It's that time of the year again...

I'm upset- the year I finally watched almost all the movies nominated in the major categories (we're only missing The Queen and Pan's Labyrinth) is also the year I can't watch the ceremony 'live'- a first in five years. We're going to be in Boston for spring break and as much as I would love to be plonked in front of the TV between 7pm and midnight on Sunday at our friend, Terence's, I can't bear to squander a night in New England and miss out on fresh seafood and the delights of Beantown.

And I'm all the more upset because it's going to Ellen at the helm this year! I adore the woman... ever since her sitcom more than a decade ago, few people have made me laugh as hard as she has. It was her show that got me hankering after opening a bookstore cum cafe, and one day, I will bring myself to wear Converse sneakers with a business suit :) Another reason why I think this year's Oscars is pretty cool (but this is just me of course), is that almost exactly 10 years after a certain juggernaut of a movie propelled them to international celebrity, Kate and Leo are going to be at the ceremony together, both nominated for best acting awards. I think that's gotta be kind of sweet on some level right?...

Anyways, to the nominees. Okay- that's it; this year, I'm going to go determinedly with my head and pick the nominees most likely to win rather the ones I would like to win (except for one- cross my fingers!). After more than a decade of following this thing EVERY year, you'd think I would have learned by now that it's not about who should win, but who will. I'm not doing the voting so why should my personal opinion count in this decision-making process? Because if I had my way, Ryan Gosling will take home the statuette as the anguished crackhead of a teacher, and in that same perfect world, Brad Pitt would also have been nominated for at least Best Supporting Actor over Mark Wahlberg. Ah well, c'est la vie...

So anyways, ladies and gentlemen, my choices for the year:

Performance by an actor in a leading role
Forest Whitaker - THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Eddie Murphy - DREAMGIRLS
This is definitely one of those head over heart choices people- I would rather see Alan Arkin receive the statuette to the strains of Super Freak than Dr. Doolittle go on stage doing a Norbit impersonation (or is it the other way round?)

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Helen Mirren - THE QUEEN

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Jennifer Hudson - DREAMGIRLS

Best animated feature film of the year
CARS

Achievement in art direction
PAN'S LABYRINTH

Achievement in cinematography
CHILDREN OF MEN

Achievement in costume design
CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER

Achievement in directing
THE DEPARTED
As much as I disliked the film, c'mon, give that man an Oscar!...

Best documentary feature
AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH

Best documentary short subject
TWO HANDS

Achievement in film editing
BABEL

Best foreign language film of the year
PAN'S LABYRINTH

Achievement in makeup
PAN'S LABYRINTH

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
BABEL
Unless the Academy decides that the same artist (Gustavo Santaolalla) somehow cannot win two years in a row (after the hauntingly exquisite Brokeback Mountain score last year)

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
"Love You I Do" - DREAMGIRLS

Best motion picture of the year
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
This is probably the only choice where I'm going with my heart rather than my head. Like I told my best friend, although Babel is probably the more "winnable" film, I really, really love Little Miss Sunshine, and when it comes down to just pure film narrative and heart, it's honestly the better movie too.

Best animated short film
THE LITTLE MATCHGIRL

Best live action short film
THE SAVIOUR

Achievement in sound editing
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST
Because almost every year, it's the movie that made the most noise and the most money that wins this award... ;)

Achievement in sound mixing
DREAMGIRLS

Achievement in visual effects
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST

Adapted screenplay
THE DEPARTED
"It's who will win, not who should win, who will win, not who should win..." I'm sorry Mr. Borat, that you have no fortunate of great success this night that will make you much fame in your homeland.

Original screenplay
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE