'OSCAR'-WATCH: MY MONTHLY 81st OSCARS PREDICTION LIST

In keeping with "awards season fanatics" tradition, here is my "too early to tell" monthly 81st Oscar nominees prediction this month:

BEST PICTURE
Australia (pictured above, left)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire

BEST DIRECTOR
Baz Luhrmann, Australia
David Fincher, The Curious Case...
Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight
Clint Eastwood, Gran Torino
Gus Van Sant, Milk

BEST ACTOR-LEADING ROLE
Benicio del Toro, Che
Clint Eastwood, Gran Torino
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
Sean Penn, Milk
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

BEST ACTRESS-LEADING ROLE
Sally Hawkins, Happy Go-Lucky
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Kristin Scott-Thomas, I Loved You So Long
Meryl Streep, Doubt.
Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Josh Brolin, Milk
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt.
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
John Malkovich, Changeling
Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Christina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt.
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Debra Winger, Rachel Getting Married

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
The Class, France
Everlasting Moment, Sweden (pictured above, right)
Gomorrah, Italy
The Mermaid, Russia
Revanche, Austria

"My Monthly 81st Oscars Prediction" will be a regular post in this blog from now on until the 81st Oscars (February 2009).