To me, the 81st Academy Awards is a battle between The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Slumdog Millionaire -the studio backed blockbuster and the scrappy Independent that got word of mouth across the world. Both carry a gene of Forrest Gump with them, but ultimately it will be interesting to see if Hollywood (always a champion of underdogs) will choose Slumdog (to me, a better film) or the more "safer" Benjamin Button. We'll see on February 22nd.
BEST ACTOR
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Personal note: While I would like top see Penn win for many reasons, my gut feeling is the Oscar will go to Mickey Rourke. Frank Langella is the darkhorse here while Pitt remains (in my opinion) a slim chance, despite his popularity. But one never knows here. A win for Rourke is not a shoe-in, if only because some Hollywood insiders have long memories. But like Heath Ledger, he's got history on his side.
BEST ACTRESS
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Melissa Leo, Frozen River
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kate Winslet, The Reader
Personal Note: I adore Anne Hathaway, even though I don't find her strong actress. She's good, however, in Rachel Getting Married. As always with the Best Actress category, this is hard choice. But with this years list, I see it a contest between Melissa Leo and Kate Winslet, with Hathaway as the darkhorse. Winslet will probably walk away with it.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Josh Brolin, Milk
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road
Personal Note: History is on Ledger's side here, and despite a great performance from Brolin in Milk -his only real competition, I might add - Ledger's win is almost a given.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams, Doubt
Penélope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Personal Note: Another category that's hard to choose from, but its a good chance Taraji P. Henson will walk away with the Oscar, though don't count out Viola Davis.
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Frozen River, Courtney Hunt
Happy-Go-Lucky, Mike Leigh
In Bruges, Martin McDonagh
Milk, Dustin Lance Black
WALL-E, Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Pete Docter
Personal Note: Dustin Lance Black - a recent winner from the WGA - should win this award. Beyond WALL-E, no has heard of the rest.
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Eric Roth
Doubt, John Patrick Shanley
Frost/Nixon, Peter Morgan
The Reader, David Hare
Slumdog Millionaire, Simon Beaufoy
Personal Note: Easily, Slumdog Millionaire should win this category. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button has a chance, but since it will probably win Best Picture, Slumdog should capture this award.
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
WALL-E
Personal Note: I see WALL-E winning, however there has been some backlash on the Pixar film in the sense that it does not portray the future of humans as smart. Plus, as someone put it, R2D2 finally got his own film! And the conservatives attacked the film for is environmental message. Good chance Kung Fu Panda will win.
BEST PICTURE
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Personal Note: The only real contest here is between Benjamin Button and Slumdog, even though both are both just trumped up versions of Forrest Gump. I like to see Slumdog win, if only because it relied on the performances of its actors instead of the visual effects.
BEST DIRECTOR
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Stephen Daldry, The Reader
Gus Van Sant, Milk
Personal Note: Again, a two-way race between Slumdog's Danny Boyle and Button's David Fincher. The only darkhorse -if you can it that - is Ron Howard or Gus Van Sant. In the end, I think it'll go this way: Boyle wins best director, Button wins Best Picture and vis versa. Again, personal choice is Van Sant.
BEST ART DIRECTION
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Duchess
Revolutionary Road
Personal Note: Everyone in Hollywood like period pieces, and out of the five films, four are set in the past. Revolutionary Road should win this.
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Personal Note: Slumdog Millionaire should take this award, though Benjamin Button remains a close second.
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Australia
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Duchess
Milk
Revolutionary Road
Personal Note: Like the Art Direction category, a expect Revolutionary Road to score the win, though (once again) Benjamin Button could win here.
BEST EDITING
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
Personal Note: To me, Milk should score this, but as this years Oscars is a race between Slumdog and Benjamin Button either one of them could get it.
BEST MAKEUP
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Personal Note: Easy one: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Alexandre Desplat
Defiance, James Newton Howard
Milk, Danny Elfman
Slumdog Millionaire, A.R. Rahman
Personal Note: I loved the score to Slumdog Millionaire, and it should also win.
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
''Down to Earth,'' WALL-E
''Jai Ho,'' Slumdog Millionaire
''O Saya,'' Slumdog Millionaire
Personal Note: In keeping with Slumdog Millionaire's win for original score, it will take home this category as well, probably for O Saya.
