2007 Oscars Predictions

And off we go...

Performance by an actor in a leading role
Leonardo DiCaprio - BLOOD DIAMOND
Ryan Gosling - HALF NELSON
Peter O'Toole - VENUS
Will Smith - THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS
Forest Whitaker - THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND

I'd like to think that Leonardo DiCaprio's fantastic performance in The Departed would give him enough to win the Best Actor, but apparently Forest Whitaker is amazing as Amin, plus I think he won the BAFTA for it, so it'll probably go to him. Which is too bad for Ryan Gosling, but who knows, maybe our hottest Canadian male will sneak in from behind and take it! Cross your fingers!


Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Alan Arkin - LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
Jackie Earle Haley - LITTLE CHILDREN
Djimon Hounsou - BLOOD DIAMOND
Eddie Murphy - DREAMGIRLS
Mark Wahlberg - THE DEPARTED

Mark Wahlberg was SO great as the foul-mouthed Dignam, but Alan Arkin was hilarious, so I hope he gets it. Eddie Murphy also might win, just because he's got such a crap movie out.


Performance by an actress in a leading role
Penélope Cruz - VOLVER
Judi Dench - NOTES ON A SCANDAL
Helen Mirren - THE QUEEN
Meryl Streep - THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
Kate Winslet - LITTLE CHILDREN

Duh. That's all I have to say about that.


Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Adriana Barraza - BABEL
Cate Blanchett - NOTES ON A SCANDAL
Abigail Breslin - LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
Jennifer Hudson - DREAMGIRLS
Rinko Kikuchi - BABEL

Gag. Abigail Breslin should win, but she won't because of stupid Nightmaregirls.


Best animated feature film of the year
CARS
HAPPY FEET
MONSTER HOUSE

Random guess. I think this is the second year in a row where I haven't seen at least one of the animated movies. Guess I've grown up (nooooooooo!).


Achievement in art direction
DREAMGIRLS
THE GOOD SHEPHERD
PAN'S LABYRINTH
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST
THE PRESTIGE

Because come on... it's called ART direction for a reason.


Achievement in cinematography
THE BLACK DAHLIA
CHILDREN OF MEN
THE ILLUSIONIST
PAN'S LABYRINTH
THE PRESTIGE

Probably won't go to either... but it's a toss-up for me. The cinematography in both was just so fantastic. I hope it goes to Pan's though.


Achievement in costume design
CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
DREAMGIRLS
MARIE ANTOINETTE
THE QUEEN

Could go to Marie Antoinette, even though the rest of the movie apparently sucks. Hope it goes to The Queen though.


Achievement in directing
BABEL
THE DEPARTED
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
THE QUEEN
UNITED 93

Martin Scorcese will probably get this. Babel's practically Crash, and Haggis won for that last year, didn't he? Eastwood has got one. I don't think Scorcese has one, so he'll probably get it.


Best documentary feature
DELIVER US FROM EVIL
AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH
IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS
JESUS CAMP
MY COUNTRY, MY COUNTRY

I hear Jesus Camp is creepy as hell, but An Inconvenient Truth is relevant to today (global warming AHHH!) so it'll win.


Best documentary short subject
THE BLOOD OF YINGZHOU DISTRICT
RECYCLED LIFE
REHEARSING A DREAM
TWO HANDS

Um.... quick, guess!


Achievement in film editing
BABEL
BLOOD DIAMOND
CHILDREN OF MEN
THE DEPARTED
UNITED 93

Again, this could go to anyone, but the editing in Children of Men was great, especially the 7 minute long scene at the end with no cuts. Fantabulous.


Best foreign language film of the year
AFTER THE WEDDING
DAYS OF GLORY (INDIGÈNES)
THE LIVES OF OTHERS
PAN'S LABYRINTH
WATER

A tiny part of me wants Water to win, since it's the Canadian entry... but there's no goddamn way it's going to beat Pan's Labyrinth. No. Way. If it does, it'll be similar (for me anyways) to Brokeback winning Best Original Score. And don't even get me started on that.


Achievement in makeup
APOCALYPTO
CLICK
PAN'S LABYRINTH

Duh. Again.


Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
BABEL
THE GOOD GERMAN
NOTES ON A SCANDAL
PAN'S LABYRINTH
THE QUEEN

No idea. But Pan's had some great music. So did The Queen. I'm going with The Queen though, because it has to feel some love too.


Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
"I Need to Wake Up" - AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH
"Listen" - DREAMGIRLS
"Love You I Do" - DREAMGIRLS
"Our Town" - CARS
"Patience" - DREAMGIRLS

Personally, I think it is completely unfair and utterly insane to have THREE FUCKING SONGS FROM ONE DAMN MOVIE NOMINATED. So I'm going with "I Need to Wake Up" to say a big FUCK YOU to Dreamgirls.


Best motion picture of the year
BABEL
THE DEPARTED
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
THE QUEEN

This is so hard for me, because I loved The Departed, Little Miss Sunshine and The Queen, plus everyone I know who's seen Babel loved it, and Letters From Iwo Jima sounds really good too. But I think The Queen's going to take it, simply because it is awesome, but I'll be happy with any one of these movies winning.


Best animated short film
THE DANISH POET
LIFTED
THE LITTLE MATCHGIRL
MAESTRONO
TIME FOR NUTS

Erm... guess again!


Best live action short film
BINTA AND THE GREAT IDEA (BINTA Y LA GRAN IDEA)
ÉRAMOS POCOS (ONE TOO MANY)
HELMER & SON
THE SAVIOUR
WEST BANK STORY

Uh... ??


Achievement in sound editing
APOCALYPTO
BLOOD DIAMOND
FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST

I've only seen one of these movies... and it sucked... so I'm going to go with the one I *wanted* to see.


Achievement in sound mixing
APOCALYPTO
BLOOD DIAMOND
DREAMGIRLS
FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST

Blah. Will probably go to Dreamgirls.


Achievement in visual effects
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST
POSEIDON
SUPERMAN RETURNS

Even though the movie itself sucked, the visual effects were cool.


Adapted screenplay
BORAT CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN
CHILDREN OF MEN
THE DEPARTED
LITTLE CHILDREN NOTES ON A SCANDAL

Screw you Borat. Go Children of Men!


Original screenplay
BABEL
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
PAN'S LABYRINTH
THE QUEEN

I really really really hope it goes to Pan's. Or The Queen. Or Little Miss Sunshine. But Pan's the most.

Pan's Labyrinth

Pan's Labyrinth

I really can't express how much this movie rocks. I actually think I was speechless while walking out of the theatre. Both Alanna and I were trying to hide the fact that we were crying at the end haha. But really, it is a fantastic movie. Don't judge it by the pictures you've seen in the magazines or papers, or wherever. The creepy dude with the eyes in his hands is only a small section of the story, so if he creeps you out, that should be reassuring. The young actress who plays Ofelia, Ivana Baquero, is just fabulous. She pretty much carries the film, and she's great. It's just too bad foreign language actors and actresses don't get recognition at the Oscars, because screw Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine), this girl is best actress material!If you don't know anything about this movie, the main thing you need to know about it is that it's a Spanish language film, with English subtitles. So if you don't enjoy reading some parts of a film, get over it... because this movie is too good to miss.

The story centres around Ofelia, who's about 10, and the fairy tales she invents in order to deal with her everyday life. It takes place in 1944, in Spain, as General Franco's army is trying to repress the rebellion. You learn early on that Ofelia's father has died during the war, and that her mother has remarried a Spanish captain who doesn't care for anything except his unborn son. The fairy tale aspect is introduced when Ofelia encounters a "fairy" on the way to the old mill where her stepfather's unit is located. This fairy later leads her into a maze at the back of the house, where she meets a faun who reveals to her that she is the long-lost princess of the underworld and she must complete three tasks in order to join her true father, the king, again. There are other narratives in the film other than Ofelia's, but hers is really the most important. The characters within her story, such as the faun, the pale man, even the toad, are just amazingly created. The scenes with the pale man scared the crap out of me. I was literally shrinking in my seat.

It's up for 6 Oscars tomorrow night: Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Makeup and Best Art Direction... and if it doesn't win at LEAST Best Foreign Language and Best Makeup, something is seriously wrong with the Academy.Someone asked me where the "Pan" comes into it... and I actually had no idea until I realised that the title in Spanish is "El Laberinto del Fauno" and that the faun's name in the film is Pan. Which makes a hell of a lot of sense.

Anyways, this is a fantastic movie, and I absolutely cannot wait to see it again. If you do see it, be prepared to ride an emotional rollercoaster. It's intense.