And Then There Were Ten...

as you all know the year has ended and i think i have to wrap up my 2006 movie watching and that entails posting and doing my year end review. everyone else is doing it and might as well start my own. But still I think I need to watch some more movies and rewatch the movies I've seen. Im sorry to Devil Wears Prada, for giving it a low grade before, I've seen it again and absolutely loved it. Flags is still Craps. Pan's Labyrinth, i do not get why the high grades...

All have to say that i really enjoyed this year in movies, though I expected more, but hey, it turned out pretty ok. i'm going to list the top ten contenders in Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress and Director. Picture give me two weeks tops, i need to watch more movies so that i can figure out the category confusions in the departed and other movies.

Ok, before I cut the list to 5, here are the 10 contenders vying for the RacsO Awards. Here are the lists in alphabetical order...

Best Actor:
lots of young actors here, i can't help it they were really really good.

• Gael Garcia Bernal (Science of Sleep)
• Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat)
• Daniel Craig (Casino Royale)
• Matt Damon (The Departed)
• Leonardo diCaprio (The Departed)
• Ryan Gosling (Half-Nelson)
• Hugh Jackman (The Fountain)
• Heath Ledger (Candy)
• Clive Owen (Children of Men)
• Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland)
  

Best Actress:
this is such a very exciting race, it took me quite some time to narrow it to 10. My apologies to Soo-Kyin Lee (Shortbus), Toni Collette (Little Miss Sunshine), Gretchen Mol (Notorious Bettie Page), Nicole Kidman (Fur)

• Penelope Cruz (Volver)
• Judi Dench (Notes on a Scandal)
• Laura Dern (Inland Empire)
• Maggie Gyllenhaal (Sherrybaby)
• Kirsten Dunst (Marie-Antoinette)
• Gong Li (Curse of the Golden Flower)
• Helen Mirren (The Queen)
• Catherine O'Hara (For Your Consideration)
• Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada)
• Kate Winslet (Little Children)

Best Supporting Actor:
Relatively a very weak category but good nonetheless.

• Ben Affleck (Hollywoodland)
• Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine)
• Michael Caine (Children of Men)
• Jackie Earle Hailey (Little Children)
• Eddie Murphy (Dreamgirls)
• Jack Nicholson (The Departed)
• Brad Pitt (Babel)
• Michael Sheen (The Queen)
• Stanley Tucci (The Devil Wears Prada)
• Mark Wahlberg (The Departed)

Supporting Actress:
this race shouldn't be as boring as the oscar race if they only opened their eyes to marvel on this performances...

• Adriana Barraza (Babel)
• Annette Bening (Running with Scissors)
• Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada)
• Vera Farmiga (The Departed)
• Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls)
• Rinko Kikuchi (Babel)
• Carmen Maura (Volver)
• Parker Posey (Superman Returns)
• Phyllis Sommerville (Little Children)
• Meryl Streeo (A Prairie Home Companion)

Best Director:
this would somehow give you what my top ten films would be...

• Pedro Almodovar (Volver)
• Darren Aronofsky (The Fountain)
• Sofia Coppola (Marie-Antoinette)
• Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Men)
• Michel Gondry (Science of Sleep)
• Kim Du-Kim (Time)
• David Lynch (Inland Empire)
• John Cameron Mitchell (Shortbus)
• Martin Scorsese (The Departed)
• Bryan Singer (Superman Returns)

That would be ok for now. The list is boud to change after I've seen more films and after I've rewatched some of the filsm Ive seen already. In two weeks tops I'd narrow it down to five then give my nominees for the RacsO Awards 2006. Ca Va? Bien... Happy New Year to all of you!

NYFCC honors United 93

Best Picture:
United 93
Runners-Up: The Queen, The Departed

Best Director:
Martin Scorsese (The Departed)
Runners-up: Stephen Frears (The Queen) & Clint Eastwood (Letters from Iwo Jima)

Best First Film:
Half Nelson
Runners-up Little Miss Sunshine & A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints

Best Actress:
Helen Mirren (The Queen)
Runners-up: Judi Dench (Notes on a Scandal) & Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada)

Best Actor:
Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland)
Runners-up: Ryan Gosling (Hlaf-Nelson) & Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat)

Best Foreign Film:
Army of Shadows
Runners-up: Volver & The Death of Mr. Lazarescu

