Feature - Oscar Picks

Because so many of you requested it (Thanks, mom!) Here are my choices for the Oscars 2008.
I doubt these are anywhere close to the Oscar's real selections. However, I consider that a sign of a job well done.

Best Picture: Juno

This was really a toss-up between Michael Clayton and Juno for me (and for everyone else if last week's poll is to be believed.) But Michael Clayton just didn't seem to have that triple threat: Great performances, awesome direction and the 'it' quality that makes it stand out. Juno has all three. Plus, I like to root for the underdog and compared to the rest of the films on this list, that's the one I would really like to remember.

The snub: Zodiac. The most underappreciated movie of the year by far, Fincher's masterpiece was horribly neglected by both audiences and critics.

Best Actor: George Clooney in Michael Clayton

He is just the best one on this list. Let's be honest, Johnny Depp just plays himself, with the exception of Jack Sparrow. You can never forget that it's him on the screen. Tommy Lee Jones shows that he is still capable of amazing performances. Unfortunately, this one just doesn't seem that different from his others. And the other performances were really not all that memorable.

The snub: Christian Bale. He turned in two worthy performances, in Rescue Dawn and 3:10 to Yuma and was once again ignored by the Academy.

Best Actress: Laura Linney in The Savages

Laura Linney and Ellen Page can fight this one out. I love Laura Linney and her performance in The Savages is amazing, just like all her performances but Ellen Page clearly brought something special to the slacker-persona of Juno. Laura Linney edges her out because I already gave Juno Best Picture.

The snub: Angelina Jolie in A Mighty Heart. Angelina proved that she was much, much more than the tabloid queen.

Best Supporting Actor: Casey Affleck in The Assassination of Jesse James...

This one isn't even a competition. Casey Affleck has had a banner year between this film and Gone Baby Gone. He's proven that someone in the Affleck family has a crapload of talent...but it's not the famous one! (I would vote for Javier Bardem, who redefined villainy in No Country but he doesn't belong in this category. He was, without question, the lead. If he can't stand up to the other Best Actor nominees, then that's too bad.)

The snub: James Marsden, from Hairspray. he delighted audiences in not only Hairspray but also Enchanted. His role in Hairspray, however, showed he had a lot more depth than superhero movies. He didn't have such a bad voice either...

Best Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett in I'm Not There

Sometimes there's just that role that guarantees the win. It usually requires you to be ugly. This time it required her to be a man.

The snub: Michelle Pfeiffer. She made evil deliciously good again in Stardust.

Best Director: Joel and Ethan Cohen for No Country for Old Men

Though I wasn't a huge fan of the film, I can't deny that the direction was amazing. Every camera angle was perfectly planned and coordinated with the sound. If you need any evidence, check out the first scene where Javier Bardem murders the police officer--It's amazing.

The snub: Zack Snyder. 300 was not only one of the highest-grossing movies of the year but also one of the most technically proficient, with more iconic images than you could handle. 300 was the type of the movie that was an experience not just a film.

Animated Feature Film: Surf's Up

It was charming and fun and proved that penguins were still America's sweethearts. Was I the only one who thought that Ratatouille just tried too hard?

The snub: Nothing for the Simpson's Movie or Beowulf? One was the culmination of years of anticipation yet still proved to not be a disappointment. Beowulf should have been nominated just for that scene of Angelina rising out of the water, although the rest wasn't bad either.

Best Art Direction: The Golden Compass

It was a real feat to make this world believable. They not only managed to do that but also make it incredibly enticing.

The snub: Across the Universe. Without a doubt, one of the most visually interesting movies of the year. It really seems like this was a shoo-in.

Best Cinematography: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

It was a masterful feat of filmmaking, creating a world devoid of color except for Jesse's blue eyes. Every shot in this movie, every color choice, every scene included had a purpose-- to draw you back into Jesse James.

The snub: Sunshine by Danny Boyle. Boyle used a camera to tell a story. It seems so basic but is far too often not done. His loving peeks into the cosmos were a feat not matched by any movie in this category.

Best Music (Score): Michael Clayton

It takes talent to pick songs that match a political thriller like this one but the score of this film weaves itself into the action flawlessly.

The snub: Superbad. The perfect combination of shagtastic retro music and modern hits, Superbad deserved at least one nomination for being one of the funniest comedies in decades.

Best Music (Song): Once

An independent critical darling, this film, at the very least, deserves this category. Enchanted was way too over-rated.

The snub: Hairspray. It featured some of the most, rousing best-performed songs of any musical in the past ten years and was completely ignored?

Best Writing (Original Screenplay): Lars and the Real Girl

This movie managed to take a somewhat off-putting subject and turn it into something everybody wanted to watch. That's good writing.

The snub: Knocked Up. It was the first film of the year to take an all too real concept, unexpected pregnancy, and turn it into an absolutely hilarious movie that still had heart. Why all the critical love for Juno and none for Apatow who really paved the way.

Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay): Atonement

This movie took a boring concept and made it interesting. It wins for the same reason as Lars and the Real Girl--because it was actually, surprisingly watchable, a feat not accomplished by the similar-themed Love in the Time of Cholera.

The snub: The Mist. It seemed like just another Stephen King gore-fest. Then they covered it with mist and added that kick-ass ending...definite contender for best adaptation.