Snooch to the Nooch! The title says it all. Actually, it doesn’t this year, but read on. The Oscars are on February 25 at 8pm EST this year, with “Finding Nemo’s” Ellen DeGeneres hosting.<\/p>\n
Best Picture<\/b>
\nOscar’s Final Five<\/i>
\n“Babel”
\n“The Departed”
\n“Letters From Iwo Jima”
\n“Little Miss Sunshine”
\n“The Queen”<\/p>\n
Likes:<\/i> That all of the films I’ve seen (have yet to see “Letters From Iwo Jima,” which just hit Atlanta theatres) deserve to be there. There’s not a ringer in the bunch.<\/p>\n
Dislikes:<\/i> The shutout of Best Musical\/Comedy winner “Dreamgirls” was pretty damn shocking, and undeserved. There was no room for a Best Picture nod for “United 93,” and no mention of nods for lesser-acclaimed films like “The Fountain,” “World Trade Center,” “Brick,” “V for Vendetta,” “A Prairie Home Companion,” and “Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story.”<\/p>\n
Brian’s personal hopefuls:<\/i> “United 93”; “The Fountain”; “Brick”; “World Trade Center”; “An Inconvenient Truth”<\/p>\n
Oscar’s Pick:<\/i> It’s a race now. I seriously have no clue. “Dreamgirls”- with the most overall nods with 8- was shutout, “Little Miss Sunshine” won the Producers Guild, and “Letters From Iwo Jima” came out of virtual nowhere. “The Queen” will receive recognition elsewhere, as will “The Departed,” which just leaves 7-time nominee “Babel,” which is- admittedly- the best film of the bunch. This is gonna make for quite an interesting show capper on February 25. I really don’t have a pick yet people.<\/p>\n
Best Director<\/b>
\nOscar’s Final Five<\/i>
\nAlejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, “Babel”
\nMartin Scorsese, “The Departed”
\nClint Eastwood, “Letters From Iwo Jima”
\nStephen Frears, “The Queen”
\nPaul Greengrass, “United 93”<\/p>\n
Likes:<\/i> They made room for Greengrass, who directed the year’s first and best 9\/11 movie with visceral emotional punch. Like Best Picture, all of the nominees I’ve seen are strong choices…<\/p>\n
Dislikes:<\/i> …though I would have given nods to Darren Aronofsky (“The Fountain”), Oliver Stone (“World Trade Center”), the late Robert Altman (“A Prairie Home Companion”), Steven Soderbergh (“The Good German”), Alfonso Cauron (“Children of Men”), Michael Winterbottom (“Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story”), Bill Condon (“Dreamgirls”), and James McTiegue (“V for Vendetta”) any day of the week.<\/p>\n
Brian’s personal hopefuls:<\/i> Darren Aronofsky, “The Fountain”; Paul Greengrass, “United 93”; Oliver Stone, “World Trade Center”; Robert Altman, “A Prairie Home Companion”; Martin Scorsese, “The Departed”<\/p>\n
Oscar’s Pick:<\/i> Martin Scorsese. The last time he went up against Clint, Eastwood was running on a high of acclaim and buzz with “Million Dollar Baby” (which was also clicking with audiences), while “The Aviator” was barely staying above sea level in most people’s minds. This time around, however, Eastwood’s “Iwo Jima”- though wildly acclaimed- has yet to really make it to audiences, and Eastwood was left off the Directors Guild nominees list, meaning Scorsese- who just won the Golden Globe, is nominated for the DGA, and has his biggest box-office hit of his career (to go with the critical high the film met with)- is well positioned to finally win that long-eluding first Oscar. I could be wrong, though. If his name isn’t heard Oscar night, however, expect riots in the streets.<\/p>\n
Best Actor<\/b>
\nOscar’s Final Five<\/i>
\nLeonardo DiCaprio, “Blood Diamond”
\nRyan Gosling, “Half Nelson”
\nPeter O’Toole, “Venus”
\nWill Smith, “The Pursuit of Happyness”
\nForest Whitaker, “The Last King of Scotland”<\/p>\n
Likes:<\/i> That the two nominees I’ve seen (Smith and Whitaker), both deserve to be there for doing career-best work. Since actors nominate actors- and the nominees match the SAG ballot- I’ll take their word on the other three…<\/p>\n
Dislikes:<\/i> …though I’ll still have to figure out a way to see them before Oscar night (no problem with “Venus,” it opens this Friday in Atlanta; Gosling and DiCaprio are another matter). No mention of Nicolas Cage (“World Trade Center”), Steve Coogan (“Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story”), Hugh Jackman (“The Fountain”), or Leo’s “Departed” costar Matt Damon for his performance in “The Good Shepherd.”<\/p>\n
