Oscar Picks

So i haven't seen all the films, or know who all the actors are...BUT everyone else is doing it (plus my class was canceled b/c of snow), so here it goes...

Best Supporting Actress
Adriana Barraza Babel
-Cate Blanchett, Notes on a Scandal
-Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine
*-Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls
-Rinko Kikuchi, Babel

...Who will win...Since Jennifer Hudson won the Golden Globe, and the SAG Award for Supporting Actress I'm going to assume she'll get the Oscar as well...
...Who SHOULD win...I haven't seen Babel so I don't know if either actress deserves to win, but the fact that I haven't heard anything about them I'm going to assume they weren't GREAT. Cate Blanchett tends to impress me, not only with the roles she takes but they way she portrays them, and yet I have NO desire to see this film... I haven't seen Dreamgirls yet but Hudson has an excellent voice (and apparently can act). Honestly, I would love to see Abigail Breslin win. Not only is she adorable (in real life and in the film), her character of Olive goes through a range of emotions and just has this timing that adults just seem to miss.

Best Supporting Actor
*-Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine
-Jackie Earle Haley, Little Children
-Djimon Hounsou, Blood Diamond
-Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls
-Mark Wahlberg, The Departed

I would like to see Eddie Murphy OR Alan Arkin win. I haven't seen Dreamgirls yet, but I would like to see Murphy walk away with an Oscar...he's made some interesting films (and by interesting I mean.... O WHY EDDIE MURPHY...how could you?) but he's going against type and playing in a musical and I love that, so it seems like he's growing up or something (of course he's also in Norbit which looks like a waste of time...). He was good in SNL so he should try to pick better films to show that he can act, and perhaps an Oscar is the way to do so. I would also like to see Alan Arkin win. I loved Little Miss Sunshine, and he was one of the reasons. How many older actors would want to play a drug addict, f-bomb dropping, porn addicted grandfather who isn't even in the entire film? And despite all of that he is a sympathetic character who delivers funny lines and still makes you love him. I think it's a crime that Paul Dano from Little Miss Sunshine was not nominated...he is my favorite character in the film and even without talking for the first half of the film he is completely relateable, and when he does talk he is so insightful (but I digress)
I have absolutely NO desire to see a film about a pedophile, so Jackie Earle Haley is out. I haven't seen Blood Diamond so I'm going to rule out Djimon Hounsou... Mark Wahlberg is attractive and all that...and he is fascinating to watch in The Departed, but honestly I don't think he'll win (and I don't really want him to either).

Best Actress
-Penelope Cruz, Volver-Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal
*-Helen Mirren, The Queen
-Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada
-Kate Winslet, Little Children

Helen Mirren is going to win...end of discussion... (based on the previous award shows)
I honestly can't take Penelope Cruz seriously...apparently this is a better role than most she has received in Hollywood, but still I haven't seen this film so until I do I will just laugh that she is nominated for an Oscar. Judi Dench has a commanding presence, but I don't know if her role is strong enough to merit an Oscar (I haven't seen the film). Meryl Streep is AMAZING in The Devil Wears Prada, so if hell freezes over and Mirren doesn't win I would like to see Streep receive the Oscar. Kate Winslet...yeah, I'm thinking NO

Best Actor
Leonardo DiCaprio, Blood Diamond
Ryan Gosling, Half Nelson
Peter O'Toole, Venus
Will Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness
*Forest Whitaker, The Last King of ScotlandI haven't seen any of these films, but based on the actors involved I'm going to make my predictions...
Forest Whitaker will win...b/c he was on Oprah (and Oprah is like a god or something)
Leo...haha...no: he's pretty good in The Departed, BUT that isn't an option here... Ryan Gosling as an anti-hero sounds interesting, but probably isn't enough to give him the award. Peter O'Toole probably already has an Oscar. And Will Smith is in a sappy movie...where is the world going?? And what about Matt Damon? He was excellent in The Departed...not really a protagonist, but he is gooooood!

Best Director
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Babel
*Martin Scorsese, The Departed
Clint Eastwood, Letters From Iwo Jima
Stephen Frears, The Queen
Paul Greengrass, United 93

Either Clint Eastwood or Martin Scorsese will win. Everytime an Eastwood film is nominated it seems to win (Mystic River & Million Dollar Baby), thus he stands a good chance, but I'm not sure how good. Scorsese has been waiting for this for a looooooong time so I hope he gets it, but wouldn't be surprised if Eastwood sneaks it away...we shall see
According to my roommate Babel was great...and it won the Golden Globe, but I don't he's going to win. The Queen has also done well, but I honestly believe it's going to go to a BIG director and this is the first time I've heard of Frears... Greengrass: not a chance. 9/11 was too recent to be making films about it, no matter how good they are. I don' think it even has a chance.

Best Film
Babel
*The Departed
Letters From Iwo Jima
Little Miss Sunshine
The Queen

I HATE it when one film manages to completely sweep the award shows....like two years ago when Million Dollar Baby won pretty much everything...HOW BORING! Thus, I don't want Letters From Iwo Jima to win (b/c Eastwood has enough awards). If Scorsese wins for director then I'd rather not see his film win...just to keep it fair and balanced and crap. Plus they swear ALOT in that film...it should be interesting to see what clip they show, and how much they have to bleep. I LOVED Little Miss Sunshine, but since I've voted for the cast in everything else I'd rather not see it win...plus its a comedy, the rest of these are serious (and most likely depressing) films, so it's a fish-out-of-water. The Queen is British...we live in America...you do the math. And cinema is supposed to be an escape from reality...how is this an escape (it actually happened). Thus, by process of elimination Babel should win (plus it would make my roommate happy)

5 out of 6 (* signifies the actual winner)