Correct, except for Animated Features and Foreign Language Features, which are voted for by a multi-branch committee (which doesn't matter in the case of The Dark Knight). Everyone can nominate Best Picture as well, since there is no job specialty attributed to it.

I haven't seen Slumdog but based on previous works, Nolan has a far better resume than Boyle.

The number 5 comes up a bunch. Joker tells Batman he let 5 people die in interrogation. Gordon tells Batman Two Face killed 5 people. Neither of these are accurate. And a little more tenously, Joker tells Batman Dent is at 250 52nd Street.

So what's the deal? The best I've got is that this is Nolan's 5th movie if you don't count The Following. I'm a huge Batman fan and I've got no connection there to the #5.

Uh.... reaching a bit?

The idea of the director of The Beach winning an Oscar makes me really, really upset.

Right, because no Oscar-winning director has ever made a bad film before...

Wow. As for the post you were responding to about Nolan's growth from Memento to Dark Knight, I'd argue that his directing devolved... as Memento is in my opinion, his best work, and Dark Knight his worst.

As for Boyle, there is more art and directorial skill in any random 20 minutes of Trainspotting than in Nolan's entire oeuvre... I'd say the same for Sunshine.

ok....now that I've watched TDK a 1000 times a thought just occurred to me. I almost think it'd be better if the civilians had turned the key for the bomb and therefore killing the prisoners. I don't know why..but I just thought that. I mean it gets so tense at that moment and nobody pulls it. It would've been better for Joker's whole plan and to see it succeed..but maybe I just it want to be grimmer than it already is. The Joker says that at the rate that people are losing their minds and such, it would've been a great way to give that proof of The Joker actually driving people to do things they would never do.

And you would be the only person saying that.

How would that have made the movie better or caused it to continue along the same story route it had already set up? It definitely would have made it darker and grimmer, but doing that would have ruined the whole point of the movie. The Joker already won in turning Harvey Dent into a killer, so there's the darkness you wanted. If the Joker had won in terms of the boat bombs, then Gotham City wouldn't really be worth saving anymore, in the eyes of Bruce Wayne/Batman. He was fighting for a city that needed help to break free from its criminal underbelly; he knew that the city needed more of a chance to keep from slipping down into a lawless society.

Other than Ledger, I'd guess that a BP nom is the only major possibility.

Not by much. Nolan is a superb craftsman, one of the best in the industry, but he lacks Boyle's adventurous streak. Boyle might misfire occasionally, but the sheer energy he puts on the screen is more than worth it.

Another thing to consider is that when Boyle was Nolan's age, he had yet to make even Shallow Grave, much less all the wonderful stuff he's put out since Trainspotting. Nolan has a long time to develop, and he's off to a great, great start.

ditto...I wonder what Nolan and Bale are going to do next. There may be the next Batman flick or something else. It's the something else that I want to see. Prestige was pretty good and surprised me, though Johanssen was really not needed in the role that she played...somewhat minor.

I think Boyle and Nolan are two of the best working directors right now

(Note: No that doesn't mean the two best, but yes, two of the best)

Boyle's failures seem to be due more to the scripts than anything, the movies are always completely watchable and inventive, even when they fall apart. This is the same for Nolan, who seems more focused on the story than the characters (Nolan movies have more plot crammed in them than just about any others, which I guess is an advantage to being a writer/director), even if it isn't a slam dunk it's still extremely interesting.

I just do not see The Dark Knight ((It's not strong enough)) getting that nom for Best Picture.

If it does it has no chance of a win I rather TCCOBB or Milk win over Slumdog!

I can't imagine anyone wanting Milk to win best picture. It was so bland.

As for Boyle/Nolan, they're two very different, very excellent directors. I think Nolan has been more consistent, but Boyle has taken more chances.

But Penn was so dam good in it are you saying as whole the film was weak!ok maybe for being a bio-pic but there are alot of great perfomances in that film you call weak!

Why would a film with only the performances going for it win (or even be nominated) for Best Picture. Isn't that why there's a Best Actor/Supporting Actor category?

Milk is more than deserving of a nomination on merit.

I feel the exact opposite. I'd want to see Dark Knight or Slumdog win while Milk, Benjamin Button, or Gran Torino all good but not particularly great.

saw this again the other night and think the 5th is Dent himself and that Batman will take the credit for Dent's 4 (Ramierez, Wertz, Maroni, Maroni driver) and then Dent himself, thinking Two-Face, the alter-ego, now primary in thought, killed Dent for good or that Batman created Two-Face thus killing Dent when he pulled him from the building.

Dent didn't kill Ramirez, she win's the toss and he just hits her.

We need someone interviewing the Nolan's to ask that question: Who exactly are the five?

Nolan was asked who the 5 people were during the BD Live event, he replied that he would answer the question someday but not now.