The Man, I Love Films crew put together our reactions to the Oscar nominations. I kept it positive over there since so many reaction articles tend to be negative. The easiest way to do that was to discuss music. And the editorial note is correct: Keira Knightley also sings the nominated song from Begin Again. I just assumed, like Beyonce singing all the nominees 10 years ago, they’d go with the pop star performer to bring in more ratings. Here’s the big group article.

More specifics from me after the jump.

1) I’m not surprised that Selma almost got shut out; I’m disappointed. I figured Ava DuVernay was a longshot for Best Director because she’s just not as well known as the other possible players. I didn’t think Selma would only get Best Picture and Best Original Song. That’s just sad. The cast, the writing, the costuming–everything was pitch perfect on that film.

2) Animated Feature is finally an exciting category. The Lego Movie missed out of the category. That means five films that have all won a critics prize here or there are competing without the behemoth that snatched most of the trophies. I’m pulling for The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, but I’m okay with any of these great animated films winning.

3) Marion Cotillard finally returns with only her second nomination at the Academy Awards. She should have many more by now, but we take what we can get with foreign language performances at the Oscars.

4) Under the Skin failed to sneak in for Best Original Score. Sad panda.

5) No matter how you slice it, this is a big year for music at the Oscars. Whiplash, a film about a university student trying to become the best percussionist in the world, got five nominations, including Best Picture. Two actual musical films received nominations in Original Song (Beyond the Lights and Begin Again) and a full blown stage adaptation (Into the Woods) got another three. A documentary about a musician (Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me) also got in for Original Song and a fourth song nominee (“Everything Is Awesome” from The Lego Movie) is omnipresent in its film.

6) It’s the end of an era for J.R.R. Tolkien films and they go out with a whimper, not a bang. The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies received a nomination for Sound Editing. That’s it.

7) Those ridiculous Maleficent cheekbones were not nominated for makeup. The beautiful costumes, yes; the questionable makeup, no.

What did you think of the Oscar nominations? Leave your reactions below.