Hold the 'Fone

BEST ACTOR- FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD FORREST WHITTAKER IN "THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND" GAVE THE BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN THE MODERN DAY, BUT LEO DICAPRIO IN "THE DEPARTED" WAS INCREDIBLE . I HAVE TO GO WITH LEO ONLY BECAUSE I HAVEN'T SEEN WHITTAKER YET. IF CLIVE OWEN IS NOMINATED, HE CAN WIN

BEST ACTRESS- I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY OF THESE MOVIES, BUT I HAVE FRIENDS AND RELATIVES THAT TELL ME IT'S A RACE BETWEEN BEYONCE FOR "DREAMGIRLS", MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL IN "SHERRYBABY", AND HELEN MIRREN IN "THE QUEEN". I'LL GIVE IT TO MIRREN SICE SHE WON THE GLOBE.

BEST DIRECTOR- IS THERE REALLY ANY QUESTION HERE? SCORCESE SHOULD WIN THIS EASILY.

BEST PICTURE- I'M ACTUALLY GONNA GIVE A LIST FOR THIS ONE. WITHOUT FURTHER APU, MY TOP 5 FILMS FOR THE OSCAR:
5. BORAT- IN MY OPINION THE FUNNIEST FILM SINCE "MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL." THE BEST THING IS EVERYONE WAS OBLIVIOUS THAT BORAT MEETS IN HIS TRAVELS
4. BABEL- HAVEN'T SEEN IT, BUT TALKING TO EVERYONE I KNOW, IT WAS AMAZING AND BRAD PITT WAS IN HIS BEST ROLE. I FIND THAT HARD TO BELIEVE SINCE I LOVED "FIGHT CLUB" AND "SE7EN" BUT WUTEV.
3. DREAMGIRLS- MY FATHER WALKED OUT OF THIS FILM AND TOLD ME THAT THE VOICES OF THE GIRLS (AND EDDIE) WERE PHOENOMENAL AND IF THEY DIDN'T WIN ANYTHING, HE WOULD BOYCOTT THE GOLDEN GLOBES. BACK TO THE MOVIE, I SAW A CLIP AND BEYONCE AND HUDGENS ARE NOTHING SHORT OF PHOENOMENAL IN THIS FILM.
2. CHILDREN OF MEN- SUCH A POWERFUL MOVING FILM OF THE HORRORS OF WHAT CAN COME TO BE IN THE FUTURE OF THE WORLD WE LIVE IN. CLIVE OWEN WAS FANTASTIC AND THE HOTEL SCENE WAS THE MOST POWERFUL THING I'VE EVER SEEN.
1. THE DEPARTED- LEO, MATT DAMON, MARKY MARK, ALEC BALDWIN AND MARTIN SHEEN GAVE THERE BEST PERFORMANCES, AND JACK GAVE HIS BEST NON "CUCKOO'S NEST" ROLE. IT WAS THE MOST AMAZING, AS DANE COOK LOVES TO SAY "CINEMATIC ADVENTURE" I'VE EVER BEEN A PART OF. IF YOU SEE THE END COMING, YOU HAD TO HAVE SEEN THIS MOVIE.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? FEEL FREE TO EMAIL ME SYRACU

Supporting Actor Nods: Should go to Guy Pearce as Andy Warhol in "Factory Girl"...saw a very early unedited version of the film and his performance is phenomenal.  If he doesn't at least garner a nomination I'd be surprised.  

Actress: Add to the list, Sienna Miller for the same film, portraying Edie Sedgwick...she may be the dark horse in the Actress category this year. My pick overall would be Dame Helen Mirren for "The Queen" but Sienna Miller gives an incredible performance which certainly is worthy of that 5th spot on the nomination list.

Cinematography: One film which received critical acclaim this year and yet, I haven't seen much Oscar Buzz around it (although it certainly deserves some) is "The Proposition".  Benoit Delhomme captures the Australian Outback in all its ominous beauty and desolation in ways I have never seen done before.  The film deserves recognition for Best Original Score, Best Original Screenplay, Actor/Actress nominations for just about "all" in this cast...But since the Academy seems to frown on films like this (what else is new right?), I at least believe it deserves a nod for Best Cinematography.  Absolutely incredible and one of the best films "overall" I've seen in 2006.

Best Film:  A darkhorse to me should go to "Little Miss Sunshine"...if it doesn't grab that 5th spot it would be ashame.  I know it's considered a comedy and those tend to be overlooked by the Academy, but because its received 5-6 nominations at the Independant Spirit Awards, I wouldn't at all be surprised that it gains that 5th "darkhorse" spot on the list.