Friday, February 22, 2008

80th Academy Awards or Okay is Oscar Time for Predictions


Today is a good day to do Oscar predictions. I already dared to give my own Oscars, but lets play guessing what the Academy members will do. First I’m sharing predictions from the Crystal Ball article by David Carr NY Times article published today which is quite enjoying to read and if you wish to do so go here. (Btw thanks dearest friend for the tip!)

The Bagger’s 2008 Prediction

Picture: No Country for Old Men
Director: Coen Brothers
Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis
Actress: Marion Cotillard
Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem
Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett
Original Screenplay: Diablo Cody
Adapted Screenplay: Coen Brothers
Animated Feature: Ratatouille
Foreign Language: The best foreign movies were not nominated!!! I absolutely agree. So flipping a coin the prediction is The Counterfeiters.

Then let’s go across the sea and check what The Guardian Peter Bradshaw predicts:

Picture: There Will Be Blood
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis
Actress: Julie Christie
Supporting Actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman
Supporting Actress: Tilda Swinton

Well obviously he’s not going to make it at the office poolside, but if you want to read other British opinions go here.

So, we better come back to the other side of the world and check what is claimed to be a real ballot from a high profile actress:

Picture: No Country for Old Men
Director: Coen Brothers
Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis
Actress: Marion Cotillard
Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem
Supporting Actress: Tilda Swinton

If you feel like reading the complete article with six “real” ballots (out of almost 6,000) at Entertaining Weekly (EW) go here.

Then predictions from one of my favorite blogs Alternative Film Guide by Andre Soares; if you wish to read more the link is the first left column.

Picture: No Country for Old Men
Director: Coen Brothers
Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis
Actress: Julie Christie
Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem
Supporting Actress: Ruby Dee
Original Screenplay: Diablo Cody
Adapted Screenplay: Coen Brothers
Animated Feature: Ratatouille
Foreign Language: Katyn (Poland)

Last, predictions from the IMDb with thousands of viewers’ votes.

Picture: No Country for Old Men
Director: Coen Brothers
Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis
Actress: Ellen Page
Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem
Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett
Original Screenplay: Diablo Cody
Adapted Screenplay: Coen Brothers
Animated Feature: Ratatouille
Foreign Language: 12 (Russia)

Well, I read many other predictions including those from Nielsen (remember I used to work in advertising?) so here goes my predictions for what the Academy members could do. So if you can still change your ballot at the office pool you better read this.

Picture: No Country for Old Men (is winning all major awards where Academy members vote)
Director: Coen Brothers (ditto)
Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis (this is like a sure bet)
Actress: Julie Christie (think that if Academy members actually saw La Môme, Marion Cotillard will get it… but I believe most will vote for sentimental reasons or for a known to them actress as I bet that most of them haven’t seen the movie)
Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem (this is like a sure bet)
Supporting Actress: Ruby Dee (this is a sentimental choice members will do)
Original Screenplay: Diablo Cody (Juno has been seen by many people, including Academy members and will get something that is not best picture or best actress, so it has to be the original screenplay).
Adapted Screenplay: Coen Brothers (its their year and they will get many awards)
Animated Feature: Ratatouille (this is the favorite, made lots of money and won among other awards where Academy members vote).
Foreign Language: Who cares???!!!

We will see what happens next Sunday but the best picture is a close battle between No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood, the surprise could be Juno; the actress is a tight race between Marion Cotillard and Julie Christie, but the surprise could be given by Ellen Page; supporting actress is between Ruby Dee and Cate Blanchet, the surprise could be Tilda Swinton; the only reason Diablo Cody could not get the award is because of her background and Academy members are very conservative.

That’s it. Hope the show is entertaining and they do not do the same as last year with all the major awards at the very end, lots of not interesting shorts with film clips, an unglamorous award host, lots of live entertainment and little time to nominees names and all those things that you have learned to like in The Mother of All Awards.

Hope some of you will see the show and perhaps knowing a little more about the movies -if you read my "unusual" reviews- could help you to enjoy the show.

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