Article by Aaron Haughton

Last year was a fine year for film — one of the best years in recent memory — so needless to say, the competition is fierce between this year's nominees, particularly in the major categories. A strong case can be made for nearly every nomination, so it's extremely tough to gauge which way the Academy may lean, which should make watch the awards ceremony (if that's your thing) all the more thrilling.

We don't much care to theorize on what or who those suited stiffs will choose; no, we're only concerned about who or what we feel did the most standout job and is most deserving of recognition. Whether they emerge victorious or not, these our our picks for who we feel are the most worthy of the fanciest paperweight that Hollywood hands out. We were able to see most of the films nominated but not all, so these picks will only be for the categories that we have a base knowledge in.

Without further delay...