A Look at the 79 Candidates for the Best Original Song Category

Left to right: Mark Ruffalo and Keira Knightley in Begin Again

As stated a few weeks ago, I have been long overdue to talk about the Best Original Song category. With the Golden Globe nominations recently released, it was only time until the discussion would turn to one of Oscars' least predictable categories. Today marks the release of the 79 titles that will be eligible for the award. While they do not include the name of the artists, I will do my best to decipher which ones are worth noting and what exactly we should make of them all. More after the jump.

The Directors Project: #20 - Darren Aronofsky

Scene from Cinema Paradiso

With the many lists and essays written on the subject of film, there has been one thing that The Oscar Buzz has tried to understand: Who is my favorite of the film world? For 10 weeks this summer, I will be exploring this with a countdown of the Top 50 names based on a numerical ranking of ratings from various sources, the following is a list of directors who rank above everyone else. With occasional upsets, this is intended as both a discussion opener as well as a better understanding of me as a film critic and fan. Please enjoy and leave any comments you have regarding the entry's selection.

Review: "Noah" Mixes Grandiose with the Surreal and Philosophical in Amazing Ways

Russell Crowe

When director Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan became a financial success story, including an Oscar win for Best Actress (Natalie Portman), it seemed rather fascinating on where he would go next. Known for having a catalog of unpredictable, surreal takes on contemporary society, his latest Noah seems like somewhat of a detour. However, knowing that it is his passion project helps to make the $125 million budget make more sense. Whether seen as a biblical epic or a disaster film, this film manages to go straight for the widest possible audience. Luckily, Aronofsky's passion comes through in one of the most bombastic, unique, and best biblical epics in decades.