It's Oscar day which means it is time for me to put my picks out there for all to see. Let's hope I do better than last year, eh? I correctly picked only 13 out of 24 categories. Unfortunately, much like last year, I have not seen all the nominees so it's hard to guess. My guess is educated at least, as I have scoured "the internets" looking for commentary on the race. With that under my belt, I boldly go forth with my picks for the 2008 Oscar season and post them for your perusal and scorn (or praise if you wish) -
[Note that actual winners will appear in red if my pick was wrong]
Best Picture - No Country For Old Men
It has won the fair share of precursor awards and looks pretty much like a lock by this time. At first, I thought perhaps There Will Be Blood would siphon off the votes for the Coen Brothers film, but it looks to have picked up steam rather than losing it. It's the second time up for Joel and Ethan Coen after previously getting Fargo this far and I think the boys will have a good night. This will mark a good end for a fine evening.
Best Actor - Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood
One of my favorites gets another shot tonight and by the looks of things, Daniel Day-Lewis has this wrapped up with a bow on top. There has been some late talk of George Clooney possibly eeking out a win here, but Clooney himself thinks Day-Lewis should win the award. Oscars for this and for My Left Foot will look nicely together in Daniel's home, methinks.
Best Actress - Julie Christie for Away From Her [Winner: Marion Cotillard for La Vie en Rose]
Tough choice this year. I have actually seen three of the performances and the two that count. My heart and most of my mind says Marion Cotillard for La Vie En Rose, but Julie Christie has the right precursor awards and Cotillard is French. Foreign language performances rarely get awarded here and so I must go with the most likely winner rather than the one I think deserves it. However, if Cotillard wins, I'll be just as happy and accept the wrong pick. If Christie wins, it will be her second win also.
Best Supporting Actor - Javier Bardem for No Country For Old Men
Another sure lock. While it might be nice to see Hal Holbrook win an Oscar, I am not going to pick against the man that has won nearly every other award for this performance. Javier Bardem walks away with this tonight.
Best Supporting Actress - Ruby Dee for American Gangster [Winner: Tilda Swinton for Michael Clayton]
Here's my crazy pick of the night. Ruby Dee won the SAG which shares many of their voters with the Academy and this is one of those nutty categories that almost always goes for the odd choice. Cate Blanchett already has a Supporting Oscar for playing another real life character and thus, I am thinking she won't win here. And there is much love for Dee and Ossie Davis who has passed away that I think voters will go with the sentimental vote.
Best Director - Ethan and Joel Coen for No Country For Old Men
It has been a long time coming to see this kind of recognition for this pair. Ironic that the movie that wins it for them is so similar in feel to their debut feature. And while this is Joel's second time up to bat for Best Director, it would be the first win for either of them apart from a screenplay nod a few years ago. I understand there is a modicum of support for Paul Thomas Anderson but he'll have plenty of other chances. His time will come. Tonight belongs to the Coens.
Best Foreign Film - The Counterfeiters
Here's one I know absolutely nothing about. This seems to be the consensus pick and who am I to go against the grain? There was some controversy over which films were actually nominated and some that were not considered. Don't know much about it but none of these films has been on my radar during the past year.
Best Original Screenplay - Diablo Cody for Juno
As usual, the Best Picture winner that doesn't stand a chance to win the big award goes here if not up against it. Little Miss Sunshine, Thelma and Louis...the list goes on. This year the winner is Diablo Cody. I've not seen the film, but I understand it has a nifty script. Perhaps a bit too nifty I hear from some quarters. Still, this looks to be the likely winner, though perhaps look out for Tony Gilroy's Michael Clayton.
Best Adapted Screenplay - Ethan and Joel Coen for No Country For Old Men
Their third win of the night and fourth overall, the Coen Brothers keep marching through the evening in a good mood. The earlier awards won't show it, but these big three awards are in the bag. The question for them is - can they make it four for four on the night with a win in editing?
Best Cinematography - Robert Elswit for There Will Be Blood
It looks like the Academy might share the love around with a few other films tonight. Those nominated for Best Picture still have a chance to pick up some hardware and here is were they can get some. Roger Deakens is up against himself tonight with both No Country for Old Men and The Assassination of Jesse James. There will be plenty of support for Elswit's work and I think enough to push him on top for the win. Hopefully I am not thinking this out too much and going the wrong direction. We'll see tonight.
