[Thor Joachim Haga]

Crazy day for Norwegian film! SENTIMENTAL VALUE is nominated in no less than NINE categories (including “Best Film”), while THE UGLY STEPSISTER is nominated for best make-up. Hard to wrap my head around this. In all of Oscar’s history, we’ve only been nominated six other times, and won two.

As for the score category, which is what most of you care about, the selections are predictably boring:

BUGONIA – it’s rather curious, but by far the best of the bunch. I hope this wins.

FRANKENSTEIN – Meh. Boring, as usual with Desplat.

HAMNET – Meh. I’m a huge Richter fan, but this is among his weaker efforts ever. Nothing against the overused “On the Nature of Daylight”, which is used here yet again, but that’s not an original piece for this film.

ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER – Annoying.

SINNERS – Men. Boring, as usual with Göransson.

None of these were anywhere near my own top 25. BUGONIA was perhaps top 50.

Sadly, MARTY SUPREME – the best score of the year – was overlooked.