My Oscar Picks for the 81st Annual Acadamy Awards

Best Motion Picture of the Year Nominees:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Ceán Chaffin, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall

Frost/Nixon (2008): Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Eric Fellner

Milk (2008/I): Bruce Cohen, Dan Jinks

The Reader (2008): Anthony Minghella, Sydney Pollack, Donna Gigliotti, Redmond Morris

Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Christian Colson

My prediction: Slumdog Millionaire
My personal choice: The Reader

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role Nominees:

Richard Jenkins for The Visitor (2007/I)

Frank Langella for Frost/Nixon (2008)

Sean Penn for Milk (2008/I)

Brad Pitt for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler (2008)

My prediction: Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role Nominees:

Anne Hathaway for Rachel Getting Married (2008)

Angelina Jolie for Changeling (2008)

Melissa Leo for Frozen River (2008)

Meryl Streep for Doubt (2008/I)

Kate Winslet for The Reader (2008)

My prediction (and preference): Kate Winslet for The Reader

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role Nominees:

Josh Brolin for Milk (2008/I)

Robert Downey Jr. for Tropic Thunder (2008)

Philip Seymour Hoffman for Doubt (2008/I)

Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight (2008)

Michael Shannon for Revolutionary Road (2008)

Of course the late Heath Ledger is a lock for The Dark Knight, though this is a really strong category this year.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role Nominees:

Amy Adams for Doubt (2008/I)

Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

Viola Davis for Doubt (2008/I)

Taraji P. Henson for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

Marisa Tomei for The Wrestler (2008)

I hold out hope for a much deserved win for Viola Davis in Doubt.

Best Achievement in Directing Nominees:

Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Stephen Daldry for The Reader (2008)

David Fincher for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

Ron Howard for Frost/Nixon (2008)

Gus Van Sant for Milk (2008/I)

Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire, though Van Sant might upset.


Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen Nominees:

Frozen River (2008): Courtney Hunt

Happy-Go-Lucky (2008):Mike Leigh

In Bruges (2008): Martin McDonagh

Milk (2008/I): Dustin Lance Black

WALL·E (2008): Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter, Jim Reardon

Dustin Lance Black for Milk

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published Nominees:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Eric Roth, Robin Swicord

Doubt (2008/I): John Patrick Shanley

Frost/Nixon (2008): Peter Morgan

The Reader (2008): David Hare

Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Simon Beaufoy

David Hare for The Reader, though I wouldn’t be disappointed if John Patrick Shanley got it for Doubt.

Best Achievement in Cinematography Nominees:

Changeling (2008): Tom Stern

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Claudio Miranda

The Dark Knight (2008): Wally Pfister

The Reader (2008): Roger Deakins, Chris Menges

Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Anthony Dod Mantle

Wally Pfister for The Dark Knight

Best Achievement in Editing Nominees:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter

The Dark Knight (2008): Lee Smith

Frost/Nixon (2008): Daniel P. Hanley, Mike Hill

Milk (2008/I): Elliot Graham

Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Chris Dickens

Elliot Graham for Milk

Best Achievement in Art Direction Nominees:

Changeling (2008): James J. Murakami, Gary Fettis

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Donald Graham Burt, Victor J. Zolfo

The Dark Knight (2008): Nathan Crowley, Peter Lando

The Duchess (2008): Michael Carlin, Rebecca Alleway

Revolutionary Road (2008): Kristi Zea, Debra Schutt

James J Murakami and Gary Fettis for Changeling

Best Achievement in Costume Design Nominees:

Australia (2008): Catherine Martin

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Jacqueline West

The Duchess (2008): Michael O'ConnorMilk (2008/I): Danny Glicker

Revolutionary Road (2008): Albert Wolsky

Albert Woksky for Revolutionary Road, Catherine Martins already won before I think.

Best Achievement in Makeup Nominees:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Greg Cannom

The Dark Knight (2008): John Caglione Jr., Conor O'Sullivan

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008): Mike Elizalde, Thomas Floutz

Greg Cannom for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, this film defiantly deserves this award.

