As reported by Oscarwatch...

Ebert thinks Babel is going to walk away with the win. And he also prefers it that way too.
His predictions for the acting categories are the same locks everyone has been talking about (Whitaker, Mirren, Murphy, Huson)

Dammit Ebert... don't do this again.

Ebert be wrong. Scorsese had this locked up when the Departed was approved for production.

I think Ebert is the most amazing man in the country*, but he's about as wrong as two plus two equals five here.

*Am I serious?

Awg Babel is shit. If it wins someone is going to be hanged.

I cant see all the critics being wrong. I think its just fashionable hating Babel on the internet because the hate for it is unexplainable. Its not A+ territory but its a good film.

But I want Departed to win.

Go Ebert!

After Crash I am not surprised by a Babel win, I didn't hate Babel, but its not Best Picture material. Oh well, I think my years of watching th oscars are over.

Its not fashionable, the film sucked, I gave it a chance and it was worse than I could have expected.

Dont get me wrong - I dont want Babel to win - nor do I think it deserves it - but its not that bad.

I just think they will vote it ad Best Pic as The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine dont seem like films the Academy will vote for. If they do - then the Academy isnt even trying anymore. Hopefully when the votes were sent through - the Babel hype has died down. Its performance at the box office is also the 2nd worst of the nominees - hopefully that means something too.

I thought Babel was alright. I was definitely underwhelmed when I saw it since I was pretty hyped up for it. Initial reactions were that it won't even be nominated but a few days later I thought it's probably something the Academy could go for.

I'm not sensing a strong amount of support for The Departed.
And although I LOVED little miss sunshine and would prefer it winning over anything but departed, it's not as weighty a comedy as say LiT or Sideways to win.

I'm really starting to think (again) that Babel might walk away with it. It's definitely a tight 3 way race.

If Babel wins, I swear, I'll never be able to watch the oscars again. There is no reason for it to be nominated for anything, and even less of a reason for it win shit.

Well I won't be done if Babel wins, but I'll officially turn into a Oscar haterz... for the time being.

Oh cmon, you know you'll all be back next season and all tune in next year, regardless of the winner, hahah.

I'll believe it when I see it, cuz I certainly don't now. :O

Either way, though, you've got nothing to worry about because there is zero point zero zero chance of Departed losing. :up:

Babel dies... thank god.

Now I can sleep happy.

I hope The Departed just wins everything it is nominated for this year. Down with Babel!!!!!!!!!!

Crash was an excellent movie that did a hell of a job encapsulating life in LA...Babel is just an OK movie that is dressing itself up as a great movie.

Babel won't win, and it's strange to see Ebert picking it, although he is not a good prognosticator at all so it's irrelevent.

Babel won't win because I didn't like it nearly as much as Crash.

Because I am God.

Just kidding.

But seriously...

It won't win.

Did anyone truly think Shakespeare in Love would win? I really hope you are right Libs. I just can't bear a Babel win.

He's probably correctly predicted the last 5 Best Picture winners.

I think it will win. Even though I don't think it's the strongest film.

If Babel wins, I'm done with the Oscars, not because I think it's a bad flick (I havn't even seen it) but I find it hard to believe this movie had no buzz, not very solid reviews, and poor box office returns and then out of fuckin' nowhere it gets all these noms. What the hell.

I took at the user reviewed Babel thread and the grades are all over the place. It was 10 B or higher and 12 C or lower. That's pretty divided and it's not like the ppl who graded it are slouches either. I'd be troubled if it won BP as well but I don't think it's going to happen especially when even critics are divided with it. I think the films with the most momentum going into the Oscars have the best chance at it and that should be LMS, Departed and the Queen. It will be a very interesting night that's for sure. The only award I hope goes as planned would be Scorcese for Director. If his name is read all will be right regardless of BP.

I took at the user reviewed Babel thread and the grades are all over the place. It was 10 B or higher and 12 C or lower. That's pretty divided and it's not like the ppl who graded it are slouches either. I'd be troubled if it won BP as well but I don't think it's going to happen especially when even critics are divided with it. I think the films with the most momentum going into the Oscars have the best chance at it and that should be LMS, Departed and the Queen. It will be a very interesting night that's for sure. The only award I hope goes as planned would be Scorcese for Director. If his name is read all will be right regardless of BP.