Oscar Picks

The Oscars are next weekend, but I thought I'd publish my picks a little early. Should you care? Probably not, unless you're a film buff. But, paradoxically, if you're a true film buff you probably don't care about the Oscars either...oh well. I'll also say who I would vote for.

Best Picture:

• Who'll Win: No Country for Old Men
• I'd vote for: No Country for Old Men - Yes, I think the Oscars will get it right for the first time in many years

Best Actor:

• Who'll Win: Daniel Day Lewis (There Will Be Blood)
  
• I'd vote for: Daniel Day Lewis (There Will Be Blood) - One of these years, Johnny Depp will win one just for being good in so many movies. But not this year. DDL's performance is amongst the best ever

Best Actress:

• Who'll Win: Julie Christie (Away From Her)
  
• I'd vote for: Marion Cotillard (La Vie en Rose) - Julie Christie seems to already have been coronated - there are a lot of old people in the Academy - and I'm not going to pick the upset. Cotillard's performance was worlds better than Christie's (not to mention the films overall), but non-English-speaking roles never win

Best Director:

• Who'll Win: the Coen Brothers (No Country for Old Men)
  
• I'd vote for: Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood) - The Coen's deserve it, of course, but I'd vote for PTA just to spread things out. After all, Blood and No Country are pretty much tied - in my mind - for best film of the year, if not the whole decade

Best Supporting Actor:

• Who'll Win: Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men)
• I'd vote for: Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men) - Probably doesn't belong in the supporting category, but at least he'll win here

Best Supporting Actress:

• Who'll Win: Ruby Dee (American Gangster) - Lifetime achievement-style
• I'd vote for: I haven't seen all these movies

Original Screenplay:

• Who'll Win: Diablo Cody (Juno)
• I'd vote for: Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton) - Juno just had too many awkward lines and not-funny jokes
  

Adapted Screenplay:

• Who'll Win: the Coen Brothers (No Country for Old Men)
• I'd vote for: the Coen Brothers (No Country for Old Men) - Although PTA is, again, a close second - too bad you can't vote for 2 "adapted" and no "original" screenplays; the adapted category is much stronger this year