A Queen, she is... Helen Mirren's portrayal of a living Monarch was not only brave but foolish, from a career point of view. There was so much room for her to get things wrong, she was totally exposed to criticisms from movie critics and royal aides and people who knew and lived with the real Queen of England. And yet the darling of British Film Industry put on a fine performance. Never was there someone who was so dominant in his or her category of nomination – producers of Dreamgirls dropped Jennifer Hudson a step down to Best Supporting category to avoid contesting for an award who many think is already won – All hail Queen Mirren.

If ever there was a need to encourage the low-budget film industry and embrace movies that only film festivals are willing to recognise, if ever the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences wants to wake up and smell the century and align themselves with sentiment of movie goers around the world today, there is no better time than to step out of the conventional and give the best movie of the year to Little Miss Sunshine.
The odd-ball and eccentric antics of this movie’s dysfunction family made crying and laughing simultaneously possible and showed that making good and meaningful movie did not involve big budgets, just a well-written script and a brilliant ensemble of fine actors - the best of this lot being the 10 year-old Abigail Breslin

I think the latter will steal the limelight at this year's Academy Awards. It is amusingly uplifting with real warmth and emphathy. It makes us think and realise that wisdom comes from failure and not from success. Kudos to all who are involved in the film in one way or another.

Well in any aspect of living there is a theme called challenge. Competition and winning is what drives us all. I love all the hollywood movies and all are winners in the end.

The Departed is not Scorsese’s best. In fact, it’s his effort to suit the mainstream. Still, it his style and that speaks well. And after numerous nominatios (5: Raging Bull, Last Temptation of Christ, Goodfellas, Aviator, Gangs of New York), and several other acclaimed movies (Taxi Driver, Mean Streets, and Raging Bull), I think its long due for him.

Scorsese might do an upset here, grabbing the Oscars away from Innaritu

The Story of Babel revolves around a lost rifle that brought the lives of people from 4 countries together in a roller coaster ride , the script was very tightly woven and the acting incredibly direct and real..beautiful balance of characters yet not losing the central focus which is the lost rifle that started the whole madness

Whereas 'Little Miss Sunshine' is a story of a quirky family with a foul mouth grandpa and a gay and troubled uncle who have just been released from the mental institution coming to together to put all their differences aside to enter a children beauty pageant ...travelling together in a Volkswagen Van with a faulty ignition , they lost each other and yet found each other
and gain deeper insight to what it mearnt to be a family

In my opinion , both titles are good stuff but Babel have a slight edge due to its global theme

I'd love for Little Miss Sunshine with all its eccentric delighfulness to come from behind and take the Oscar from boring boring Babel. Hey, it's been done before with Crash and Brokeback Mountain so I've got my fingers crossed.

Little Miss Sunshine is alot more interesting than Babel.

There's a lot to chew over in Babel. But because it's overstuffed, it also means that there's a lot not worth swallowing for.

As for 'Little Miss Sunshine', it is so brilliantly, hysterically perfect that the graceful message beneath it hardly registers: we're laughing so hard we've literally stopped breathing.

Therefore, 'Little Miss Sunshine' will steal the limelight at this years Academy Awards.

It should be a close fight between Meryl and Helen. Meryl is the boss from hell, superb acting. Helen has the regal of Queen of England. Judi Dench is one hell of a lesbian in the history of movie making.

Could there be a tie?