The Oscar Nominees for 2006 were announced today. My favorite categories are always Best Picture and Best Music (Score). So, here they are!

Best Picture Nominees:

• Babel
• The Departed
• Letters from Iwo Jima
• Little Miss Sunshine
• The Queen

I have only seen two of the five, The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine. Both were excellent. I’m rooting for The Departed to win though… it was just all around very well done. Great writing, great acting, great directing, and a very interesting story. It received five nominations in total: Best Supporting Actor (Mark Wahlberg), Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Picture, and Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay).

Best Music (Score) Nominees:

• Babel
• The Good German
• Notes on a Scandal
• Pan’s Labyrinth
• The Queen

I have only seen one of these movies, but as my current favorite soundtrack I’m going for Pan’s Labyrinth. Wonderful movie, and wonderful music to accompany it. The melodies are very haunting and beautiful. Pan’s Labyrinth was nominated for six awards: Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Makeup, Best Music (Score), and Best Writing (Original Screenplay). I hope it does very well, and I think it has the potential to do so. Check out my Pan’s Labyrinth Review.

One disappointment is that Children of Men was not nominated for Best Picture. Instead it was only nominated for Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, and Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay). Children of Men was an incredible movie, and the Cinematography is some of the best I’ve seen. There are some shots which are continuous for at least five minutes at a time. Combined with other techniques, the filming really puts you right there with the characters.

The Oscars will be held on February 27th!