‘Tis the End of the Season

Kris Tapley closes out Oscar season, tilting upwards to The Dark Knight. It’s an interesting piece (and not just because I’m mentioned, cough cough):

As I sit down to write my annual “best of the year” column, I find many of the voices of the season, those voices I’ve lived with for so many years, are eerily reflecting my own this time around. Though I anticipate my list of the year’s greatest output will be, as ever, somewhat removed from the pack, it is interesting to me that this has become the first Oscar season to boil so quickly to a consensus on so many fronts. This, of course, makes it ripe for surprise, as any year can indicate.

But I’m betting the real surprises will come after the nominations drop, when a studio like Warner Bros. snaps awake and suddenly sees that perhaps “The Dark Knight” can be more than just a Best Picture nominee. When afterburners are switched on for films pulling the ole’ rope-a-dope as we move slowly toward the nominations announcement. And as many of the talented individuals responsible for the year’s awards season product find their stride and connect with voters like they never thought they would.

That is when the magic of Oscar season really takes flight.

Something tells me the WB is driving this car full throttle. I don’t know, just a hunch.