Oscar Picks!

The Oscars are on! Because the writers are finally getting their due. So that means that I can in good conscience post my Oscar picks for 2007. There's a lot I have missed this year (sadly the Shorts in particular), but I'll do my best with my predictions. Feel free to post your own here, and we'll see who does well on Sunday!

Best Picture

Having seen Atonement, I can attest that it doesn't stand a chance here. And although I really liked Michael Clayton and am holding out hope for Juno, conventional wisdom is that this year the focus will be between No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood. Considering I haven't seen Country, my gut says it will win.

Best Actor

Let's be honest - this is Daniel Day-Lewis' award to lose.

Best Actress

For awhile now it's been said that Julie Christie was a lock, because she was so luminous in Away From Her (she was) and it's been so long since she graced the screen. Ellen Page is very good, but will she pegged as typecast? On this one I'm following my heart and saying that Marion Cotillard will reign supreme for her stunning careeer-spanning depiction of Edith Piaf.

Best Supporting Actor

This is the one major category where I'm behind the curve, as the only performance I've seen is Tom Wilkinson in Michael Clayton (and he was very good). But everyone on the planet says that Javier Bardem is a lock, so I'll go with the sure bet.

Best Supporting Actress

An interesting race this year, as a lot of the talk has been about Cate Blanchett, but then Ruby Dee got a surprise award from the SAG. Amy Ryan has also been getting raves, and I was very impressed by Tilda Swinton. The only sure best here is that Saoirse Ronan won't win (she's not in half the movie, and isn't stellar anyway). I'll put my money on Cate this year.

Best Director

PT Anderson is "cool" in Hollywood, but I think the Coen brothers are considered cooler.

Best Documentary Feature

All I've seen in this category is Sicko, which was good but not amazing. The buzz is on No End in Sight so that gets my vote.

Best Documentary Short Subject

Freeheld is a heart-tugger about a lesbian - how can I not vote for that?

Best Animated Feature

Nice things have been said about Persepolis, and it's defintiely on my must-see list. Ratatouille, however, is a hot dish.

Best Foreign Language Film

No clue here, but I hear that Austria's The Counterfeiters is about the Holocaust, which gives it a decent chance.

Best Cinematography

Much has been said about a very long tracking shot midway through Atonement. Is that enough? I'm going to go for There Will Be Blood, where the camera work was a big part of what made it so stunning.

Best Original Screenplay

My worry is that Juno won't win anything else, but this will still be a nice prize for Diablo Cody to take home.
Best Adapted Screenplay

It's a nice honor for young Sarah Polley to be nominated here, but again, the momentum is all for the Coen brothers and No Country for Old Men.

Best Visual Effects

Transformers is probably the safe bet, but I'm going to stake my claim that inserting CG animal daemons into every shot (not to mention a polar bear battle) will give The Golden Compass an edge.

Best Animated Short

Ugh, I'm so sad I have to miss these. I'll say that Peter and the Wolf will give voters some childhood nostalgia.

Best Live Action Short

And for this one I like the name The Tonto Woman. And it's a western theme, which is for some reason very hot this year.

Best Art Direction

There are some sumptous scenes in many of these films, Atonement being a prime example. There Will Be Blood is very nice to look at, although its bleakness may turn off voters. I'm going to say that this is the one vote that will go for Sweeney Todd for its consistently dark tone.
Best Costume Design

At last - the one category in which I've seen all five nominees! Unfortunately the choice isn't easy (and I'm surprised There Will Be Blood was shut out). Will it go to the big musical - Sweeney Todd? Or the French film? That green dress in Atonement? All acceptable choices, but I'll go with tradition and say the showy historical drama wins - Elizabeth: The Golden Age.

Best Film Editing

I defy the conventional wisdom, and say this should go to The Bourne Ultimatum. One of the film's greatest strengths is the razor-sharp editing that keeps you in the moment, but doesn't make you nauseous.

Best Sound Mixing

This one generally goes to the loudest movie, so it's Transformers.

Best Sound Editing

Expect a twofer for Transformers.

Best Original Score

Thankfully there was no nomination for that grating score in There Will Be Blood! I'm going out on a limb and voting for Atonement, which was enhanced by the driving music full of...typewriters. Seriously!

Best Original Song

Enchanted was sweet but the music was forgettable, and the 3 songs should split the vote. So I've got my fingers firmly crossed for "Falling Slowly" from the the wonderful Once.

Best Makeup

It would be a crime if this didn't go to La Vie En Rose, which took a twenty-something actress and had her convincingly playing a young chanteuse and an older woman dying of liver cancer.

So how about you folks? How do your picks stack up?

On a side note, we're going to be without any reliable internet access for about a week. So this will be my last post for a bit.