Best Non-Fiction Film:
Deliver Us From Evil
Runners-up:49 Up & Borat & An Inconvenient Truth

Best Animated Film:
Happy Feet
Runners-up: A Scanner Darkly & Cars

Best Supporting Actor:
Jackie Earle Haley(Little Children)
Runners-up: Eddie Murphy (Dreamgirls) & Steve Carell (Little Miss Sunshine)

Best Supporting Actress:
Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls)
Runners-up: Shareeka Epps (Half-Nelson) & Catherine O'Hara (For Your Consideration)

Best Screenplay:
The Queen
Runners-up: The Departed & Little Miss Sunshine

Best Cinematography:
Pan's Labyrinth
Runners-up: Curse of the Golden Flower, Children of Men

Washington DC awards United 93

Picture: United 93
Actor: Forest Whitaker (Last King of Scotland)
Actress: Helen Mirren (The Queen)
Supporting Actor: Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond)
Supporting Actress: Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls)
Director: Martin Scorsese (The Departed)
Original Screenplay: Little Miss Sunshine (Michael Arndt)
Adapted Screenplay: Thank You For Smoking (Jason Reitman)
Animated Feature: Happy Feet
Documentary Feature: An Inconvenient Truth
Foreign-Language Film: Pan's Labyrinth
Ensemble: Little Miss Sunshine
Breakthrough: Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls)
Art Direction: Marie-Antoinette

LAFCA goes ga-ga over Eastwood

Picture: Letters From Iwo Jima
Runner-up: The Queen

Director: Paul Greengrass (United 93)
Runner-up: Clint Eastwood (Flags of Our Fathers & Letters From Iwo Jima)

Actor(tie): Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat) & Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland)

Actress: Helen Mirren (The Queen)
Runner-up: Penelope Cruz (Volver)

Supporting actor: Michael Sheen (The Queen)
Runner-up: Sergi Lopez (Pan's Labyrinth)

Supporting actress: Luminita Gheorghiu (The Death of Mr. Lazarescu)
Runner-up: Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls)

Screenplay: Peter Morgan (The Queen)
Runner-up: Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine)

Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki (Children of Men)
Runner-up: Tom Stern (Flags of Our Fathers & Letters From Iwo Jima)

Production design: Eugenio Caballero (Pan's Labyrinth)
Runner-up: Jim Clay & Geoffrey Kirkland (Children of Men)

Score: Alexandre Desplat (The Queen & The Painted Veil)
Runner-up: Thomas Newman (The Good German & Little Children)

Foreign Language film: The Lives of Others
Runner-up: Volver

Documentary: An Inconvenient Truth
Runner-up: Darwin's Nightmare

Animation: Happy Feet
Runner-up: Cars

Douglas Edwards experimental/independent film/video award: Old Joy (Kelly Reichardt) & In Between Days (So Yong Kim)

New generation award: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris (directors) & Michael Arndt (screenwriter) for Little Miss Sunshine

NYFCO Hails "The Queen"

Picture: The Queen
Director : Stephen Frears (The Queen)
Actor: Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland)
Actress: Helen Mirren (The Queen)
Supporting Actor: Michael Sheen (The Queen)
Supporting Actress(tie): Cateherine O'Hara (For Your Consideration) & Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls)Screenplay: The Queen (Peter Morgan)
Cinematography The Illusionist (Dick Pope)
Ensemble Cast: Little Miss Sunshine
Debut Directors: Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (Little Miss Sunshine)
Breakthrough Performer: Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls)
Score: The Illusionist (Philip Glass)
Documentary: An Inconvenient Truth
Animated Feature: Happy Feet
Foreign Language Film: Pan's Labyrinth
Humanitarian Award: Deepa Mehta (Water) for taking risks to create films aboutthe difficulties of social change in India especially as it affectswomen.

Ten Best Pictures

• BABEL (Paramount Vantage)
• THE FOUNTAIN (Warner Bros.)
• INLAND EMPIRE (Absurda)
• LITTLE CHILDREN (New Line)
• LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE (Fox Searchlight)
• PAN'S LABYRINTH (Picturehouse)
• THE QUEEN (Miramax)
• THANK YOU FOR SMOKING (Fox Searchlight)
• VOLVER (Sony Pictures Classics)
• WATER (Fox Searchlight)

The Departed Takes Boston

Mirren and Whitaker again?!! and kudos to The Departed! and Pan's Labyrinth is doin good.