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score Nominees:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Alexandre Desplat

Defiance (2008): James Newton Howard

Milk (2008/I): Danny Elfman

Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman

WALL·E (2008): Thomas Newman

A. R. Rahman for Slumdog Millionaire

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song Nominees:

Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman, Sampooran Singh Gulzar("Jai Ho")

Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman, Maya Arulpragasam("O Saya")

WALL·E (2008): Peter Gabriel, Thomas Newman("Down to Earth")

A. R. Rahman and Sampooran Singh Gulzar’s “Jai Ho” from Slumdog Millionaire, though I quite enjoyed “Down to Earth” from WALL-E. Why is this catagory so often anemic?

Best Achievement in Sound
Nominees:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce, Mark Weingarten

The Dark Knight (2008): Ed Novick, Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo

Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke, Resul Pookutty

WALL·E (2008): Tom Myers, Michael Semanick, Ben Burtt

Wanted (2008): Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño, Petr Forejt

The Dark Knight

Best Achievement in Sound Editing Nominees:

The Dark Knight (2008): Richard King

Iron Man (2008): Frank E. Eulner, Christopher Boyes

Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Tom Sayers

WALL·E (2008): Ben Burtt, Matthew Wood

Wanted (2008): Wylie Stateman

Wall-e, because I watched the special feature on how they did the sound for that sucker, and that’s an accomplishment (not my watching the special feature, how they did the sound).

Best Achievement in Visual Effects Nominees:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton, Craig Barron

The Dark Knight (2008): Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Timothy Webber, Paul J. Franklin

Iron Man (2008): John Nelson, Ben Snow, Daniel Sudick, Shane Mahan

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
Nominees:

Bolt (2008): Chris Williams, Byron Howard

Kung Fu Panda (2008): John Stevenson, Mark Osborne

WALL·E (2008): Andrew Stanton

No question, Wall-E

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year Nominees:

Der Baader Meinhof Komplex (2008)(Germany)

Entre les murs (2008)(France)

Revanche (2008)(Austria)

Okuribito (2008)(Japan)

Vals Im Bashir (2008)(Israel)

Vals Im Bashir, because that one I know.

Best Documentary, Features Nominees:

The Betrayal - Nerakhoon (2008): Ellen Kuras, Thavisouk Phrasavath

Encounters at the End of the World (2007): Werner Herzog, Henry Kaiser

The Garden (2008/I): Scott Hamilton Kennedy

Man on Wire (2008): James Marsh, Simon Chinn

Trouble the Water (2008): Tia Lessin, Carl Deal

Man on Wire, I’ve heard of that one.

Best Documentary, Short Subjects Nominees:

The Conscience of Nhem En (2008): Steven Okazaki

The Final Inch (2009): Irene Taylor Brodsky, Tom Grant

Smile Pinki (2008): Megan Mylan

The Witness from the Balcony of Room 306 (2008): Adam Pertofsky, Margaret Hyde

The Witness form the Balcony of Room 306

Best Short Film, Animated Nominees:

Maison en petits cubes, La (2008): Kunio Katô

Ubornaya istoriya - lyubovnaya istoriya (2007): Konstantin Bronzit

Oktapodi (2007): Emud Mokhberi, Thierry Marchand

Presto (2008): Doug Sweetland

This Way Up (2008): Alan Smith, Adam Foulkes

This Way Up, I compared what I could see of these on You Tube and this one looked the best, it’s about two undertakers.

Best Short Film, Live Action

Nominees:

Auf der Strecke (2007): Reto Caffi

Manon sur le bitume (2007): Elizabeth Marre, Olivier Pont

New Boy (2007): Steph Green, Tamara Anghie

Grisen (2008): Tivi Magnusson, Dorthe Warnø Høgh

Spielzeugland (2007): Jochen Alexander Freydank

Spielzeugland , based on the strength of the title.