Brian’s personal hopefuls:<\/i> Forest Whitaker, “The Last King of Scotland”; Nicolas Cage, “World Trade Center”; Steve Coogan, “Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story”; Hugh Jackman, “The Fountain”; Matt Damon, “The Good Shepherd”<\/p>\n
Oscar’s Pick:<\/i> Forest Whitaker. O’Toole- who received an honorary Oscar a couple of years ago- could sneak in for his acclaimed turn, but I’d expect Whitaker- an actors actor in years of interesting supporting roles- to continue to coast through awards season to an Oscar for his unforgettable performance.<\/p>\n
Best Actress<\/b>
\nOscar’s Final Five<\/i>
\nPenelope Cruz, “Volver”
\nJudi Dench, “Notes on a Scandal”
\nHelen Mirren, “The Queen”
\nMeryl Streep, “The Devil Wears Prada”
\nKate Winslet, “Little Children”<\/p>\n
Likes:<\/i> That all three I’ve seen (Mirren, Streep, Winslet) deserve to be there, and that my theatre’s getting “Volver” and “Notes on a Scandal” so I can see the other two.<\/p>\n
Dislikes:<\/i> That the category was so deep (the deepest in years) that deserving turns by Natalie Portman (“V for Vendetta”), Renee Zellweger (“Miss Potter”) or Cate Blanchett (“The Good German”) couldn’t be included, that their films were so lambasted that Jodelle Ferland (\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Tideland\u00e2\u20ac\u009d) and Rachel Weisz (“The Fountain”) got the shaft, and that her film was not more widely available so that Christine Estabrooke (“Lovers, Liars and Lunatics”) couldn’t be wider seen in her terrific performance.<\/p>\n
Brian’s personal hopefuls:<\/i> Helen Mirren, “The Queen”; Natalie Portman, “V for Vendetta”; Kate Winslet, “Little Children”; Renee Zellweger, “Miss Potter”; Meryl Streep, “The Devil Wears Prada”<\/p>\n
Oscar’s Pick:<\/i> Dame Helen Mirren. Like Whitaker, she’s been the front-runner since her film was released. Like Whitaker, I saw nothing in her performance to make me feel otherwise- it’s just the best performance out there.<\/p>\n
Best Supporting Actor<\/b>
\nOscar’s Final Five<\/i>
\nAlan Arkin, “Little Miss Sunshine”
\nJackie Earl Haley, “Little Children”
\nDjimon Hounsou, “Blood Diamond”
\nEddie Murphy, “Dreamgirls”
\nMark Wahlberg, “The Departed”<\/p>\n
Likes:<\/i> Once again, of the performances I’ve seen, it’s a great list, even if it isn’t MY list. I love that they saw past the bigger names in the cast (DiCaprio, Damon, Nicholson) to find the explosive excellence in Wahlberg’s scene-stealing performance, which brought to mind Joe Pesci’s Oscar-winning turn in another Scorsese classic (“GoodFellas”). Could we see history repeat itself…<\/p>\n
Dislikes:<\/i> Arkin was great in “Little Miss Sunshine,” but I would have gone with Steve Carell from that gem instead. I would have loved for them to find room for Michael Pena (“World Trade Center”), Hugo Weaving (“V for Vendetta”). Paul Newman (“Cars”), Adam Beach (“Flags of Our Fathers”), Ben Affleck (“Hollywoodland”), and Michael Sheen (the Tony Blair in “The Queen”), but with acting categories this deep, you can’t really complain about the choices.<\/p>\n
Brian’s personal hopefuls:<\/i> Michael Pena, “World Trade Center”; Steve Carell, “Little Miss Sunshine”; Hugp Weaving, “V for Vendetta”; Paul Newman, “Cars”; Mark Wahlberg, “The Departed”<\/p>\n
Oscar’s Pick:<\/i> Eddie Murphy. If any acting category is up for a surprise this year, it’s this one, and none of the choices would really surprise me for any reason. But after a Golden Globe win- SAG will really seal his fate, though- and being in the movie with the most nods, I wouldn’t doubt that Murphy’s return to form finds him on stage at the end of February.<\/p>\n
Best Supporting Actress<\/b>
\nOscar’s Final Five<\/i>
\nAdriana Barraza, “Babel”
\nCate Blanchett, “Notes on a Scandal”
\nAbigail Breslin, “Little Miss Sunshine”
\nJennifer Hudson, “Dreamgirls”
\nRinko Kikuchi, “Babel”<\/p>\n
Likes:<\/i> That three of the four I’ve seen are in my personal top five for the category, though the fourth one (Barraza) doesn’t feel out of place in this category…<\/p>\n
