I'm not any more of a film fanatic than the next guy...all I know is what I like. Viewed a couple more potential Oscar nominees ('Sweeney Todd' & 'There Will Be Blood') over the last few days, so I think I'm prepared to publish my predictions. Of course, some of my selections are based solely on buzz (again, my pick in
bold).
BEST PICTURE – DRAMA
'American Gangster'
'Atonement''Eastern Promises'
'The Great Debaters'
'Michael Clayton'
'No Country For Old Men'
'There Will Be Blood'
I'm torn between 'No Country for Old Men' & 'There Will Be Blood', but 'Atonement' seems to be riding a wave. And since I don't see neither Knightley nor MacAvoy winning their category, the HFPA may honor this film here.
BEST ACTOR – DRAMA
George Clooney, 'Michael Clayton'
Daniel Day-Lewis, 'There Will Be Blood'James MacAvoy, 'Atonement'
Viggo Mortensen, 'Eastern Promises'
Denzel Washington, 'American Gangster'
Arguably, the greatest actor of our generation. A win here by anyone other than Day-Lewis would be shocking.
BEST ACTRESS – DRAMA
Cate Blanchett, 'Elizabeth: The Golden Age'
Julie Christie, 'Away From Her'Jodie Foster, 'The Brave One'
Angelina Jolie, 'A Mighty Heart'
Keira Knightley, 'Atonement'
This is one of those categories which I'll have to pick from buzz alone. Everyone loves Julie Christie, and since her performances are few & far in-between, it would behoove the foreign press to honor her this year. Though, there's no denying that Jolie's got international star power. Could go either way, but I'll choose the sentimental favorite.
BEST PICTURE – COMEDY/MUSICAL
'Across the Universe'
'Charlie Wilson's War'
'Hairspray'
'Juno''Sweeney Todd'
I really enjoyed 'Sweeney Todd', but 'Juno' is kind of like this year's 'Little Miss Sunshine'. If only 'Hairspray' was again directed by John Waters....
BEST ACTOR – COMEDY/MUSICAL
Johnny Depp, 'Sweeney Todd'Tom Hanks, 'Charlie Wilson's War'
Ryan Gosling, 'Lars and the Real Girl'
Philip Seymour Hoffman, 'The Savages'
John C. Reilly, 'Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story'
JD all the way! Finally, the Globes recognize his work after multiple past nominations.
BEST ACTRESS – COMEDY/MUSICAL
Amy Adams, 'Enchanted'
Nikki Blonsky, 'Hairspray'
Helena Bonham Carter, 'Sweeney Todd'
Marion Cotillard, 'La Vie en Rose'Ellen Page, 'Juno'
Remember, this is the foreign press that's casting ballots. Ellen Page will win the Oscar, but may be edged out by Cotillard at the Globes...though, some may argue that it will be the other way around.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Casey Affleck, 'Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford'
Javier Bardem, 'No Country for Old Men'Philip Seymour Hoffman, 'Charlie Wilson's War'
John Travolta, 'Hairspray'
Tom Wilkinson, 'Michael Clayton'
Picking Javier Bardem because his performance was the only one I saw, though Ben's baby bro receiving plenty of critical acclaim lately.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, 'I'm Not There'Saoirse Ronan, 'Atonement'
Julia Roberts, 'Charlie Wilson's War'
Amy Ryan, 'Gone Baby Gone'
Tilda Swinton, 'Michael Clayton'
Yet another selection based solely on buzz...as much as Day-Lewis is a slam dunk in his category, so goes Cate in her gender-bending role as Bob Dylan.
Well, we will know later tonight how far off the mark my picks land...announcements at 6:00 PST.
Ciao4Now.
In a week filled with personal strife, all I wish here is to applaud figureskater Mirai Nagasu for her brilliant display in St. Paul, grabbing the U.S. Championship during her first competition at the senior level.
