It's OSCARS time!

It's OSCARS time!

Nope! I am not talking about my dog here! I am talking about movies!

It is the major event of the year in Hollywood where everyone would like to win one of those golden statues. The nominations are announced yesterday with some surprises. This year it will be presented on Sunday, February 25, 2007, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center.

Being a movie buff, YES! ME! I am going to discuss about my favs (should win) and who going to win the little golden man. Haa.... Hmm..... I have not watched all the nominated movies yet as some of them have not even reached our big screens yet. My predictions might change after watching the other shows. Haa....

Let's start my own predictions:

Performance by an actor in a leading role

Leonardo DiCaprio in “Blood Diamond” (Warner Bros.)

Ryan Gosling in “Half Nelson” (THINKFilm)

Peter O’Toole in “Venus” (Miramax, Filmfour and UK Council)

Will Smith in “The Pursuit of Happyness” (Sony Pictures Releasing)

Forest Whitaker in “The Last King of Scotland” (Fox Searchlight)

Hmm... I have only watched blood diamond, the rest of the show not showing yet. I am going to go with my guts on this. Haa...

Should win: Leonardo DiCaprio as he had produced solid good acting over the past few years and with 2 good movies (The Departed and Blood Diamond) behind him this year. I think he should win this.

Going to win: Forest Whitaker as he had a lot of good reviews and he had won the golden globe award after all. Haa.... I saw the trailer of the movie, from what I can see, he is good!

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

Alan Arkin in “Little Miss Sunshine” (Fox Searchlight)

Jackie Earle Haley in “Little Children” (New Line)

Djimon Hounsou in “Blood Diamond” (Warner Bros.)

Eddie Murphy in “Dreamgirls” (DreamWorks and Paramount)

Mark Wahlberg in “The Departed” (Warner Bros.)

Should Win: Tough choice here as I had not seen little children and dreamgirls yet. For me it is a tie between Alan Arkin and Djimon Hounsou. For Alan, as the grandfather role, he showed that the grandfatherly love toward his grand daughter. For Djimon, his role as the father of the family really took off when he always kept his family in priority and wanted to find his family back together no matter what it will cost him, especially the part that when he saw his son became a rebel and wanted to shoot him. That is classic. If I really have to choice one, I will go for Djimon.

Going to win: Djimon Honsou (one thing against him is not being too famous) even though Eddie Murphy won it the golden globes. Haa....

Performance by an actress in a leading role

Penélope Cruz in “Volver” (Sony Pictures Classics)

Judi Dench in “Notes on a Scandal” (Fox Searchlight)

Helen Mirren in “The Queen” (Miramax, Pathé and Granada)

Meryl Streep in “The Devil Wears Prada” (20th Century Fox)

Kate Winslet in “Little Children” (New Line)

Should win: Meryl Streep as the reason is simple. I simply adore her in that movie and it does not feels like she is acting and really hated her when watching the movie.

Going to win: Helen Mirren for picking up a lot of good reviews and awards including the golden globe. She put up a strong performance and for while I really thought that she was the Queen. Haa...

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

Adriana Barraza in “Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage)

Cate Blanchett in “Notes on a Scandal” (Fox Searchlight)

Abigail Breslin in “Little Miss Sunshine” (Fox Searchlight)

Jennifer Hudson in “Dreamgirls” (DreamWorks and Paramount)

Rinko Kikuchi in “Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage)

Should win: Abigail Breslin. She is a wonderful darling in the show and she deserves to win it based on the pageant show itself. It is priceless.

Going to win: Jennifer Hudson. Have not watched the show yet, but glowing reviews everywhere!

Best animated feature film of the year

“Cars” (Buena Vista) John Lasseter

“Happy Feet” (Warner Bros.) George Miller

“Monster House” (Sony Pictures Releasing) Gil Kenan

Should win: Cars. Jz loved it, one of the best from Pixar and Disney in recent years.

Going to win: Cars. Enough said.

