The Tree of Life

(Actual winner: The Artist)

Michel Hazanavicius' "The Artist" was a love homage to Hollywood's silent cinema period, which made it Oscar voters' catnip during the 2011–2012 Oscar season. On the other end of the scale came Terrence Malick's Palme d'Or-winning magnum epic "The Tree of Life," a convoluted and divisive coming-of-age drama that parodies Malick's own Texas childhood and the universe's whole genesis.

"The Tree of Life" is not the type of film that the Academy celebrates, thus its inclusion in the Best Director and Best Picture categories was a triumph. It was nominated for the third time in the category of Best Cinematography. There was never any question that "The Tree of Life" would lose the Academy Award for Best Picture this year (the closest challenge for "The Artist" came from Alexander Payne's "The Descendants"), which informs you all you need to learn about the Academy's tastes. "The Tree of Life" was selected the thirteenth greatest film of the decade by IndieWire.

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Year of Release: 2011

Director: Terrance Malick

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85/100

IMDB Score: 6.8/10