O-S-C-A-R

Wolverine is hosting this year's Academy Awards. That's cool. Not as cool as it would be if Ricky Gervais was hosting, but anyway here be the nominations along with my predicted winners in bold italics and commentary.

BEST PICTURE
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
"Frost/Nixon"
"Milk"
"The Reader"
"Slumdog Millionaire"

Amazingly I have yet to see any of these films, but I will catch-up on them all before the awards. I think its shame “The Dark Knight” was passed up but I think ultimately “Button” will eek out a win over “Slumdog” although they will both end up with a several trophies before the nights over.

BEST ACTRESS
Anne Hathaway, "Rachel Getting Married"
Angelina Jolie, "Changeling"
Melissa Leo, "Frozen River"
Meryl Streep, "Doubt"
Kate Winslet, "The Reader"

I would have gone with Hathaway if Kate was nominated here for “Revolutionary Road” and in the supporting category for “The Reader” as she was at the Golden Globes, but since this is her lone nomination it’s hers to lose and I don’t think she will.

BEST ACTOR
Frank Langella, "Frost/Nixon"
Sean Penn, "Milk"
Brad Pitt, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler"
Richard Jenkins, "The Visitor"

So very happy to see Richard Jenkins pick-up a nod here. If Clint Eastwood had snuck in with “Gran Torino” I’d be liking his chances at finally getting a golden statue for acting, but alas he’ll have to live with a slew of trophies for his amazing work behind the camera. That leaves comeback boy Rourke as the favorite.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams, "Doubt"
Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
Viola Davis, "Doubt"
Taraji P. Henson, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Marisa Tomei, "The Wrestler"

Cruz was an early front-runner for this category and then Winslet starting gaining a lot of momentum for “The Reader” but now that she’s nominated in the Lead category I think it falls back to Penelope, although this race feels very wide open. It’s Adams’ second nom and Tomei is a previous winner in this very category.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Josh Brolin, "Milk"
Robert Downey Jr., "Tropic Thunder"
Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Doubt"
Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight"
Michael Shannon, "Revolutionary Road"

Another very strong category all-around. Brolin and Downey are being nominated for their body of recent strong work as much as these individual performances. I hear Shannon is a revelation and Hoffman is a stalwart, but the sentimental and deserving pick is Ledger. His Joker is a thing of legend and icon.

BEST DIRECTOR
Danny Boyle, "Slumdog Millionaire"
Stephen Daldry, "The Reader"
David Fincher, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Ron Howard, "Frost/Nixon"
Gus Van Sant, "Milk"

I think Boyle will follow-up his Golden Globe with another win here. Fincher could very well win here though while “Slumdog” wins Best Picture. But I think it will more likely split this way. The lack of a nom for Chris Nolan is disheartening and considering his film is closest to Fincher’s amongst this group that also did not get a Best Picture nom makes me think Boyle is more the likely winner.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Dustin Lance Black, "Milk"
Courtney Hunt, "Frozen River"
Mike Leigh, "Happy-Go-Lucky"
Martin McDonagh, "In Bruges"
Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, "WALL-E"

I loved “WALL-E” but it’s a shame Jenny Lumet’s screenplay for “Rachel Getting Married” didn’t get a nomination. Decorated playwright McDonagh is probably the best pure writer amongst this group, he also penned an Oscar winning short film a few years ago, but I think Black’s original take on the life of Harvey Milk is our winner. There were many competing Harvey Milk projects and source materials that never came to fruition but Black just started from scratch and created his own passion project.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Simon Beaufoy, "Slumdog Millionaire"
David Hare, "The Reader"
Peter Morgan, "Frost/Nixon"
John Patrick Shanley, "Doubt"
Eric Roth, Robin Swicord, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

Three playwrights nominated here, two of whom adapted their very own stage material. Roth is a past winner for Forest Gump and taking the task of turning a short story into an epic film seems like it would be a lock, but I have a feeling Peter Morgan, who has been on a tear recently with great screenplays for “The Queen” and “The Last King of Scotland” helps “Frost/Nixon” avoid a shut-out by picking up his first trophy in this category for his timely and sharp piece of historical fiction.

