If I Were An Academy Voter - 2008 Part II

Best Art Direction
Academy Winner/My Pick - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Commentary - Curious Case was not as entertaining as Slumdog Millionaire, but was beautifully done, including its incredible sets. The Academy definitely got this one right.

Best Cinematography
Academy Winner - Slumdog Millionaire
My Pick - The Dark Knight
Commentary - As I mentioned in my first part, The Dark Knight should have been nominated for Best Picture, and the cinematography in it was dark, gritty, and beautifully done. Slumdog's may have been more vibrant, but I'm going with Batman.

Best Costume Design
Academy Winner - The Duchess
My Pick - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Commentary - This vote is simply because I thought The Duchess was terrible, and the costumes were so over the top that it was almost ridiculous. So instead I went with the more subtle Benjamin Button costumes which make a statement without being overwhelming.

Best Film Editing
Academy Winner - Slumdog Millionaire
My Pick - The Dark Knight
Commentary - The Dark Knight may have been long, but it was action-packed and thrilling all the way until the end, thanks to the incredible directing job and editing job. It would have gotten my vote.

Best Makeup
Academy Winner/My Pick - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Commentary - Besides the Joker's face, the best makeup job of 2008 was definitely in Benjamin Button. While The Dark Knight was nominated, I am going with the overall quality, and BB is the definite winner.

Best Original Score
Academy Winner/My Pick - A.R. Rahman "Slumdog Millionaire"
Commentary - The music in Slumdog was exhilarating and matched the tone and pace of Danny Boyle's direction perfectly. It was the least traditional of the bunch, but the also the best.

Best Original Song
Academy Winner/My Pick - Jai Ho from Slumdog Millionaire
Commentary - Of the three songs, the Academy definitely got it right with this energetic anthem from Slumdog Millionaire.

Best Sound Editing

Academy Winner/My Pick - The Dark Knight

Commentary - The Academy finally gave some recognition to The Dark Knight in a well-deserved win for a movie that, while it did not use many special effects (many of the scenes were done with acutal explosions and such), the sound was absolutely terrific.

Best Sound Mixing

Academy Winner - Slumdog Millionaire

My Pick - The Dark Knight

Commentary - See above.

Best Visual Effects

Academy Winner/My Pick - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Commentary - While it is probably the most subtle pick in this category, it is also the most intricate and lifelike special effects, and without them, there would have not been a movie, so it gets my vote.