Day One Hundred and Fourteen - Envelope Please

[okay - I had this fully ready to roll yesterday, but it posting it Blogger frakked up - rather than throwing my laptop across the room as my rage would normally dictate I simply said fiddle-dee-dee and decided to worry about it tomorrow. it's now tomorrow and I have to redo about half of this.]

So - I was planning to do this tomorrow, but after watching the very fabulous Jon Stewart on Larry King Live last night and the exceedingly fabulous Amy Sedaris on Letterman last night - I figure - no time like the present! I am happy to present to you, faithful readers my predictions for the 80th annual Academy Awards. I am making my Oscar predictions public for the first time ever! I suppose I felt inspired by Stephen Colbert's predictions two years ago and I need to be more like him [which means I need more balloons suspended over my head, too - someone needs to get on that]. One of the things I allow myself to get nostalgic for in my previous job was my infamous Oscar Pool. So, if you are participating in one, feel free to use my predictions - although, I should qualify this by saying that I've never actually won an Oscar Pool and I have seen a grand total of TWO of the films nominated...in any category. So yeah, take these for what they are worth. Joseph has seen more as he goes to see films with his boss, so I am incorporating his insightful input in here as well. And now, on with the show! In alphabetical order...

[this is going to be lengthy so get comfy or just stop reading here, but I promise it's not as pretentious as these things tend to be]

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
I think this is really the only prediction I'm sure of, so I'm making it my mortal lock of the night. I don't really have any reasoning aside from all of the buzz around him - he is an extremely capable actor, so good on him. For me, though I adored Viggo in Eastern Promises [yes! one of the two films I've seen] and I did award him with Best Nudity of 2007 in my Best of 2007 round-up. He was amazing in that film and seems like a stellar dude.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Javier Bardem - No Country For Old Men
Sure, why not. I think his role is the most iconic what with that hairstyle and all. I'm not sure if that counts as uglying himself up [the Academy loves that - mostly for women though], but it's something. The supporting awards are always a bit of a quirky crapshoot though.

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Marion Cotillard - La Vie En Rose
I'm picking her based on the buzz for her on the ONTD website. They love her. I think Cate won't get it because she seems a more likely winner in the supporting category and apparently that film was a stinker. Ellen Page? She is a bit of a darling @ the moment, but I feel like she's just playing herself.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There
Yes, the supporting awards are super quirky, so imagine my surprise to find out that Cate already won one? For Aviator? Okay. So yeah, this is kinda what the category is all about - an old woman, an exceedingly young one and one who has uglied herself up/messes with gender. Yes, I changed my answer after I posted this. Because while I got caught up in "who should win" I realised that the Academy is far more likely to get caught up in "oh my goodness - a beautiful womans is playing a man!" I forgot I was supposed to be predicting, not voting. And if I sucked it up enough to vote for Ratatouille and Juno I can certainly do this.

Best Animated Feature Film
Ratatouille
I would actually designate this as my other mortal lock for the night, even though I said that there could be only one. People seem to love this film, but sorry - I can't stand Disney/Pixar. The animation style is not my flavour and I just don't think we should encourage rodents in the kitchen. I would really like to see Persepolis and yeah, I did shamefully laugh @ the extended trailer for Surf's Up when I saw Spiderman 3 in the cinema [it was introduced as "a true story"].

Best Art Direction
Sweeney Todd
I think the Academy has previously smiled upon Tim Burton and while he won't technically get the award I think it speaks to his style of filmmaking. This award tends to go to big, bombastic type of films where the art direction is the film.

Best Cinematography
No Country For Old Men
I'm just kinda feeling this win. No particular reason. I think it's really tough to judge cinematography when you haven't seen any of the films as it's somewhat of a slowburn type of thing. It should stick with you and I feel like this film is sticky. Pluse the nominee is nominated twice!

Best Costume Design
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
This category is often tied to Art Direction, but this time I think a departure is necessary. I think that the costumes in Sweeney Todd are visually interesting, but too cartoony - which I think is the point. Period pieces get this award often, so - go for it.

Best Directing
There Will Be Blood
I was surprised that P.T. Anderson has not been nominated for best director previously as both Boogie Nights and Magnolia seem pretty Oscar friendly. I think that the Academy will return to the one-two punch of Best Director and Best Picture winner being the same. I will be honest and just say that this film appeals to me a lot more than No Country for Old Men, which I think is the only competitor. They could split the vote and upset though. I just can`t get into the Coen brothers.

