Barone Picks the Oscars

My lazy ass finished just in time to pick the Oscars. I'm only doing this for the categories I care about and my choices are all curvy.

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Atonement
Away From Her
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
No Country for Old Men
There Will be Blood

This is easy. It was the best movie of the year and the script had to play some role in it right?

Writing (Original Screenplay)

Juno
Lars and the Real Girl
Michael Clayton
Ratatouille
The Savages

Thats 2 easy ones in a row. Screenplay of the year. There's that damn Ratatouille, I'm trying not to be all snide about a Pixar film getting a screenplay nomination but its real hard.

Cinematography

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Atonement
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
No Country for Old Men
There Will be Blood

My first choice would be Into the Wild because it was fricking beautiful but no luck. I'll settle for There Will be Blood because after Daniel Day-Lewis it was the best thing going for it.

Actress in a Supporting Role

Cate Blanchett (I’m Not There)
Ruby Dee (American Gangster)
Saoirse Ronan (Atonement)
Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone)
Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton)

Its hard not to go with Beadie from The Wire or Tilda but I have to give Cate at least one statue this year.

Actor in a Supporting Role

Casey Affleck (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford)
Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men)
Philip Seymour Hoffman (Charlie Wilson’s War)
Hal Holbrook (Into the Wild)
Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton)

Not even up for discussion.

Directing

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Juno
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will be Blood

Hopefully, this will be the Coen brothers year.

Actress in a Leading Role

Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth: The Golden Age)
Julie Christie (Away From Her)
Marion Cotillard (La Vie En Rose)
Laura Linney (The Savages)
Ellen Page (Juno)

The only category where I have no business picking one since all I've seen is Juno but the hell with that Ellen Page deserves it.

Actor in a Leading Role

George Clooney (Michael Clayton)
Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood)
Johnny Depp (Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street)
Tommy Lee Jones (In the Valley of Elah)
Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises)

Damnit! I'm giving this to Clooney. So what if I waxed all poetic about Day-Lewis in my There Will be Blood review. Clooney was off the charts in Michael Clayton and I just liked that movie more.

Best Picture

Atonement
Juno
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men

There Will be Blood

Well, what was the point of listing all the movies during the year if I didn't want my #1 movie to get the Oscar?