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 The
Departed
 ne
word. Snubbed. Martin Scorsese, the trusted and adored filmmaker,
has never seen a Best Director win, let alone Best Picture. Could
this be his year? Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio are undercover
men in The Departed, a violent epic that returns Scorsese to
the familiar ground of the mafia (Casino, Goodfellas).
Damon is Colin Sullivan, a celebrated officer who is secretly
working for Irish mob boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson), while
Billy Costigan (DiCaprio) is a cop embedded in organized crime. Mark
Wahlberg gives an excellent performance as the smart-lipped Sgt.
Dignam, but Nicholson (although not nominated for an Oscar) steals
the show with his devilish presence. Despite his past nominations,
it would be nice to see Scorsese finally win for doing what he does
best, the cat and mouse crime drama.
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 Babel
 exican
director Alejandro Gonz�lez I��rritu not only completed his dramatic
trilogy with the release of Babel, he also put himself in the race
for Oscar. The varied ensemble cast includes everyone from
hired-on-the-spot Moroccan villagers to "Mr. Magazine Cover"
himself, Brad Pitt. Exploring world issues like terrorism and immigration,
the film also mixes in personal tales of alienation and lost love. Loosely
based on the biblical story of the Tower of Babel, there are four
narratives to follow, each connected by an event or person. While Babel
has characters and plot, it is more a theme-driven examination of the
confusion that results from cultural diversity. So while it is a strong
choice, and a Golden Globe winner, it is perhaps an unconventional pick
for Best Picture.
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 Letters
from Iwo Jima
 cting,
and lately, directing icon Clint Eastwood is no stranger to Best Picture
wins. Both 1992's Unforgiven and 2004's Million Dollar Baby
were recipients, and with the last minute release of Letters from Iwo
Jima, he may be crowned again. This World War II epic follows the
release of Flags of Our Fathers, which gives the American viewpoint
of the 1945 battle for the Japanese island of Iwo Jima. Letters
turns the camera's eye into the caves and tunnels where over 20,000
Japanese soldiers fought and died during this historic battle. Through
letters written to their loved ones, the movie proves that all soldiers
have similar hopes and fears, and fight with honor and a strong belief in
their purpose. This is a powerful and refreshing film and deserves to be
noticed.
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 Little
Miss Sunshine
 t
certainly was a crowd-pleaser and it did excellent business, but comedies
have always struggled at Oscar, and so Little Miss Sunshine is a
50/50 bet to take home the statue. This perfect-chemistry cast includes
Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, Steve Carell and Toni Collette as a highly
dysfunctional family who make the multi-state drive to California in a
vintage Volkswagen Van. The sometimes painful experience is attempted so
that young Olive, played by the adorable Abigail Breslin, can take part in
the finals of an adolescent beauty contest. Along the way, the diverse
group has their relationships put to the test as we learn their hopes and
fears through a series of obstacles that make for one hilarious trip. Little
Miss Sunshine is one of the few films up for Best Picture that
actually makes you feel good when it's over.
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 The
Queen
scar
buzz is deafening for Helen Mirren as Best Actress, for her portrayal as
Elizabeth II in The Queen, but Best Picture is hardly out of reach.
This rare depiction of the modern royals examines the weeks after Princess
Diana's untimely death in 1997. Fresh-faced Prime Minister Tony Blair
(Michael Sheen) uses compassion to reach a mourning public, while the
unresponsive royals are deemed cold-hearted traditionalists. The Queen
could have gone with a tabloid perspective of the ultra-exposed Elizabeth
II, but instead finds humanity in this often misunderstood woman. It took
guts for writer Peter Morgan and director Stephen Frears to attempt
carving a peephole into the walls of Buckingham Palace, but the result was
worth the risk.
-Mark Wigmore
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