The 81st Academy Awards

Posted on February 23, 2009 Updated on February 23, 2009

The winners of the 81st Academy Awards:

Best Supporting Actress

Penelope Cruz, Vicky Christina Barcelona

 

Best Original Screenplay

Dustin Lance Black, Milk

 

Best Adapted Screenplay

Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire

 

Best Animated Feature

Wall-E

 

Best Animated Short

La Maison en Petit Cubes

 

Best Art Direction

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

 

Best Costume Design

The Duchess, Michael O’Connor

 

Best Makeup

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Greg Cannom

 

Best Cinematography

Slumdog Millionaire

 

Best Live Action Short

(Spielzeugland)Toyland

 

Best Supporting Actor

Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

 

Best Documentary Feature

Man on Wire, James Marsh and Simon Chinn

 

Best Documentary Short

Smile Pinki, Megan Mylan

 

Best Visual Effects

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

 

Best Sound Editing

The Dark Knight, Richard King

 

Best Sound Mixing

Slumdog Millionaire

 

Best Film Editing

Slumdog Millionaire,

 

Best Original Score

Slumdog Millionaire, A. R. Rahman

 

Best Original Song

“Jai-Ho” from Slumdog Millionaire, A. R. Rahman and Gulzar

 

Best Foreign Language Film

Departures, Japan

 

Best Director

Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire

 

Best Actress

Kate Winslet, The Reader

 

Best Actor

Sean Penn, Milk

 

Best Picture

Slumdog Millionaire

The Under”dog” Will Win: My Oscar Predictions

Posted on February 22, 2009 Updated on February 22, 2009

Tonight is the night many people have been waiting for. We’ve had to go through the slums of Mumbai to get here. It’s Oscar night. Who will win? What will be the biggest upset? I’ve got the predictions for all of the major categories.

Best Picture

Should Win: Milk has a very, pardon the pun, skim chance of winning. But it’s powerful political story serves up nice and fresh in this time of the unknown.

Will Win: Slumdog Millionairehas got it before you can say “Mumbai”. The critics have fawned over it, with its accolades building steadily higher and higher.

Upset?: Frost/Nixon is a fantastic film, but out of the five may be the weakest, unless it can pull a strong vote for Best Actor (which it won’t) or Director.

 

Best Actor

Should Win: Richard jenkins’ moving role in The Visitor is the most worthym though the least seen this year.

Will Win: It may be a hard choice for people to choose between Rourke and Sean Penn for Milk. But I think Rourke will win.

Upset?: A great actor and playing the role of a polarizing President, Frank Langella’s performance as Richard Nixon (for which he won a Tony award in 2007) may be an upset winner.

 

Best Actress

Should Win: Anne Hathaway’s Kym in Rachel Getting Married is a gem among the performances this year. Her dinner toast alone would make an entertaining short film.

Will Win: It’s either 15 time nominee Meryl Streep in John Patrick Shanley’s adaptation of his play Doubt or Kate Winslet’s Nazi in The Reader. I’m going with Streep, who won last for Kramer vs. Kramer.

Upset?: Though she’s young and has plenty of time, Anne Hathaway may be able to pull of an upset.

 

Best Supporting Actor

Should Win: Robert Downey Jr. should definitely win the Oscar for his hilarious Kirk Lazurus in Tropic Thunder. He pulled off freaking black face! C’mon!

Will Win: Who do you think, the Pope? Heath Ledger will win because of pity votes this year. He was a riveting Joker, though he doesn’t deserve it just because he’s dead.

Upset?: Surely, if there is an upset, which there won’t be, it would be Downey Jr. claiming the statue he deserves.

 

Best Supporting Actress

Should Win: Viola Davis may have only been on the screen for barely 20 minutes, but she’s made quite a something out of a small role in Doubt.

Will Win: Vicky Christina Barcelona‘s Penelope Cruz may take it or Viola Davis may win.

Upset?: Amy Adams is great actress and she deserves to win…just not this year. Will she? I Doubt it.

 

Best Animated Feature

Should Win: WALL-E is going to win and should win and if it doesn’t, I’ll sue!

Will Win: Is there any contest? At all? The heart warming Wall-E should take the prize.

Upset?: There won’t be, but if there were, Kung Fu Panda may end up winning.

 

Best Director

Should Win: David Finscher pulled off a beautifully designed and wonderfully written adaptation of a ten page story, turning The Curious Case of Benjamin Button into a near masterpiece.

Will Win: There is no contest in this category. Danny Boyle will surely win for Slumdog Millionaire.

Upset?: David Fincher may pull the carpet under Doyle’s feet for the trophy.