Oscar Picks/Predictions

Best motion picture of the year

BABEL
THE DEPARTED
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
THE QUEEN

Should Win: Babel
Will Win: The Departed or Babel

I’ve actually watched 3 of the 5 which is pretty huge for me I think.  What’s even better is I loved all three that I watched.  Babel was amazing.  I can see why it won the Golden Globes.  I wouldn’t be surprised if it won here too.  The Departed was also amazing.  I’m usually not a mob story, Godfather type of gal, and I went into The Departed thinking I wouldn’t like it.  I was pleasently surprised.  I LOVED it and all the acting was amazing including Jack Nicholson whom I usually hate with a passion.  LIttle Miss Sunshine was the 3rd movie on the list that I saw and I loved it too.  It was definitely the feel good movie of ones listed here.  I wouldn’t mind if any of those 3 won.  The Queen is on my list of to see movies.  I doubt I’ll ever watch Iwa Jima.  Not a Eastwood fan and not a war movie fan.

Achievement in directing

“Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage) Alejandro González Iñárritu
“The Departed” (Warner Bros.) Martin Scorsese
“Letters from Iwo Jima” (Warner Bros.) Clint Eastwood
“The Queen” (Miramax, Pathé and Granada) Stephen Frears
“United 93” (Universal and StudioCanal) Paul Greengrass

Should Win: Martin Scorsese or Alejandro Iñárritu
Will Win: Martin Scorsese

This is definitely Scorsese’s year.  I think it’s too soon to give another one to Eastwood.  I hated that he won 2 years ago and beat out Scorsese back then.  Iñárritu’s film was probably the better of the two, but I think this is the year that finally give it to Scorsese to make up for not giving it to him before.

Performance by an actor in a leading role

Leonardo DiCaprio – BLOOD DIAMOND
Ryan Gosling – HALF NELSON
Peter O’Toole – VENUS
Will Smith – THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS
Forest Whitaker – THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND

Should Win: Leonardo DiCaprio
Will Win: Peter O’Toole or Forest Whitaker

There’s no hiding it, I’m a huge Leo fan so I’m sure my bias is winning out here.  I also haven’t watched all of the other films except for clips.  Leo was awesome in Blood Diamond.  I think it was his best acting to date.  From the clips of Forest Whitaker that I’ve seen, he did do a great job but how often do Oscars vote for a evil role to win?  Peter O’Toole has been nominated something like 7 times before and has never won.  Maybe they’ll feel sorry for him and give it to him this year.  But I’m still keeping my fingers crossed that Forest and Peter will split the votes and Leo will come out the winner.  He deserves it, not only for Blood Diamond but for his awesome job in The Departed as well.  He’s had a great year.

Performance by an actress in a leading role

Penélope Cruz – VOLVER
Judi Dench – NOTES ON A SCANDAL
Helen Mirren – THE QUEEN
Meryl Streep – THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
Kate Winslet – LITTLE CHILDREN

Should Win: Helen Mirren….and can I just throw in Kate Winslett because I love her so?
Will Win: Helen Mirren

I don’t think Helen has a chance of losing.  The Qeen is on my to see list and the clips that I have seen are amazing.  She looks and acts and talks like the real queen.  But…yes, there’s a but…I always say that it must be easier to portray a real person that exists who you can watch and mimic than it is to create a character.  For that reason alone, I would love to see Kate Winslett win!  I LOVE her.  She’s like 31 and has been nominated like 5 times.  I love all the movies that she does.  Oh and Meryl Streep?  Not a lead in that movie.  She was a supporting character.  I think she can just breathe and get a nomination.  I liked the movie, though the book was better and she did a great job?  But Oscar nomination worthy?  I don’t think so.

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

Alan Arkin – LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
Jackie Earle Haley – LITTLE CHILDREN
Djimon Hounsou – BLOOD DIAMOND
Eddie Murphy – DREAMGIRLS
Mark Wahlberg – THE DEPARTED

Should Win: Anyone but Eddie Murphy.  I loved all the other performances.
Will Win: Alan Arkin or Eddie Murphy

I didn’t like Dreamgirls and didn’t see the big deal in Eddie’s performance.  The guy is just annoying and I think giving him an Oscar ruins any credibility that the Oscars have.  So happy to see Djimon is this category.  He was totally deserving! 