Best Documentary Feature
Taxi To The Dark Side
The Academy likes to go blockbuster in this category, too. Well, documentary-blockbuster. Which - great - it`s nice to see documentaries earn money, but I feel like the others get overlooked. As austere as the Oscars are - they secretly revel in controversy - my opinion anyway - and they are counting on Michael Moore to open his big, fat mouth. However, I'm casting my vote for Taxi To The Dark Side as it seems to have picked up considerable steam and is very current. People have short attention spans and Sicko feels like it was released four years ago.

Best Documentary Short
Sari`s Mother
I would like to see all of these, actually. But seeing documentary shorts is a bit difficult unless you really know where to look. This short deals with many different issues, so maybe that`s why I picked it. Political. I would most like to see the prison beauty queen one.

Best Film Editing
No Country For Old Men
This tends to go to one of the films that will pick up multiple awards. I feel like this film has more stories to tell than There Will Be Blood, so it gets my nod.

Best Foreign Language Film
Beaufort
I wouldn`t be particularly interested in seeing this film, but I think it will win. I think it will draw parallels with current military situations and left-leaning Hollywood should eat it up. Also, with Palestine winning last year, this is a nice companion piece.

Best Makeup
Pirates of the Caribbean
Seriously - Norbit. Wow. I just can`t give it my vote as I think it`s probably the most terrible film ever to be called Academy-Award nominated. Please think of a more terrible one. I`m sure there was something better. Also, I`m sure they used makeup in Pirates of the Caribbean and I`m sure it was lovely. Please accept an Oscar.

Best Score
Atonement
This is the kind of film that just looks like it has a great score. It kinda has to. I can just picture Kiera Knightley and that McAvoy fellow just atoning and enjoying the quality score.

Best Original Song
That's How You Know - Enchanted
You've gotta figure that since this film is nominated three times that one of the songs will win - the odds are in your favour with this bet. I have no interest in this film or any of the songs and the whole thing sounds pretty lame-o, which fits right in with Oscar-winning songs. I picked this title on a whim.

Best Picture
There Will Be Blood
I really think it could go to either No Country For Old Men or Blood, so yeah - go with your gut [I think that's what Colbert would want, although he has the DaColbert Code to go to and I do not]. Over the last week this film has just captured me. It seems very iconic and the milkshake scene made me a believer. Drink it up!

Best Short Film - Animated
Even Pigeons Go To Heaven
The National Film Board of Canada is always all up in this business. I would like to see all of this films, but again - I have no clue how to make that happen. Maybe go down to the NFB and rattle some cages. The animation looks great in this [and interesting animation all around - I hate the same-iness of popular animation] and the story seems interesting.

Best Short Film - Live Action
The Mozart of Pickpockets
The three short film categories are always difficult to pick - sometimes they go hardcore/serious and sometimes very whimsical. I know - it's the quality of the film, not necessarily the story - but I haven't seen them. This one looks vaguely whimsy-ish, but not sickeningly so. Yes, I got all that from a little picture.

Best Sound Editing
The Bourne Ultimatum
So, to prevent a three-peat by the second nominated film that I saw [all will be revealed in due time - like, the next category] I turned to Joseph to inquire about sound in this film. Apparently, there were crowd scenes and other good action-y stuff, so I'm giving it the nod. Matt Damon! I should mention here that Live Free or Die Hard should have totally been nominated here - another tragic Academy oversight.

Best Sound Mixing
Transformers
Yes, Transformers. This is the second film. The sound was great in this film. But I think that's largely due to the fact that large robots sound cool. One of the best sounds ever in fact.

Best Visual Effects
Transformers
Because - rock 'em, sock 'em robots! While I didn't really enjoy this film, I loved all of the robots and explosions and fighting robots. Stupid Shia LaBeouf who seems hellbent on destroying that which I love. More robots please! Like, why can't Optimus Prime be in the new Indiana Jones film?

Best Writing - Adapted Screenplay
No Country For Old Men
I've heard that this is a faithful rendering of the book that has been translated into a film with great success. Also, I feel like if either this film or Blood cleans up I haven't given either of them enough.

Best Writing - Original Screenplay
Juno
I really, really hope I'm wrong about this one. However, I don't think I am and I am mightily tempted to make this my third mortal lock of the night. For me, this film suffers from the Uncanny Valley effect. It's too hip, too clever, too "people really talk like this" and so edgy [written by a former stripper]. However, it's a critical sensation and media darling so it will win.

Okay - I'm done [again!]. Please be sure to thank me when you win your office Oscar Pool. Or leave me a comment showing me why I'm wrong - I will update on Sunday.