Now that the writer’s strike is over, the red carpet will be rolled out giving the Cohen brothers, Javier Bardem, George Clooney, Ellen Page and other celebrities a chance to shine at the largest motion picture ceremony, the Oscars.
Nominees for the best picture category include a variety of film genres, such as crime, romance, action, history, war, and of course, drama.
In No Country for Old Men, directed by Ethan and Joel Cohen, a gruesome drug deal gone wrong leads to a cat and mouse chase that is intervened with deadpan humor. Actor Javier Bardem is nominated for best supporting actor from his role as a serial killer that will stop at nothing to get what he wants.
In There Will Be Blood, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, a turn-of-the-century single father becomes an oil tycoon at a high price. As the movie title indicates, the movie is rated “R” for violence.
Both of these films surpass the other best picture runners with eight nominations and both will contend against each other in the following categories picture: best director, cinematography, film editing, sound editing and adaptive screenplay.
Michael Clayton, another best picture contender, received seven nominations in almost every major category in the awards including best director Tony Gilroy, best actor George Clooney, best supporting actor Tom Wilkinson, best supporting actress Tilda Swinton and best original screenplay by Tony Gilroy. It involves a powerful attorney Michael Clayton who must make some crucial decisions to save his law firm and life.
Also with seven major nominations is Atonement, a romantic film that deals with lies, love and scandal during the WWII period. In addition to the best picture category, it is also nominated for costume design, cinematography, and best supporting actress for 13-year-old Saoirse Ronan.
However, the biggest surprise in this category is small-budget film Juno, which made more than $100 million at the box office. The story of a 16-year-old who gets knocked-up and decides to give her baby up for adoption is nominated for best director Jason Reitman, best original screenplay by Diablo Cody and best actress Ellen Page, whose breakthrough performance as the leading character led to her first Academy Award nomination.
The 80th Annual Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled for Feb. 24 and will be televised on ABC at 6 p.m.
