700 posts later and now there's a new layout. I didn't want to change but this upgrade Blogger had forced my hand (it didn't have the old layout among the options).

It's Oscar weekend and now it's time for the final predictions. (The rest of them are on the sidebar. Based on the past, I'm usually good for 15.) I wholeheartedly believe The Departed should win for best picture and best director. With Dreamgirls out of the way by virtue of not being nominated, the frontrunners seem to be Babel and The Departed with Little Miss Sunshine being the leading darkhorse. Letters from Iwo Jima and The Queen (3.5 stars) were certainly good, but reached out to niche audiences. Little Miss Sunshine is hurt by the fact that it's mainly a comedy, and when was the last time a comedy won for best picture? I'd be happy if it won, but it doesn't look to be in the cards. I wouldn't be happy if Babel won. Babel (3 stars) to me seems like a poor man's Crash from last year. The Japanese storyline was a stretch and did not fit in, leaving Babel to be three-fourths of a movie. That leaves The Departed, best picture of the year. Will the Academy voters listen? We'll see Sunday.

On a side note, I did see The Last King of Scotland (3 stars) last night. That's one powerful feature and Forest Whitaker deserves that best actor award.