I was lazy enough not to open the thread and hoped someone else will do so but then decided to do it because its just 5 days away.
Best Picture
Babel
The Departed
Letters from Iwo Jima
Little Miss Sunshine
The Queen
My pick: The departed. Babel is my second favorite from the list but Departed is way ahead.
Actor In a Leading Role:
Leonardo DiCaprio, Blood Diamond
Ryan Gosling, Half Nelson
Peter O’Toole, Venus
Will Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness
Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland
It will be VERY close between DiCaprio and Forrest whitaker. Dicaprio was brilliant with his south african accent and really heart wrenching acting. He has come a long way from his Titanic image and this might be his year. He was phenomenal in Departed as well. But Forrest whitaker was so real in the last king. Has anyone seen that movie? Yet to see more true portryal of a real life character. Breath taking performance.
Actress in a Leading Role
Penelope Cruz, Volver
Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal
Helen Mirren, The Queen
Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada
Kate Winslet, Little Children
Actor in a supporting role
Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine
Jackie Earle Haley, Little Children
Djimon Hounsou, Blood Diamond
Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls
Mark Wahlberg, The Departed
My pick: Mark Wahlberg. He has GOT to be the best $hitty mouth ever.
Actress in a supporting role
Adriana Barraza, Babel
Cate Blanchett, Notes on a Scandal
Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine
Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls
Rinko Kikuchi, Babel
**Best Direction
**
Clint Eastwood, Letters from Iwo Jima
Stephen Frears, The Queen
Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu, Babel
Paul Greengrass, United 93
Martin Scorsese, The Departed
My pick: Give it to scorsese please. Otherwise he will end up as the biggest oscar loser. He deserves it too.
For more nominations see Oscars official website