2008 Oscar Picks.
This is going to be kind of short and sweet, just the major categories, because unfortunately I didn't get the chance to see most of the nominated films this year. Unlike last year, most of them haven't come out on dvd yet or weren't widely available (there have been huge wait times on Netflix lately, as well, which has been annoying). In addition, I feel it's a bit more predictable this year. Last year's field was wide-open, but this year's is much more limited.
My pick will be italicized, and I will come back later and bold the winner.
Best Picture
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood
Atonement
Juno
Michael Clayton
This is down to No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood. Juno could sneak in and steal it, because of dividing voters, but I give the edge to NCFOM, simply because I thought it was the better film.
The Coens were great. Actually the whole show flew by--it seemed very short, because of the short acceptance speeches and because it was so darn predictable. I was satisfied with most everything that happened, but it wasn't very exciting this year.
Best Actor
Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood
Johnny Depp for Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
George Clooney for Michael Clayton
Viggo Mortensen for Eastern Promises
Tommy Lee Jones for In the Valley of Elah
Day-Lewis has got this in the bag. I WANT Viggo to win--I loved that movie and I loved him in it, but Day-Lewis has already won all the major awards for his film, and I'll be surprised if he doesn't win. Another token nomination for Depp, who should have won for Ed Wood.
I don't think there was any contest with this one.
Best Actress
Ellen Page for Juno
Julie Christie for Away from Her
Cate Blanchett for Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Marion Cotillard for La Vie en Rose
Laura Linney for The Savages
I haven't seen this film, but I think Marion Cotillard just from word of mouth. She looks just like Edith Piaf. Julie Christie may get the sympathy vote, but Ellen Page could shock everyone as well. I hope not. Another token nod for Linney, who is vastly underrated, as well. Cate's going to split herself, I think.
How adorable was she? I've never seen her in anything. She was super cute, and I thought it was great how genuinely surprised and thrilled both Cate Blanchett and Julie Christie looked for her.
Best Supporting Actor
Javier Bardem for No Country for Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman for Charlie Wilson's War
Hal Holbrook for Into the Wild
Casey Affleck for The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Tom Wilkinson for Michael Clayton
Javier's got this. He was so creepy in this film. I wouldn't be upset if Hal Holbrook got it--he's awesome and YAY OHIO. He's actually won an Ohioana Career Award.
I felt sad for Holbrook, he's a legend. But Javier was fantastic in this movie. He too gave a great speech, from what I could tell. His mom was really cute.
Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett for I'm Not There
Ruby Dee for American Gangster
Amy Ryan for Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton for Michael Clayton
Saoirse Ronan for Atonement
This is the one I can't call. IF Cate doesn't split herself, I think she's got it. She was amazing, especially because she was playing freaking Bob Dylan. Her performance is indescribable. However Ruby Dee is FREAKING RUBY DEE, and how in the name of all the gods and everything holy has she NEVER BEEN NOMINATED before this? I don't understand. She's great in American Gangster, so she might get a sympathy vote. VIVA OHIO for her, as well. Tilda just won the BAFTA though, so she might sneak up and grab it.
YAY TILDA! I love her. I thought her dress was hideous, but her hair was great. She was hilarious as usual. She's fantastic in everything she does, so I'm not upset with this.
Best Animated Feature
Ratatouille
Persepolis
Surf's Up
Not a chance in hell for the other two.
Best Directing
Joel and Ethan Coen for No Country for Old Men
Paul Thomas Anderson for There Will Be Blood
Jason Reitman for Juno
Tony Gilroy for Michael Clayton
Julian Schnabel for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
I say the Coens. But only because they totally rule. Paul Thomas Anderson is great too, though. This is another battle between the two.
I figured Best Picture was sealed up after this.
Best Adapted Screenplay
No Country for Old Men
Atonement
There Will Be Blood
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Away from Her
Just because I think it will sweep the categories and win Best Picture. Atonement or TWBB might sneak in and get it, or even TDB&tB...I don't know enough about it.
Cormac McCarthy was actually there! That was really cool. Next year will see an adaptation of The Road, which is an amazing book, and Viggo is playing the lead. Maybe he'll win for that. He's going to be great in the role.
Best Original Screenplay
Juno
Michael Clayton
Ratatouille
Lars and the Real Girl
The Savages
I think Juno will get this, unless Diablo Cody's hype cancels her out. In that case I say Ratatouille.
I figured Diablo was a lock on this. I didn't think Juno was all that great (apparently I'm in a vast minority on that) but I like her a lot.
Also I forgot to talk about the Best Song category, but I am beyond thrilled that Glen and Marketa and their song from Once won. I LOVED LOVED that movie. It was just the sweetest, most utterly unpretentious, extraordinary movie I've seen for a long time. The songs were all written and performed by the two stars, and the film was made for something like $100,000. They are both very soft-spoken, sweet people--and they ended up getting together in real life after filming the movie, so there's this whole added thing to their love story that makes it even better. I was really happy they won, and especially glad that Jon Stewart pulled Marketa back out to let her speak after they'd been cut off during their acceptance speech. I thought it was really cool that their simple little song beat out all those songs from Enchanted. I liked Enchanted; it was cute (what was up with poor Amy Adams having to sing all alone on the stage though? She looked terrified! Then Kristen Chenowith got to sing Amy's other song from the movie with a full-out ensemble song and dance...I thought that sucked), but Once was a lot better.