Dislikes:<\/i> …even if I was less than excited about her than I was about Meryl Streep (“A Prairie Home Companion”), Maria Bello (“World Trade Center”), Maggie Ghyllenhaal (“World Trade Center,” “Stranger Than Fiction”), Catherine O’Hara (who perhaps skewered Oscar-buzz whoring a little too well in “For Your Consideration”), and Jodie Foster (“Inside Man”). Again, another deep acting category.<\/p>\n
Brian’s personal hopefuls:<\/i> Jennifer Hudson, “Dreamgirls”; Meryl Streep, “A Prairie Home Companion”; Rinko Kikuchi, “Babel”; Maria Bello, “World Trade Center”; Abigail Breslin, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Little Miss Sunshine\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Oscar’s Pick:<\/i> Jennifer Hudson. I suppose Breslin could pull an upset for “Sunshine,” but who am I kidding? Hudson’s buzz in the category is about as deafening (and unanimous) as Whitaker’s and Mirren’s, and I don’t suspect anything to happen in the next month to make voters change their mind.<\/p>\n
Best Original Screenplay<\/b>
\nOscar’s Final Five<\/i>
\n“Babel” (Guillermo Arriaga)
\n“Letters From Iwo Jima” (Iris Yamashita, Paul Haggis)
\n“Little Miss Sunshine” (Michael Arndt)
\n“Pan’s Labyrinth” (Guillermo del Toro)
\n“The Queen” (Peter Morgan)<\/p>\n
Likes:<\/i> Well, uh, I’ve seen three of the nominees, and all three were sharp screenplays with real human feeling injected in them. What would you like me to say? It’s a pretty good list with no real surp…OK, hold that thought for a second.<\/p>\n
Dislikes:<\/i> OK, so further incentive to see “Pan’s Labyrinth” and “Letters From Iwo Jima”…as if I wasn’t going to be seeing them anyway. Where did these choices come from anyway? Guess I’ll see when I see the films. A nomination for Paul Greengrass for “United 93” wouldn’t have been out of order, though; same for Rian Johnson (“Brick”), Darren Aronofsky (“The Fountain”), and Michel Gondry (“The Science of Sleep”).<\/p>\n
Brian’s personal hopefuls:<\/i> “Brick” (Rian Johnson); “The Fountain” (Darren Aronofsky); “United 93” (Paul Greengrass); “Little Miss Sunshine” (Michael Arndt); “The Science of Sleep” (Michel Gondry)<\/p>\n
Oscar’s Pick:<\/i> “Little Miss Sunshine.” I know “The Queen” won at the Globes, but “Sunshine” wasn’t nominated, and you know what, I think this is a category ripe for surprise . A “Babel” win might be awkward with writer and director on the outs (and “Babel” no real lock for Best Picture), and anything else might just be weird. “The Queen” could still get in, but with one major award locked up with Mirren, look for this year’s little indie that could- the Sundance hit “Sunshine”- to go home with Oscar gold here.<\/p>\n
Best Adapted Screenplay<\/b>
\nOscar’s Final Five<\/i>
\n“Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan” (Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Peter Baynham, Dan Mazer, Todd Phillips)
\n“Children of Men” (Alfonso Cuar\u00c3\u00b3n, Timothy J. Sexton, David Arata, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby)
\n“The Departed” (William Monahan)
\n“Little Children” (Todd Field, Tom Perrotta)
\n“Notes on a Scandal” (Patrick Marber)<\/p>\n
Likes:<\/i> Well, after I see “Notes on a Scandal” I’m caught up with the nominees…good to see “Departed” in there. “Little Children’s” script didn’t suck either.<\/p>\n
Dislikes:<\/i> “Borat?” Really? It’s sketch comedy! Granted, it’s also- at its’ best- savage satire (and funny as Hell), but dude, the film had a naked wrestling match between Borat and his fat, hairy producer after Borat finds him jerking off to Pamela Anderson’s picture! Come on! You nominate that, but NOT “The 40 Year-Old Virgin,” for my money the funniest movie in the 21st Century? Whatever. On another note, “Children of Men” had a good screenplay- certainly one of the best pieces of dramatic writing ever accomplished by five writers- but “V for Vendetta,” “A Prairie Home Companion,” “Tristram Shandy,” “Dreamgirls,” “Thank You for Smoking,” “The Good German,” and “Casino Royale” did everything those screenplays did- albeit not all at once- with no more than three writers.<\/p>\n
Brian’s personal hopefuls:<\/i> “V for Vendetta” (Andy & Larry Wachowski); “Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story” (Martin Hardy); “A Prairie Home Companion” (Garrison Keillor); “The Departed” (William Monahan); “Dreamgirls” (Bill Condon)<\/p>\n
