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Taking a suggestion from numbersix, combined with my lazyness to actually tally votes myself and also noticing that some people just do the poll and don't post anything, I am going to make a poll for each of the big categories. So, I gues I will retype some stuff from the best picture poll. A little copy and paste...

I am putting this poll because we all have some pick that we want to win for the Oscar. All these industry people vote, and we the people, the moviegoers, have no voice. I want to see...

If the Fantaverse held the Oscars, which nominee would win?

Remember, this is not who we think we will win the award. This is who you would pick if you were filling out a ballot. In the end, we will see who would win in the Fantaverse. This is our Academy Awards.

So now, your vote for best actress is...

Easily Ellen Page. She made that movie everything it is.

That's the easiest question i've answered all week.

EP.

Well considering Juno is the only one of those I've seen or at least had any remote need to see anyways. Juno was great. Therefore I vote Ellen. Page that is.

They're all very, very good performances -- except Cate Blanchett's predictably throaty turn for Elizabeth, a nomination that speaks to the Academy's storied traditions of playing favorites and rewarding past success. Laura Linney's one of my favorite working actresses, investing every one of her roles with sauciness, canniness and sexiness -- she is, in the very best ways, a combination of early Cybill Shepherd and Meryl Streep, a seductress with a 180 I.Q. Moreover, she brings integrity and control -- perhaps a shade too much restraint, actually -- to every part she plays. And she's one of the few modern actresses who doesn't mind being seen smoking onscreen, which gives her instant, unassailable street cred in MY book. However, I digress.

Marion Cotillard was an absolute force of nature as Edith Piaff, but -- I hate to say -- the Academy is biased against foreign actors, especially actresses, unless, of course, they're members of the Commonwealth. The subtitles just don't do Cotillard's performance justice. Nevertheless, her magnificent, timeless turn in La Vie En Rose would probably have been recognized in just about any other year. Cotillard is a low-probability spoiler in this race, the darkest of possible horses.

Ellen Page came out of nowhere to deliver one of the most honest, unaffected performances I've ever seen in Juno, and I think it must be said, right now, that she has joined the upper echelon of American actresses, a position she's likely to maintain for quite awhile. But the Academy doesn't much like one-offs, even when they are as beautiful and moving as Ellen Page's turn in Juno. Anna Paquin won an Oscar in 1994 for The Piano, sure, but she wasn't up for Best Actress. Could Page pull off a stunning, virtually unprecedented upset? Sure. Will she? No.

Julie Christie has owned this award since at least early May, when Away from Her debuted in limited release. Her portrayal of the slowly decaying Fiona Anderson is one of the most evocative and tenderly brutal performances I've ever seen. Now, this film -- about how the awful disease of Alzheimer's corrupts far more than one's memory -- has special meaning for me, as many of you may have guessed; but I defy anyone to see this film and not rank Julie Christie's performance as the hands-down best of 2007. A positively epic, phenomenal performance in a year full of "career-bests," one the Academy cannot but honor with its highest award.

I remain, as always....

Nico.

I'd just like to add.
Page pretty much had the same persona in Hard Candy. Great movie. So glad I finally got to see it.

But I'm not really surprised by her performance here. Anybody who saw Hard Candy should've known she would be great in this role. It was the whole reason I wanted to see it in the first place.

Sorry Nico, not to nitpick but I just wanted to clarify that although Ellen Page may have "... joined the upper echelon of American actresses, a position she's likely to maintain for quite a while," she isn't actually an American. She is one of the nominated Canadians I'll be cheering on.

I'm in full agreement that Julie Christie has this award locked up and that they etched her name on to the statue in May. I only regret that Gordon Pinsent wasn't nominated. He's a wonderful actor and I encourage anyone to seek out his films as he always turns in excellent work.

I feel dirty voting for Ellen here. I should really get out of my comfort zone and watch some of the other films.

Roode:

Sorry Nico, not to nitpick...

I love it when people start off saying, "Not to nitpick," and then proceed to go right ahead and pick nits. [Grin] It's like declaring that someone or other "needs no introduction," and then introducing 'em anyway.

Of course, that all goes without saying... right?

...[But] I just wanted to clarify that although Ellen Page may have "... joined the upper echelon of American actresses, a position she's likely to maintain for quite a while," she isn't actually an American. She is one of the nominated Canadians I'll be cheering on.

Eh, same difference, buddy. What is Canada, but America's hat, anyway?

I only regret that Gordon Pinsent wasn't nominated. He's a wonderful actor and I encourage anyone to seek out his films as he always turns in excellent work.

[Nodding] I was really surprised that his turn as Grant Anderson in Away from Her didn't pick up more critical buzz. (Much like Paul Dano in There Will Be Blood, Josh Brolin in No Country for Old Men and Michael Cera in Juno. However, I digress.) Pinsent's greatest acclaim so far has been for his work in television, but he's really a very fine film actor, as well.

I remain, as always..

Nico.

Marion Cotillard was an absolute force of nature as Edith Piaff, but -- I hate to say -- the Academy is biased against foreign actors

Well Nico, the aforementioned Ms. Blanchett is technically foreign (Aussie)-and apparently the Academy loves her. So are many of the past few Best Actor/Actress winners like Helen Mirren, Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, Geoffrey Rush & this year's likely Best Actor winner Daniel Day-Lewis. But I guess it's because they're from an English-speaking background anyway (bar Charlize, but you could argue the case for her anyway) that they're not really THAT foreign, are they?

And of course we have that weird Italian guy who I don't think can speak anything resembling proper English-Roberto Benigni. That guy still cracks me up...

Back on track, I actually think Marion Cotilliard's chances aren't far off Julie Christie's chances (even though I'm totally for Ellen Page obviously).

[Nodding] I was really surprised that his turn as Grant Anderson in Away from Her didn't pick up more critical buzz. (Much like Paul Dano in There Will Be Blood, Josh Brolin in No Country for Old Men and Michael Cera in Juno. However, I digress.)

I haven't seen Away From Her so I can't comment on Grant Anderson. As for the other 3, I totally agree with how Paul Dano should have at least had some more buzz regarding his performance. Simply put, his Eli Sunday was the yang to the yin of Day Lewis' Daniel Plainview.

As for the other two, I think Tommy Lee Jones was probably more of a Supporting chance than Josh Brolin would have been (Brolin was Lead, right?). It's not unheard of for two supporting actors in the same movie to be up in the same category, but I guess with Javier Bardem dominating that Supporting Actor spot for No Country, I guess TLJ was a little overlooked.

Now to my favourite topic, Juno. I'm the biggest mark for Michael Cera. Ever since the (*huge breath here, as I begin to get fanboy-ish*) Arrested Development days, I've always thought Michael Cera was amazing. His portrayal of teenage awkwardness was just comedic perfection. I still can't believe he never even got nominated for a Best Supporting Actor for the Emmys in Arrested Development. What he displayed in Juno was pretty much the stock standard Michael Cera/George-Michael Bluth character. As some people have said, it's really just Michael Cera playing Michael Cera. He didn't really have to stretch himself. Sure, it was an important role, but he's done it better elsewhere. (I don't need to elaborate on where, do I?)

The Supporting Actor role for Juno that I woulda liked to have seen an iota of buzz for was for Jason Bateman. Again, reiterating how Cera in Juno pretty much played a lite version of his character in Arrested Development. Bateman (who was also in AD) played something totally different from Michael Bluth. It's been a bugbear of his as he's been criticized for playing the uptight, straight man too often really. But not so in Juno. IMO his performance and revelation near the end was integral to the entire movie (well it was), and led to one of the most emotional scenes with Ellen Page. His character (along with Jennifer Garner's character) and their interaction with Juno is what made the movie IMO. I never expected Bateman to be nominated, but I woulda liked some buzz about it at least. Alas, not to be...

And I know near the end here I've deviated from the Best Actress topic, so I'm sorry about that...

I agree wholeheartedly Anny, whether it be in AD, Juno, Superbad, or even the NBC.com web exclusive he did... Michael Cera always acts the same (albeit very well). Meanwhile Jason Bateman (though endlessly outpouring sarcasm *heart*) continues to challenge and reinvent himself through his acting, I am truly hopeful that Hancock will be a major breakout for him as a supporting actor.

I am loving all the Jason Bateman love going on on this topic. And I agree with everyone, he did push himself quite a bit in Juno, and I haven't heard any critics or reviews recognize that.

JackO wrote:

I feel dirty voting for Ellen here. I should really get out of my comfort zone and watch some of the other films.

You should probably see some of the other films because they are pretty awesome (escept for Elizibeth II, which is just the god damn Wienstiens milking a cash cow [sigh]), but you shouldn't feel guilty jackO. Remember, this is suppose to be what the Fantaverse would vote for, and I am almost certain that there are plenty of Academy members who vote without seeing all the performances of the nominees. It is not unusual, so if you vote the same way, that is fine. It happens.

This is my plan, I've linked it before, but here it is again:
http://amctheatres.com/promos/showcase/
Its definitely worth the money (I went to see Cloverfield by myself a couple weeks ago after work and spent almost 20$ on that alone for the ticket, a small popcorn, and a large soda...), the vast majority of people have an AMC within driving distance, and you will likely see some movies you wouldn't otherwise see in the theater at this point (because they've all been out awhile and you still haven't seen them.. slacker).

I heard about this. I really want to do this, but I am not sure there is an AMC theater near George Mason.

Ha, scratch that. I see there is one at Tyson's corner. Woohoo!

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