The Golden Man

Oscar! It's that time of year for useless awards to tell overpaid people what the box office results can not
or will not. Who love's ya baby? Almost all of the movies that got a nomination I've seen. Heck, I wouldn't be imformative if I didn't. So here's my random, useless guesses for the winners... usually incorrect cause I like good quality movies instead of blockbuster drivel.

Foreign stuff, costuming and special effects should all be won by Pan's Labrynth. Musical stuff: DreamGirls. Animation: Monster House.

Best Supporting Actress I think is a toss up, I feel Abigal Breslin is a little too young to win even though her portrayal in Little Miss Sunshine was excellant. Adriana Barraza and Rinko Kikuchi, both from Babel, will split the votes and the award will go to someone entirely less deserving.

Best Actress: There has been so much hubbub about Penelope Cruz in Volver that I think she will steal it right out from under Judi Dench in the rarely seen Notes on a Scandal.

Best Supporting Actor: Another grabbag, but I'm hoping for Djimon Hounsou for Blood Diamond or *crossing fingers* Alan Arkin as the swearing, drug abusing then DOA grandfather in Little Miss Sunshine.

Best Actor: I love Will Smith, don't get me wrong, but his charactor was comparitively bland in his feel good role in the Pursuit of Happyness. Or I suppose the deciding panel will say it looked effortless and give him the golden man. Instead I would prefer Ryan Gosling as he really made you feel torn with his crack using teacher telling his students to stay off drugs, Forest Whitaker really makes you fear the possibility of dictatorship in the Last King of Scotland, and Peter O'Toole is amazingly Peter O'Toole and then some as a dirty bird in the sleeper unknown film Venus.

Best Picture: I'm sure it has no chance against the heavyweights but I still like Little Miss Sunshine. So sue me.

Best Director: You know how sometimes when someone should have gotten something before and didn't, they give it to them later when they really didn't deserve it? I think that will be the case this time around with Martin Scorsese and The Departed. I'll keep my chin up and hope for Alejandro Gonzalez for Babel or Clint Eastwood for Letters from Iwo Jima instead... but no breathholding as I can't call in dead for work!

So there's my ten cents. Keep watchin!