Oscar’s Pick:<\/i> I honestly don’t have a damn clue. I’d say the Writers Guild will help sort this mess out, but a) that might cloud the issue further (see Producers Guild) and b) quite frankly, I’m really scared that “Borat’s” gonna win. Intellectually speaking, not a chance in Hell; if we were going with the traditional Oscar choice, Best Picture nominee “Departed” would get the nod for its’ great adaptation of a Hong Kong classic, but seriously, I got nothin’ for this category.<\/p>\n
Best Original Score<\/b>
\nOscar’s Final Five<\/i>
\n“Babel” (Gustavo Santaolalla)
\n“The Good German” (Thomas Newman)
\n“Notes on a Scandal” (Philip Glass)
\n“Pan’s Labyrinth” (Javier Navarrete)
\n“The Queen” (Alexandre Desplat)<\/p>\n
Likes:<\/i> That Ennio Morricone is getting this year’s honorary Oscar, so at least Oscar will get one thing right in the music categories this year. Last year’s Oscar winner Santaolalla was recognized for his continually-evocative minimalism, and Newman’s homage to the scores of the ’40s melodrama (just heard recently by me) makes for the most deserving nominee of the bunch…<\/p>\n
Dislikes:<\/i> …though to be fair, I have yet to see “Labyrinth” and “Scandal” (though Glass is always hit-and-miss as a film composer; his earlier score for “The Illusionist” was a hit, though). The Academy had a good run going in this category, and this- in my opinion- was a great year in film music, but gotta say, so far, not a great list of nominees. I would trade Desplat (a Golden Globe winner for “The Painted Veil”) for Clint Mansell (“The Fountain”), Dario Marinelli (“V for Vendetta”), James Horner (“Apocalypto”), John Powell (“United 93”), Craig Armstrong (“World Trade Center”) and David Arnold (“Casino Royale”) any day of the week, while Howard Shore (“The Departed”) made a greater impression on the unique orchestration front than Santaolalla.<\/p>\n
Brian’s personal hopefuls:<\/i> “The Fountain” (Clint Mansell); “V for Vendetta” (Dario Marinelli); “Apocalypto” (James Horner); “The Departed” (Howard Shore); “United 93” (John Powell)<\/p>\n
Oscar’s Pick:<\/i> Thomas Newman, “The Good German.” This is another wide open field (I think I can see my house in Ohio from here), but you know what, I think Oscar’s finally gonna do right by the most gifted of the current Newman family film music legacy (which includes the also-talented Randy and David) and finally honor Thomas for honoring the type of film music his father wrote back in the day.<\/p>\n
Best Original Song<\/b>
\nOscar’s Final Five<\/i>
\n“I Need to Wake Up” from “An Inconvenient Truth” (Melissa Etheridge)
\n“Listen” from “Dreamgirls” (Henry Krieger, Scott Cutler, Anne Preven)
\n“Love You I Do” from “Dreamgirls” (Henry Krieger, Siedah Garrett)
\n“Our Town” from “Cars” (Randy Newman)
\n“Patience” from “Dreamgirls” (Henry Krieger, Willie Reale)<\/p>\n
Likes:<\/i> Well, the two best songs of the year were nominated…<\/p>\n
Dislikes:<\/i> …though I personally didn’t think any of them were from “Dreamgirls,” which shocked here. Three original songs? Now I really have to get the soundtrack; all I really knew was “Listen,” which was good, but not a top choice for me personally. Where are Ben Folds’ songs for “Over the Hedge?” Or the Chris Cornell song from “Casino Royale?” Or how about the lovely song from the end credits of “Charlotte’s Web?” How could none of them make the cut?<\/p>\n
Brian’s personal hopefuls:<\/i> “I Need to Wake Up” from “An Inconvenient Truth” (Melissa Etheridge); “Our Town” from “Cars” (Randy Newman); \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Still\u00e2\u20ac\u009d from \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Over the Hedge\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Ben Folds); \u00e2\u20ac\u0153You Know My Name\u00e2\u20ac\u009d from \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Casino Royale\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (David Arnold & Chris Cornell); \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Ordinary Miracle\u00e2\u20ac\u009d from \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Charlotte\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Web\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (David A. Stewart & Glen Ballard)<\/p>\n
