Oscar Predictions!
Hear Ye! Hear Ye! I am back. It would give me great pleasure to announce all of the nominees for the 81st Annual Academy Awards but that would take up a single blog page so instead I'll just give you my two cents on who will win or be the runner up for each category.
P.S. I haven't seen all the movies on the list so this is a totally biased blog.
P.S. x 2 Expect Mr. Villa to put his 4 cents in.
P.S. x 3 What does P.S. stand for?
Actor in a leading role
Sean Penn in “Milk” (Focus Features)
Brad Pitt in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)
Sean Penn (straight man) is playing a homosexual man..enough said...that's acting, but I didn't see the movie so what do I know. I didn't see The Wrestler either, but I will and I am a big fan of Mickey so I hope he wins. Now the only movie I saw that was lead by one of these talented actors was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Brad Pitt carried a accent throughout the whole movie, and was on screen as a old wrinkly man to a Zac Efron looking teenager. I am giving credit where credit is due and Mr. Pitt picks better roles than a fat woman but still....I can't choose....ah what the hell..go Mickey!
Actor in a supporting role
Robert Downey Jr. in “Tropic Thunder” (DreamWorks)
Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Doubt” (Miramax)
Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.)
Short and simple...Downey was funny, Hoffman was incredible, Ledger was unforgettable.
May it go to the Joker.
Actress in a leading role
Anne Hathaway in “Rachel Getting Married” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Angelina Jolie in “Changeling” (Universal)
Meryl Streep in “Doubt” (Miramax)
Anne Hathaway is stepping it up, congrats to her but she's not going to win. Streep is a juggernaut in this game having now received 15 Oscar nominations, she might take it. However, I spent time with Jolie in Changeling, she is talented as much as her significant other and I am going to have to with.....Meryl Streep.
Actress in a supporting role
Penélope Cruz in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (The Weinstein Company)
Taraji P. Henson in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
Marisa Tomei in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)
I saw Ms. Cruz in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, and I thought she acted like Penelope Cruz, which was good but i think she was better in 'Blow'. Taraji Henson is a newcomer to the whole nominations bit and I think she deserves it...uh hum..Marisa Tomei is hot, not saying she didn't do a good job but I put her on the list because she's hot.
Best animated feature film of the year
“Bolt” (Walt Disney), Chris Williams and Byron Howard
“Kung Fu Panda” (DreamWorks Animation, Distributed by Paramount), John Stevenson and Mark Osborne
“WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Andrew Stanton
My choice, and everyone else's...........WALL-E! A movie about obesity, waste, technology, and love, and has less dialogue than any animated movie I have ever seen. Again, WALL-E wins.
Achievement in art direction
“Changeling” (Universal), Art Direction: James J. Murakami, Set Decoration: Gary Fettis
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Nathan Crowley, Set Decoration: Peter Lando
“The Duchess” (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Art Direction: Michael Carlin, Set Decoration: Rebecca Alleway
Changeling - 1920's style clothing and location, good job.
The Duchess - 18th century style clothing and location, good job.
The Dark Knight - I would have loved it if it was a bit more dreary.
.....I'm going to go with Changeling.
Achievement in cinematography
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Claudio Miranda
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Wally Pfister
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Anthony Dod Mantle
I haven't seen Slumgdog yet (I know, I'm horrible) and I don't want to offend anyone so I'll leave it up there. CCof BB had great direction as did The Dark Knight, but I am going to have to go with The Dark Knight because of the upside scene with the Joker.
Achievement in costume design
“Australia” (20th Century Fox), Catherine Martin
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Jacqueline West
“The Duchess” (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Michael O’Connor
In regards to costume design, I am going to go with....Australia only because I think costume design in CCofBB could have been stronger, but I know all to well that movies about England or France usually take the award home.
Achievement in directing
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), David Fincher
“Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Ron Howard
“Milk” (Focus Features), Gus Van Sant
“The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Stephen Daldry
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Danny Boyle
I list everyone but I only saw CCofBB and so I'll go with that..no lifelines....final answer.
Achievement in film editing
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Lee Smith
I am going to have to say...The Dark Knight.
Achievement in makeup
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Greg Cannom
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), John Caglione, Jr. and Conor O’Sullivan
“Hellboy II: The Golden Army” (Universal), Mike Elizalde and Thom Floutz
Damn, this is tough, um....The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Alexandre Desplat
“Defiance” (Paramount Vantage), James Newton Howard
“Milk” (Focus Features), Danny Elfman
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), A.R. Rahman
“WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Thomas Newman
I am going to have to go with....Defiance.
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
“Down to Earth” from “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Music by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman,
“Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Music by A.R. Rahman, Lyric by Gulzar
“O Saya” from “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Music and Lyric by A.R. Rahman and Maya Arulpragasam
I'll say "O Saya"...love the drums, hate the synthesiser however. I get enough of that from Lil Wayne but M.I.A. is the sh*t.
Best motion picture of the year
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.) “Frost/Nixon” (Universal),
“Milk” (Focus Features),
“The Reader” (The Weinstein Company),
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight)
I really can't answer this but I think I'm going to have to say Slumdog Millionaire...well maybe I can answer it.
Achievement in sound editing / Achievement in sound mixing
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Richard King
“Iron Man” (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment), Frank Eulner and Christopher Boyes
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Glenn Freemantle and Tom Sayers
“WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Ben Burtt and Matthew Wood
“Wanted” (Universal), Wylie Stateman
Wow, what a list, um.....WALL-E...sound editing and mixing.
Achievement in visual effects
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber and Paul Franklin
“Iron Man” (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment), John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick and Shane Mahan
Visual Effects?.......The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Adapted screenplay
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Screenplay by Eric Roth, Screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord
“Doubt” (Miramax), Written by John Patrick Shanley
“Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Screenplay by Peter Morgan
“The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Screenplay by David Hare
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy
___________________ (I can't choose)
Original screenplay
“Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics), Written by Courtney Hunt
“Happy-Go-Lucky” (Miramax), Written by Mike Leigh
“In Bruges” (Focus Features), Written by Martin McDonagh
“Milk” (Focus Features), Written by Dustin Lance Black
“WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Original story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter
My vote goes to WALL-E.
So there you have it ladies and gentleman, my choices and my 2 cents.
P.S. x4 Here are the categories I did not list.
Best documentary feature
Best documentary short subject
Best foreign language film of the year
Best animated short film
Best live action short film
