The 81st Academy Awards: JXM Picks the Winners

Best Picture - Drama
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire

JXM Picks: Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog Millionaire is also one of Danny Boyle’s finest work. Though Boyle is often reliant on camera trickery or “cool” shots, Slumdog is clean and engrossing from shot one. Slumdog chronicles the life of Jamal Malik as he is tortured and interrogated for his underdog performance in the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Suspected of fraud, Jamal is forced to explain his answers and thus recount all the moments in his life as an orphaned and homeless child on the dirty streets of India. Full of heart and fueled by his love for his only childhood friend, Latika, Jamal becomes a contestant on the show for the sole purpose of being seen by her. As heartwarming as it all sounds, Boyle beautifully ties in Jamal’s loss of innocence, loneliness and the gang violence that consumes his older brother. The entirely foreign cast set in a remarkably real India, Slumdog proves the film conglomerates wrong – minorities and non-westernized settings alike are fully capable of carrying a great film, one of the best in fact.

Best Actress
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Melissa Leo - Frozen River
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Kate Winslet - The Reader

JXM Picks: Kate Winslet
We're following in the footsteps of the Golden Globes and naming Winslet as winner. Though she has some stiff competition (i.e. Leo in Frozen River) Winslet has the current "it" factor along with popularity. We know, we know, Hathaway is all the rage as well (see NY Times Oscars interviews), but we don't think she had the same power and invisibility as some of her fellow nominees. Rachel Getting Married does however, show that Hathaway is on her way to more mature roles and therefore, hopefully, more seamless performances.

Best Actor
Richard Jenkins - The Visitor
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn - Milk
Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

JXM Picks:Mickey Rourke
Did you watch The Wrestler?!? Though Sean Penn won the SAG Award for best actor - and yes Penn was great, it is Sean Penn afterall - but we think its Rourke's time.

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams - Doubt
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler
Taraji Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

JXM Picks: Taraji Henson
This was a tough one for us. We enjoyed many of the performances, particularly Cruz' as the nutty yet super sexy Maria Elena, and Adams always sweeps us off our feet, but Henson was in a film that will likely be overlooked in all the major categories and here that can and should be rectified. Henson moulds into her character perfectly and plays the period just right.

Best Supporting Actor
Josh Brolin - Milk
Robert Downey Jr. - Tropic Thunder
Michael Shannon - Revolutionary Road
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight

JXM Picks: Heath Ledger
Once again, Ledger, like the Golden Globes, is a shoe-in for the Oscar. His performance was unlike anything he has ever done before looking at his body of work. And unfortunately, his death has somewhat overshadowed his art. And, unfortunately for the other nominees - who all have unbelievable performances this year - will be overshadowed by Ledger. This category by far is both predictable and difficult. Difficult because every actor showed a whole new level of acting. And predictable because it is a crime against humanity to not award the statue to the immpeccable Ledger.

And can we please pause for a moment and look at Michael Shannon's performance as the mentally unstable John Givings in Revolutionary Road? He shakes you to the bone with his unflinching commentary, squinting eyes, and the play of menace and mischeif in the corners of his lips. Oh! How we loved Mr. Shannon!

Best Animated Feature Film
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
WALL-E

JXM Picks: WALL-E
Both Bolt and Kung Fu Panda had fun, interesting and engaging plotlines, cute lovable creatures and pull-at-your-heartstrings moments. WALL-E had all of that plus the intelligent, Kubricky 2001: A Space Odyssey vibe to it. How can you top that?

Best Director
Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
Stephen Daldry - The Reader
David Fincher - The Curious Case of Bejamin Button
Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant - Milk

JXM Picks: Danny Boyle
We know this to be a long shot but Boyle is both deserving, and an award has been a long time coming. His work hasn’t gotten nearly enough attention that it deserves, though his work has fallen into cult status. And as Slumdog illustrates, sometimes the underdog can come out on top.

Best Original Screenplay
Courtney Hunt - Frozen River
Mike Leigh - Happy-Go-Lucky
Martin McDonagh - in Bruges
Dustin Lance Black - Milk
Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon and Pete Docter - WALL-E

JXM Picks: Dustin Lance Black
Like so many other political dramas, they are heavily dependent on clean and clear lines and storytelling and Morgan writes a fine script on a topic that can appeal to generations that have no clue about the Nixon/Watergate scandal. And with a topic that can become so convoluted, Morgan writes an engaging and thoroughly interesting script.

Best Adapted Screenplay
Eric Roth and Robin Swicord - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
John Patrick Shanley - Doubt
Peter Morgan - Frost/Nixon
David Hare - The Reader
Simon Beaufoy - Slumdog Millionaire

JXM Picks: Simon Beaufoy
Mad Men picked up the Globe last year and they can possibly take it again this year. Though season two didn’t have the same chutzpa as season one, it did go in a darker direction. But its seemingly abrupt season finale puts it in a race with Dexter. And though season one Dexter is almost incomparable to the sanitized season three, it still managed to engage and entertain from episode to episode. Its smart timing and dark approach puts it ahead of its competitors such as True Blood. A series that we, in fact, are floored to see on the ballot. This Allan Ball drama was a huge disappointment to us with its cheese-filled lines and many poorly performed performances.