My personal Oscar predictions.

I am one of those regular people who go to the movies because they JUST like it. They are not film critics. They are not people who took film/directing/movie history/or else classes. They are not people who like a film just because someone had said it is great - we like a film because there is something in it that strikes. Something that is awakening some feeling, something that draws great attention, something that makes you think or realize what you have not think of before. We like movies because of one or several factors, we may like it because of great lightening work, modern innovative thought, smart jokes, dumb jokes, cute actor/actress, great director, book it is based on, atmosphere of the movie, the way it disgust us, the way it change us. We might like it without any reason, without any particular reason I mean, we like it because we just like it. It might be something super popular blockbuster-ish or arty indie independent. It might me a video footage a friend made - but for us nothing could be more perfect.

We don't care if other's said it is not a good movie at all. We don't care if critics said it just sucks.We just like it, even if on public we prefer to keep our voices down, because it is not cool to like this movie.

I have no idea if it is true for most of the people or not, I don't know how other people choose their favorite movies, but at least it is true for me. Based on all my personal bias, here is the way I would like to see Oscars finding their owners:

Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire.
It must sound so pathetically ordinary, to wish that exactly this movie would win best picture. To be honest, I do not think that the whole idea of it is new. I find the way it is told new. I find it important to get all the attention now, at economic crisis time, to problems of other countries. It is significant to see stories like that - maybe idealized, yes, with happy ending, about some regular poor guy who got taught by the life in the most possible cruel way, and this knowledge gives him an opportunity to change it. Bravo, we like it.


Actor in a Leading Role: Sean Penn, Milk.
Gus Van Sant's new picture is not about gay people. Harvey Milk was not fighting for rights of gay people. No, the movie is about people's lives, people's rights, people's freedom to openly declare their preferences. Discrimination. Racism. One's ego. Harvey Milk was fighting for people's quiet happy life. When two guys can walk on a street holding hands and no one will insult them. When a man, who openly identify himself as gay or bisexual can quietly work as a doctor. When a man, who moved to unknown city with just an idea to open a camera store can represent a Zeitgeist. Sean Penn perfectly portrays Harvey Milk, he gave him not just a strong character. He gave him a heart and a soul. He showed how Harvey was just one of us. He showed how he is still with us and how fight is not over yet.


Actor in a Supporting Role: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight.
I am not a fan of Batman at all. I have never read any of comics and before watching this film have seen only Tim Burton's version. One might argue that Jack Nicholson Joker is perfect. I would say that Heath Ledger's Joker has a soul, and more frightening, he gives a feeling that Joker was real. Jack Nicholson's Joker is now look more as some evil Clown, when Heath Ledger's is a rebel with an anarchistic soul.

Actress in a Leading Role: Kate Winslet, The Reader.
It is Kate Winslet's year. In both The Reader and Revolutionary Road she portrays deeply developed, complex characters, each one with own story and lives. Personally, I was fascinated how with enormous beauty and lightness she presented complicated, naive and romantic image of a regular German woman, left without a choice, living for her own existence and love.


Actress in a Supporting Role: Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
If I would say I feel a lot of ssympathy to Cruz's character a lot of people would stare at me with total misunderstanding. Yes, I like neurotic women on edge, so genius that they can't live without bringing harm to surrounding people. I also think that this character is the brightest, most interesting and well-developed of all the rest in this nominee.

Art Direction: Revolutionary Road

Cinematography: The Reader

Costume Design: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Directing: Milk (Slumdog Millionaire)
I wish it would be Milk, but most likely it will be Slumdog Millionaire.

Make Up: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Music (Song): Slumdog Millionaire

Writing (Adapting Screenplay): Slumdog Millionaire

Writing (Original Screenplay): Milk

P.S. I gave my comments only to those nominees where I have full-formed opinion. The others are no more than my wishes, or guesses, where I can't fully explain my opinion. Or I can, but in a rather chaotic, unstructured, perhaps illogical way, which I don't want to fully present here =) Also, I have skipped some nominations, the reason could be that I didn't see these movies (for example, in Documentary or Foreign Movie nominations) or I am not so sure about technical features of this nomination (ex. Film Editing, Sound Editing & Mixing).