Punt on......The Oscars

[thetank]

The Academy Awards take place on February 25th, the nominations have been announced, and I'm sure there are plenty of places that will let you punt on who's in the envelopes.

Here's the lowdown from me wee brother, a 4th year film student at Aberdeen University.

Just to point out, he's cost me about £50 with his lousy oscar picks every year, so obviously due for a very big win. Get on these.....



Margianlly certain....

Best Actor - Forrest Whittaker - The Last King of Scotland

Best Actress - Helen Mirren - The Queen

A little sure.....

Best supporting Actress - Jennifer Hudson - Dream Girls

Best Picture - The Departed

Best Director - Martin Scorsese - The Departed

Best Original Screenplay - Peter Morgan - The Queen

Best Adapted Screenplay - William Monahan - The Departed

Cinematography - Emmanuelle Lubeski - Children of Men

On the fence....

Best Supporting Actor - Djimon Hounso - Blood Diamond
                               or   - Will Smith - Dream Girls




Fill yer boots, if you find good prices, it's good to share.

I'm lumping the farm on a Cinematography, Best Actor, Best Actress triple (if I can find a place to do it)

[booder]

IMHO Helen Mirren is a certainty

[The Baron]

My honest pick would be Scorcese. Zero Oscars so far although he's had many nominations. The Academy seems to get a bit sentimental about this.

[The Baron]

Saying that The Academy has a way of picking it's usual type of film year in and year out with little room for exceptions.

For this reason I doubt The Departed will win best picture.

[Sark79]

Best actor will hopefully go to Will Smith for 'Pursuit of Happiness'.  I never thought I would say that about Will Smith, but in this movie he is great. 

[AndrewT]

Tank, your brother has managed to use his skill and judgment to pick the odds-on favourite in every category (I assume he meant Eddie Murphy, rather than Will Smith, who isn't nominated for Supporting actor) along with the second favourite where he hedged his bets.

Helen Mirren - 1/6
Forrest Whittaker - 1/4
Jennifer Hudson - 4/6
Departed - 10/11
Martin Scorcese - 1/2
Eddie Murphy - 1/2
Djimon Hounso - 4/1

[thetank]

Yeah, Eddie Murphy, and I'm shocked Andrew it's like a swizz or something.

I'm off to tell him tududud (via the bookies)

Sark you're dreaming.


Maybe it's worth punting against Scorsese? the Academy like to tease the bad boy, wot Baron said, they were saying that the last few times too.

[AndrewT]

Maybe it's worth punting against Scorsese? the Academy like to tease the bad boy, wot Baron said, they were saying that the last few times too.

I thought this as well. Twice before we've had 'it's Scorcese's year' with The Aviator and Gangs of New York. With The Aviator he was beaten by Clint Eastwood and Gangs of New York was beaten by the fact that the film was horrendously over-nominated (on account of being swept along by Scorcese's Oscar and Daniel Day-Lewis's performance) and the Academy realised it was a real mess of a film.

If the Best Director Oscar was voted upon only by directors, Scorcese would have won one already (and more than one). As it is, it's voted for by the whole academy, which seems to hurt him, as the director Oscar seems to tally with Best Picture, which is heavily influenced by the acting awards (ie it's not directing skills which determine the winner).

I would love it if Paul Greengrass won for United 93 as that was a tremendously brave film, but ultimately I think it will be Scorcese.

My outside bet would be on Little Miss Sunshine for Best Picture - it's picking up momentum and I think Babel is too short and will lose momentum as people realise it's not as deep as it would have you believe (having said that, it has many similarites to Crash, which somehow managed to win). Therefore LMS could be a good bet.

[The Baron]

Maybe it's worth punting against Scorsese? the Academy like to tease the bad boy, wot Baron said, they were saying that the last few times too.

I thought this as well. Twice before we've had 'it's Scorcese's year' with The Aviator and Gangs of New York. With The Aviator he was beaten by Clint Eastwood and Gangs of New York was beaten by the fact that the film was horrendously over-nominated (on account of being swept along by Scorcese's Oscar and Daniel Day-Lewis's performance) and the Academy realised it was a real mess of a film.

If the Best Director Oscar was voted upon only by directors, Scorcese would have won one already (and more than one). As it is, it's voted for by the whole academy, which seems to hurt him, as the director Oscar seems to tally with Best Picture, which is heavily influenced by the acting awards (ie it's not directing skills which determine the winner).

I would love it if Paul Greengrass won for United 93 as that was a tremendously brave film, but ultimately I think it will be Scorcese.

My outside bet would be on Little Miss Sunshine for Best Picture - it's picking up momentum and I think Babel is too short and will lose momentum as people realise it's not as deep as it would have you believe (having said that, it has many similarites to Crash, which somehow managed to win). Therefore LMS could be a good bet.

Spot on IMO.

Just to clarify, IMO, Scorcese to win Best Director but Departed NOT to win Best Film.

[thetank]

Now that's sorted, let's talk dresses

[Graham C]

what will you be wearing Tank, little red number?

[fergus8]

Scorcese is so erratic, making great films like casino, godfellas,colour of money and now departed, as well as making two shockers recently in aviator and the unbelievabley bad gangs of new york

[AndrewT]

Scorcese is so erratic, making great films like casino, godfellas,colour of money and now departed, as well as making two shockers recently in aviator and the unbelievabley bad gangs of new york

I don't think The Aviator was bad - it just was in no way as good as people believed at the time (as they got swept up in Scorcese fever). As I've already stated, Gangs of New York was a travesty of a film (any director with his eye on the ball would have realised that Leonardo Di Caprio and Cameron Diaz were hopelessly miscast).

[Nem]

Tank, your brother has managed to use his skill and judgment to pick the odds-on favourite in every category (I assume he meant Eddie Murphy, rather than Will Smith, who isn't nominated for Supporting actor) along with the second favourite where he hedged his bets.

See, university education pays!

[NoflopsHomer]

Helen Mirren is trading at 1.08 on BF at the moment, although she's the favourite, I still think's she's overpriced here. Having won every other award, Oscar voters tend not to like being told who to vote for.