Lastly, one the Academy missed: In an unjustly Oscar-ignored presidential portrayal, Bill Murray channeled FDR in "Hyde Park on Hudson, " showing the four-term president as a charming man in need.

CNN: Oscar likes his political flicks real

"Hyde Park on Hudson, " which was directed by Roger Michell from a screenplay by Richard Nelson, invents freely and for the most part successfully on the theme of the king and the president forging a friendship buddy-bonding at the highest level that foreshadows their nations' wartime alliance.

WSJ: Fine Murray, Soapy Take on FDR | Hyde Park on Hudson | Rust and Bone | Film Reviews by Joe Morgenstern

He says the new Bond film Skyfall has attracted audiences "literally from eight to 80" and predicts that forthcoming releases Hyde Park on the Hudson, Hitchcock and Les Miserables will also have broad appeal.

BBC: Entertainment & Arts