Oscar nominations 2012: No real surprises, Clooney and Pitt back on top

The nominations are in for this year's Oscars and there's nothing particularly different here from last week's Golden Globes. The Descendents, Hugo, Tinker Tailor, The Artist, Moneyball are this year's big nominations, all present in some form in most of the major categories, all released late in the year. A Better Life's Demián Bichir was the only real surprise, receiving a nod in the Actor In A Leading Role section. Seriously, no Warrior?

Even though the film didn't feature, it's great to see Nick Nolte up for Best Supporting Actor for Warrior as well as W.E. being nominated for nothing except costume design. No Gnomeo and Juliet either. Unfortunately, despite being appalled by Tree Of Life (don't start that all up again) it seems to have accrued a few nominations, and even Harry Potter managed to scrape one together (its first?). Finally, we'd really like to know what Paradise Lost 1 and 2 were like. Unsusual for the third film to be the most popular...

BEST PICTURE
The Artist
The Descendants
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
The Help
Midnight In Paris
Moneyball
The Tree Of Life
War Horse

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Demián Bichir - A Better Life
George Clooney - The Descendants
Jean Dujardin - The Artist
Gary Oldman - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt - Moneyball

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Kenneth Branagh - My Week With Marilyn
Jonah Hill - Moneyball
Nick Nolte - Warrior
Christopher Plummer - Beginners
Max Von Sydow - Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Glenn Close - Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis - The Help
Rooney Mara - The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep - The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams - My Week With Marilyn

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Bérénice Bejo - The Artist
Jessica Chastain - The Help
Melissa Mccarthy - Bridesmaids
Janet Mcteer - Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer - The Help

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
A Cat In Paris
Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss In Boots
Rango

ART DIRECTION
The Artist
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Midnight In Paris
War Horse

CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Artist
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
The Tree Of Life
War Horse

COSTUME DESIGN
Anonymous
The Artist
Hugo
Jane Eyre
W.E.

DIRECTING
Michel Hazanavicius - The Artist
Alexander PayneThe - Descendants
Martin Scorsese - Hugo
Woody Allen - Midnight in Paris
Terrence Malick - The Tree of Life

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Hell And Back Again
If A Tree Falls: A Story Of The Earth
Liberation Front
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Pina
Undefeated

DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Subject
Soldier Of The Civil Rights Movement
God Is The Bigger Elvis
Incident In New Baghdad
Saving Face
The Tsunami And The Cherry Blossom

FILM EDITING
The Artist
The Descendants
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Moneyball

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Bullhead
Footnote
In Darkness
Monsieur Lazhar
A Separation

MAKEUP
Albert Nobbs
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2
The Iron Lady

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
The Adventures Of Tintin
The Artist
Hugo
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
War Horse

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
Man Or Muppet - The Muppets
Real In Rio - Rio

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
Dimanche/Sunday
The Fantastic Flying Books Of Mr. Morris Lessmore
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life

SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
Pentecost
Raju
The Shore
Time Freak
Tuba Atlantic

EDITING
Drive
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Transformers: Dark Of The Moon
War Horse

SOUND MIXING
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Moneyball
Transformers: Dark Of The Moon
War Horse

VISUAL EFFECTS
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Real Steel
Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes
Transformers: Dark Of The Moon

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Descendants
Hugo
The Ides Of March
Moneyball
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
The Artist
Bridesmaids
Margin Call
Midnight In Paris
A Separation