Insert clever title about the Oscars here.

Ahh, the Oscars are upon us. Here's a list of the nominees in my favorite categories, accompanied by my opinions, guesses, and/or bones-to-pick.

Best Supporting Actress

* Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone
* Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton
* Ruby Dee, Amercian Gangster
* Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There
* Saoirse Ronan, Atonement

Well, I don't feel great about forming an opinion here. From this group, I've only seen Atonement and Gone Baby Gone. That said, Amy Ryan is fantastic.

- Who should win? Amy Ryan.
- Who will win? Amy Ryan


Best Supporting Actor

* Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
* Javier Bardem, No Country For Old Men
* Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson's War
* Hal Holbrook, Into the Wild
* Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton

Ack. I'm even more unqualified to judge here. The only movie in this section that played in Logan (to my knowledge) was Charlie Wilson's War, and it wasn't around for very long. My love for Casey Affleck is nudging me in his direction, but Phillip Seymour Hoffman isn't taking any missteps lately.

- Who should win? Javier Bardem. Even though I have a long-standing crush on Casey Affleck, and he was quite phenomenal in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Javier Bardem was absolutely terrifying.
- Who will win? Javier Bardem.


Best Actress

* Ellen Page, Juno
* Marion Cotillard, La Vie En Rose
* Julie Christie, Away From Her
* Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth: The Golden Age
* Laura Linney, The Savages

- Who should win? Ellen Page.
- Who will win? Julie Christie, which is a shame, because Page really deserves it.


Best Actor

* Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises
* George Clooney, Michael Clayton
* Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
* Tommy Lee Jones, In the Valley of Elah
* Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood

Okay, here's my first (and second) bone-to-pick: No nomination for Ryan Gosling for Lars and the Real Girl? I know he got one last year for Half Nelson, but the boy's only getting better. Secondly, where's the nomination for James McAvoy? Seriously. Can they retract Tommy Lee Jones's (and George Clooney's) nomination? Because that would put the world in balance again. The Academy needs to stop kissing Clooney's butt. He's good, but he's not that good.

- Who should win? Daniel Day-Lewis.
- Who will win? Daniel Day-Lewis. He's Hollywood's hermit, and when he comes out of hiding to make a movie, he makes it count.


Best Director

* Jason Reitman, Juno
* Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton
* Joel & Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men
* Julian Schnabel, Diving Bell and the Butterfly
* Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood

Okay, here's the part where I throw a fit. Joe Wright, for every reason, should be on that list. What the hell, Academy voters?! Are you blind? Did you just not see Atonement? That doesn't seem likely, since it garnered several other nominations. So, you're all incompetent. Ugh, I think a part of my cinema-loving soul just died.

- Who should win? Wright, but he wasn't nominated. So, I say the Coen brothers.
- Who will win? The Coen brothers.

Achievement in Cinematography

* The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford: Roger Deakins
* Atonement: Seamus McGarvey
* The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: Janusz Kaminski
* No Country for Old Men: Roger Deakins
* There Will Be Blood: Robert Elswit

- Who should win? Seamus McGarvey. The nearly-6-minute take along Dunkirk was spectacularly executed.
- Who will win? Hell if I know. It's pretty much a coin toss. Probably Roger Deakins for No Country for Old Men.

Achievement in Costume Design

* Across the Universe: Albert Wolsky
* Atonement: Jacqueline Durran
* Elizabeth: The Golden Age: Alexandra Byrne
* La Vie en Rose: Marit Allen
* Sweeney Todd: Colleen Atwood

- Who should win? Jacqueline Durran, if only for the exquisite green silk dress that Cecilia wears to the dinner party in Atonement. And the tux they stuck on James McAvoy's beautiful body. That certainly didn't hurt, either. (Second place: Colleen Atwood, based purely on the blue spandex creation that Sasha Baron Cohen wore in Sweeney Todd.)
- Who will win? I think they just might toss a bone to Alexandra Byrne, but I hope I'm wrong.

Achievement in Film Editing

* The Bourne Ultimatum: Christopher Rouse
* The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: Juliette Welfling
* Into the Wild: Jay Cassidy
* No Country for Old Men: Roderick Jaynes
* There Will Be Blood: Dylan Tichenor

- Who should win? Roderick Jaynes.
- Who will win? Roderick Jaynes.

Original Screenplay

* Diablo Cody, Juno
* Nancy Oliver, Lars and the Real Girl
* Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton
* Brad Bird, Ratatouille
* Tamara Jenkins, The Savages

This category has so many great nominees already, but where's the love for Adrienne Shelley? Waitress was one of last year's best films, and even just a nomination would be a lovely way to honor her memory.

- Who should win? Nancy Oliver, hands down. (Sorry, Diablo. You were soooo close.)
- Who will win? Diablo Cody.

Adapted Screenplay

* Christopher Hampton, Atonement
* Sarah Polley, Away from Her
* Ronald Harwood, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
* Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men
* Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood

- Who should win? So difficult. Christopher Hampton did a fantastic job, but the Coens captured Cormac McCarthy's crisp, concise prose magnificently.
- Who will win? The Coens.

Original Score

* Atonement: Dario Marianelli
* The Kite Runner: Alberto Iglesias
* Michael Clayton: James Newton Howard
* Ratatouille: Michael Giacchino
* 3:10 to Yuma: Marco Beltrami

- Who should win? Dario Marianelli, all the way. His score was the best I've heard since he did the soundtrack for Pride & Prejudice in 2006.
- Who will win? I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Marianelli.

Original Song

* "Falling Slowly," Once: Music and Lyrics by Glen Hansard and: Marketa Irglova
* "Happy Working Song," Enchanted: Music by Alan Menken; Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
* "Raise It Up," August Rush: Nominees to be determined
* "So Close," Enchanted: Music by Alan Menken; Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
* "That's How You Know," Enchanted: Music by Alan Menken; Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz

- Who should win? Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. Such a beautiful song.
- Who will win? I'm hoping Hansard and Irglova.

Achievement in Art Direction

* American Gangster: Art Direction: Arthur Max; Set Decoration: Beth A. Rubino
* Atonement: Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
* The Golden Compass: Art Direction: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
* Sweeney Todd: Art Direction: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
* There Will Be Blood: Art Direction: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Jim Erickson

What about Across the Universe? It's a far better choice than that ridiculous Golden Compass piece of garbage. (Sorry, Daniel Craig. You know I love you, but what were you thinking?)

- Who should win? I'm torn, but I'm going with the Sweeney Todd group.
- Who will win? The Sweeney Todd group.

Best Picture

* Atonement
* Juno
* Michael Clayton
* No Country For Old Men
* There Will Be Blood

- Who should win? Although I loved Juno more, I think No Country for Old Men really deserves it.
- Who will win? No Country for Old Men.

So, there you have it. I'll update these as needed.