A while ago, tMF posted about non-Americans not being given chances at winning Oscars. So we’re pleasantly surprised by last night’s big winners!

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French sensation Marion Cotillard won Best Actress for "La Vie En Rose, in which her portrayal of the legendary chanteuse Edith Piaf reduced many  moviegoers to tears. Oscar pundits were dismissing her a few days ago and predicting that the Oscar would either go to Julie Christie or Cate Blanchett. Apparently they were all wrong.

Upon receiving the trophy, Cotillard broke down in tears and thanked the Academy.

"Thank you life, thank you love, and it is true there are some angels in this city," said the actress.

She remained radiant and charming, just as she did during the red carpet walk where numerous hosts took turns interviewing her. The French actress was quite humble and answered questions ranging from which role she would take up next, her Jean Paul Gaultier dress and the Hollywood stars she has met.

British born- Irish citizen Daniel Day-Lewis, regarded as one of the most talented actors today, won Best Actor for PT Anderson’s There Will Be Blood. No surprise there, since almost everyone had predicted him to be the frontrunner. He received the trophy from last year's Best Actress winner, Helen Mirren.

Updates! Take a look at our success rate in predicting the Oscars. We invite you to join the party and post what's on your mind!

tMF picks the Academy Awards!

Film Review Administrator Jeremy Welsch and film reviewer David DiMichele weigh in on the major Oscar categories.

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This year, the Oscars saw the likes of evil like they've never seen before and surprisingly, they embraced it wholeheartedly. With 8 nominations each, No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood both hope to garner the Best Picture prize. This category isn’t only home to the most nominated films but also to two other dark  films with 7 nominations each: Michael Clayton and Atonement. The lone ranger of joy and happiness that rounds up the nominees for Best Picture is the little indie hit Juno that has made more money than any of the other films. There’s no such thing as a sure thing this year but there will be a fight for the top award and evidently, there will be blood spilled!

You may want to explore further in cinema and take some breather from your usual Hollywood fanfare. You're definitely in for a big surprise. A lot of current foreign movies are so good, you need to see them, yes, if you have to go find the DVDs via ebay or amazon, you should! In this first series, we feature four of the hottest young talents from Europe that are making a lot of buzz in some of today's most acclaimed foreign films.

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Charismatic, versatile, talented. Three words to describe these 4 amazing actors. Not only are they quite famous in their home country, they have been nominated (and have won) a number of awards for playing some of the most exciting and powerful performances for actors.

Riding High: Nicolai Cleve Broch

"I'm very proud to be part of this new Norwegian Wave and Buddy was actually the first film to make it big in Norway and to be distributed around the world. Before, filmmakers had difficulty making feature films and had to wait sometimes 10 years to make their next movie. " says Nicolai Cleve Broch.

Broch was talking about Morten Tyldum's film Buddy, a delightful comedy about a young man's struggle to find a place of his own, of growing up and taking responsibility. The film received raves from audiences and critics alike when it premiered at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

The lone ranger of joy and happiness that rounds up the nominees for Best Picture is the little indie hit Juno that has produced more money than any of the other films.

That's how tMF described Jason Reitman's film, Juno in our Oscar prediction post. Apparently, the Spirit Awards wanted more joy and fun this year, as the film won big time in the said awards. The Hollywood Reporter has more:

"His unorthodox style and approach to film narrative is both beautiful and frustrating."

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tMF continues the weekend leading up to the Oscar’s with this week’s Top Five!

If this list had been made last year, Martin Scorsese would have no doubt been toward the top. But after his sixth nomination, he finally took home the award he had earned so many times before but had eluded him. Now that that injustice has finally been righted we are left with a new crop to fight for the top spot.

Interestingly enough some possible newcomers to this club are nominated this year. The Coen brothers and Paul Thomas Anderson could, years from now, be vying for their first win as well. At the very least, one of them will walk away empty handed tomorrow night.

Some on the list may have been given an honorary or lifetime achievement award, and some may have won in other categories, but none of them have won an Academy Award in the category that made them famous.

tMF Top Five – Best Directors who haven't won an Oscar
By Jeremy Welsch

Updates: We last reported about this new movie back in 2007. In March this year, it will finally be in theatres! I would expect both Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Channing Tatum to do awesome, since both have been doing great. Levitt is of course, a big big tMF favorite and Tatum, who was so terrific in A Guide to Recognizing your Saints was listed in our top 50 hottest young actors. Hopefully Ryan Philippe can also deliver. Not that we doubt him, he was quite good in last year's Breach.

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Kimberly Peirce, the innovative director who made headlines with Boys Don't Cry, is generally credited with making Hillary Swank one of the most sought-after actors today. Peirce also propelled Chloë Sevigny into the A-list of young actresses ready to take on challenging and exciting roles from indie filmmakers.

I can still remember the first time I watched City of God and how it affected me- it's one of the most visually arresting films I have seen, and I find that it would take me more than just one sitting to fully absorb it. Fernando Meirelles showed us the real Brazil, much more than what a dozen textbooks and travel brochures can accomplish.

City of God features such memorable set of characters! I can still remember rooting for Rocket, as he realized his dream of becoming a photographer. I also remember with sadness the death of Benny, the coolest guy in the favela, and how I hate Lil'Z! The story is a big revelation. Not that I have no idea about crime and violence in Brazil, but its the way it was presented that made it even more absorbing. I was asking myself, perhaps there is another movie that can match its intensity and power?

And comes City of Men...

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From the producers of the award-winning phenomenon “City of God,” comes a new journey to the other side of paradise – a riveting, humor-filled yet emotionally power-packed tale from the gritty heart of Rio, where two teenaged best friends are about to battle the daunting odds against becoming men on the lawless outer streets of one of the world’s most volatile cities.

Cinematical says Variety just recently reported that Warner Bros has reclaimed the rights to Katsuhiro Otomo's six-volume graphic novel Akira after a spirited bidding war, and is planning to adapt the book into two live action films. The project is being put on the fast track, with the first film due to be released in summer 2009.

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Ain't It Cool News reports that not only will Leonardo DiCaprio be producing the live action film, they also have it on good authority that he is set to star as the lead, Kaneda. They also reported that one of our fave actors here at tMF, Joseph Gordon Levitt, will play the character Tetsuo.

From Wiki, the Akira film plot is set in a New Manhattan, a city rebuilt by Japanese money after being destroyed 31 years ago. Warner Bros. and Apian Way will adapt the two movies from the Akira (manga) of the same name.