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Best Actor
Leonardo DiCaprio – Blood Diamond GG$ as Danny Archer, a South African mercenary that tries to do the right thing.
Ryan Gosling – Half-Nelson $ as Dan Dunne, a Junior High teacher with a drug habit whose student discovers his secret.
Peter O’Toole – Venus GG$ as Maurice, a veteran actor who begins a romance with a teenager interested in modeling.
Will Smith – Pursuit of Happiness GG$ as Chris Gardner, a true life salesman desperately trying to get a full time career as a stockbroker to support his son.
+ Forest Whitaker – The Last King of Scotland GGGG$$ as Idi Amin, the true life brutal dictator of Uganda as seen through the eyes of his Scotish physician.

DiCaprio has a solid base in Hollywood, but look for Whitaker’s take on Ida Amin to win. He’s someone that has been around for years that is not likely to get nominated much in the future (like DiCaprio is), which gives him an edge. (This reviewer believes Whitaker should have been nominated in this category in 1988 for his performance as Jazz great Charlie Parker in Clint Eastwood’s Bird). Though DiCaprio is the most likely spoiler, don’t count O’Toole’s comedic perfomance out since he has never won in competition before (He has a Lifetime Achievement Oscar).

Best Actress
Penelope Cruz – Volver GG$ as Raimunda, a daughter trying to deal with her own family in Madrid in addition to her mother’s ghost.
Judi Dench – Notes on a Scandal GG$ as Barbra Covet, a villanous and conniving woman whose snooping leads her to hold a teacher’s secret over her head to control her.
+ Helen Mirren – The Queen GGGG$$ as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the Queen of England following the death of Diana Spencer.
Meryl Streep – The Devil Wears Prada GGGG$ as Miranda Priestly, the fashionable ‘boss from hell’ and magazine editor (based on Vogue’s Anna Wintour)
Kate Winslet – Little Children GG$ as Sarah Pierce, a suburban mom who isn’t afraid to approach the handsome father the other mom’s pine after.

Though Dench, Streep, and Winslet eat scenery alive here, look for Mirren’s HM Queen Elizabeth II to win. Though unlikely to happen, a win for Cruz would be the first time an actress has won for a foreign film since Sophia Loren in Two Women (which many critics are comparing her performance to).

Best Supporting Actor
Eddie Murphy – Dreamgirls GGGG$$ as James “Thunder” Early, a 1950’s soul singer desperately trying to hold on.
Alan Arkin – Little Miss Sunshine GG$ as Grandpa, a Wisecracking, drug using Grandfather who helps his granddaughter with her ‘Talent’ for a child beauty contest.
Jackie Earle Haley – Little Children GG$ as Ronnie J. McGorvey, a convicted sex offender that moves into a small neighborhood to the fear of that neighborhood’s parents.
Djimon Honsou – Blood Diamond GG$ as Solomon Vandy, a fisherman in Sierra Leone who is drawn into a civil war when he finds a rare pink diamond.
Mark Wahlberg – The Departed GG as Officer Dignam, an angry policeman that will do whatever it takes to get justice done.

Arkin had two nominations in the 1960’s for Best Actor and makes for a fun (if foul mouthed) Grandpa. Honsou is very soulful in Diamond as he was for his previous nomination here for In America (2004). But look for first time nominee Eddie Murphy’s desperate soul singer, James “Thunder” Early, to take the prize here. That said, each nominee here is worth investigating (especially Wahlberg; Markie Mark and Oscar, who knew?).

Best Supporting Actress
Adriana Barraza – Babel GG$ as Amelia, A Mexican housekeeper in the U.S. who cannot find someone to watch her bosses children when she tries to go to her son’s wedding.
Cate Blanchett – Notes on a Scandal GG$ as Sheba Hart, a pottery teacher whose affair with one of her students reaps havok on her personal and professional life.
Jennifer Hudson – Dreamgirls GGGG$$ as Effie White, a stubborn but fairminded singer that gets replaced as the lead for her looks.
Rinko Kikuchi – Babel GG$ as Chieko, A Japanese school girl whose father gave a rifle as a gift in Morrocco years ago.
Abigail Breslin – Little Miss Sunshine $ as Olive, a shy and pudgy eight year old girl who has just been entered in a beauty contest whose dysfunctional family tries to help on the road trip to the contest.

Look for First time ACTRESS Hudson’s performance as the stubborn Effie White to win. Besides Blanchett (who won preivously for playing Katherine Hepburn in The Aviator), all of this years nominees are first timers, and all indications to date point to Hudson as a win. Breslin ties the record for youngest performer to ever be nominated with Tatum O’Neill, who won in 1973 for Paper Moon.

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