Best Picture:
The Departed
Runner-Up: United 93

Best Director:
Martin Scorsese, The Departed
Runner-Up: Paul Greengrass (United 93)

Best Actor:
Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland)
Runner-Up: Ryan Gosling( Half Nelson)

Best Actress:
Helen Mirren (The Queen)
Runner-Up: Judi Dench (Notes on a Scandal)

Best Supporting Actor:
Mark Wahlberg (The Departed)
Runners-Up: Michael Sheen (The Queen)
Alec Baldwin (The Departed / Running with Scissors / The Good Shepherd)

Best Supporting Actress:
Shareeka Epps (Half Nelson)
Runner-Up: Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada)

Best Ensemble Cast:
United 93
Runner-Up: The Departed

Best Screenplay:
William Monahan (The Departed)
Runner-Up: Peter Morgan (The Queen)

Best Foreign Language Film:
Pan's Labyrinth
Runner-Up: Volver

Best Documentary:
TIE: Deliver Us From Evil
Shut Up & Sing
Runner-Up: 51 Birch Street

Best New Filmmaker:
Ryan Fleck (Half Nelson)
Runner-Up: Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris (Little Miss Sunshine)

Best Cinematography:
Guillermo Navarro (Pan's Labyrinth)
Runners-Up: Stuart Dryburgh (The Painted Veil)
Xiaoding Zhao (Curse of the GoldenFlower)

AFI results

Interesting list once again... but where is The Departed? Come on! The inclusion of 40 year old virgin last year made sure that Borat has a great chance and well, things turn out well.

I predicted: Babel, Borat, Children of Men, The Departed, Dreamgirls, Half-Nelson, Letters from Iwo Jima, Little Children, Notes on a Scandal, The Queen

I got 5 right.

• Babel
• Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
• The Devil Wears Prada
• Dreamgirls
• Half-Nelson
• Happy Feet
• Inside Man
• Letters from Iwo Jima
• Little Miss Sunshine
• United 93

GOLDEN GLOBE RESULTS

BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

• BABEL Anonymous Content Production/Una Producción De Zeta Film/Central
  Film Production; Paramount Pictures/Paramount Vantage
• BOBBY Bold Films; The Weinstein Company
• THE DEPARTED Warner Bros. Pictures; Warner Bros. Pictures
• LITTLE CHILDREN New Line Cinema; New Line Cinema
• THE QUEEN A Granada Production; Miramax Films

predicted: Babel, The Departed, Little Children, The Queen, United 93
comment: missed bobby totally it is not even in my alternates... Bobby got a boost here but there are no real surprises though. Boost also for Little Children.
Who Will Win?: The Departed. i want it to win though my heart tells me its going to be...
Who Could Win?: The Queen. but no show for sheen could translate to lack of support and a plus for the departed due to multiple supporting nods...
Who Were Snubbed?: Children of Men never really took off. World Trade Center good snub!
Who Should Win?: THE DEPARTED one of the bests of the decade and one of Scorsese's bests.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

• PENÉLOPE CRUZ VOLVER
• JUDI DENCH NOTES ON A SCANDAL
• MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL SHERRYBABY
• HELEN MIRREN THE QUEEN
• KATE WINSLET LITTLE CHILDREN

predicted: Blanchett, Dench, Kidman, Mirren, Winslet
comment: Gyllenhaal and predicted Cruz in comedy. Still no surprise here. Mirren is locked already and so is Dench. Cruz doubtful so is Winslet.
Who Will Win?: Helen Mirren. Capote-ish streak
Who Could Win?: Judi Dench. Nominated again this year, means she ahs lotsa supporters, but I would love to see her upset the Queen.
Who Were Snubbed?: Kirsten Dunst but this list is already great.
Who Should Win?: Judi Dench gave her career high performance.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

• LEONARDO DICAPRIO BLOOD DIAMOND
• LEONARDO DICAPRIO THE DEPARTED
• PETER O’TOOLE VENUS
• WILL SMITH THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS
• FOREST WHITAKER THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND

predicted: Dicaprio, Dicaprio, Gosling, Smith, Whitaker
comment: No Gosling!? Bad bad bad omen. Predicted O’Toole for comedy. Finally a notice for Will Smith.
Who Will Win?: Forest Whitaker. Ray-ish
Who Could Win?: Peter O’Toole. Last chance?
Who Were Snubbed?: RYAN GOSLING! Better than the 4 performances in the list.
Who Should Win?: Leonardo diCaprio gave his best performance to date in The Departed.

