How much does the Academy hate Ben Affleck? The actor and filmmaker was the ODDS-ON to WIN the Oscar for Best Director before Thursday morning's (January 10, 2013) nominations announcement. He was a shoo-in to make the long-list at least, with Kathryn Bigelow also well fancied for Zero Dark Thirty. Neither filmmaker made the list, with Steven Spielberg now looking likely to take the award for Lincoln (he did not make the directorial nominations list for the BAFTAS).
As awards' season began to hot up towards the end of 2013, Ben Affleck and Argo could do no wrong. The movie - about a life-or-death covert operation to rescue six Americans from Iran in 1979 - still holds a healthy 96% score on the review aggregating site Rotten Tomatoes. Time Out Chicago said, "After Gone Baby Gone, The Town and now this directorial-best, Affleck is establishing himself as a major craftsman." The Daily Telegraph said, "Talent borrows and genius steals, but Affleck does something in between: he mimics." There was even talk that the 40-year-old could scoop both the acting and directing gongs, though by 5.30am ET today, that dream was in tatters. Silver Linings Playbook actor Bradley Cooper - who DID get nominated for Best Actor - told the Today programme during a phone interview, "I do have to say real quick, Ben Affleck got robbed."
Though he won the Oscar (with Matt Damon) for Best Screenplay in 1998, Affleck doesn't have any real Academy Awards form. He's done a little better at the Golden Globes, though generally, Hollywood doesn't appear to want to give Affleck anything. Maybe Argo winning Best Picture would make him feel a little better.
Watch the Argo Trailer:
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