Life > January 17, 2008

By Kara Peruccio | Life editor

In the wake of the cancellation of last week’s Golden Globes, movie fans can only cross their fingers that the holy grail of awards ceremonies, the Academy Awards, will make it to television.

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An Oscar-worthy lineup.

With Jon Stewart set to host, this year’s Oscars are poised to be the best ever. 2007 marked a wonderful year in film with many outstanding performances and movies. Even if the ceremony does not make it to television, 2007 is a year that will live in film history.

The following are my picks for nominees in the major six categories.

Best Supporting Actor

The tour de force in this year’s race has been Javier Bardem for his role as the psychopathic killer Anton Chigurh in the Coen Brothers’ No Country for Old Men. He is the embodiment of pure evil despite providing comic relief in the intense film.

While Bardem has been racking up praise from critics across the country, my choice for best supporting actor is Max von Sydow of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. He plays the ailing father who feels the tremendous loss of his son to locked-in syndrome. It was a beautiful performance and brought tears to the eyes of every viewer in my theater.

Kara’s picks: 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, Max von Sydow, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton

Best Supporting Actress

The best supporting actress field is marked by many strong performances. Amy Ryan stars in Ben Affleck’s directorial debut, Gone Baby Gone, as a hard-talking mother of an abducted daughter and has received critical praise over the past few months.

At the Golden Globes, Cate Blanchett was victorious in the category for her role in the artistic I’m Not There.

Several actors, including Heath Ledger, Richard Gere and Christian Bale portray legendary singer Bob Dylan at different stages of his life under various pseudonyms. Blanchett convincingly plays a male singer named Jude as the most recognizable Dylan with frizzy hair and world-weariness.

Another potential nominee is 13-year-old newcomer Saoirse Ronan who plays the fanciful and foolish younger sister, Briony, in Golden Globe-winning Atonement.

Kara’s picks: Cate Blanchett, I’m Not There, Jennifer Garner, Juno, Saoirse Ronan, Atonement, Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone, Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton

Best Actor

2007 saw a very male-centric film field with many strong performances which makes a very crowded best actor category. As of this point during the Oscar race, the award is Daniel Day-Lewis’ to lose. His portrayal of scheming oilman Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood has been hailed as the year’s best and he is reportedly gripping as a morally suspect man who will succeed at any cost.

A safe nominee is George Clooney for his work in the corporate thriller Michael Clayton. His role as the legal fixer was heralded by the American Film Institute as harkening back to Humphrey Bogart. That is tremendous praise for any actor and as a previous winner of best supporting actor, Clooney should have no trouble being nominated this year.

Despite recently winning the Golden Globe for best actor in a musical/comedy for the bloody Sweeney Todd, Johnny Depp is not a lock as the Academy has traditionally overlooked Tim Burton films. As one of the best actors in recent years, Depp will hopefully receive his third nomination in five years as the murderous barber of Fleet Street.

In any other year, James McAvoy would win for his turn as the wronged soldier in Atonement, but with Day-Lewis in the field, no actor stands a chance.

Kara’s picks: Mathieu Amalric, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, George Clooney, Michael Clayton, Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood, Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd, James McAvoy, Atonement

Best Actress

Of all the races, best actress is the most unpredictable save for two sure locks: Julie Christie and Marion Cotillard. Christie stars in Away from Her as an Alzheimer’s-ridden woman who turns her affection away from her husband of many years to a new man at her nursing home.

The second, Marion Cotillard embodies the tragic French singer, Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose. Both actresses received Golden Globes for their work and lead the field. The rest of the nominees are uncertain, but many critics believe Ellen Page of Juno is the next surest nominee.

Kara’s picks: Helena Bonham Carter, Sweeney Todd; Julie Christie, Away from Her; Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose; Keira Knightley, Atonement; Ellen Page, Juno

Best Director

This year’s best director race is extremely stiff with many deserving candidates. Leading the field is Julian Schnabel for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. He is my pick to win, because the movie was not just a film; it was a work of art. The movie is gorgeous to look at and he did a fantastic job leading the very talented cast.

The Coen Brothers are also a lock for a nomination after returning to form with No Country for Old Men. Additionally, Joe Wright is deserving of a nomination for just his second film, Atonement. He did a great job directing a movie that was said to be impossible to make.

Kara’s picks: Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood; Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men; Sidney Lumet, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead; Julian Schnabel, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly; Joe Wright, Atonement

Best Picture

The best picture race is characterized by many fantastic dramas that show the struggles of life. No Country for Old Men has been the frontrunner for many of the past few months and appeals to fans of the Coen Brothers and western movies.

In recent weeks, There Will Be Blood, Paul Thomas Anderson’s epic film depicting the evils of oil, has been compared to Orson Welles’ classic Citizen Kane, which is generally considered the best film of all time.

Atonement recently won best drama at the Golden Globes and has been typified as an “Oscar movie”: it contains love, war, betrayal and is British. In my opinion, Atonement is the film of the year and will be remembered for years to come.

Look for teenage pregnancy comedy Juno as a spoiler. It will be exciting to find out what will be the best picture of the year.

Kara’s picks: Atonement, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, No Country for Old Men, Sweeney Todd, There Will Be Blood

The nominations will be unveiled Jan. 22. The Academy Awards are planned for 8 p.m. Feb. 24.