BEST MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

• BORAT: CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN One America; Twentieth Century Fox
• THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA Twentieth Century Fox; Twentieth Century Fox
• DREAMGIRLS DreamWorks Pictures/Paramount Pictures; DreamWorks Pictures/Paramount
  Pictures
• LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE Big Beach/Bonafide Productions; Fox Searchlight Pictures
• THANK YOU FOR SMOKING Room 9 Entertainment/David O. Sacks Production/Content Film; Fox Searchlight Pictures

predicted: Borat, Prada, Dreamgirls, Sunshine, Praitie Home Companion
comment: Smoking was my alternate so I kinda predicted it too hehehe.
Who Will Win?: Dreamgirls. Finally a good musical
Who Could Win?: Borat. The funniest movie of the year
Who Were Snubbed?: Shortbus a wish!
Who Should Win?: BORAT VS DREAMGIRLS need to watch em both again

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

• ANNETTE BENING RUNNING WITH SCISSORS
• TONI COLLETTE LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
• BEYONCÉ KNOWLES DREAMGIRLS
• MERYL STREEP THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
• RENEE ZELLWEGER MISS POTTER

predicted: Bening, Breslin, Knowles, Streep, Zellweger
comment: I thought Breslin had more fans… Oh Come one Zellweger again?!
Who Will Win?: Meryl Streep. Her best since her 80’s movies
Who Could Win?: Annette Bening. Do they love her this much? I do
Who Were Snubbed?: I cant think of any
Who Should Win?: MERYL STREEP or ANNETTE BENING need to watch em both again


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

• SACHA BARON COHEN BORAT: CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN
• JOHNNY DEPP PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN’S CHEST
• AARON ECKHART THANK YOU FOR SMOKING
• CHIWETEL EJIOFOR KINKY BOOTS
• WILL FERRELL STRANGER THAN FICTION

predicted: Cohen, Depp, Eckhart, Foxx, O’Toole, Ferell
Comment: totally missed Chiwetel and where the hell did he come from?!
Who Will Win?: Sacha Baron Cohen. Funniest damn performance
Who Could Win?: Aaron Eckhart. I don’t know
Who Were Snubbed?: I cant think of any
Who Should Win?: SACHA BARON COHEN hands down

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

• CARS Walt Disney Pictures/Pixar Animation Studio; Buena Vista Pictures
  Distribution
• HAPPY FEET Kingdom Pictures, LLC; Warner Bros. Pictures/Village Roadshow Pictures
• MONSTER HOUSE Columbia Pictures; Sony Pictures Releasing

comment: err
Who Will Win?: Happy Feet. Cause its fun seeing those penguins
Who Could Win?: Cars. Pixar
Who Were Snubbed?: Paprika
Who Should Win?: Monster House best of the three

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

• APOCALYPTO (USA) Touchstone Pictures/Icon Productions; Buena Vista
  Pictures Distribution
• LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA (USA/JAPAN) Warner Bros. Pictures/DreamWorks Pictures; Warner Bros. Pictures
• THE LIVES OF OTHERS (GERMANY) Wiedemann & Berg Filmproduktion; Sony Pictures Classics
• PAN’S LABYRINTH (MEXICO) Estudios Picasso/Tequila Gang/Esperanto; Picturehouse
• VOLVER (SPAIN) El Deseo; Sony Pictures Classics

predicted: Curse, Iwo Jima, Lives, Pans, Volver, Water
comment: Apocalypto? stupid
Who Will Win?: Letters from Iwo Jima. One way to award Eastwood again
Who Could Win?: Pan’s Labyrinth. It’s gaining buzz
Who Were Snubbed?: Curse of the Gloden Flower!
Who Should Win?: Volver though I haven’t seen Lives or Letters

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

• ADRIANA BARRAZA BABEL
• CATE BLANCHETT NOTES ON A SCANDAL
• EMILY BLUNT THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
• JENNIFER HUDSON DREAMGIRLS
• RINKO KIKUCHI BABEL

predicted: Barraza, Blanchet, Hudson, Kikuchi, O Hara
comment: YAY! Emily Blunt! YAY!
Who Will Win?: Jennifer Hudson. Breakthrough of the year
Wo Could Win?: Kikuchi?. Hudson status is so solid I can’t think of her competitor
Who Were Snubbed?: Catherine O’Hara. She should’ve booted blanchett?
Who Should Win?: Jennifer Hudson Hands down


