"oh please let this envelope contain my name!"Sweet glamour puss in your emerald dress. It probably won't happen for you or Atonement this year. But who knows? There's only five names for each category and there's been seven names refusing to fall out of the race in almost every category. It's been a fascinating and rewarding film year but a confounding one for Oscar Predictions. Which is pretty fun if you stop to really consider the point of predicting. If it's too easy, why bother? Just wait for the news.
Usually by this time there is often a clear shortlist in each category with maybe one person or film here or there threatening to "spoil" suddenly ... like say supporting actor this year. That's typically "settled" with one or two upsets-in-waiting if the voters are feeling frisky. But this year: Best Picture itself has but one lock. Crazy. Anything could fall out.
I blame this rather upset-possible lineup on distribution patterns (as I am prone to do) and on the weird fact that it was NOT a year that cried wolf. The December films turned out to be strong. Yet they all got off to such a late start that it's been very difficult to separate manufactured hype from honest to god great buzz.Read the rest...
for final thoughts and predictions and projected nomination tallies