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

Adriana Barraza – BABEL
Cate Blanchett – NOTES ON A SCANDAL
Abigail Breslin – LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
Jennifer Hudson – DREAMGIRLS
Rinko Kikuchi – BABEL

Should Win: Anyone but Jennifer Hudson
Will Win: Jennifer Hudson

I’m sorry, but Jennifer Hudson was NOT a supporting actress in this movie.  She was NOT!!  She was the damn lead!  It pisses me off that her studio put her in the supporting category and then promoted her this way.  They knew she would have no chance up against the ladies in Lead.  So what that means is that people like Abigail Breslin and the two ladies on Babel have no chance of winning even though they truly had supporting roles because they are up against not necessarily a better actor, but an actor who had a lead role.  That sucks!  Because any of those other 3 are more deserving.  I would throw Cate in the mix as well, but she just won two years ago and I don’t think she’ll win this soon again.

Adapted screenplay

BORAT CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN
CHILDREN OF MEN
THE DEPARTED
LITTLE CHILDREN
NOTES ON A SCANDAL

Should Win: The Departed
Will Win: The Departed (though I wouldn’t

be surprised if Borat snuck in there…maybe)

The Departed definitely had a great script.  The story kept me at the edge of my seat the whole time wondering what was going to happen next.
Original screenplay

BABEL
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
PAN’S LABYRINTH
THE QUEEN

Should Win: Babel
Will Win: Little Miss Sunshine

I have no problem with LMS winning, but I do think Babel was the better story and script.

Other Nominations

Best Achievement in Cinematography: Children of Men  
Best Achievement in Editing: Babel
Best Achievement in Art Direction: Dreamgirls
Best Achievement in Costume Design: The Devil Wears Prada
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score: Babel
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song: An Inconvenient Truth : Melissa Etheridge("I Need To Wake Up") 
Best Achievement in Makeup: Pan’s Labrynth
Best Achievement in Sound: Flags of Our Fathers – The loudest movies always seem to win here
Best Achievement in Sound Editing:  Dreamgirls – and this one always goes to ones with music
Best Achievement in Visual Effects: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – I can’t believe this is nominated for something!  Yay!
Best Animated Feature Film of the Year: Cars – I actually haven’t seen any this year and Cars didn’t look like it would be my cup of tea.  Happy Feet did, but I think all the buzz is about Cars.
Best Foreign Language Film of the Year: Pan’s Labrynth – But I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to see Water win it.  What I love even more is that Water is Canadian and not Indian.  Bollywood needs to look outside of it’s own song and dance industry to see what a really good Indian movie can be.
Best Documentary, Features: An Inconvenient Truth
Best Documentary, Short Subjects: Recycled Life
Best Short Film, Animated: The Little Matchgirl
Best Short Film, Live Action: West Bank Story

 

 

As always, there are always a few Oscar nominated movies that I want to see but haven’t seen yet.
The Queen
The Pursuit of Happyness
Pan’s Labrynth
Children of Men
The Prestige (which I have at home and plan on watching tonight)
The Good Shepard
Curse of the Golden Flower
The Good German
An Inconvenient Truth

And of course usually, my favorite movies of the year don’t match up with the Oscar nominated ones.  So here’s my list of 10 faves from this year.  I didn’t have as many movies that I loved like I do other years.  I also still haven’t see The Fountain which from what I hear would make it to my top ten as well as Pan’s Labrynth, Curse of the Golden Flower, and Children of Men.  But here’s my list anyway:

10. Stranger Than Fiction – This was a really quirky Will Farrell movie where he wasn’t doing his usual slapstick comedy.  I liked it a lot.
 9.  V for Vendetta – I remember liking it a lot when I watched it and had it on my top 10 list, but right now thinking about it, I can’t remember why I liked it so much, but that I did enjoy it a lot.  Natalie Portman is always great in everything she does.
 8.  Little Miss Sunshine – Best feel good movie of the year.  Such a great cast and so many funny and touching moments.
 7. The Departed – Great on the edge of your seat thriller.  I loved all the acting.
 6. The Holiday – Cutest romantic comedy this year.  Had me smiling for hours after walking out of the theater.
 5. The Da Vinci Code – Not as great as the book, but still lived well up to my expectations.
 4. Blood Diamond – Amazing movie…on the edge of your seat thriller with a social message
 3. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest  – What’s there to say about this one?  Breat summer blockbuster.
 2. Babel – Great movie…great acting…great social message.
 1.X-Men: The Last Stand – Another awesome summer blockbuster with a satisfying ending!!

I don’t know…there weren’t a lot of great movies this past year.  I was kinda disappointed.  I think the list will change signifacntly after I watch some of the othe

rs on my to-see list.