Oscar Postpartum 2008

So it’s the morning after and I’m looking over my predictions – none of my wild cards paid off and some of my darts didn’t hit the bulls-eye so what do I got? Well, I don’t know whether to feel comforted or disturbed by the fact that I got EXACTLY the same amount right that I did last year – 13 out of 24. So here’s at ‘em: 1. BEST PICTURE: NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN 2. BEST DIRECTOR: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen - Though everybody was saying this was a lock I was still somewhat scared that this was wishful thinking. So glad that it happened - it is definitely the Coen Brothers time. Seeing them on stage - Joel stoic and commanding with Ethan cutely quietly fidgeting made them look like the Penn & Teller of movie directors. 3. BEST ACTOR: Daniel Day Lewis for THERE WILL BE BLOOD. 4. BEST ACTRESS: Julie Christie - WRONG! - Marion Cotillard for LA VIE EN ROSE - As much as I loved Christie in AWAY FROM HER I am not disapointed here. Cotillard's performance was amazing and the award is well deserved. Besides Christie's won before. 5. BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Hal Holbrook - WRONG! Javier Bardem for NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN - I knew I'd be wrong about this one but didn't care. Bardem was excellent and his short acceptance (hard to call it a speech) 6. BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS : Cate Blanchett - WRONG! Tilda Swinton for MICHAEL CLAYTON - This was a real surprise. Still she did a good job in her role and I liked that backstage afterwards she said winning is often "the kiss of death". Yeah, just ask Cuba Gooding Jr. 7. ART DIRECTION: SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET 8. CINEMATOGRAPHY: Roger Deakins for THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD - WRONG! - Robert Elswit for THERE WILL BE BLOOD - I knew I'd be wrong here but still thought Deakins would win but for NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. I loved TWBB so I'm happy it got 2 major awards. 9. COSTUME DESIGN: ATONEMENT - WRONG! - Elizabeth Byrne for ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE 10. DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: NO END IN SIGHT - WRONG! - TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE 11. DOCUMENTARY SHORT: SARI’S MOTHER - WRONG! - FREEHELD 12. FILM EDITING: THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY - WRONG! - THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM - BOURNE surprisingly swept the technical award categories. Maybe I should see it. 13. MAKEUP: LA VIE EN ROSE 14. VISUAL EFFECTS: TRANSFORMERS – WRONG! - THE GOLDEN COMPASS - I called it a "no brainer" but I should've remember the Academys track record on this category. I mean E.T. won over BLADE RUNNER for this 25 years ago! 15. ORIGINAL SCORE: ATONEMENT 16. ORIGINAL SONG: “Falling Slowly” from ONCE - A nice moment during the broadcast was when Host Jon Stewart quipped "wow, that guy is so arrogant" after Glen Hansard's humble as Hell acceptance speech. It got a big laugh from the audience and the folks at the Oscar party I was at last night. 17. ANIMATED SHORT: I MET THE WALRUS - WRONG!- PETER AND THE WOLF 18. LIVE ACTION SHORT: AT NIGHT - WRONG! - THE MOZART OF PICKPOCKETS 19. SOUND EDITING: THERE WILL BE BLOOD - WRONG! - THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM 20. SOUND MIXING: THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM 21. ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: JUNO by Diablo Cody - This was the real 'no brainer'. 22. ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: ATONEMENT - WRONG! - NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN adapted by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen.23. ANIMATED FEATURE FILM: RATATOUILLE 24. FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: THE COUNTERFEITERS Okay! So I did no better or no worse than last time out. Sigh. Story of my life. More later...