Any surprises for Oscar?

The Oscar nominations came out this morning. I can’t, at first glance anyway, see any strange oversights – though I find it a bit strange that Robert Downey Jr. received a Best Supporting Actor nod for “Tropic Thunder.”

Won’t make any difference because that Oscar belongs to the late Heath Ledger.

I’m particularly heartened by the presences of two talented C-list actors on the Best Actor/Actress lists: Melissa Leo for “Frozen River” and Richard Jenkins for “The Visitor.”

I’m also glad to see the animated film “Waltz with Bashir,” which I saw in L.A., is up for Best Foreign Language Film.

Looks like the race for most Oscars overall may come down to “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (with 13 nominations) and “Slumdog Millionaire” (with 10). Give that nod to “Button,” since it should take most of the technical awards.

As for Best Picture? Not so clear, though my choice would be “Slumdog Millionaire.” I’m easy, though.

We’ll find out the night of Feb. 22.

Below: I saw “Waltz with Bashir” at the Royal Theatre in Los Angeles in early January. Ari Folman’s powerful film has been nominated for a Best Foreign Language Oscar.

Photo by Dan Webster