My Oscar picks

Hours before the Oscars, I am going to stick my foot in the mouth and predict the Oscars for the top categories. Two guesses for each category.

I am hoping that the Academy doesn’t follow the script everyone has already scripted for them.


Best Picture: Surprise o’ surprise – Milk! Simply because it is the best movie of the lot. (The Reader is too distant and has too much of sex in the beginning – imagine me saying that – if only it could be entirely like the second half. Frost-Nixon: well-done but quite not there. Benjamin Button a curious case indeed – why was it made when the only scriptline in the movie is – ‘Let’s show a man ageing the other way round.’) But it’s probably going to be the Slumdog coz we all know why.

Best Director – a deserving Danny who lifted this movie to the top Oscar contender despite a ridiculous script and mediocre non-star actors.

Best Actor – Mickey Rourke, followed by Langella. This is a tough year for this category. Frank Langella, Sean Penn, (I didn’t see Jenkins in the Visitor) and Rourke: all of them in the roles of their life-times. I wish it was Penn tho’.

Best Actress – Another surprise. Mellisa Leo in Frozen River. Tho’ the Academy will again probably conform to the age ol’ pattern and bring out the Coppola-Spielberg-Lucas like trio for Winslet (my second choice) or that old fraud – Streep.

Supporting Actor – Josh Brolin for Milk. Again, the Academy will probably go for the dead Ledger. The only safe bet is that Hoffman won’t be getting it – just like Brad Pitt can’t win it for the Actors.) I haven’t seen Tropic Thunder and Revolutionary Road.

Supporting Actress – I predict a black year. Viola Davis for Doubt as the favorite, followed by Taraji for Button. It would be a shame if Amy Adams wins this one – as they are predicting it. Marisa Tomei is just not up there and, even though I haven’t seen her movie, I doubt whether my darling Croz would match the performances of either of my top two picks.

There I have said it.
In a few hours, I will be proved a fool.