cos i promised, and cos i like the idea of a bet, i'm gonna give my predictions. i spent a whole load of time and effort on this year's Oscars (not that its not been fun!) so i feel a list of predictions is definately in order...My predictions are in capitals, and my personal choice is in brackets...



Best Motion Picture of the Year

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (Milk. Really strong field this year, and how Benjamin Button was seen as being better than Revolutionary Road, Doubt or even Vicky Cristina Barcelona I will never know, but there you go. This may become a theme...)

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Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

SEAN PENN for Milk (Leonardo DiCaprio in Revolutionary Road. How he's not been nominated I'll never know. This is a really strong field for 08, and in any other year Mickey Rourke would walk it, as would Sean Penn, or Frank Langella, or Benicio Del Toro (Che). That Leo isn't even nominated - seriously, Brad Pitt? - says a lot about the strength of the competition. I would say Philip Seymour Hoffman too for Doubt, but he's up for Best Supporting Actor, when he's clearly the male lead. No idea on that one at all.)

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Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

KATE WINSLET for The Reader (Kate Winslet for The Reader. Or Revolutionary Road. Just give her one, it might result in her keeping her top on for once in her bloody life. You too Kidman...Trust though, she is amazing in it. I also will take this opportunity to nominate Rebecca Hall, who was immense in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, as well as being 16 million kinds of fit.)

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Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

HEATH LEDGER for The Dark Knight (Ben Kingsley for The Wackness, but thats not even nominated, so Michael Shannon for Revolutionary Road)

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Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

PENELOPE CRUZ for Vicky Cristina Barcelona (Amy Adams for Doubt)

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Best Achievement in Directing

DANNY BOYLE for Slumdog Millionaire (Can't disagree, though there were some beautiful scenes in Vicky Cristina Barcelona (Woody Allen) and Revolutionary Road (Sam Mendes) that might sway me. Tis the only thing I'm gonna give Slumdog so best leave it as that.)

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Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

MILK (Vicky Cristina Barcelona, though In Bruges is close behind, as is The Wackness. I don't think biopics necessarily count, as its not a completely original screenplay, though both Milk and Frost/Nixon were excellent.)

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Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published

THE READER (Doubt, which is so obviously based on a play that I feel the film is almost wasted in that I'll never get to see what must undoubtedly (geddit) be a magnificent piece on stage.)

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Best Achievement in Cinematography

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (Revolutionary Road, which isn't even nominated, a travesty...)

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Best Achievement in Makeup

BENJAMIN BUTTON (Easily one of the best things about the increasingly over-rated Benjamin Button. WOuld give credit to "Jim The Plasterer" for his work on The Joker in The Dark Knight too :D)

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Best Song

"O Saya" by A.R. Rahman and MIA (Bruce Springsteen for "The Wrestler" from The Wrestler, even though M.I.A is sickkkk and fits the tone of the film really well, theres nowt that can compete with a truly heart-wrenching song, written by Jersey native Springsteen, about his own state, about his own friend, Mickey Rourke. A little aside, btw, AR Rahman is the 5th biggest selling musician of all time. No joke. Thats actually amazing.)

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Best Foreign Film

WALTZ WITH BASHIR (Der Baader Meinhof Komplex)