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

• BEN AFFLECK HOLLYWOODLAND
• EDDIE MURPHY DREAMGIRLS
• JACK NICHOLSON THE DEPARTED
• BRAD PITT BABEL
• MARK WAHLBERG THE DEPARTED

predicted: Arkin, Damon, Murphy, Nicholson, Pitt, Sheen
comment: YAY! MARK WAHLBERG!! YAY!
Who Will Win?: tough call but I’d go for Nicholson. Toss a coin. A 3 sided coin. Murphy, Nicholson or Pitt
Who Could Win?: Eddie Murphy. The race is exciting!
Who Were Snubbed?: Michael Sheen. The unknown compared to the stars
Who Should Win?: MARK WAHLBERG best performance of the year


BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE

CLINT EASTWOOD FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS
CLINT EASTWOOD LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
STEPHEN FREARS THE QUEEN
ALEJANDRO GONZALEZ IÑÁRRITU BABEL
MARTIN SCORSESE THE DEPARTED

predicted: Eastwood, Eastwood, Frears, Condon, Field, Scorsese
comment: would it be nice to see a double lose from Eastwood?
Who Will Win?: Martin Scorsese. Please!
Who Could Win?: Clint Eastwood. The hog! You aint gonna win! ehhehe
Who Were Snubbed?: Bill Condon!
Who Should Win?: Martin Scorsese his finest work of the decade

BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE

GUILLERMO ARRIAGA BABEL
TODD FIELD & TOM PERROTTA LITTLE CHILDREN
PATRICK MARBER NOTES ON A SCANDAL
WILLIAM MONAHAN THE DEPARTED
PETER MORGAN THE QUEEN

predicted: Departed, Iwo Jima, Dreamgirls, Sunshine, Children, Queen
comment: Children was my alternate but I only got 2/5.
Who Will Win?: The Queen VS. The Departed. I think it will be The Queen.
Who Could Win?: the Departed. The truck loads of curses might hurt
Who Were Snubbed?: Little Miss Sunshine, Dreamgirls
Who Should Win?: The Departed fun fun fun! eheheh

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – MOTION PICTURE

• ALEXANDRE DESPLAT THE PAINTED VEIL
• CLINT MANSELL THE FOUNTAIN
• GUSTAVO SANTAOLALLA BABEL
• CARLO SILIOTTO NOMAD
• HANS ZIMMER THE DA VINCI CODE

Who Will Win?: Santaolalla. After that Geisha stupid win they oughta give it to him
Who Could Win?: Desplat. One of the best around
Who Should Win?: Santaolalla scant but highly memorable

BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE

• “A FATHER’S WAY” — THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS Music by: Seal and Christopher Bruce Lyrics by: Seal
• “LISTEN” — DREAMGIRLS Music & Lyrics by: Henry Krieger, Anne Preven, Scott Cutler and Beyoncé Knowles
• “NEVER GONNA BREAK MY FAITH” — BOBBY Music & Lyrics by: Bryan Adams, Eliot Kennedy and Andrea Remanda
• “THE SONG OF THE HEART” — HAPPY FEET Music & Lyrics by: Prince Rogers Nelson
• “TRY NOT TO REMEMBER” — HOME OF THE BRAVE Music & Lyrics by: Sheryl Crow

comment: What!? No Etheridge!?
Who Will Win?: Listen. ???
Who Could Win?: Bobby.
Who Were Snubbed?: Melissa Etheridge for An Inconvenient Truth
Who Should Win?: whoever ehehehe

Dreamgirls is looking iffy now but still a contender. Remember when Trash wasn’t even in here but won anyway?

The comments are bound to change… My Website will be updated on Saturday so please bear with me.

AND CONGRATULATIONS
TO MICHAEL HALL FOR GETTING NOMINATED FOR DEXTER!!!

Golden Globes: a rethink

hmmmm before things heat up in the days to come let me update my predictions first.

I dont think Good shepherd is in.. i dont know... so i think damon wont make the cut. So i guess his slot would go to leonardo dicaprio for the blood diamond. yes i think dicaprio is once again up for 2 globes! ehehehe

not sure if letters is in the race so if things go bad my alternates are there....

