received any adulation from the Academy.

In anticipation of the hopeful good news, we came up with a list of five other actors who’ve never gotten the call either.

Steve Buscemi
Despite a string of some of the most memorable supporting roles in film history like Mr. Pink in "Reservoir Dogs" and Carl Showalter in "Fargo," the bug-eyed Brooklynite has never been nominated. With most of his work these days coming in HBO’s "Boardwalk Empire," Buscemi might have to settle for a Golden Globe or an Emmy. Maybe after that, the Academy will start appreciating what they’ve been missing all along.

John Goodman
Perhaps pigeonholed for his role in "Roseanne," John Goodman has never received much official love for his memorable appearances in movies like "The Big Lebowski" and "Barton Fink." In fact, that’s probably part of the problem. Goodman's an immensely talented actor, but his roles on the big screen are usually a little light-hearted, work with the Coens and Kevin Smith aside. He'll receive some attention as part of the ensemble for "The Artist," but he’s never really commanded a prominent dramatic role in a big movie. That should change, obviously.

Val Kilmer
Kilmer has always been one of the more impressive Method actors of his generation, dazzling in plenty of big, meaty roles. The Academy has never shown any love, though. Maybe because he’s such an eccentric figure off the camera, but also, he's not very choosy with his roles. Just check out his IMDb page and wince at all the second-rate street crime movies he’s been involved with (for example, 2009's "Streets of Blood" starring 50 Cent). Maybe he should hold off on the resume filler, but that wouldn't be very Val Kilmer of him.

Jim Carrey
Carrey predated Adam Sandler as a big, goofy guy who would periodically emerge from his shell every few years for a killer serious role. "The Truman Show" was the first "Punchdrunk Love," obviously. But Carrey has taken on more ambitious movies like "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and has still never been rewarded with the overwhelming critical love that usually follows a career change of such magnitude. With his star in recession, maybe now’s the perfect time for Carrey to re-emerge in a more serious state. Less "Yes Man," more "Man on the Moon."

Jennifer Jason Leigh
We know—there should be more women on this list. But the Academy recognizes most serious dramatic actresses at some point or other (Mia Farrow aside). Jennifer Jason Leigh is one of the rare dramatic actresses who has slipped through the cracks, despite notable roles in "Short Cuts," "eXistenZ," and "Margot at the Wedding." They’re not very Academy-attractive roles, but she’s been acting forever and continues to deliver a reliable brand of dry, sardonic wit mixed with emotional gravitas. Sooner or later, she’ll get something that lets her knock it out of the park.

Who would you like to see nominated for an Oscar? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter!