Cineplex Picks: Oscars 2009

With the Oscars less than a week away, it's time to take a look at who stands a chance at taking home the hardware, according to some of the Cineplex team.

Cineplex Picks:

Jason Fulsom - VP, Film - Cineplex Entertainment

Best Picture
What SHOULD win: The Dark Knight
What WILL win: Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog has all the momentum right now and I don’t see that letting up. The TIFF Audience Award winner will bring home the gold. OK, so maybe The Dark Knight shouldn’t win the award, but consider this my protest against the Academy totally dropping the ball by not even nominating it.

Best Director
Who SHOULD win: David Fincher
Who WILL win: Danny Boyle

Boyle rides the momentum of Slumdog all the way to the finish line, but he is a worthy candidate. Can you believe that it has been 13 years since Trainspotting? Fincher deserves the hardware for actually pulling off The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, a film that, if you really think about it, seems impossible to make well.

Best Actor
Who SHOULD win: Sean Penn
Who WILL win: Mickey Rourke

Rourke took home the Golden Globe and Hollywood loves a good comeback story. However, to me it seems like he is basically just playing a role not too different from his own life. Penn had this award all but wrapped up two months ago but I think now he loses out due to the old ‘he already has one’ treatment.

Best Actress
Who SHOULD win: Anne Hathaway
Who WILL win: Anne Hathaway

I see a coronation for the former Princess for her almost universally well regarded role. Kate Winslet finishes as a runner-up in the role for which she won a supporting actress Golden Globe. Hey, a Meryl Streep nomination - that almost never happens.

Best Supporting Actor
Who SHOULD win: Heath Ledger
Who Will win: Heath Ledger

If there is such a thing as a lock at this year’s awards this one has to be it. Trying to separate the role from his tragic death is almost impossible at this point, but make no mistake about it – his chilling turn as ‘The Joker’ is what the Oscars were invented for.

Best Supporting Actress
Who SHOULD win: Viola Davis
Who WILL win: Penelope Cruz

This is the one category that most often results in an up-and-coming actress pulling off an upset. In fact, Marisa Tomei is one of the most famous examples of this as she pulled off the feat back in 1993 for My Cousin VInny. This year, however, I see Cruz pulling away from the field.

Cineplex Picks:
Joanne Quigley - General Manager, Scotiabank Theatre Chinook, Calgary, AB

Best Picture
What SHOULD win: Slumdog Millionaire
What WILL win: Slumdog Millionaire

The young cast grabs you by the heart and never lets it go.

Best Director
Who SHOULD win: Danny Boyle
Who WILL win: Danny Boyle

He took a little movie and made it funny, sad and enjoyable.

Best Actor
Who SHOULD win: Mickey Rourke
Who WILL win: Sean Penn

Watching Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler was like watching a phoenix rising from the ashes.

Best Actress
Who SHOULD win: Kate Winslet
Who WILL win: Meryl Streep

Kate's performance made me think of the dilemmas in life that we all face.

Best Supporting Actor
Who SHOULD win: Heath Ledger
Who Will win: Heath Ledger

Heath Ledger brought the complex character of the Joker to life.

Best Supporting Actress
Who SHOULD win: Marisa Tomei
Who WILL win: Penelope Cruz

Penelope was funny and vibrant in this role.

Cineplex Picks:
Andrea Miller - Assistant web editor, cineplex.com

Best Picture
What SHOULD win: Slumdog Millionaire
What WILL win: Slumdog Millionaire

An amazing cast, an incredible story, a film for the ages.

Best Director
Who SHOULD win: Danny Boyle
Who WILL win: Danny Boyle

Danny Boyle made a film that looks amazing and tells a brutal, yet ultimately inspirational, story.

Best Actor
Who SHOULD win: Mickey Rourke
Who WILL win: Sean Penn

Considering both of these actor's performances were outstanding, if either of them win, I'll be happy.

Best Actress
Who SHOULD win: Anne Hathaway
Who WILL win: Meryl Streep

This is undoubtedly Anne Hathaway's best performance to date but also the first one where she's been allowed to stretch. Meryl's not exactly new at this Oscar thing but she did an amazing job in Doubt.

Best Supporting Actor
Who SHOULD win: Philip Seymour Hoffman
Who Will win: Heath Ledger

We all admired Heath Ledger's turn as The Joker, but it doesn't stand up against Josh Brolin, Michael Shannon or even Robert Downey Jr. Philip Seymour Hoffman continues to show why he's one of the best actors of his generation.

Best Supporting Actress
Who SHOULD win: Penelope Cruz
Who WILL win: Penelope Cruz

Penelope Cruz + Scarlett Johansson + Javier Bardem + Woody Allen = cinematic gold.

Check out part two of our Cineplex Picks here.

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Now it's your turn! Make your Oscar predictions with this printable ballot.