If I had a vote at the Oscars, This is who I would vote for.

Best Motion Picture of the Year
Nominees:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Ceán Chaffin, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall
Frost/Nixon (2008): Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Eric Fellner
Milk (2008/I): Bruce Cohen, Dan Jinks
The Reader (2008): Anthony Minghella, Sydney Pollack, Donna Gigliotti, Redmond Morris
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Christian Colson

This was a hard choice, all of these are good films. Its' sad to say, but in this category, there is not a great one. I would vote for "Slumdog". To me it was the better film of this lot. I still can not believe that "The Dark Knight" nor "Gran Torino" were nominated in this category.



Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Nominees:
Richard Jenkins for The Visitor (2007/I)
Frank Langella for Frost/Nixon (2008)
Sean Penn for Milk (2008/I)
Brad Pitt for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler (2008)

In A minor upset, I would have voted for Mickey Rourke, for his role as a once famous wrestler. I saw the film and I actually believed that he was once the man, who is now living on former glory.



Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Nominees:
Anne Hathaway for Rachel Getting Married (2008)
Angelina Jolie for Changeling (2008)
Melissa Leo for Frozen River (2008)
Meryl Streep for Doubt (2008/I)
Kate Winslet for The Reader (2008)


I would have voted for Meryl Streep. Her role as a nun who accuses a priest of the most horrible crime was another great role in her acting career.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Nominees:
Josh Brolin for Milk (2008/I)
Robert Downey Jr. for Tropic Thunder (2008)
Philip Seymour Hoffman for Doubt (2008/I)
Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight (2008)
Michael Shannon for Revolutionary Road (2008)

Can we just give the award to the estate of Heath Ledger and be done with this one? I really do not see any other actor winning this award this season. Heath made "The Joker" into what I always hoped that the movies would capture.




Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Nominees:
Amy Adams for Doubt (2008/I)
Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
Viola Davis for Doubt (2008/I)
Taraji P. Henson for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Marisa Tomei for The Wrestler (2008)

I would have voted for Marisa Tomei for her role as the wannabe girl friend of "The Wrestler". It was a nice role as a lady who had finally found love with a man who has a death wish.

Best Achievement in Directing
Nominees:
Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Stephen Daldry for The Reader (2008)
David Fincher for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Ron Howard for Frost/Nixon (2008)
Gus Van Sant for Milk (2008/I)


I would have voted for Boyle for the film that he made. Once again everyone on this list did a good job, but no one on this list did the one great job.

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
Nominees:
Bolt (2008): Chris Williams, Byron Howard
Kung Fu Panda (2008): John Stevenson, Mark Osborne
WALL·E (2008): Andrew Stanton

I absolutely loved "The Panda" and absolutely hated "Wall-E". I still can not understand why people loved the robot and hated the Panda. My vote is for "The Panda." I stil could not believe that "Vals Im Bashir" was not nominated in this category.


Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
Nominees:
Der Baader Meinhof Komplex (2008)(Germany)
Entre les murs (2008)(France)
Revanche (2008)(Austria)
Okuribito (2008)(Japan)
Vals Im Bashir (2008)(Israel)

I really liked the film "Vals Im Bashir". It took a look at war and showed the insanity of it from all sides.

Best Documentary, Features
Nominees:
The Betrayal - Nerakhoon (2008): Ellen Kuras, Thavisouk Phrasavath
Encounters at the End of the World (2007): Werner Herzog, Henry Kaiser
The Garden (2008/I): Scott Hamilton Kennedy
Man on Wire (2008): James Marsh, Simon Chinn
Trouble the Water (2008): Tia Lessin, Carl Deal


I could not believe that "A Letter to Zachary" was not nominated and other crap films were in this category. My vote is for, "Man on Wire". It was a look at basically kids deciding to try and cross the World Trade Centers' "Twin Towers"

Once again, these are my votes, If I would have had a vote in this years oscars.