Emily Blunt - Best Supporting Actress winner if I had my way!!!!

I still can't believe that the year's funniest, scene-stealing and star-making performance didn't even receive an Oscar nomination - yes, I'm talking about Emily Blunt in The Devil Wears Prada!

I think Emily is one of the most talented British actresses of recent years, and she managed to steal every scene in which she appeared - not an easy task, when you think she appeared in scenes opposite Meryl Streep! Even Meryl herself proudly stated that Emily stole the entire film, and honoured Emily further by referring to her as "the best young actress I've ever worked with".

I know Meryl was the focus point of this film, and she was her usual tremendous self, and thoroughly deserved her 14th Oscar nod for Miranda Priestly. However, in the cinema when I saw The Devil Wears Prada for the first time, the audience were screaming with laughter much more louder, and cheering and commenting in a positive way about Emily than Meryl. I came out of that cinema, dazzled by Emily's work and was convinced that she'd be one of the Best Supporting Actress Oscar nominees at the 79th Annual Academy Awards.

When Emily got the Golden Globe nomination, I was ecstatic! I truly thought that meant that people had really taken notice, and that an Oscar nomination would follow. However, when the SAG Awards failed to nominate her, I thought that it wasn't likely, as SAG & AMPAS are basically the same people who vote. On Oscar nominations day, Emily was left off the Supporting Actress list - despite a well-deserved BAFTA nomination.

Now, I am biased because I love The Devil Wears Prada so much, but I strongly think that others too were shocked by Emily's omission. When I think of the five nominees (and now winner), I still think Emily should have been in that list.

My opinion on the actual Best Supporting Actress nominees... I think Jennifer Hudson was remarkable in Dreamgirls... and she moves me to tears with that wonderful scene where she belts out the song "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going". I am happy she won the Oscar, as Emily was not a nominee in that category.

Ditto Abigail Breslin in Little Miss Sunshine - she was lovely in that film, and played such an endearing character, but aside from the "Grandpa, do you think I'm pretty scene?", there was nothing particularly Oscar worthy about that role, although she played her part very well for such a young actress.

Adriana Baraza in Babel gave an excellent and very emotional performance, it's hard not to well-up with tears whenever her character talks and cries at the same time. I also think Cate Blanchett acted her socks off as Sheba Hart in Notes on a Scandal, but that film really belonged to the sublimely sinister performance of Judi Dench, who I personally think was more deserving of Best Actress than Helen Mirren (although Helen was still brilliant!).

I think Rinko Kikuchi had a very difficult role in Babel, and she did it very well. But the whole thing of actors receiving nominations simply because they're playing deaf, mute, blind, crippled, etc is getting very old.

WHAT the hell is wrong with honouring a performance, for no other reason that it was hilarious, a la Emily Blunt in The Devil Wears Prada?! The guy who runs www.everythingoscar.com made a brilliant remark about Emily's non-nomination, which sums the whole thing up perfectly:

'She managed both a Globe and BAFTA nod, but Oscar always seemed a little unrealistic. It's a shame, really, because this scene stealing perforance is more memorable than over half the women nominated'

Hopefully Emily's already brilliant career will continue to flourish even more, and we'll see her as an Oscar nominee or Oscar winner before too long! ;-)