And The Oscar Goes To... Part 5

It’s the final day of Oscar predictions so time to cast the spotlight on the acting category often seen as the weakest by people in the know (and many, like me, who aren’t) because of the supposed lack of good roles for women. However, the four out of five that I saw were pretty decent.

Best Supporting Actress
Natalie Portman is all grown up and mesmerising at times in “Closer” and is due to give birth to Luke and Leia Skywalker in May so it’s an exciting year all round for her. (Note, I am quietly and diplomatically skirting the debate much loved by some of my golfing buddies as to how sexy or not she was in “Leon”.)

Laura Linney is a bit annoying as the yappy wife of an acclaimed sex therapist in “Kinsey” but her performance has its moments, sometimes of the ‘multiple’ variety. She was much better last year as Sean Penn’s yappy wife in “Mystic River”.

I didn’t catch Sophie Okonedo’s performance as Don Cheadle’s wife in “Hotel Rwanda” but see Tuesday’s comments about the hopeless plight of movies not set in America.

There’s no two ways about it; Virginia Madsen should absolutely, definitely take home the little golden Oscar statue for her portrayal of Maya, the divorced, wine-loving, sad-eyed waitress in “Sideways”. At the risk of sounding like a fifties teenager, she is just dreamy and it breaks my heart to tell you that she probably won’t win.

Having said that, it’s hard to argue with the RHM© theory’s prediction that Cate Blanchett will take home the spoils for her contribution to “The Aviator”. She plays actress Katherine Hepburn, one-time lover to Howard Hughes, and is spot on with her brash accent, bright lipstick, hands-thrust-in-pockets-routine and silky golf swing. Like Morgan Freeman, she’s been nominated before and is simply great in every film in which she appears.

Tomorrow, the results.