It is once again time for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to present their awards, which is often seen as a precursor to the Oscars.
As always here are my predictions for the film categories.
Best Picture – Drama
Nominees:
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire
Prediction: Frost/Nixon
Alternate: Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Reason: I’ve seen all, but one, of these films and I can confidently say that Frost/Nixon is the best of the bunch (if not, then I pick Benjamin Button).
Best Picture – Musical or Comedy
Nominees:
Burn After Reading
Happy-Go-Lucky
In Bruges
Mamma Mia!
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Prediction: Burn After Reading
Alternate: Happy-Go-Lucky
Reason: I like Happy-Go-Lucky better, but I believe Burn After Reading is the more mainstream choice (and it’s also a great comedy).
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Nominees:
Leonardo DiCaprio – Revolutionary Road
Frank Langella – Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn – Milk
Brad Pitt – The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler
Prediction: Frank Langella
Alternate: Mickey Rourke
Reason: As much as I loved Rourke in The Wrestler, Langella was breathtaking as Nixon.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Nominees:
Anne Hathaway – Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie – Changeling
Meryl Streep – Doubt
Kristin Scott Thomas – I’ve Loved You So Long
Kate Winslet – Revolutionary Road
Prediction: Kristin Scott Thomas
Alternate: Meryl Streep
Reason: Since I’ve seen none of these movies, this is a hard one to pick. As such, I’ll go with the least mainstream performance (with Streep added as the alternate for good measure).
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical Or Comedy
Nominees:
Javier Bardem – Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Colin Farrell – In Bruges
James Franco – Pineapple Express
Brendan Gleeson – In Bruges
Dustin Hoffman – Last Chance Harvey
Prediction: James Franco
Alternate: Colin Farrell
Reason: James Franco’s hilarious stoner character is almost a shoe-in. I also liked Colin Farrell’s performance, by I will fear that he may be cancelled out my Brendan Gleeson also being nominated.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Nominees:
Rebecca Hall – Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Sally Hawkins – Happy-Go-Lucky
Frances McDormand – Burn After Reading
Meryl Streep – Mamma Mia!
Emma Thompson – Last Chance Harvey
Prediction: Sally Hawkins
Alternate: Frances McDormand
Reason: Sally Hawkins is the sole reason Happy-Go-Lucky was so great and she deserves to win. If not, than I’ll say Frances McDormand.
Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Nominees:
Tom Cruise – Tropic Thunder
Robert Downey Jr. – Tropic Thunder
Ralph Fiennes – The Duchess
Philip Seymour Hoffman – Doubt
Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight
Prediction: Heath Ledger
Alternate: Robert Downey Jr
Reason: I’ll go with popular opinion for this one.
Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Nominees:
Amy Adams – Doubt
Penélope Cruz – Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis – Doubt
Marisa Tomei – The Wrestler
Kate Winslet – The Reader
Prediction: Kate Winslet
Alternate: Marisa Tomei
Reason: Winslet’s performance was actually quite
Best Director – Motion Picture
Nominees:
Danny Boyle – Slumdog Millionaire
Stephen Daldry – The Reader
David Fincher – The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard – Frost/Nixon
Sam Mendes – Revolutionary Road
Prediction: Ron Howard
Alternate: David Fincher
Reason: Ususally the best picture winner corresponds with this category (especially when they are exactlty the same nominee-wise)
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Nominees:
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button Written by Eric Roth
Doubt Written by John Patrick Shanley
Frost/Nixon Written by Peter Morgan
The Reader Written by David Hare
Slumdog Millionaire Written by Simon Beaufoy
Prediction: Frost/Nixon
Alternate: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Reasion: Same as Best Picture.
Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Nominees:
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button Composed by Alexandre Desplat
Changeling Composed by Clint Eastwood
Defiance Composed by James Newton Howard
Slumdog Millionaire Composed by A. R. Rahman
Frost/Nixon Composed by Hans Zimmer
Prediction: Slumdog Millionaire
Alternate: Frost/Nixon
Reason: It’s the only one
Best Original Song – Motion Picture
Nominees:
“Down To Earth” – Wall-E
“Gran Torino” – Gran Torino
“I Thought I Lost You” – Bolt
“Once In A Lifetime” – Cadillac Records
“The Wrestler” – The Wrestler
Prediction: Down to Earth
Alternate: The Wrestler
Reason: You can’t beat Peter Gabriel (or Bruce Springsteen)
Best Animated Feature Film
Nominees:
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
Wall-E
Prediction: Wall-E
Alternate: Kung-Fu
Reason: Wall-E is more than just an animated film and it should win.
Best Foreign Languge Film
Nominees:
The Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany)
Everlasting Moments (Sweden, Denmark)
Gomorrah (Italy)
I’ve Loved You So Long (France)
Waltz With Bashir (Israel)
Prediction: I Loved You So Long
Alternate: Waltz With Bashir
Reason: I’ve heard good things about both I Loved You So Long and Waltz with Bashir, but I will go with the non-animated one.
And those are the predictions.
