That faceless, golden little man known only as ?Oscar? turns 80 this Sunday, and the entertainment industry is abuzz with speculation on who will be taking home this iconic statuette. This year?s nominees include a few regulars, such as Cate Blanchett (?Elizabeth: The Golden Age? and ?I?m Not There?) and 18-time nominee and Disney songwriter Alan Menken (?Enchanted?), as well as Academy Award newcomers like Ellen Page (?Juno?) and Casey Affleck (?The Assassination of Jesse James?).
Your cinephillic ArtsEtc. writers have voted for who we believe is most likely to win, and we have also asked you, our dear readers, who you want to see accepting awards and trying to talk over a hasty orchestra. But even with predictions and desires, all questions remain open-ended until Sunday night. Will that old man from ?Into the Wild? take an Oscar? Just how many times will we be given a closeup of a laughing, sunglass-toting, front-row Jack Nicholson? Will Johnny Depp finally take the stage for the first time?
Who knows, but for now, our results are in. And the winners are…
– Matthew Straub
Best Actor
Every Oscars season there are bound to be a few gimmes, and this year?s award for Best Actor seems to be another one of these cases. Daniel Day-Lewis has already won a BAFTA, Golden Globe and SAG award, and with a track record like this, it seems highly probable that he?ll take home an Oscar to boot. Day-Lewis exhibited an incredibly three-dimensional performance in the critically praised ?There Will Be Blood,? proving that the protagonist need not be likable. In fact, it is far more impressive for an actor to play a bastard well than to play a hero. Our writers predicted that Day-Lewis will beat out the other nominated actors by a ratio of almost 3-to-1, so we will all be surprised if he doesn?t take home the Academy Award he so clearly deserves.
– Matthew Straub
Best Actress
If you?ve seen the indie-crossover hit ?Juno,? there is a good chance you?ll understand why the ArtsEtc. writers have chosen fresh face Ellen Page as most likely to win Best Actress this Sunday. Page, who plays the title character, has led the movie to earn three other nominations, including a stacked Best Picture category. As a high school girl who gets knocked up by her awkward boyfriend, Page is the antihero to the generic good-girl character moviegoers are often subjected to. She listens to punk and indie rock (and not Good Charlotte ?punk,? mind you) and uses phrases like ?fo? shizz? ? with just the right amount of irony. While the quirks Page adds to Juno?s characters give the movie its comedic appeal, she really shines when Juno?s romantic and vulnerable sides come out, creating a character arguably more relatable than the others up for the award. Juno is a totally boss, kick-ass and unique personality that Ellen Page fully embodies in the movie.
– Taylor Paul
Best Supporting Actor
Anyone who has seen ?No Country for Old Men? should know that Javier Bardem is the sure winner for Best Supporting Actor. The Spanish actor?s eerie portrayal of the film?s merciless killer/madman is downright scary, a fact that has already led Bardem to win a BAFTA Film Award, Golden Globe, Critics Choice Award and SAG Award for his performance.
Bardem outshines even lead Tommy Lee Jones in ?No Country,? whose bad-guy persona is darkly compelling, especially in using a compressed air device intended to slaughter cows to kill those who step in his way ? even if by accident. His crisp accent, amused smile and heavy footfalls to the chill-inducing effect Bardem creates. Furthermore, when an actor can play a role so refined that to see him laugh in another (like in ?Goya?s Ghosts?) seems strange and unordinary, that is undeniable talent.
– Ashley Jacobs
Best Supporting Actress
Of all of the fine actresses nominated for this year?s Best Supporting Actress, Cate Blanchett?s role in ?I?m Not There? is the one most likely to lock up this category. With five nominations and one win to date, Blanchett did the one thing this year the other nominated actresses did not: she literally transformed herself into the character of Jude Quinn, a Bob Dylan homage. Her mannerisms, her attire and her look are so eerily accurate that it?s difficult to imagine a male actor pulling off the same dazzling performance. This easily made Blanchett?s performance the highlight of the movie. Of course, if Blanchett does happen to lose this category, she?s still got a chance as Best Actress nominee for ?Elizabeth: The Golden Age.?
