Countdown to Oscar: 2 Days To Go

Be sure to check back tomorrow where I list some information about my Oscar party including what I'll be serving. I'll also do some show information including who will be there and why the Oscars are relevant after 77 years. Anywho, here is who I'll be rooting, cheering and - with the assistance of an abundance of wine - probably be screaming and eventually crying for.

Best Animated Feature:
The Incredibles

Best Art Direction:
The Aviator

Best Cinematography:
The Aviator

Best Costume Design:
The Aviator

Best Film Editing:
The Aviator

Best Makeup:
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events

Best Music - Score:
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events

Best Music - Song:
"Accidentally In Love" from Shrek 2

Best Sound Editing:
Spider-Man 2

Best Sound Mixing:
Spider-Man 2

Best Visual Effects:
Spider-Man 2

Best Writing - Adapted Screenplay:
Before Sunset

Best Writing - Original Screenplay:
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Best Actor in a Supporting Role:
Clive Owen - Closer
Suggested Clip: "Now fuck off and die, you fucked up slag."/Larry interrogates Anna.
Like all the actors in Closer, Clive has to go through a varied amount of emotion. Observe his embarassment, and horniness, when he tries to impress Anna at the aquarium; his pain and the way he winces at every move Jane makes at the strip club; his confidence when he confronts and ultimately destroys Dan. He does it all, and never once lost my sympathy or came off as pathetic.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role:
Cate Blanchett - The Aviator
Suggested Clip: "We have to be very careful..."/Katharine talks about the price of fame.
My embarassing confessing: I've never seen a Katharine Hepburn film. I know, someone's going to want to shoot me for that. Consider this: I've only ever heard adjectives to describe her. Not just her screen prescence, but her off screen personality. Blanchett embodies every characteristic you've heard about Miss Hepburn while at the same time creating a completely organic character.

Best Actor in a Leading Role:
Leonardo Dicaprio - The Aviator
Suggested Clip: I don't have the exact quote - something along the lines of "It I take the cap and put it in my pocket."/Howard is officially mad.
What makes this performance, in my mind at least, better than Jamie Foxx's? Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles is stunning to watch, and you never feel that you're watching Foxx. After the film is over, its almost forgotten. After The Aviator is over, you still have Howard in your mind: his madness, his obsession, his triumphant life. And when you see Dicaprio step into a leading man role for the first time, you get a thrilling feeling that even after a near decade long career its only the beginning.

Best Actress in a Leading Role:
Kate Winslet - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
"Nothing makes any sense. Nothing makes any sense."/Clemetine, confused, pleads to Patrick to take her to the Charles.
See Below Comments.

Best Directing:
Martin Scorsese - The Aviator

Best Picture:
The Aviator

MY BIG FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION:
You guys know I'm an actress whore, so here goes:
I'd like to acknowledge that this year's best actress contenders all seem to be made of little moments. Granted, Imelda Staunton spends the last half of Vera Drake crying and Hilary Swank does just about anything an actress can do in role to guarentee her an Oscar in Million Dollar Baby. The smallest of these is one most people will forget: about 10 minutes into Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Kate Winslet's character is walking along the street where she's stopped by Joel, the man she's met earlier in the day. He asks her if she'd like a ride, and she turns and faces the direction she was heading. She takes a small step forward and like a bullet turns back around and hauls it to his car. That's what makes Kate's performance as a modern day Annie Hall so great. She has Clementine down pat. The actress bursts out of those corsets that have defined most of her career and the result is a live wire that everyone stares at in awe. If there is any justice in the film world, Kate Winslet will walk away with her first Oscar Sunday night with the most lively and engaging an actress has been in ages. As far as deglamming, come on people! She dyed her hair, like, a lot!