Anyways here are the tv shows and actors id like to see get in the nomination list!

DEXTER - a perfect tv show. I love this. One of my favorites of all time.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA - always great, almost perfect

WEEDS - simply addicting

HEROES - interesting

SMALLVILLE - great

SUPERNATURAL - impressive return

VERONICA MARS - still great no matter what

PRISON BREAK - yeah!

GILMORE GIRLS - one of my favorites of all time

MICHAEL C HALL - creepy and perfect

WENTWORTH MILLER - brooding with charisma

LAUREN GRAHAM - nominate her dammit!

*if anyone gets nominated id be happy...

AFI Predix

hard to predict this one but they give interesting and very original pick

• Babel
• Borat
• Children of Men
• The Departed
• Dreamgirls
• Half-Nelson
• Letters from Iwo Jima
• Little Children
• Notes on a Scandal
• The Queen

Golden Globe Predictions

Im going to be updating my website after the announcement of the Golden Globes so please bear with me :D. perosnally I like GG more than Oscar because sometimes they gave more justice to those who should win but sometimes they give really weird roster of nominees see Ashley Judd for De-Lovely. The drama category is sometimes easy to predict but the comedy/musical is a little bit tricky because they sometimes include crapfest such as The Phantom of the Opera. so here goes nothing.. but wait ill give six each thinking that htey may go six again...

*-sixth place

Best Motion Picture (Drama)

• Babel
• The Departed
• Flags of our Fathers
• Letters from Iwo Jima
• Little Children *
• The Queen

alternates: The Good German, united 93, The Good Shepherd

Best Motion Picture (Comedy/Musical)

• Borat
• The Devil Wears Prada
• Dreamgirls
• Little Miss Sunshine
• A Prairie Home Companion
• Thank You for smoking *

alternates: Happy Feet, Cars, Stranger than Fiction

Best Actor in a Leading Role (Drama)

• Leonardo diCaprio (The Blood Diamond) *
• Leonardo diCaprio (The Departed)
• Ryan Gosling (Half-Nelson)
• Will Smith (In Pursuit of Happyness)
• Ken Watanabe (Letters from Iwo Jima)
• Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland)

alternates: Matt Damon (The Good Shepherd), Jack Nicholson (The Departed), George Clooney (The Good German)

Best Actor in a Leading Role (Comedy/Musical)

• Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat)
• Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest)
• Aaron Eckhart (Thank You for Smoking)
• Will Ferrell (Stranger than Fiction) *
• Jamie Foxx (Dreamgirls)
• Peter O'Toole (Venus)

alternates:

Best Actress in a Leading Role (Drama)

• Cate Blanchett (The Good German)
• Judi Dench (Notes on a Scandal)
• Kirsten Dunst (Marie-Antoinette) *
• Nicole Kidman (Fur)
• Helen Mirren (The Queen)
• Kate Winslet (Little Children)

Best Actress in a Leading Role (Comedy/Musical)

• Annette Bening (Running With Scissors)
• Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine)
• Penelope Cruz (Volver)
• Scarlett Johansson (Scoop) *
• Beyonce Knowles (Dreamgirls)
• Renee Zellweger (Miss Potter)

Actor in a Supporting Role

• Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine)
• Matt Damon (The Departed)
• Eddie Murphy (Dreamgirls)
• Jack Nicholson (The Departed)*
• Brad Pitt (Babel)
• Michael Sheen (The Queen)

alternates: Mark Wahlberg (The Departed), Steve Carrell (Little Miss Sunshine), Adam Beach (Flags of our Fathers), Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond)

Actress in a Supporting Role

• Adriana Barraza (Babel)
• Cate Blanchett (Notes on a Scandal)
• Vera Farmiga (The Departed) *
• Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls)
• Rinko Kikuchi (Babel)
• Catherine o'Hara (For Your Consideration)

Best Director

• Bill Condon (Dreamgirls)
• Clint Eastwood (Letters From Iwo Jima/Flags of our Fathers)
• Todd Field (Little Children)
• Stephen Frears (The Queen)
• Paul Greengrass (United 93) *
• Martin Scorsese (The Departed)

alternates: Alejandro Gonzales inarritu (Babel), Robert De Niro (The Good Shepherd)

Best Screenplay

• The Departed
• Dreamgirls
• Letters From Iwo Jima
• Little Children *
• Little Miss Sunshine
• The Queen