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
"The Baader-Meinhof Complex" (Germany)
"The Class" (France)
"Departures" (Japan)
"Revanche" (Austria)
"Waltz with Bashir" (Israel)

I’m not very familiar with any of the nominated films outside of “Bashir” but the buzz has been pretty incredible on it and I can not wait to see it.

BEST ANIMATED FILM
"Bolt"
"Kung Fu Panda"
"Wall-E"

This is your lock of locks.

BEST ART DIRECTION
"Changeling"
"The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button"
"Dark Knight"
"The Duchess"
"Revolutionary Road"

The gorgeous southern gothic scope of “Button” will probably win out.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
"Changeling" Tom Stern
"Slumdog Millionaire," Anthony Dod Mantle
"The Reader," Chris Menges
"The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button," Claudio Miranda
"The Dark Knight," Wally Pfister

Ditto from above.

BEST FILM EDITING
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Kirk Baxter, Angus Wall
"The Dark Knight," Lee Smith
"Frost/Nixon," Daniel P. Hanley, Mike Hill
"Milk," Elliot Graham
"Slumdog Millionaire," Chris Dickens

It appears Dickens and director Boyle worked close together to craft a perfectly compressed film and I think they’ll be rewarded for it. The film has even been described as "Dickensian" which is a good thing.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
"Australia," Catherine Martin
"The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button," Jacqueline West
"The Duchess," Michael O'Conner
"Milk", Danny Glicker
"Revolutionary Road," Albert Wolsky

Gotta go with the 19th Century British royalty almost anytime. Safe choice, but nothing else really pops out. Another "Dark Knight" snub in this category.

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
"The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)"
"Encounters at the End of the World"
"The Garden"
"Man on Wire"
"Trouble the Water"

“Man on Wire” is breathtaking and inspiring. A lovely film that is a tribute to brave and bold spirits everywhere.

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
"Slumdog Millionaire," "Jai Ho," A.R. Rahman
"Slumdog Millionaire," "O Saya," A.R. Rahman & M.I.A.
"Wall-E," "Down To Earth," Peter Gabriel & Thomas Newman

No. No. No. Only three songs nominated and one of them is not Bruce Springsteen for the title track to “The Wrestler”. Travesty. “Down to earth” is pretty vanilla so I’d have to go with something from “Slumdog”. Probably the track with M.I.A. I'm interested in hearing the music from "Slumdog" so it should be one of the first films I try to catch up with.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
"The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button," Alexandre Desplat
"Defiance," James Newton Howard
"Milk," Danny Elfman
"Slumdog Millionaire," A.R. Rahman
"WALL-E," Thomas Newman

A.R. Rahman hot off his Golden Globe win looks poised for another Golden trophy, even with stiff competition from four of Hollywood’s best known and recognized composers.

BEST MAKEUP
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Colleen Callaghan, Fionagh Cush
"The Dark Knight," Peter Robb-King, John Caglione Jr.
"Hellboy II: The Golden Army," Mike Elizalde, Thom Floutz

Great work in all three films here, but “Button” breaks new ground.

BEST SOUND EDITING
"The Dark Knight," Richard King
"Iron Man," Frank Eulner, Christopher Boyes
"Slumdog Millionaire," Tom Sayers
"Wall-E," Ben Burtt, Matthew Wood
"Wanted," Wylie Stateman

I’m just guessing the Academy will throw “The Dark Knight” a bone here. Action films tend to do well in this category, look at “Bourne Ultimatum” win last year.

BEST SOUND MIXING
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Mark Weingarten, David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce
"The Dark Knight," Ed Novick, Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo
"Slumdog Millionaire," Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty
"Wall-E," Ben Burtt, Tom Myers, Michael Semanick
"Wanted," Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño and Petr Forejt

Another win “Slumdog”, which seems to dazzle as much with aesthetics as it does with soul.

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Eric Barba
"The Dark Knight," Chris Corbould, Nick Davis, Paul Franklin, Tim Webber
"Iron Man," John Nelson

Same as with the make-up category, “Button” gets the win for using its effects more seamlessly than fantasy or action films.