– Kari Krajewski
Best Picture
No film this year has captivated audiences in the same way that ?No Country for Old Men? has. Directors Joel and Ethan Coen masterfully deliver this cat-and-mouse drama in such a compelling fashion that the audience is left reeling after every blood-curdling gunshot fired. Actors Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin and Javier Bardem all provide timeless performances as players in a drug deal gone horribly wrong. The constant intertwining of the character?s stories creates a thrilling tale deeply enriched with themes of chance and fate. Expert cinematography only adds to the drama as the film spans through the desolate, violent deserts of
– Tony Lewis
Best Director
To say that this year?s nominees for Best Director made great films is like saying the Renaissance painters made great art. But of the nominees, Joel and Ethan Coen are the most worthy. Adapted from the novel of the same name, ?No Country for Old Men? integrates the Coens? trademark themes of choice and chance as an escalating situation becomes increasingly disastrous for all characters involved ? much like their other renowned films ? all while retaining many of the same dark qualities that made the book great. The movie blends suspense with thrills, and includes captivating performances from Javier Bardem, Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin. Make no mistake: in a lesser director?s hands, ?No Country for Old Men? may have been mediocre, but in the hands of Joel and Ethan Coen, ?No Country for Old Men? is nothing short of extraordinary.
– Kari Krajewski
Best Original Score
Dario Marianelli is no newcomer to the motion picture industry and continues to prove his musical genius with the riveting original score for ?Atonement.? With its hauntingly beautiful grandeur, Marianelli?s score perfectly complements the passion of this film. As the true story unfolds in its stunning climax, the score succeeds in adding suspense and elevating the emotions of the audience. Going above and beyond traditional orchestra instruments, Marianelli adds an extra creative touch to his imaginative score with the inclusion of ambient noises, such as typewriters and the frantic flipping of pages. The result is a finely tuned blend of sound and a brilliant score flawlessly encompassing the tragic romance of ?Atonement.?
– Tony Lewis
Cinematography
?Atonement? makes a beautiful leap from novel to a film. Cinematography encompasses all the nuances that make film the art form it is, from lighting to camera angles and everything in between. ?Atonement? excels in its detail-oriented execution, making the film a stunning work of art. The scenes range from astonishingly beautiful to devastatingly desolate, yet every moment onscreen remains poetic, including a single, remarkable 5 1/2 minute shot that has been much talked about. Central themes and cinematography are almost indistinguishable, as images substantiate the main themes of the film. An element crucial to the movie?s plot, the manipulation of perspective, also makes the film?s cinematography unique. The notion of atonement relies on the symbolic use of water, another visual aspect that the film?s cinematography imprints in the memory of the viewer. Every artistic choice is intentional, resulting in a purposeful delivery of a story in the form of a breathtaking film.
– Kelly Shafer
Visual Effects
Fun was all theatergoers expected when they shelled out ticket fees for this summer?s film incarnation of ?80s TV show and playthings. And a high-flying, carnage-inducing, engine-revving, brain-twistingly visual fun was what they got with ?Transformers.? Hypnotized viewers staggered out of theaters utterly unable to comprehend much of the ?transforming? they had just seen, but thrilled regardless. And it is this enchanting effect that makes ?Transformers? the most deserving contender for this award.
The whirling dervish of a Predacon erupting from the sand, blades slicing the desert air and ironically making army tanks look like measly toys was just one of many jaw-dropping sequences in the film. Even the utter chaos of the closing fight scenes couldn?t have been more spectacularly rendered. When it comes to giving out the gold statuette, the Academy should all be in agreement the film?s main actor Shia LaBeouf was actually talking to a 60-foot-tall (and damn cool) Optimus Prime.
– Michael Merline
And the readers chose…
Best Actress
Ellen Page, “Juno”
Best Actor
Daniel Day-Lewis, “There Will Be Blood”
Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett, “I’m Not There”
Best Supporting Actor
Javier Bardem, “No Country for Old Men”
Visual Effects
“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”
Best Original Score
“Atonement”
Cinematography
“There Will Be Blood”
Best Director
Jason Reitman, “Juno”
Best Picture
“There Will Be Blood”
The Academy Awards will air this Sunday at 7 p.m. on ABC.
