The Producers Guild of America have given their top award to
No Country for Old Men yesterday evening and combined with winning the
Directors Guild of America award, the
Screen Actors Guild win double for Javier Bardem and 'Best Ensemble' it looks good and ready that it's gonna win 'Best Picture' at the Oscars.
...I expect something stupid like 6/1
ON by tonight. If NCfOM wins the
Writers Guild of America award it's almost assuredly game over.
It's a week away from the BAFTAs but it's very annoying to see that these bookies have started to pull out already and in this order:
Ladbrokes (two weeks ago),
Sky Bet (last week),
William Hill and
Boyle Sports (both yesterday).
The only two sticking it out right now are
Bet365 and
Paddy Power.
Daniel Day-Lewis (1/8), Julie Christie (2/7) and Javier Bardem (1/7) should all win their categories and they're far too short to consider a serious gamble (I'm not made of money!).
The only mysteries left are Best Film, Director, Rising Star and Supporting Actress.
Atonement should win Best Film. It's the British nominee, it's probably the only reason it managed to get through to the final five for 'Best Picture' at the Oscars (because of the British bloc vote) and they should be sending it's way to the Oscars as a winner. It would astound me if it didn't pick up the BAFTA for Best Film. This is where
No Country for Old Men won't win.
Paddy's are allowing me a maximum of £279.73 at 4/6 but I don't have that much of a death wish. I'll stick £100 on though. If it doesn't win Best Film I may as well quit.
The Coen brothers winning Best Director would be a 'consolation prize' and the BAFTAs have been known to go a bit wacky and not tie the winners of Film and Director together. I'm not betting on it though. No liquidity at the Fair unless you count two £4 bets on The Bourne Ultimatum and The Lives of Others!
Rising Star is awkward. If one's to go by
Betfair then it's Shia LeBeouf's or Sam Riley's to lose...however there's little liquidity at the moment.
Not a category worth betting on but I think it's as good an excuse to get
Sienna Miller an award and to grab a few front pages in the newspapers.
I'll stick £20 at 7/2 on the young Irish girl
Saoirse Ronan to win Best Supporting Actress. It could easily go to Cate Blanchett and judging by the minimal liquidity at
Betfair it will but I'm taking a small gamble that it won't.