Oscar Buzz - Pt. 1

So this is the inaugural Plattenspieler Oscars Prediction Post on which we will give you a rundown of everyone who could be nominated, who we think will be nominated and why we think others might not.

Part one will take in Best Picture and Best Director; Part 2 will take in Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress; Part 3 will take in Best Screenplay categories and various possible predictions. For each, we will list all the possible contenders, even the darkest of horses, and then sum up in the subsequent paragraph who will be nominated, who won't and who should.

So then, onwards and upwards.


BEST PICTURE: Flags Of Our Fathers, Dreamgirls, Babel, The Queen, The Departed, Bobby, United 93, Little Children, The Good German, Little Miss Sunshine, Blood Diamond, World Trade Center, Last King of Scotland, Volver, Stranger Than Fiction, History Boys.

• Flags Of Our Fathers, Babel and Dreamgirls all look dead certs for nods due to their pre-release buzz and Oscar worthiness.
• The other two slots could come from a variety of places although its unlikely Little Miss Sunshine, a super little movie, will get this sort of acclaim.
• Blood Diamond could certainly make some waves depending on reviews while United 93 seems a solid outside bet for a nod.
• Of the others, The Departed could well pick up a nod but has almost no chance of winning due to the gangster violence it depicts. War violence is okay.
• The dark horses for nominations are The Queen, Last King Of Scotland and Volver, the latter two definite outside favourites gaining considerable buzz.
• SPECULATIVE PREDICTION FOR NOMINEES: FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS, UNITED 93, BABEL, DREAMGIRLS, LAST KING OF SCOTLAND
  

BEST DIRECTOR: Clint Eastwood (Flags Of Our Fathers), Alejandro Innaritu (Babel), Bill Condon (Dreamgirls), Stephen Frears (The Queen), Martin Scorsese (The Departed), Todd Field (Little Children), Emilio Estevez (Bobby), Paul Greengrass (United 93), Pedro Almodovar (Volver), Christopher Nolan (The Prestige), Oliver Stone (World Trade Center), Robert De Niro (The Good Shepherd), Kevin MacDonald (The Last King Of Scotland), Alfonso Cuaron (Children Of Men), Steven Soderbergh (The Good German)

• Again, Clint and Marty will go up against each other but this time, due to the slightly underwhelming reviews for Flags, Marty might win.
  
• Its unlikely Condon will win unless Dreamgirls is utterly wonderful so count him out while Stephen Frears' The Queen is perhaps a little too low-key to swing this honour.
• Paul Greengrass is a definite dark horse here along with Almodovar, Innaritu and Emilio Estevez although it might be wishful thinking for him to win anything after Bobby's lukewarm festival reception.
• The other two to watch are Chris Nolan who should have won for Memento a couple of years ago but failed to even register and old stalwart Oliver Stone who already has 3 Oscars on his mantle and has now made a patriotic movie.
• SPECULATIVE PREDICTION FOR NOMINEES: MARTIN SCORSESE (THE DEPARTED), CLINT EASTWOOD (FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS), PAUL GREENGRASS (UNITED 93), PEDRO ALMODOVAR (VOLVER), ALEJANDRO INNARITU (BABEL)
  

Part two comin' soon. See yooz all on da flipside!