Best Foreign Language Film

• Curse of the Golden Flower
• Letters From Iwo Jima *
• The Lives of Others
• Pan's Labyrinth
• Water
• Volver

NBR Reactions

well i have got to say that i am a bit shocked with how the NBR turned out. WB hogged the top ten. plus the ever so unpredictable supporting race. Dreamgirls and The Queen were so so snubbed except for Mirren, what does this say? Remember when Return of the King is not even in the top ten but ended winning the oscar for best picture. Maybe we can still say that to Dreamgirls for now. The same year, 2003, Eastwood's film won the top prize this year history seems to be repeating itself (i hope so, i am so fed up of Eastwood unless Letters is as good as they claim it is).

Best Picture: Letters from Iwo Jima
predicted winner: The Queen
comment: well, The Queen was badly snubbed i think it is far better than some of the films in the list, say history boys? Blood Diamond? Babel? Craps of our Fathers? If history is telling us something then it would be that NBR BP winners does not translate to Oscar Glory thus implying that the race is still very much open.

The rest of the top ten: Babel, Blood Diamond, The Departed, Devil Wears Prada, Flags of our Fathers, History Boys, Little Miss Sunshine, Notes on a Scandal, The Painted Veil
How did i do: I got Babel, The Departed, Flags, letters, and Sunshine right. 4/10. bad very bad.

Best Actor: Forrest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland)
predicted winner: Peter o'Toole (but Whitaker is my alternate)
comment: Just when I thought he is losing steam, he opens the awards season with a win and that backing form Oprah really helped him a lot.

Best Actress: Helen Mirren (The Queen)
predicted winner: Mirren, yay! got one right
comment: She is starting her sweep and the NBR has solidified her status. But her performance though personally for me was her best (or second best) but is not the year's best. I'd be so much happier if say we see Streep?

Best Supporting Actor: Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond)
predicted Winner: Eddie Murphy (Dreamgirls)
comment: I did not see this coming... he may be i the race but his status is still iffy...

Best Supporting Actress: Catherine O'Hara (For Your Consideration)
predicted winner: Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls)
comment: Surprised! good surprise! Happy to see this perf got her a bow but i think this is a lead role not supporting. but she was superb nonetheless...

Best Director: Martin Scorsese (The Departed)
predicted winner: Scorsese YAY! YAY! YAY!
comment: I'm starting to feel that they are finally writing his name in an Oscar trophy. But Eastwood seems to be hogging the Oscar to himself. Remember when Soderbergh won in 2000 for directing 2 films and both of which got him nominated twice? Flags and Letters might do the same thing but Scorsese has the momentum.

Other Winners:

Best Animated Feature: CARS
prediction wrong, alternate right

Best Ensemble Cast: THE DEPARTED
prediction wrong, alternate right

Breakthrough Performance by an Actor: RYAN GOSLING, Half Nelson
prediction wrong

Breakthrough Performance by an Actress: (2)JENNIFER HUDSON, Dreamgirls and RINKO KIKUCHI, Babel
prediction wrong, but alternate correct

Best Directorial Debut: JASON REITMAN, Thank You for Smoking

Best Original Screenplay: ZACH HELM, Stranger Than Fiction
prediction wrong

Best Adapted Screenplay: RON NYSWANER, The Painted Veil
prediction wrong

Best Foreign Language Film: Volver (winner), Curse of the Golden Flower, Days of Glory, Pan's Labyrinth, Water
prediction wrong, right alternate

Top Five Documentary Films: An Inconvenient Truth (winner), 51 Birch Street, Iraw in Fragments, Shut up and Sing, Wordplay

Top Independent Films(in alphabetical order)
Akeelah and the Bee, Bobby, Catch a Fire, Copying Beethoven, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, Half Nelson, The Illusionist, Lonesome Jim, Sherrybaby, 10 Items or less, Thank You for Smoking

Career Achievement - ELI WALLACH

Billy Wilder Award for Excellence in Directing - JONATHAN DEMME

Career Achievement in Producing - IRWIN WINKLER

William K. Everson Film History Award - DONALD KRIM

The BVLGARI Award for NBR Freedom of Expression - WATER and WORLD TRADE CENTER


Comment: Happy to see Volver, Hudson, Kikuchi, Gosling, An Inconvenient Truth winning. This could probably prove that Hudson is a real contender. Remember when Theron won this award and end up winning the Oscar in 2003? And come on, though im happy, Gosling? Breakthrough? he should have won this back in 2002 for The Believer. Kikuchi was great but I think like Nathaniel that Barazza is far better than her. Volver is looking like a lock same as with Pan's Labyrinth.