Best Art Direction - Jim Erickson and Jack Fisk for There Will Be Blood [Winner: Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street]
Again, this sister film to No Country For Old Men gets a chance to take home the gold. This one looks especially likely since the former is not up for the award. Atonement may challenge, but I think this one takes it.
Best Costume Design - Jacqueline Durran for Atonement [Winner: Elizabeth: The Golden Age]
Atonement also gets a chance to win a few with this category. Of all of them, it seems to have the strongest support here. Apparently there is some green dress that stands out...I really don't know. I've only seen Elizabeth: The Golden Age and those costumes were nice. Atonement seems to have the glamor to go along with the period so I'll accept this choice and stick with it.
Best Film Editing - Christopher Rouse for The Bourne Ultimatum
Here's the category where we can see if the fictional Roderick Jaynes can beat the very real Christopher Rouse. Now I don't personally see the love for the Bourne film's editing, it being so all over the place, but apparently this film has some bona-fides and could win. However, the Academy may honor the combined work of the Coen Brothers and award it to Jaynes, their creation. It's Jaynes' 3rd nomination too. Question is - who comes up to accept if he wins?
Best Sound Editing - Ethan Van der Ryan and Mike Hopkins for Transformers [Winner: The Bourne Ultimatum]
The big budget action flick takes the awards home in the tech categories tonight. Transformers will clean up here and in Visual Effects and Sound Mixing. The Bourne Ultimatum has a chance both here and in Sound Mixing. This one wins.
Best Sound Mixing - Kevin O'Connell, Greg P. Russell and Peter J. Devlin for Transformers [Winner: The Bourne Ultimatum]
See above.
Best Score - Dario Marianelli for Atonement
Atonement picks up its second award of the night. The film has strong support here as well. I suppose one could say Disney's Ratatouille provides some competition, but I think not. Good film, but not so much for the music.
Best Song - "Falling Slowly" from Once
With Enchanted going up against itself in this category, the other two nominated songs have a chance to sneak through here and I think it will be "Falling Slowly." I had this movie not long ago but did not get around to watching it. Still, I hear great things about it and I've seen several other people pick this as a winner. Not really a fun category this year. No rock stars nominated. Oh well.
Best Make-Up - Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald for La Vie en Rose
This film had two great things going for it - the star and her make-up as she aged. Both should be awarded here tonight. This one will be. I shudder to consider that Norbit is even an Academy Award nominated film, much less winner. And the third Pirates film had some good work, but not as good as La Vie en Rose.
Best Visual Effects - Transformers [Winner: The Golden Compass]
I never name names in this category. There are just too many of them. But this award gives this film the hat trick for the night. There's no real competition in this category.
Best Animated Feature - Ratatouille
There's no real competition here either. To me, it's up there in the Pixar library, though it's no Finding Nemo or Monsters, Inc. Still, it was one of the best of the year and deserves this honor.
And Now The Crapshoot:
Best Documentary Feature - Sicko [Winner: Taxi to the Dark Side]
Best Documentary Short - Freeheld
Best Animated Short - I Met the Walrus [Winner: Peter & The Wolf]
Best Live Action Short - The Tonto Woman [Winner: Le Mozart des Pickpockets]
I've not seen any of these and have no idea who should win or really even will win. I do think that with Hollywood having daily "Obasms" for Obama, they might help take Sicko to the top in the documentary feature category. I understand two of the other films are potential winners as well. I picked I Met the Walrus simply because it's about a 14 year old kid interviewing John Lennon. I'd like it to win, thus the choice. I hope I can get lucky here as a 3 out of 4 in these categories can always boost my accuracy total. Thumbs are crossed, to be sure.
Unfortunately there do not appear to be any special awards like the Thalberg or Honorary Awards that are sometimes given out. There was a Sawyer Award given out at the technical dinner, but nothing to pull anyone from old Hollywood onto the stage, which I always enjoy. I'll look back in tomorrow and post how well I did since we all know I picked a 100% right. Well, maybe not that high. But I need to do better than 50% to keep my standing amongst...well, whichever Oscar aficionados happen by my site. Which probably isn't that many. Hope you enjoyed the picks anyway. And stop by tomorrow for the afterthoughts. That is all.
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