Oscar Pool 2007

Best picture
Babel Why not Children of Men?
The Departed If this wins, I'll be very happy for our New York pal.
Letters From Iwo Jima Puhleeeeeze... United 93 should be in this slot.
Little Miss Sunshine Great surprise, very long shot.
The Queen My favorite.
It's between Babel and The Queen. I shudder to think.
 
Best director
Clint Eastwood, Letters From Iwo Jima Why do people in Hollywood like this guy so much?
Stephen Frears, The Queen Yes!
Paul Greengrass, United 93 This is the one that deserves it. But I bet he won't get squat.
Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu, Babel As happy as I am for my compadre, I didn't like the movie.
Martin Scorsese, The Departed It's about time. And I hope he wins.

Best actor
Leonardo DiCaprio, Blood Diamond Good choice.
Ryan Gosling, Half Nelson Glad he got noticed. He is a wonderful actor.
Peter O'Toole, Venus No way....
Will Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness Can't even bear to see the movie, and I like Will Smith.
Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland He's the front runner but Di Caprio may steal his thunder. Go Forest!

Best actress
Penelope Cruz, Volver She was great, but it is highly unlikely. She's the multiculti candidate.
Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal I'm so glad they noticed. She kicked ass in this movie. Kicked ass.
Helen Mirren, The Queen My favorite and probable winner, unless the Streep takes it away.
Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada The only homegrown talent of the bunch. Could be an upset. She rules.
Kate Winslet, Little Children As much as I love her, why? Why not Maggie Gyllenhaal in Sherrybaby?
 
Best supporting actress
Adriana Barraza, Babel Well deserved, but slim chance, unless it's a consolation prize for Babel.
Cate Blanchett, Notes on a Scandal Very, very well deserved, but slim chance, unless it's a consolation prize for Babel.
Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine YESSSSSS. I know it's too cute, but this girl truly kicked butt. Rooting for her.
Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls This is the probable winner.
Rinko Kikucki, Babel Yes, but no.


Best supporting actor
Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine YESSSSSSSSSSSS! My sentimental favorite. Rooting for him.
Jackie Earle Haley, Little Children He was fantastic in this horrid movie. My runner up.
Djimon Hounsou, Blood Diamond Cool...
Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls I hear he was great, and if so, good for him, for he looks like the front runner.
Mark Wahlberg, The Departed Matt Damon was so much better, I was not impressed.

Best foreign language film
Efter Brylluppet (aka After the Wedding), Denmark Where the fuck is Volver????
Indigenes (aka Days of Glory), Algeria Great movie. Rooting for this one.
El Laberinto del Fauno (aka Pan's Labyrinth), Mexico This is inexplicable to me. Somebody please explain.
Das Leben der Anderen (aka The Lives of Others), Germany I hear this is a very good movie.
Water, Canada Oh, come on!!! Where is Volver?

Best animated feature film Couldn't care less but I hope it's Happy Feet and not a film about cars.
Cars
Happy Feet
Monster House 

Best adapted screenplay
Borat Very surprising, considering the Academy always ignores comedies.
Children of Men Why was this movie ignored as best movie?
The Departed Cool, and I think front runner.
Little Children Not cool.
Notes on a Scandal Very cool. Somehow, I'm rooting for Patrick Marber.


Best original screenplay
Babel Oy.
Letters from Iwo Jima Feh.
Little Miss Sunshine Yeah!
The Queen The best of the bunch by far. If it doesn't win, I'll be very upset.
Pan's Labyrinth No entiendo nada.

Best music (score)
Babel I love Gustavo Santaolalla, but lately all the scores with the drippy guitar sound pretty much the same.
The Good German Haven't heard it. Nor seen it.
Notes on a Scandal Go Phillip Glass!
Pan's Labyrinth Classic and overwrought.
The Queen I love Alexandre Desplat. You go, mon ami!
 
Best music (song) This category should cease to exist.
I Need to Wake Up - An Inconvenient Truth (performed by Melissa Etheridge)
Listen - Dreamgirls (performed by Beyonce Knowles)
Love You I Do - Dreamgirls (performed by Jennifer Hudson)
Our Town - Cars (performed by James Taylor)
Patience - Dreamgirls (performed by Eddie Murphy, Keith Robinson, Anika Noni Rose)
 
Best documentary feature Two about the religious nutcases, one about the environment and 2 about Iraq. Give him hell!
Deliver Us From Evil
An Inconvenient Truth
Iraq In Fragments
Jesus Camp
My Country, My Country 


Best visual effects Who cares?
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Poseidon
Superman Returns 

Best cinematography
The Black Dahlia
Children of Men Emmanuel Lubezki needs to win. Front runner and rooting for him.
The Illusionist I actually think Babel's Rodrigo Prieto deserved a nomination.
Pan's Labyrinth Somebody said: Matthew Barney on a bad day.
The Prestige This movie looked great. 

Best art direction Children of Men, for crying out loud!!!!
Dreamgirls
The Good Shepherd
Pan's Labyrinth
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
The Prestige 

Best film editing
Babel
Blood Diamond
Children of Men
The Departed
United 93 This one.