NBR PREDIX

im am currently updating the template of my website so the changes and tweakings would go in th blog for now.

NBR will kick off the awards season tomorrow and i am a bit excited. But predicting NBR seems hard because they seem to have a very different taste than the oscar. NBR win doesn't translate to Oscar win but a NBR win can sometimes translate to Oscar contender. Like last year's Good Night and Good Luck and 2004's Finding Neverland (and also 2003 and so on). They might not set up a serious contender (see Gong Li last year) but sometimes they give us the locks (Jamie Foxx in Ray)...

The NBR seem to have a certain liking for either literary pedigree (Mystic River, The Hours) or artsy films (Moulin Rouge, Good NIght and Good LUck) or biopics (The Hours, Finding Neverland, Good Night and Good Luck [biopic?]). So this year I am predicting...

Best Picture:
Predicted Winner: The Queen (directed by Stephen Frears)
Why? though not artsy nor a literary pedigree but this falls under the Biopic category. Hell this is even better than Finding Neverland. But it is good nonetheless plus nottomention the powerhouse performance by Helen Mirren.
Why Not? They might go musical again this year? Dreamgirls?

Alternates: Dreamgirls, Little Children

Rest of the Top Ten:
The Departed
Little Miss Sunshine
Thank You for Smoking
A Prairie Home Companion
Dreamgirls
Letters from Iwo Jima
Little Children
Babel
United 93


Best Actor:
Predicted Winner: Peter O'Toole (Venus)
Why? I guess the due-for-a-recognition factor comes into mind. plus this category seems too open for now and there are no current locks so I guess O'Toole is a safe choice.
Why Not? The film may not be any good at all and therefore O'Toole will be snubbed again. but i do have a strange feeling that it will be Gosling.
Alternates: Forrest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland), Ryan Gosling (Half-Nelson)

Best Actress:
Predicted Winner: Helen Mirren (The Queen)
Why? Top notch performance and plus this will kick off her winning streak for the year. Unless
Why Not? NBR goes for the dark horse such as Meryl Streep...
Alternates: Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada), Judi Dench (Notes on a Scandal)

Best Supporting Actor:
Predicted Winner: Eddie Murphy (Dreamgirls)
Why? This is the comeback of the year! (i think) and the NBR will award him for finally making a good film for a change.
Why Not? too flashy? or they might finally stop the category confusion for the departed

Alternates: Brad Pitt (Babel), Jack Nicholson (The Departed)

Best Supporting Actress:
Predicted Winner: Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls)
Why? This category is very very weak this year plus NBR loves to give awards to somewhat those not very known. see Gong Li or Hope Davis
Why Not? too fresh?

Alternates: Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine), Meryl Streep (A Prairie Home Companion)

Best Director:
Predicted Winner: Martin Scorsese (The Departed)
Why? long overdue long long overdue, long overdue
Why not? Eastwood?

Alternates: Clint Eastwood (Flags of our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima), Robert Altman (A Prairie Home Companion)

Adapted Screenplay : Little Children
Alternates: Letters from Iwo Jima, Notes on a Scandal

Original Screenplay: Little Miss Sunshine
Alternates: Babel, The Queen

Breakthrough Actor: Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat)
alternates: Adam Beach (Flags of our Fathers)

Breakthrough Actress: Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine)
alternates: Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls), Keke Palmer (Akeelah and the Bee), Gretchen Mol (The Notorious Bettie Page), Shareeka Epps (Half Nelson)

Best Animated Film: Happy Feet
alternates: Monster House, Cars

Best Foreign Film: The Lives of Others
Alternates: Curse of the Golden Flower, Volver

Best Documentary: An Inconvenient Truth
Alternates: Shut up and Sing, Jesus Camp

Best Ensemble Cast: Babel
alternates: Little Miss Sunshine, The Departed

given my NBR prediction track record i will not be amazed if i got this all wrong. my personal best year was 2004... where i got all of em top ten right and the actors right too and murky down on

thats all for now guys... tomorrow Golden Globe Predictions...