Ok, everyone, the Super Bowl of films is coming up tomorrow night (there will be a party in the Dogwood Lounge at Salisbury University starting at 7, get there when you can), and I’m going to post the nominations and my choices for you. Two categories in my choices: FAV, and EXP. Favorites versus what I actually expect will win.

And the nominees are…

BEST ACTOR

Nominees:

Leonardo DiCaprio for Blood Diamond (2006)

Ryan Gosling for Half Nelson (2006)

Peter O’Toole for Venus (2006/I)

Will Smith for The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

Forest Whitaker for The Last King of Scotland (2006)

FAV– My choice is actually Leo DiCaprio, but for The Departed. Sadly, he didn’t get nominated even though that was a CAREER CHANGING PERFORMANCE. I have yet to see Blood Diamond, but I’m sure that’d also probably equal the same effect.
EXP– Forest Whitaker for Last King of Scotland

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Nominees:

Penélope Cruz for Volver (2006/I)

Judi Dench for Notes on a Scandal (2006)

Helen Mirren for The Queen (2006)

Meryl Streep for The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

Kate Winslet for Little Children (2006)

FAV: Well, I didn’t much see any movies with female leads this year, so I can’t say for sure. However, based on the story alone, and how important the character is, I’d have to put my eggs in Helen Mirren’s basket for The Queen.

EXP: Helen Mirren’s odds to win are supposedly like 10 to 1.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Alan Arkin for Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Jackie Earle Haley for Little Children (2006)

Djimon Hounsou for Blood Diamond (2006)

Eddie Murphy for Dreamgirls (2006)

Mark Wahlberg for The Departed (2006)

FAV: For me, the choice is easy: Mark E Mark, also know as Marky Mark or Mark Wahlberg, has proven he has some REAL gravitas on the screen. His performance in The Departed is pretty much the character-act “Jack Sparrow” style but for adults. Nothing short of one of the most entertaining characters in film history in years, I would rather have a Dignam-specific spin off than have Scorsese direct the sequels to Infernal Affairs.
EXP:I think I’m pretty accurate in saying my FAV will win on charisma alone, so this award I would expect will go to Mark Wahlberg, since The Departed is probably going to get ripped off on it’s Director and Film awards.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Adriana Barraza for Babel (2006)

Cate Blanchett for Notes on a Scandal (2006)

Abigail Breslin for Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Jennifer Hudson for Dreamgirls (2006)

Rinko Kikuchi for Babel (2006)

FAV:I really have no opinion here, but since Jennifer Hudson is just a n00b from American Idol, I think I’ll go for the under dog.
EXP: Supposedly everyone is throwing their hands in for Japanese newcomer Rinko Kikuchi, and I wouldn’t blame them- the Academy is becoming suspiciously determined to throw awards at minorities in the past few years. Not that I condemn them for that- but people point it out nonetheless. Oscar’s are like Presidential elections for cinema- they change how people perceive the times. When Denzel Washington and Halle Berry both won acting oscars in the same year, they made it pretty clear it was a huge achievement in Black Culture (not like Halle Berry is a part of that, but GO GO DENZEL!). I could be wrong about this- but don’t associate this choice with racism, associate it with Politics (after all, EVERYONE expected Brokeback Mountain to win last year for Best Picture. Supposedly Crash won because everyone assumes the Academy STILL isn’t comfortable with homosexuality).

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING

Clint Eastwood for Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)

Stephen Frears for The Queen (2006)

Paul Greengrass for United 93 (2006)

Alejandro González Iñárritu for Babel (2006)

Martin Scorsese for The Departed (2006)

FAV: Fifty to 100 percent of the people who read this site will expect me to go with Clint Eastwood. Any other year- you would be 100 percent right. However, this time I have only three words: Scorsese, Scorsese, Scorsese.
EXP: Ok, this one is a little tricky, but my answer still stands- The Departed was the BIGGEST BOX OFFICE SUCCESS of any film nominated for Oscar this year, aside from Pirate’s of the Carribean 2’s single visual affects nod. It’s also Scorsese’s biggest box office draw ever. Hell, when I saw it on campus here at SU and the screen was blurred out beyond recognition (assuming it was unfixable, the event’s services gave up and let it run as it was), at least fifty students still sat in awe, despite the fact their eyes were being more and more messed up with every frame. Scorsese has produced the most exciting, and watchable film of his career, and whether or not that equates to being his best is up for debate, however it certainly shows his INFINITE VERSATILITY- Scorsese is quite possibly one of the best directors of all time, and if his career was to open with Taxi Driver and end with this, the finale would probably be equal to the grand opening. NINE words give this a 100% chance for victory:
SCORSESE HAS NEVER WON THE OSCAR FOR BEST DIRECTOR even though he’s been nominated now, what, SEVEN times?

If I’d give it to anyone else though, it’d be Paul Greengrass.

BEST FILM
Best Motion Picture of the Year
Nominees:

Babel (2006): Alejandro González Iñárritu, Steve Golin, Jon Kilik

The Departed (2006): Graham King

Letters from Iwo Jima (2006): Clint Eastwood, Steven Spielberg, Robert Lorenz

Little Miss Sunshine (2006): David T. Friendly, Peter Saraf, Marc Turtletaub

The Queen (2006): Andy Harries, Christine Langan, Tracey Seaward

FAV: The Departed, The Departed, The Departed. Every other movie, I’m sure, is either deeper or more historically accurate, or hell even more intelligent and emotionally affecting. My reply? SO WHAT. The Departed is a master of his craft providing the BEST ENTERTAINMENT of the year, and some of the best entertainment since his last Great Win, Goodfellas.
EXP: The Queen is pretty high up there considering the material, in my opinion, and Letters From Iwo Jima has a chance to win since it was pulled out of the Best Foreign Language Feature. Babel won the Golden Globe, but I really don’t think it made box office enough to do good at the Oscars. Brad Pitt is a powerful man in Hollywood though, and he dropped his starring role in The Departed for this movie. So…I’d have to say this is probably the only award that is 100% “Up in the Air”.

Check out the rest of the awards at IMDB.COM with pictures and stuff., but some final notes before I go:

If Children of Men does not win the Best Cinematography award, the Academy should be stripped of its ability to hand out anything more than Honoraries. This film is by far one of the best looking pictures I have EVER SEEN. Its up there with Batman, its up there with Gone With the Wind, hell, it deserves a Best Picture nod, but it didn’t even get close. GIVE THIS MOVIE BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY- IT IS THE FUTURE OF FILM!

I think its safe to say Pan’s Labyrinth will win the Best Foreign Film award. It definitely deserves it for being more than tacky fantasy- there is a real, living, breathing story of cruelty and war in this film. The fantasy elements only double its potency. Had Little Miss Sunshine (supposedly OVER HYPED to the max but I have yet to see it) not been nominated, you would have seen this movie in the fifth slot for Best Film.

Other than that, I don’t much care for the nominations. There’s nothing dreadfully special this year, so I’m pretty much banking on it being Scorsese’s Year