Oscar Predictions: Best Makeup and Costume Design

From superheroes to costume dramas

By: Brad Brevet
Published: Thursday, February 12th 2009 at 2:19 PM

Photo: AMPAS

And the attempt to figure out who will win what at the 2009 Oscars continues on this Thursday afternoon with Makeup and Costume Design. You can take a look at my current predictions for Picture, Actor, Actress, Director and the Supporting categories right here, Adapted and Original Screenplay right here, Original Score and Original Song here and yesterday's predictions for Sound Editing and Sound Mixing here.

Drum roll… and the nominees please…

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Greg Cannom
• The Dark Knight, John Caglione, Jr. and Conor O'Sullivan
• Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Mike Elizalde and Thom Floutz

• Australia, Catherine Martin
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Jacqueline West
• The Duchess, Michael O'Connor
• Milk, Danny Glicker
• Revolutionary Road, Albert Wolsky

We have some interesting choices this year in both categories as the Best Picture nominee The Curious Case of Benjamin Button finds itself in both categories, but I don't think it will win either in either of them. Fan favorite The Dark Knight gets a chance at Oscar gold and even Revolutionary Road is allowed to enter the discussion. But which one of the above flicks rises to the top in each category?

First for makeup and I am going to have to go with Hellboy II: The Golden Army. I think both The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and The Dark Knight relied too heavily on computer effects to earn the nod while Guillermo del Toro's make up crew, Mike Elizalde and Thom Floutz, had to do far more work, especially on Big Red alone and not to mention the Angel of Death. In Ben Button Benjamin was a lot of effects and then in The Dark Knight Nolan went for the ghastly when it came to Two Face as opposed to simple facial abrasions. Yup, Hellboy gets my vote.

As for Costumes I think there is one obvious pick even though a case could be made for the rest of the features. Milk, Revolutionary Road and Benjamin Button all did extremely well at capturing their moments in time while Australia mixed the Outback leather with upper class flair. However, ever since the marketing machine for The Duchess began there was a central focus on the costumes. It was almost as if the film had been made solely to win an Oscar for Best Costumes and at this point I don't see how it can lose.

Have an opinion? Am I wrong? Share below and stay tuned as the march toward February 22 continues.