No Surprises As 'The Artist' And 'The Descendants' Share Top Oscar Nominations

(RTTNews.com) - Though the Best Picture category for this year's Academy Awards isn't exactly one of the strongest in recent memory ("Moneyball," really?), there are still plenty of great films that have captured imaginations and deserve kudos and accolades. Here's a look at the top films you'll need to check out to stay in the Oscar loop from now until the ceremony on February 26th.

The big contenders:

"The Descendants" - Major nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Alexander Payne), Best Actor (George Clooney), Best Adapted Screenplay (Payne and company)

With George Clooney in a potentially career-defining role and a humorous screenplay popping with wit and authenticity, "The Descendants" easily won over critics and even made a pretty big impact at the box office, which never hurts your chances of Oscar success. Clooney stands in great position to potentially get his first Best Actor win (he already has a Best Supporting Actor Oscar), but everyone seems to love Jean Dujardin in "The Artist" and Clooney could be turned away.

Though a Best Picture win seems to be a tall order considering the dark tone of much of the movie, "The Descendants" does also seem to have a real shot at winning Best Adapted Screenplay; co-writer and director Alexander Payne already won the award for "Sideways" just a few years ago. Best Director also seems like a long-shot, but it's unlikely that "The Descendants" walks away empty-handed in the big categories.

"The Artist" - Major nominations: Best Picture, Best Actor (Jean Dujardin), Best Director (Michel Hazanavicius), Best Supporting Actress (Berenice Bejo), Best Original Screenplay (Hazanavicius), Best Cinematography

"The Artist" just feels like an Oscar gem that is destined to end up as Best Picture. While "The Descendants" is just as critically revered, "The Artist" is a much more uplifting experience and the type of art house crowd-pleaser that should turn into Oscar gold. "The Artist" hasn't been able to drum up much of an audience in theaters, which can sometimes be a problem, but it's so revered within film circles that the Academy would have no problem giving "The Artist" its biggest awards; "The Hurt Locker" made just $17 million in the U.S. and took home Best Picture and Best Director. Being an homage to the silent era of cinema won't hurt either and Jean Dujardin delivers such a unique performance as a fading silent movie star that "The Artist" looks to have the clear inside track on the other nominations.

With its incredible black and white photography, "The Artist" also stands a real chance in the Best Cinematography category, though the Academy will likely be tempted to give the Oscar to Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life" or Steven Spielberg's "War Horse." Best Original Screenplay and Best Director for Michel Hazanavicius also seem in play, but Woody Allen already has two Best Original Screenplay Oscars under his belt and he might grab his third at the expense of "The Artist."

"Hugo" - Major nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Martin Scorsese), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography

"Hugo" is probably the only movie outside of "The Descendants" and "The Artist" to have a shot at winning Best Picture. Like "The Artist," movie lovers were won over by Martin Scorsese's inspirational homage to filmmaking pioneer George Méliès, and it didn't hurt that Scorsese filled the story with a dazzling recreation of historical Paris and his usual energy. As one of Scorsese's most acclaimed films in a while, "Hugo" is a real contender for Best Cinematography and the Academy doesn't need much of an excuse to give Scorsese his second Best Director win.

Other Contenders:

"Midnight in Paris" - Major nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Woody Allen), Best Original Screenplay (Allen)

Writer/director Woody Allen has been an Academy Award favorite since his "Annie Hall" netted him a slew of Oscars back in the late 1970s. Allen doesn't have much of a shot at Best Director and hasn't won an Oscar since "Hannah and Her Sisters" back in 1987, but he stands as one of the favorites for Best Original Screenplay alongside Michel Hazanavicius for the "The Artist."

"The Tree of Life" - Major nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Terrence Malick), Best Cinematography

Terrence Malick's long-awaited "The Tree of Life" didn't resonate with the art house crowds the way that Fox Searchlight would have liked, but there was still plenty who loved Malick's poetic tale of growing up in a beautiful though cold universe. Though not well-liked enough to win Best Picture, Best Director and Best Cinematography seem like possibilities.

"War Horse" - Major nominations: Best Picture, Best Cinematography.

Though "War Horse" was being championed as a major awards contender a few months ago, it just isn't one of Spielberg's great war films and it was lucky to even get a Best Picture nomination. The cinematography was what stands out from the film, giving it a shot at beating out its heavy competition to take home at least one of the major awards.

"The Help" - Major Nominations: Best Picture, Best Actress (Viola Davis), Best Supporting Actress (both Jessica Chastain and Octavia Spencer).

Even if "The Help" isn't a threat to win Best Picture, it was so beloved by its audience that it is likely to win in at least one of the acting categories. Viola Davis is one of the most underrated actresses in the movies and could snag a win for Best Actress, but she'll have to go up against Meryl Streep. If the Academy looks to award someone besides Streep, who now has an almost embarrassing 17 Oscar nominations, Davis will probably walk away with the statuette. Octavia Spencer also seems like a very safe bet to walk away with the hardware for her energetic performance of a rebellious maid in segregated Jackson, Mississippi.

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