for myself, i expect the academy's voters asked themselves this question about selma.
was it one of the best directed movies of the year?
if in their view it wasn't, it shouldn't be listed for that award.
haven't watched it, so i have no opinion on the merits. but i wonder if it is as impressive as a movie like birdman, which in my view is a work of genius.
folks throw the racism insult around far too easily. it loses its power thereby. it is used to promote a view of injustice in law enforcement - sometimes in ways that on their face are unjust themselves. it is used to promote a view of injustice in hollywood.
just as a movie cannot be treated as worse than it is because it is directed by a black woman, it cannot be treated as better either. racism has to exclude prejudice either way.
perhaps in the sincere view of those who do the nominating selma was not directed in an innovative or interesting way. the academy's just a group of mostly american folks from the industry sharing their opinions. an academy award is not a form of objective truth.
i am really surprised and excited to see that a few decent movies are on the slate. but it doesn't much matter to me if some other movie wins.
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