Christopher Nolan's daring sci-fi flick, "Inception," was supposed to be Hollywood's next "Citizen Kane." That's what movie critics told the world in last July, when "Inception" opened big.

Fast forward to 2011 and the Oscar race has proven to be a disappointment for Nolan and the movie's fans.

"Inception" earned eight Academy Award nominations, including a nod for Best Picture. But those prestigious nominations for Best Director, Best Actor and other coveted acting categories have eluded Nolan and his stars.

So what went wrong for this epic spy caper that boasted a brilliant director, mind-blowing special effects and a young, vibrant cast lead by Leonardo DiCaprio and Canada's Ellen Page?

The answer may lie in "Inception's" inability to connect with the human heart.

"This film is very cerebral yet beautiful to watch. Frankly, you could watch ‘Inception' with the sound turned off and it would still be incredible," says Jay Fernandez, the senior film critic for The Hollywood Reporter.

"But I don't think ‘Inception' connected to anything in our lives, certainly not in the way that films like ‘The Social Network' or ‘The King's Speech' were able to do," says Fernandez.

Although vastly different in their themes and eras, these two Oscar frontrunners hit on a cultural nerve. That, says Fernandez, is especially true for David Fincher's big success, "The Social Network."

"That whole film was designed to look at where we are right now as a culture," he says.

"Honestly, do you ever hear people talking about ‘Inception' the way they do ‘The Social Network'? The just don't. It's not a quality issue. It's human issue. ‘The Social Network' and ‘The King's Speech' were just more relatable."

That disconnect with moviegoers and Oscar voters may explain why "Inception" was snubbed in some of this year's most important categories.

A technical success?

The bulk of "Inception's" nominations have come in technical categories, including Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Editing, Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction.

The film also scored nods for Best Original Screenplay and Best Original Score.

"Releasing an Oscar worthy film has its upside and the potential for backlash. ‘Inception' had to deal with both," says Betsy Sharkey, the film critic for the Los Angeles Times.

"It landed [in theatres] during a wasteland, when we hadn't begun to see what the end of the year would offer. But it was visually stunning and surprising," she says.

There was nothing neat or tidy about "Inception's" narrative. That made it a very appealing to watch, says Sharkey. It also sparked good conversation among the film's fans and maddened its detractors.

That conversation faded once "Black Swan," "127 Hours," "The King's Speech," and "The Social Network" gained momentum at international film festivals in the fall.

"‘Inception was a piece of fine art. But it was such a terrific field this year. Nolan was simply outmatched in the end," says Sharkey.

The 40-year-old director's own cerebral nature, coupled with his distaste for Hollywood politics, may have also contributed to "Inception's" loss of favour with Oscar voters.

"Nolan isn't one of these guys who does a lot of heavy petting with Hollywood insiders," says Fernandez.

"Nolan's all about the work. But his demeanour is cold and intellectual. That may have put him a bit outside of this year's game."

If "Inception" does win Best Picture, the snubbed Nolan will savour one of the biggest Oscar upsets in recent years.

"Anything is possible. But I wouldn't count on it," says Fernandez.

At the end of the day, ‘Inception' won't win Best Picture because of its genre. Sci-fi films are never looked at as strong contenders."