The Reader means Stepen Daldry's gotten nom'd for all 3 films he's made.

The full list of Oscar nominations is here, with expert opinion on them here. Talking points to make you look smart here.

My impressions:

OVERALL

I'm shocked that The Reader did so well! It raked in major nominations, including for Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay, and yet it stands at a mere 60% on RottenTomatoes.com with 150 reviews counted. Could it be the least positively reviewed film to get a Best Picture nod since...Ghost?

I would hazard a guess that its Nazi theme helped it with the Hollywood crowd. Anything about the Nazis—presuming it's good in the first place—gets an extra boost. Remember Adrien Brody's out-of-nowhere win for Best Actor? Not casting aspersions (I've been dying to see the movie), it's just an interesting trend to me. Hollywood also smiles upon movies with liberal social agendas, such as The Cider House Rules or Crash (realllly smiled upon it) or this year's Milk. It's not that they aren't good, it's that they're probably extra-favored for content as well as form.

I'm a bit miffed that Revolutionary Road was overlooked. I loved it! But it's also quite interesting considering the film was directed for Oscar winner Sam Mendes and stars two beloved Hollywood actors. Maybe the Academy felt giving nods to Brangelina was enough red-carpet consideration.

The eight nominations for Milk show a genuine affection and respect for the film, even if I think it will only win for Best Original Screenplay. ("Only" he says—that would be an amazing award.)

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button gets 13 nods, but I would guess it will lose most of those. It's such a BIG movie with so many potential nominees, but none jump out as sure-bet winners.

The Critics' Choice Awards might be a near-exact prediction of the upcoming Oscars. I want a Best Actress tie again so we can see Meryl Streep wearing something like this:

Shadow of Doubt.

In 1964, young Donald Miller (Joseph Foster II) is the first African-American student at St. Nicholas Catholic school in the Bronx, where Principal Sister Aloysius (Meryl Streep) literally puts the fear of God into her pupils. Nothing escapes her notice, most especially dissidence—the institution's newest priest,  Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman) has rubbed her the wrong way with a sermon in praise of doubt (which binds us all as surely as does faith) and with his irreverential attitude. Thanks to some gossip supplied by Sister James (Amy Adams), who's noticed that Father Flynn seems to have singled out Donald Miller with a one-on-one meeting in the rectory, she has all the proof she needs to know the priest is molesting the boy, and all the ammunition she requires to attempt to oust him from his position.

During the course of the campaign, Sister James's conviction will fluctuate, and Sister Aloysius will have a most unexpected encounter with Donald's practical mother (Viola Davis). Most entertainingly for the audience, she will also engage in a cold-hearted game of cat-and-mouse with Father Flynn intended to force the father confessor to confess.

I didn't see what you may or may not have done.

But is there anything to confess?