BEST SOUND EDITING
The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
Wanted
BEST SOUND MIXING
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
Wanted
WALL-E, Thomas Newman
Personal Note: Best Sound Editing and Sound Mixing usually go together. Expect Dark Knight to win here in both.
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Personal Note: Another, fairly easy category: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
BEST ACTOR
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Personal note: While I would like top see Penn win for many reasons, my gut feeling is the Oscar will go to Mickey Rourke. Frank Langella is the darkhorse here while Pitt remains (in my opinion) a slim chance, despite his popularity. But one never knows here. A win for Rourke is not a shoe-in, if only because some Hollywood insiders have long memories. But like Heath Ledger, he's got history on his side.
BEST ACTRESS
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Melissa Leo, Frozen River
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kate Winslet, The Reader
Personal Note: I adore Anne Hathaway, even though I don't find her strong actress. She's good, however, in Rachel Getting Married. As always with the Best Actress category, this is hard choice. But with this years list, I see it a contest between Melissa Leo and Kate Winslet, with Hathaway as the darkhorse. Winslet will probably walk away with it.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Josh Brolin, Milk
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road
Personal Note: History is on Ledger's side here, and despite a great performance from Brolin in Milk -his only real competition, I might add - Ledger's win is almost a given.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams, Doubt
Penélope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Personal Note: Another category that's hard to choose from, but its a good chance Taraji P. Henson will walk away with the Oscar, though don't count out Viola Davis.
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Frozen River, Courtney Hunt
Happy-Go-Lucky, Mike Leigh
In Bruges, Martin McDonagh
Milk, Dustin Lance Black
WALL-E, Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Pete Docter
Personal Note: Dustin Lance Black - a recent winner from the WGA - should win this award. Beyond WALL-E, no has heard of the rest.
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Eric Roth
Doubt, John Patrick Shanley
Frost/Nixon, Peter Morgan
The Reader, David Hare
Slumdog Millionaire, Simon Beaufoy
Personal Note: Easily, Slumdog Millionaire should win this category. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button has a chance, but since it will probably win Best Picture, Slumdog should capture this award.
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
WALL-E
Personal Note: I see WALL-E winning, however there has been some backlash on the Pixar film in the sense that it does not portray the future of humans as smart. Plus, as someone put it, R2D2 finally got his own film! And the conservatives attacked the film for is environmental message. Good chance Kung Fu Panda will win.
BEST PICTURE
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Personal Note: The only real contest here is between Benjamin Button and Slumdog, even though both are both just trumped up versions of Forrest Gump. I like to see Slumdog win, if only because it relied on the performances of its actors instead of the visual effects.
BEST DIRECTOR
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Stephen Daldry, The Reader
Gus Van Sant, Milk
Personal Note: Again, a two-way race between Slumdog's Danny Boyle and Button's David Fincher. The only darkhorse -if you can it that - is Ron Howard or Gus Van Sant. In the end, I think it'll go this way: Boyle wins best director, Button wins Best Picture and vis versa. Again, personal choice is Van Sant.
BEST ART DIRECTION
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Duchess
Revolutionary Road
Personal Note: Everyone in Hollywood like period pieces, and out of the five films, four are set in the past. Revolutionary Road should win this.
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Personal Note: Slumdog Millionaire should take this award, though Benjamin Button remains a close second.
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Australia
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Duchess
Milk
Revolutionary Road
Personal Note: Like the Art Direction category, a expect Revolutionary Road to score the win, though (once again) Benjamin Button could win here.
BEST EDITING
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
Personal Note: To me, Milk should score this, but as this years Oscars is a race between Slumdog and Benjamin Button either one of them could get it.
BEST MAKEUP
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Personal Note: Easy one: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Alexandre Desplat
Defiance, James Newton Howard
Milk, Danny Elfman
Slumdog Millionaire, A.R. Rahman
Personal Note: I loved the score to Slumdog Millionaire, and it should also win.
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
''Down to Earth,'' WALL-E
''Jai Ho,'' Slumdog Millionaire
''O Saya,'' Slumdog Millionaire
Personal Note: In keeping with Slumdog Millionaire's win for original score, it will take home this category as well, probably for O Saya.
BEST SOUND EDITING
The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
Wanted
BEST SOUND MIXING
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
Wanted
WALL-E, Thomas Newman
Personal Note: Best Sound Editing and Sound Mixing usually go together. Expect Dark Knight to win here in both.
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Personal Note: Another, fairly easy category: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
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