Achievement in directing

“Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage) Alejandro González Iñárritu

“The Departed” (Warner Bros.) Martin Scorsese

“Letters from Iwo Jima” (Warner Bros.) Clint Eastwood

“The Queen” (Miramax, Pathé and Granada) Stephen Frears

“United 93” (Universal and StudioCanal) Paul Greengrass

Should win: Martin Scorsese, Long overdue. Time to give him one statue man!

Going to win: Martin Scorsese

Best foreign language film of the year

“After the Wedding” A Zentropa Entertainments 16 ProductionDenmark

“Days of Glory (Indigènes)” A Tessalit ProductionAlgeria

“The Lives of Others” A Wiedemann & Berg ProductionGermany

“Pan’s Labyrinth” A Tequila Gang/Esperanto Filmoj/Estudios Picasso Production Mexico

“Water” A Hamilton-Mehta Production Canada

Should win: Pan Labyrinth, though had not watched the rest yet.

Going to win: Pan Labyrinth

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

“I Need to Wake Up” from “An Inconvenient Truth”(Paramount Classics and Participant Productions) Music and Lyric by Melissa Etheridge

“Listen” from “Dreamgirls”(DreamWorks and Paramount) Music by Henry Krieger and Scott CutlerLyric by Anne Preven

“Love You I Do” from “Dreamgirls”(DreamWorks and Paramount) Music by Henry KriegerLyric by Siedah Garrett

“Our Town” from “Cars”(Buena Vista)Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

“Patience” from “Dreamgirls”(DreamWorks and Paramount)Music by Henry KriegerLyric by Willie Reale

Should win: Any song from Dreamgirls. Come on it is a musical! I hope it is Listen!

Going to win: Any song from Dreamgirls.

Best motion picture of the year

“Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage) An Anonymous Content/Zeta Film/Central Films ProductionAlejandro González Iñárritu, Jon Kilik and Steve Golin, Producers

“The Departed” (Warner Bros.)A Warner Bros. Pictures Production Nominees to be determined

“Letters from Iwo Jima” (Warner Bros.)A DreamWorks Pictures/Warner Bros. Pictures ProductionClint Eastwood, Steven Spielberg and Robert Lorenz, Producers

“Little Miss Sunshine” (Fox Searchlight)A Big Beach/Bona Fide ProductionNominees to be determined

“The Queen” (Miramax, Pathé and Granada)A Granada ProductionAndy Harries, Christine Langan and Tracey Seaward, Producers

Should win: Little Miss Sunshine for being the best and most meaningful comedy in the past year! I jz loved it!

Going to win: Little Miss Sunshine

Achievement in visual effects

“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” (Buena Vista)John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson and Allen Hall

“Poseidon” (Warner Bros.)Boyd Shermis, Kim Libreri, Chaz Jarrett and John Frazier

“Superman Returns” (Warner Bros.)Mark Stetson, Neil Corbould, Richard R. Hoover and Jon Thum

Should win: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. Need to say more?

Going to win: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.

Adapted screenplay

“Borat Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan” (20th Century Fox) Screenplay by Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines & Peter Baynham & Dan MazerStory by Sacha Baron Cohen & Peter Baynham & Anthony Hines & Todd Phillips

“Children of Men” (Universal)Screenplay by Alfonso Cuarón & Timothy J. Sexton and David Arata and Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby

“The Departed” (Warner Bros.) Screenplay by William Monahan

“Little Children” (New Line) Screenplay by Todd Field & Tom Perrotta

“Notes on a Scandal” (Fox Searchlight) Screenplay by Patrick Marber

Should win: Borat. Well how to put it in words? Hmm..... Freaking Great!

Going to win: Borat.

Original screenplay

“Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage)Written by Guillermo Arriaga

“Letters from Iwo Jima” (Warner Bros.)Screenplay by Iris YamashitaStory by Iris Yamashita & Paul Haggis

“Little Miss Sunshine” (Fox Searchlight)Written by Michael Arndt

“Pan’s Labyrinth” (Picturehouse)Written by Guillermo del Toro

“The Queen” (Miramax, Pathé and Granada)Written by Peter Morgan

Should win: Little Miss Sunshine. Simple story that shines from the rest.

Going to win: Babel. Well the voters loved multi racial themes right?

Well hope that my favs will win!

A "very OSCAR" Polarbear