2008 Oscar Picks

The Oscars are tonight. Real quick, before they air, my wishes and predictions are below.

Best Picture

• Atonement


• Juno


• Michael Clayton


• No Country for Old Men


• There Will Be Blood

I'm not as enthused about the Oscars this year, so this was the only category in which I was determined to see all five nominees.

1st Choice: Juno
2nd Choice: There Will Be Blood
3rd Choice: No Country for Old Men
4th Choice: Michael Clayton
5th Choice: Atonement

Achievement in Directing

• Joel & Ethan Coen -- No Country for Old Men


• Paul Thomas Anderson -- There Will Be Blood


• Tony Gilroy -- Michael Clayton


• Jason Reitman -- Juno


• Julian Schnabel -- The Diving Bell and Butterfly

I'd be okay with any of the four I've seen (all but Diving Bell). No strong preference, but I'd say Paul Thomas Anderson is most deserving out of the four.

Best Original Screenplay

• Juno


• Michael Clayton


• Ratatouille


• Lars and the Real Girl


• The Savages

My pick, by far, is Juno. Not a perfect movie or even a perfect script, but one of the sharpest and wittiest scripts to come around in a while.

Best Adapted Screenplay

• Atonement


• Away From Her


• No Country for Old Men


• The Diving Bell and the Butterfly


• There Will Be Blood

My pick is There Will Be Blood. Old Men & Atonement both had problems, and I didn't see the other two.

Best Actor

• George Clooney -- Michael Clayton


• Daniel Day-Lewis -- There Will Be Blood


• Johnny Depp -- Sweeney Todd


• Viggo Mortensen -- Eastern Promises


• Tommy Lee Jones -- In The Valley of Elah

Only say Blood & Michael Clayton, but I'd say this has to go to Daniel Day-Lewis.

Best Actress

• Ellen Page -- Juno


• Julie Christie -- Away From Her


• Marion Cotillard -- La Vie En Rose


• Cate Blanchett -- Elizabeth: The Golden Age


• Laura Linney -- The Savages

Ellen Page, by default. Juno is the only one of the five I saw. I've probably only seen a couple movies with Laura Linney, but I just like her for some reason. So, I'd be okay if she won even though I don't know what The Savages is about.

Best Supporting Actor

• Javier Bardem -- No Country for Old Men


• Tom Wilkinson -- Michael Clayton


• Philip Seymour Hoffman -- Charlie Wilson's War


• Hal Holbrook -- Into the Wild


• Casey Affleck -- The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford

Bardem will probably get this, and that will be okay. But my personal preference is for Hoffman to get it. Charlie Wilson's War deserves more credit.

Best Supporting Actress

• Cate Blanchett -- I'm Not There


• Tilda Swinton -- Michael Clayton


• Amy Ryan -- Gone, Baby, Gone


• Saorise Ronan -- Atonement


• Ruby Dee -- American Gangster

Not much prefernce. I'd say Tilda Swinton was probably a little better than Saorise Ronan and had a bigger role in her movie.

Achievement in Cinematography

• Atonement


• The Diving Bell and the Butterfly


• No Country for Old Men


• There Will Be Blood


• The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford

Tough call between Blood & Old Men, but I lean toward Blood.

Best Film Editing

• The Bourne Ultimatum


• No Country for Old Men


• Into the Wild


• There Will Be Blood


• The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

It would be awesome if Bourne Ultimatum won, and I think it should.

Achievement in Sound Editing

• There Will Be Blood


• The Bourne Ultimatum


• Ratatouille


• No Country for Old Men


• Transformers

Another Blood vote. As long as it's not Transformers.

Achievement in Sound Mixing

• The Bourne Ultimatum


• Ratatouille


• 3:10 to Yuma


• No Country for Old Men


• Transformers

3:10 was the only one I didn't see, and I don't have a preference. Just to make a choice, I'll vote toward No Country for Old Men. As long as it's not Transformers.

Best Art Direction

• Atonement


• Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street


• There Will Be Blood


• American Gangster


• The Golden Compass

Not a great movie, but a good look... I say The Golden Compass.

Best Animated Feature Film

• Surf's Up


• Persepolis


• Ratatouille

Didn't see Surf's Up; wouldn't want to see Persepolis; thinking Ratatouille is over-rated. Rat movie gets my vote by default.

Achievement in Costume Design

• Atonement


• Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street


• Elizabeth: The Golden Age


• Across the Universe


• La Vie En Rose

Only saw Atonement, but I'd say it's deserving enough.

Best Visual Effects

• The Golden Compass


• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End


• Transformers

Wouldn't want to see Pirates; was disappointed in the other two. My preference leans toward The Golden Compass.