If I would choose the winners in this constalation:

Best Actress
Rebecca Hall (When she said to Javier "Maybe you did something to deserve it" I hardly laugh out, she´s amazing!

Best Supporting Actor
Ralph Fiennes (In Bruges he is the ultimate villan, it´s one of his best performace ever)

Best Supporting Actress
Kate Winslet (I´m in love with her since "Eternal Sunshine…" and "the Reader" the book tells such a great story, I only saw a few scenes but I´m assured that she deserves it because she had the best supporting role of the year.)

Best Screenplay (Original or Adapted)
Woody Allen vs. Martin McDonagh (thats a tough duell but the roots bring me back to the king of screenplay Allen.)

Hmmm…Nice one..I agree with whomever came up with the winners and runner-ups

Awesome Brad. I really enjoyed reading that. Your choices were ineresting and I do agree with most of them, especially Slumdog being the most overrated. However I do feel that the most underrated movie of 2008 was In Bruges. It deserved more buzz than it ended up with.

Glad to see Mickey Rourke with the Best Actor win. Let's hope the Academy agrees with you. And you are right about Slumdog being overrated. Still an amazing film, but not as amazing as many say it is. I feel the same way about WALL*E. Great flick, but all these critic groups giving it Best Picture of the year? NO WAY!

Did Mickey Rourke really endure that pain that when with his character? Did he really get shot with a staple gun?

@Jerzey Jon: He's probably been through a lot worse.

Mickey and Sean did a good job but for me,Brad Pitt, in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is the best actor.

I think I would give the award to either Sean Penn or Clint Eastwood, but that's just for the frontrunner movies…I haven't looked through all the movies I've seen this year to do this whole thing yet. It's very possible I'd give it to Colin Farrell for In Bruges.

I am really confused? Christopher Nolan should of at least be a runner-up for best director. You said it is a down year for the director category, but Christopher Nolan was one of the most talked about directors of the year. And personally, I think Nolan will be nominated for the best director category, and i think it is quite possible for him to win. The academy loves him and his work.

I disagree . On most overated and underated . Slumdog isn't overated, its the best picture this year … period . And the new hulk movie sucked . Couldn't stand watching that movie, but had to see it . Even if I was watching it on bluray .

I'd say best actor to Sean Penn for milk and Actress Merryl Streep for Doubt

Josh brolin shouldnt even be a consideration for milk. him and demagio were the only two abominations in the near perfect movie…

Nor should Danny boyle be considered. honestly Slumdog Millionaire just reminded me why i hate indian movies so much (i am from india – yes) its a white man's idea of poverty in india its pure trash

Brad, I am so glad that you recognised "The Visitor" as one of the best of the year. It was such a superb film.

A lot of folks dislike Woody Allen, usually for one of two reasons. His on-screen personality and the negative press received during his breakup with longtime companion and fine actress Mia Farrow both obliterate his positive attributes in the minds of some. I have never considered him an actor of talent but have always considered him an excellent director and, most important, a marvelous screenwriter. I'll be really pleased if he gets a nomination in this category. It would be his 15th.