Oscar picks

You knew it was coming, but were hoping I'd forget: my Oscar predictions.

Best Picture: Million Dollar Baby
- Shows us all that we've been missing since the Hollywood studio system collapsed in the sixties. A masterpiece, in the old sense of a piece of art produced by master craftspeople.

Best Director: Clint Eastwood
- It takes more talent to move a modern audience (Eastwood) than to dazzle them with flashing lights and insider references (Scorsese).

Best Adapted Screenplay: Sideways
- There are a number of good screenplays nominated, but three are subservient to the story, and thus, while I think that's a good thing, are not likely to outshine the flashier Before Sunset and Sideways. Of the two, Sideways is clearly the more subtle and intelligent.

Best Original Screenplay: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
- It's quirky, it's non-linear. It's a shoe-in for the Oscar, but what I really liked was it had heart.

Best Lead Actress: Hilary Swank
- Her performance is subdued, yet overwhelmingly powerful, and so seems the most mature of the nominated performances (although all five deserve to win). Plus, she looks like she could take Will Smith in the ring.

Best Lead Actor: Jamie Foxx
- Tough one, but Foxx gives the most typically Oscar performance, so I'll go with the oddsmakers.

Best Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett
- While not perfect, her Katharine Hepburn impression is still amazing, if not downright amusing.

Best Supporting Actor: Clive Owen
- Since Closer is practically a remake of Carnal Knowledge, a role-by-role comparison points out the relative strengths of the actors: Jack Nicholson vs. Jude Law - Jack Nicholson wins; Candice Bergen vs. Julia Roberts - close call; Ann-Margret vs. Natalie Portman - Ann-Margret wins; finally, Art Garfunkel vs. Clive Owen - and there you realize what makes Closer a better movie. Clive rocks.

Best Editing: Million Dollar Baby
- Million Dollar Baby. Normally, this is a gimme for the movie that wins Best Picture, but in this case, the editing really adds a noticeable dimension to the film. Watch Maggie's boxing matches. Her sense of power comes largely from exquisitely timed cuts.

Best Documentary Feature: Super Size Me
- I've only seen 3 of 5 candidates, so technically I shouldn't be allowed to vote on this one. But of those three Super Size Me stands out as both entertaining and informative.