2012 Academy Award Predictions!

Anyone who knows me knows that I view and celebrate the Oscars as if it's my birthday. I spend the months leading up to the big day watching as many nominated movies as I can, and having just finished watching the final Best Picture nominee, here it is, my predictions on what will (and what I think should) win at tonight's Academy Awards ceremony:

Best Picture:

What will win: No question, it's The Artist
What should win: Hate to say it, but unlike most years, I'm not insanely passionate about any one nominee; I would love it if the award went to Moneyball, Hugo, or Midnight in Paris

Directing:

Will: Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist
Should: Martin Scorsese for Hugo

Actor in a Leading Role:

Will: Jean Dujardin for The Artist
Should: Michael Fassbender -- wait, he wasn't nominated?! Then Brad Pitt for Moneyball

Actress in a Leading Role:

Will: Viola Davis for The Help
Should: Viola Davis

Actor in a Supporting Role:

Will: Christopher Plummer for Beginners
Should: Christopher Plummer

Actress in a Supporting Role:

Will: Octavia Spencer for The Help
Should: Octavia Spencer

Animated Feature Film:

Will: Rango
Should: --

Cinematography:

Will: The Tree of Life
Should: The Tree of Life. Emmanuel Lubezki is the most talent cinematographer working today, and he has yet to win an Academy Award, which is an outrage. It doesn't matter what you thought of The Tree of Life, because it's impossible to deny that it is the most visually breathtaking movie of the year.

Art Direction:

Will: Hugo
Should: Hugo

Costume Design:

Will: The Artist
Should: Jane Eyre

Documentary Feature:

Will: Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Should: --

Documentary Short:

Will: Saving Face
Should: --

Film Editing:

Will: The Artist
Should: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Foreign Language Film:

Will: A Separation
Should: A Separation

Makeup:

Will: The Iron Lady
Should: all the nominees are equally great, in my opinion

Music (Original Score):

Will: The Artist
Should: War Horse (John Williams can do no wrong!) or Hugo

Music (Original Song):

Will: The Muppets
Should: The Muppets

Short Film (Animated):

Will: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
Should: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore...utterly delightful! You can watch it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Adzywe9xeIU

Short Film (Live Action):

Will: The Shore
Should: The Shore

Sound Editing:

Will: War Horse
Should: War Horse or Hugo

Should Mixing:

Will: War Horse
Should: War Horse (though I loved the sound mixing in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo)

Visual Effects:

Will: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Should: Rise of the Planet of the Apes (Sorry, Harry Potter!!!)

Writing (Adapted Screenplay):

Will: The Descendants
Should: The Descendants or Moneyball

Writing (Original Screenplay):

Will: Midnight in Paris
Should: Midnight in Paris