My Oscar Picks - 2008

Updated - The winners are in Bold and Italics. This post will be updated after the awards on Sunday with the actual winners . Here are my picks for the categories that I care for or have some knowledge to predict.

ACTOR -- LEADING
George Clooney - MICHAEL CLAYTON
Daniel Day-Lewis - THERE WILL BE BLOOD -> It’s DDL, need I say more? Although I wish the academy surprises all of us by snubbing him and giving it to Viggo. Fun!
Johnny Depp - SWEENEY TODD THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET
Tommy Lee Jones - IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH
Viggo Mortensen - EASTERN PROMISES
ACTOR -- SUPPORTING
Casey Affleck - THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD
Javier Bardem - NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN -> Without a doubt, although I am surprised he is not in the best actor category? Anthony Hopkins had a much less screen time in ‘The Slience of the Lambs’ and he was nominated (and won) the Best Actor category. Hmmm!
Philip Seymour Hoffman - CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR
Hal Holbrook - INTO THE WILD
Tom Wilkinson - MICHAEL CLAYTON
ACTRESS -- LEADING
Cate Blanchett - ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE -> You can do a great Elizabeth, we get it!
Julie Christie - AWAY FROM HER -> It’s Julie Christie and she’s got Alzheimer’s, sealed.
Marion Cotillard - LA VIE EN ROSE
Laura Linney - THE SAVAGES -> She’s the Ivan Lendl of the Oscars.
Ellen Page – JUNO-> My pick, I really wish she wins.
ACTRESS -- SUPPORTING
Cate Blanchett- I’M NOT THERE -> If she’s nominated in two categories, she’s gotta win one, plus she plays a “Man” and not any Man, Bob Dylan.
Ruby Dee - AMERICAN GANGSTER -> Something tells me she might ruin Cate’s party,
Saoirse Ronan - ATONEMENT
Amy Ryan - GONE BABY GONE
Tilda Swinton - MICHAEL CLAYTON
ANIMATED FEATURE
PERSEPOLIS
RATATOUILLE -> No competition here (I think this movie should have been in best picture category)
SURF’S UP
CINEMATOGRAPHY
THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD
ATONEMENT -> That one tracking shot will probably help in this win
THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
THERE WILL BE BLOOD
DIRECTING
Julian Schnabel - THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY -> My pick, I think Julian Schnabel will steal the thunder from the Coen brothers.
Jason Reitman- JUNO
Tony Gilroy - MICHAEL CLAYTON
Ethan Coen, Joel Coen - NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN -> Very likely
Paul Thomas Anderson - THERE WILL BE BLOOD
ART DIRECTION
AMERICAN GANGSTER
ATONEMENT -> Close call between this and Sweeney Todd
THE GOLDEN COMPASS
SWEENEY TODD THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET -> My Pick
THERE WILL BE BLOOD
FILM EDITING
THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM -> My pick
THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY
INTO THE WILD
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
THERE WILL BE BLOOD
VISUAL EFFECTS
THE GOLDEN COMPASS
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S END -> We saw their wizardry twice before
TRANSFORMERS -> My pick
SOUND EDITING
THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN -> It earned this award in that one motel scene
RATATOUILLE
THERE WILL BE BLOOD
TRANSFORMERS
SCREENPLAY -- ADAPTED
Christopher Hampton - ATONEMENT
Sarah Polley - AWAY FROM HER
Ronald Harwood - THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY -> My pick
Joel Coen, Ethan Coen - NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
Paul Thomas Anderson - THERE WILL BE BLOOD
SCREENPLAY – ORIGINAL (Nice to see three women in this category)
Diablo Cody - JUNO -> My pick, a former stripper turned screenplay writer?
Nancy Oliver - LARS AND THE REAL GIRL
Tony Gilroy - MICHAEL CLAYTON
Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava, Jim Capobianco - RATATOUILLE
Tamara Jenkins - THE SAVAGES
SOUND MIXING
THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
RATATOUILLE -> My pick
3:10 TO YUMA
TRANSFORMERS
BEST PICTURE
ATONEMENT
JUNO
MICHAEL CLAYTON
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN -> Will be close with Blood but this is my pick (& I have not seen Blood)
THERE WILL BE BLOOD