Oscar’s Pick:<\/i> “Listen.” The deck is well-stacked for “Dreamgirls” to win in this category, especially since the film is on the outs as a Best Picture nominee. Granted, I’d love to see Etheridge or Newman win, but actually, I wouldn’t mind seeing “Dreamgirls” win this as payback for being shutout in some of the major categories. I’ll let it slide this time.<\/p>\n
Best Animated Feature<\/b>
\nOscar’s Final Three<\/i>
\n“Cars”
\n“Happy Feet”
\n“Monster House”<\/p>\n
Brian’s personal hopefuls:<\/i> “Renaissance”; “Cars”; “Flushed Away”<\/p>\n
Oscar’s Pick:<\/i> “Cars.” Pixar’s just got that mix of critical darling and audience favorite, even if John Lasseter’s car comedy is among its’ weakest efforts. (Where’s “Over the Hedge,” though?)<\/p>\n
Best Foreign Language Film<\/b>
\nOscar’s Final Five<\/i>
\n“After the Wedding” (Denmark)
\n“Days of Glory” (Algeria)
\n“The Lives of Others” (Germany)
\n“Pan’s Labyrinth” (Mexico)
\n“Water” (Canada)<\/p>\n
Brian’s personal hopefuls:<\/i> “Fateless” (Hungary); “Sympathy for Lady Vengeance” (South Korea); “Night Watch” (Russia); “The House of Sand” (Brazil)<\/p>\n
Oscar’s Pick:<\/i> “Water.” “Pan’s Labyrinth” has gotten the most nominations with six, and “The Lives of Others” is almost as acclaimed, but I get a feeling the Canadian entry- which was highly acclaimed when it came out earlier this year- will make it the second film from the country in four years to win.<\/p>\n
Best Documentary Feature<\/b>
\nOscar’s Final Five<\/i>
\n“Deliver Us From Evil”
\n“An Inconvenient Truth”
\n“Iraq in Fragments”
\n“Jesus Camp”
\n“My Country My Country”<\/p>\n
Brian’s personal hopefuls:<\/i> “An Inconvenient Truth”; “49 Up”; “Why We Fight”; “This Film is Not Yet Rated”; “Wordplay”<\/p>\n
Oscar’s Pick:<\/i> “An Inconvenient Truth.” “Deliver Us From Evil”- from what I’ve heard- is a harrowing look at the Catholic Church sex scandals, and “Iraq in Fragments” is more relevent than ever thanks to Bush’s recent troop increase, but Gore’s “Truth” is the doc with the most exposure. In a great year for documentaries, look for it to win out.<\/p>\n
Best Visual Effects<\/b>
\nOscar’s Final Three<\/i>
\n“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”
\n“Poseidon”
\n“Superman Returns”<\/p>\n
Brian’s personal hopefuls:<\/i> “The Fountain”; “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”; “Superman Returns”<\/p>\n
Oscar’s Pick:<\/i> “Pirates of the Caribbean.” How “Poseidon” got nominated is beyond me, but the impressive creature effects in “Chest”- especially Davy Jones- should beat the flying effects of the new “Superman.”<\/p>\n
Best Sound<\/b>
\nOscar’s Final Five<\/i>
\n“Apocalypto”
\n“Blood Diamond”
\n“Dreamgirls”
\n“Flags of Our Fathers”
\n“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”<\/p>\n
Brian’s personal hopefuls:<\/i> \u00e2\u20ac\u0153United 93\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153V for Vendetta\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153World Trade Center\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153A Prairie Home Companion\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Babel\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Oscar’s Pick:<\/i> Music and speaking usually go hand-in-hand when it comes to picking this category. That said, look for “Dreamgirls” to win this one.<\/p>\n
Best Sound Editing<\/b>
\nOscar’s Final Five<\/i>
\n“Apocalypto”
\n“Blood Diamond”
\n“Flags of Our Fathers”
\n“Letters From Iwo Jima”
\n“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”<\/p>\n
Brian’s personal hopefuls:<\/i> \u00e2\u20ac\u0153World Trade Center\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153United 93\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Children of Men”; “Apocalypto”; “Saw III”<\/p>\n
Oscar’s Pick:<\/i> In a battle between Clint’s two Iwo Jima films, I’d pick the Best Picture nominee “Iwo Jima” to beat out “Flags.”<\/p>\n
Best Cinematography<\/b>
\nOscar’s Final Five<\/i>
\n“The Black Dahlia”
\n“Children of Men”
\n“The Illusionist”
\n“Pan’s Labyrinth”
