Welcome to The Harp’s very own entertainment section, where we will be this month looking ahead to the 77th Annual Academy Awards, and taking a peek at those who will be hoping to immerse themselves in Oscar-winning glory.

I’ve listed my own personal tips for the major awards, but of course, with so much stiff competition on offer, I feel that there will be very few runaway winners, and the widely versatile array of talent will certainly make for an interesting ceremony…

Best Picture – Nominations: The Aviator, Finding Neverland, Million Dollar Baby, Sideways, Ray.

I’ve been fortunate enough to catch all of the short-listed films in the Best Picture category, and despite enjoying each of them in their own distinctive ways, I think that Finding Neverland is heading towards Oscar glory. Johnny Depp is magnificent throughout, and with the film’s snappy script and fabulous visuals helping matters along, it’ll certainly be a tough cookie to beat. However, there’s plenty of opportunity for an upset, with the likes of Ray and Million Dollar Baby having won a number of esteemed awards already.

Best Direction – Nominations: The Aviator (Martin Scorsese), Million Dollar Baby (Clint Eastwood), Ray (Taylor Hackford), Sideways (Alexander Payne), Vera Drake (Mike Leigh).

Once again, this year’s list of nominees provides an extremely difficult call, with such a diverse range of inspired directional talents to choose from. Eastwood’s hard-hitting delivery of Million Dollar Baby certainly merits strong consideration, as indeed does Mike Leigh’s typically profound and forceful execution of Vera Drake. However, Martin Scorsese has never actually been accredited with an Academy Award, despite receiving no fewer than four previous nominations in the directing category alone. I can’t help but feel that 2005 may well be his lucky year, and with his superbly crafted film The Aviator providing the source of commendation, it would most certainly be a well-earned and ardently deserved award.

Best Actor in a Leading Role – Nominations: Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda), Johnny Depp (Finding Neverland), Leonardo DiCaprio (The Aviator), Clint Eastwood (Million Dollar Baby), Jamie Foxx (Ray).
The emergence of Jamie Foxx as a major player in the Hollywood scene over the past 12 months has been nothing short of sensational, with him being nominated in both the Best Actor in a Leading Role and also Supporting Role categories. Even in spite of this level of expectation, to see the man deliver such an accomplished depiction of the Jazz legend Ray Charles is quite simply astonishing. He without doubt deserves to take home at least one of the awards, and I personally believe that this one should already be wearing his name. Of course, this isn’t to suggest that his fellow nominees don’t have a say in the matter; Depp and Eastwood in particular may well fancy their own chances. However, of all the awards up for grabs, I believe that Foxx is the most outstanding within his listed grouping.

Best Actress in a Leading Role – Nominations: Annette Benning (Being Julia), Catalina Sandino Moreno (Maria Full of Grace), Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake), Hilary Swank (Million Dollar Baby), Kate Winslet (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind).

This will be Kate Winslet’s 4th nomination for an Academy Award, and her performance in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind will certainly assist her chances for making this her first successful one. In a similar situation is Annette Benning, who faces her third attempt at claiming an Oscar. However, I believe that the only actress within the short list to have already won an Academy Award, Hilary Swank, will double her tally of trophies thanks to her fabulous performance in Million Dollar Baby.
A round-up of some of the other nominations…

There are plenty of other awards up for grabs on the big evening, amongst them the Best Actor and Actress in Supporting Roles, which feature the highly-talented likes of Morgan Freeman, Cate Blanchett, Natalie Portman and Jamie Foxx. My tip for best supporting actress is Cate Blanchett for her performance in The Aviator, and Clive Owen for his role in Closer. Elsewhere, the prominent best screenplay awards, both original and adapted, will be extremely close, with my picks for them being Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Finding Neverland respectively. Anoth-er favourite award of mine, Best Animated Film, puts up The Incredibles, Shrek 2 and Shark Tale head to head. Although a tough decision to make, I think that Shrek 2 should just edge it ahead of The Incredibles, the sheer hilarity of Eddie Murphy’s performance as the talking donkey winning me over!

Whatever happens on the night, I think that the vast majority of awards on offer will be extremely tightly fought, and I very much look forward to seeing how my own personal tips fare against the competition. I’m always open to an upset or two, however, and as long as Jamie Foxx converts at least one of his nominations into a gold-plated statuette, I will consider the ceremony a fair and just contest!

Now roll on February 27th!