Oscar Predictions - 26/08/08

Because I can and I'm bored. Predicted winners (because I'm craaazy) in bold. To see where I was on 05/03/08 click here. I'm loving that I went beserk wild for Atonement because apparently it's doozy, but we still don't have much word about any of the other contenders. Oh well.

BEST PICTURE
Atonement
Charlie Wilson's War
Gone Baby Gone
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

I figured I had to keep more than just Atonement from my original predix and I don't know why I'm still on Gone Baby Gone. I just am. I'd predict In the Valley of Elah but the poster was dreadful. I'm reading books by their covers.

BEST DIRECTOR
Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood
? Coen, No Country for Old Men
Todd Haynes, I'm Not There
Mike Nichols, Charlie Wilson's War
Joe Wright, Atonement

I'm never sure what Coen brother is directing. Is it one? Or both? Do they alternate?

BEST ACTOR
George Clooney, Michael Clayton
Daniel Day Lewis, There Will Be Blood
Benicio del Toro, Things We Lost in the Fire
James McAvoy, Atonement
Joaquin Phoenix, Reservation Road

It was del Toro or Lee Jones so I stuck with who I originally predicted in March (del Toro) cause that'd be sucky if he ended up nominated and I dropped him.

BEST ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie, Away From Her
Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose (unfortunately)
Nicole Kidman, Margot at the Wedding
Keira Knightley, Atonement

I sense that now The Invasion has been released and died it's death that the tides will change for Kidman and this will be a big "THAT'S why we love her" moment. Unless she doesn't do press for it. I'm still tentative about Knightley but... who else?

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men
Ed Harris, Gone Baby Gone
Armen Mueller-Stahl, Eastern Promises
Mark Ruffalo, Reservation Road
Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton (or Cassandra's Dream?)

I dunno. Makes sense to me. And it's obvious they're gonna do a Lead/Support thing with Phoenix/Ruffalo.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Emily Blunt, Charlie Wilson's War
Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There
Abbie Cornish, Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Jennifer Jason Leigh, Margot at the Wedding
Susan Sarandon, In the Valley of Elah

I couldn't decide with Atonement girl to predict so I stuck with Blunt. She'll get there eventually, but will it be this year for a flick I'm predicting for BP? Why not, I say. I hope Cornish doesn't have a Uma/Dangerous Liaisons on her hand where her work will get completely ignored?

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
The Brave One
Eastern Promises
I'm Not There
Margot at the Wedding
Ratatouille

I'm surprising myself by keeping 4/5 of my original predix for many categories, just like here. Just a crazy hunch on the Rat win. Wouldn't that be a blast?

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Atonement
Charlie Wilson's War
Gone Baby Gone
No Country For Old Men
There Will Be Blood

I'm keeping Paul Haggis away because he can't be nominated every single time he types some words on a page (Last Kiss obviously doesn't count).

BEST EDITING
American Gangster
Atonement
Charlie Wilson's War
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
There Will Be Blood

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Assassination of Jesse James...
Atonement
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
There Will Be Blood

BEST ART DIRECTION
Atonement
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
The Golden Compass
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
3:10 to Yuma
Atonement
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Hairspray
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

BEST MAKE-UP
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Hairspray
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
The Golden Compass
Transformers

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Atonement
The Golden Compass
Gone Baby Gone
Manolete
Ratatouille

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Enchanted
Hairspray
Hairspray
Mr Margorium's Wonder Emporium
Once

Margorium just seems like the perfect film for some aging rock star to sing a mid-tempo song about love and how the world is such a crazy place and to place it over the credits. Instant nomination, non?

BEST SOUND DESIGN
Beowulf
I Am Legend
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Transformers

BEST SOUND EDITING
Beowulf
The Golden Compass
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Ratatouille
Transformers

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Beowulf
Ratatouille
The Simpsons Movie

I'm so glad I didn't predict Shrek the Third back in March. That series was destined for a swift kick up the duff.

It feels so good to not predict Spider-Man 3 for anything.

Completely Uninformed Inconsequential Ridiculously Early Oscar Mumbo Jumbo

Because I'm bored, folks.

BEST PICTURE: There Will Be Blood
Because I just think that they could go a bit batshit crazy this year. Plus, nothing else except Atonement was leaping out at me, and...

BEST DIRECTOR: Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood
because I see them rewarding Anderson here more than Joe Wright and they reward Pic/Dir together more times than not.

BEST ACTOR: Daniel Day Lewis, There Will Be Blood
Because he's the finest actor of this generation and I don't see why two Oscars nearly 20 years apart is such a big ask.

BEST ACTRESS: Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Because I think in a battle between Blanchett (recently Oscared as she is) and Julie Christie that Blanchett's is more LOOK AT ME (although, I've obviously seen neither) and, thus, more will remember her (especially since Away From Her will be old on DVD by the time of voting).

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men
Because I think he'll be this year's steamroller contender. Plus, remember the way people reacted to the lump of puddy on Nicole Kidman's nose in The Hours? Those people will be the same with Bardem and his hair, trust me.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Susan Sarandon, In the Valley of Elah
Because she's a legend and I'm sure they'll have no qualms about awarding her again despite being allergic to awarding her earlier in her career. Plus, it's a Paul Haggis film and, hello, they love him.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: There Will Be Blood
Because they can.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: I'm Not There
Because it may be their best opportunity to reward Todd Haynes plus they rewarded the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind screenplay so they're not adverse to structurally absurd writings.

COSTUME: Elizabeth: The Golden Age
ART DIRECTION: Sweeney Todd
CINEMATOGRAPHY: There Will Be Blood
EDITING: Atonement
VIS. EFFECTS: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
MAKE UP: Sweeny Todd
SCORE: Atonement
SONG: Hairspray
SOUND: The Golden Compass
SOUND ED.: Ratatouille
ANIMATED: Ratatouille

...there was absolutely no logic to any of that.

There Will Be Audience Members

If this teaser/trailer/clip-thing for Paul Thomas Anderson's latest There Will Be Blood is anything to go by then it could be either really great (Hard Eight, Boogie Nights) or really boring (Magnolia - I'm going to rewatch it soon, so don't hound me but I fell asleep three times watching that movie). Love that shot of the people running towards the tower which is ablaze. If nothing else, there will be great cinematography and Daniel Day-Lewis (possibly the finest actor of his generation).

Anyway. Watch it.



I rented Punch-Drunk Love recently from the video store but the DVD was cracked when I got it home and they didn't have any other copies, which was kind of a bitch but I dealt with it. I still haven't seen it though.