\n“The Prestige”<\/p>\n
Brian’s personal hopefuls:<\/i> “Children of Men”; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153V for Vendetta\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153United 93\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Fountain\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Apocalypto\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Oscar’s Pick:<\/i> Don’t ask me how “Dahlia”- though sleek-looking- made the cut with so many exceptional choices this year, but look for either the riveting hand-held approach of “Children of Men” to beat out the evocative looks of “Pan’s Labyrinth.”<\/p>\n
Best Film Editing<\/b>
\nOscar’s Final Five<\/i>
\n“Babel”
\n“Blood Diamond”
\n“Children of Men”
\n“The Departed”
\n“United 93”<\/p>\n
Brian’s personal hopefuls:<\/i> \u00e2\u20ac\u0153United 93\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Apocalypto\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; “Children of Men”; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Fountain\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Sympathy for Lady Vengeance\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Oscar’s Pick:<\/i> I wouldn’t bet on “Blood Diamond,” but in a close four-film race, look for the multi-story cross-cutting of “Babel” to beat out the visceral drama of “Men,” “Departed” and “United 93.”<\/p>\n
Best Art Direction<\/b>
\nOscar’s Final Five<\/i>
\n“Dreamgirls”
\n“The Good Shepherd”
\n“Pan’s Labyrinth”
\n“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”
\n“The Prestige”<\/p>\n
Brian’s personal hopefuls:<\/i> \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Fountain\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Apocalypto\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Curse of the Golden Flower\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Superman Returns\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153V for Vendetta\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Oscar’s Pick:<\/i> Eight-time nominee “Dreamgirls” is a good bet, but I’d look for the fantasy world of “Pan’s Labyrinth” to win out.<\/p>\n
Best Makeup<\/b>
\nOscar’s Final Three<\/i>
\n“Apocalypto”
\n“Click”
\n“Pan’s Labyrinth”<\/p>\n
Brian’s personal hopefuls:<\/i> \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Apocalypto\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153X-Men: The Last Stand\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Tideland\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Oscar’s Pick:<\/i> Don’t ask me about “Click’s” nomination. The best money would be placed on “Labyrinth,” but the Mayan makeup of “Apocalypto” is too impressive to ignore.<\/p>\n
Best Costume Design<\/b>
\nOscar’s Final Five<\/i>
\n“Curse of the Golden Flower”
\n“The Devil Wears Prada”
\n“Dreamgirls”
\n“Marie Antoinette”
\n“The Queen”<\/p>\n
Brian’s personal hopefuls:<\/i> \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Curse of the Golden Flower\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Fountain\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Apocalypto\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Dreamgirls\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153V for Vendetta\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Oscar’s Pick:<\/i> A strong category from what I’ve seen that’s wide open, but the opulent spectacle of “Flower” will likely win out over the other, more well-known films.<\/p>\n
Now, onto the awards less likely to be cared about, and randomly-selected predictions.<\/i><\/p>\n
Best Short Film- Live Action<\/b>
\nOscar’s Final Five<\/i>
\n“Binta y la gran idea”
\n“\u00c3\u2030ramos pocos”
\n“Helmer & Son”
\n“The Saviour”
\n“West Bank Story”<\/p>\n
Oscar’s Pick:<\/i> “Helmer & Son.”<\/p>\n
Best Short Film- Animated<\/b>
\nOscar’s Final Five<\/i>
\n“The Danish Poet”
\n“Lifted”
\n“The Little Matchgirl”
\n“Maestro”
\n“No Time for Nuts”<\/p>\n
Oscar’s Pick:<\/i> “Lifted.”<\/p>\n
Best Documentary Short Subject<\/b>
\nOscar’s Final Four<\/i>
\n“The Blood of Yingzhou District”
\n“Recycled Life”
\n“Rehearsing a Dream”
\n“Two Hands”<\/p>\n
Oscar’s Pick:<\/i> “Recycled Life.”<\/p>\n
Viva La Resistance!<\/p>\n