Overall it was a very predictable night. I was satisfied with the winners, though, and there was nothing too disastrous or over-the-top. Jon Stewart was better this time than he was his first time, also.
My pick will be italicized, and I will come back later and bold the winner.
Best Picture
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood
Atonement
Juno
Michael Clayton
This is down to No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood. Juno could sneak in and steal it, because of dividing voters, but I give the edge to NCFOM, simply because I thought it was the better film.
The Coens were great. Actually the whole show flew by--it seemed very short, because of the short acceptance speeches and because it was so darn predictable. I was satisfied with most everything that happened, but it wasn't very exciting this year.
Best Actor
Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood
Johnny Depp for Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
George Clooney for Michael Clayton
Viggo Mortensen for Eastern Promises
Tommy Lee Jones for In the Valley of Elah
Day-Lewis has got this in the bag. I WANT Viggo to win--I loved that movie and I loved him in it, but Day-Lewis has already won all the major awards for his film, and I'll be surprised if he doesn't win. Another token nomination for Depp, who should have won for Ed Wood.
I don't think there was any contest with this one.
Best Actress
Ellen Page for Juno
Julie Christie for Away from Her
Cate Blanchett for Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Marion Cotillard for La Vie en Rose
Laura Linney for The Savages
I haven't seen this film, but I think Marion Cotillard just from word of mouth. She looks just like Edith Piaf. Julie Christie may get the sympathy vote, but Ellen Page could shock everyone as well. I hope not. Another token nod for Linney, who is vastly underrated, as well. Cate's going to split herself, I think.
How adorable was she? I've never seen her in anything. She was super cute, and I thought it was great how genuinely surprised and thrilled both Cate Blanchett and Julie Christie looked for her.
Best Supporting Actor
Javier Bardem for No Country for Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman for Charlie Wilson's War
Hal Holbrook for Into the Wild
Casey Affleck for The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Tom Wilkinson for Michael Clayton
Javier's got this. He was so creepy in this film. I wouldn't be upset if Hal Holbrook got it--he's awesome and YAY OHIO. He's actually won an Ohioana Career Award.
I felt sad for Holbrook, he's a legend. But Javier was fantastic in this movie. He too gave a great speech, from what I could tell. His mom was really cute.
Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett for I'm Not There
Ruby Dee for American Gangster
Amy Ryan for Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton for Michael Clayton
Saoirse Ronan for Atonement
This is the one I can't call. IF Cate doesn't split herself, I think she's got it. She was amazing, especially because she was playing freaking Bob Dylan. Her performance is indescribable. However Ruby Dee is FREAKING RUBY DEE, and how in the name of all the gods and everything holy has she NEVER BEEN NOMINATED before this? I don't understand. She's great in American Gangster, so she might get a sympathy vote. VIVA OHIO for her, as well. Tilda just won the BAFTA though, so she might sneak up and grab it.
YAY TILDA! I love her. I thought her dress was hideous, but her hair was great. She was hilarious as usual. She's fantastic in everything she does, so I'm not upset with this.
Best Animated Feature
Ratatouille
Persepolis
Surf's Up
Not a chance in hell for the other two.
Best Directing
Joel and Ethan Coen for No Country for Old Men
Paul Thomas Anderson for There Will Be Blood
Jason Reitman for Juno
Tony Gilroy for Michael Clayton
Julian Schnabel for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
I say the Coens. But only because they totally rule. Paul Thomas Anderson is great too, though. This is another battle between the two.
I figured Best Picture was sealed up after this.
Best Adapted Screenplay
No Country for Old Men
Atonement
There Will Be Blood
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Away from Her
Just because I think it will sweep the categories and win Best Picture. Atonement or TWBB might sneak in and get it, or even TDB&tB...I don't know enough about it.
Cormac McCarthy was actually there! That was really cool. Next year will see an adaptation of The Road, which is an amazing book, and Viggo is playing the lead. Maybe he'll win for that. He's going to be great in the role.
Best Original Screenplay
Juno
Michael Clayton
Ratatouille
Lars and the Real Girl
The Savages
I think Juno will get this, unless Diablo Cody's hype cancels her out. In that case I say Ratatouille.
I figured Diablo was a lock on this. I didn't think Juno was all that great (apparently I'm in a vast minority on that) but I like her a lot.
Also I forgot to talk about the Best Song category, but I am beyond thrilled that Glen and Marketa and their song from Once won. I LOVED LOVED that movie. It was just the sweetest, most utterly unpretentious, extraordinary movie I've seen for a long time. The songs were all written and performed by the two stars, and the film was made for something like $100,000. They are both very soft-spoken, sweet people--and they ended up getting together in real life after filming the movie, so there's this whole added thing to their love story that makes it even better. I was really happy they won, and especially glad that Jon Stewart pulled Marketa back out to let her speak after they'd been cut off during their acceptance speech. I thought it was really cool that their simple little song beat out all those songs from Enchanted. I liked Enchanted; it was cute (what was up with poor Amy Adams having to sing all alone on the stage though? She looked terrified! Then Kristen Chenowith got to sing Amy's other song from the movie with a full-out ensemble song and dance...I thought that sucked), but Once was a lot better.
Overall it was a very predictable night. I was satisfied with the winners, though, and there was nothing too disastrous or over-the-top. Jon Stewart was better this time than he was his first time, also.