Oscar Buzz Pt. 2

So HELLO!! Welcome to Part Two of our heavily predictive and slightly over ambitious attempt to predict the mind of these crazy buggers in the Academy and give you a rundown of where we believe the ACTING HONOURS will go at this year's Oscars. We won't do all the acting Oscars though, just the men today and the women tomorrow.

So, if you don't know the format, check out the previous post and enjoy...



BEST ACTOR:
Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland), Peter O'Toole (Venus), Leonardo DiCaprio (The Departed and/or The Blood Diamond), Derek Luke (Catch A Fire), Will Smith (The Pursuit of Happyness), Matt Damon (The Good Shepherd), Will Ferrell (Stranger Than Fiction), Ryan Gosling (Half Nelson), Aaron Eckhart (Thank You For Smoking), George Clooney (The Good German), Ryan Phillipe (Flags Of Our Fathers), Patrick Wilson (Little Children)

• Whitaker is the major frontrunner for this now with his performance as Idi Amin dominating the film. Everyone else is a dark horse is a slightly-weaker-than-usual field.
  
• But you never know and Leo DiCaprio should snag one nod, likely for The Departed, while Derek Luke in Apartheid-drama Catch A Fire and Peter O'Toole (post his honorary Oscar) in Venus are gaining serious momentum.
• Ferrell is unlikely to get one unless the reviews are immense and the Golden Globes honour him while Matt Damon will need the Oscar push behind his film to heat up fast.
• The other likely nominee probably come from a pool of Will Smith, Ryan Gosling (who should finally see his promise shown in previous work acknowledged) and Ryan Phillipe, the latter mostly on the strength of Flags Of Our Fathers' worthiness.
• SPECULATIVE PREDICTIONS FOR NOMINEES: FOREST WHITAKER (THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND), PETER O'TOOLE (VENUS), DEREK LUKE (CATCH A FIRE), LEONARDO DICAPRIO (THE DEPARTED), MATT DAMON (THE GOOD SHEPHERD)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Adam Beach (Flags Of Our Fathers), Jack Nicholson (The Departed), Eddie Murphy (Dreamgirls), Ben Affleck (Hollywoodland), Brad Pitt (Babel), Steve Carell (Little Miss Sunshine), Jackie E. Haley (Little Children), Tobey Maguire (The Good German), Gael Garcia Bernal (Babel), Michael Sheen (The Queen), Tim Robbins (Catch A Fire), James McAvoy (The Last King Of Scotland), Michael Pena (World Trade Center), Robert Downey Jr. (Fur)

• Adam Beach is the major frontrunner here but its a very strong field this year. Nicholson dominates The Departed and, with three already won, should get a nomination.
• Affleck won in Venice and now will definitely get a nod while both Brad Pitt and Eddie Murphy have been receiving major pre-release buzz.
• Fingers-crossed for Steve Carell in Little Miss Sunshine and he's a definite possibility while various others could easily sneak in.
• Haley is likely in too risky-a-role and Michael Sheen is outshone by Helen Mirren but anyone from Maguire, Bernal, Robbins, Pena and McAvoy could snag nods.
• SPECULATIVE PREDICTIONS FOR NOMINEES: ADAM BEACH (FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS), JACK NICHOLSON (THE DEPARTED), BEN AFFLECK (HOLLYWOODLAND), BRAD PITT (BABEL), STEVE CARELL (LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE)

Women tomorrow then and a strong field to look forward to. See y'all then!!