MOTION PICTURES

Ben Predicts
Babel: This is my pick not just because it has the most nominations, or stars the HFPA's favorite actor, Brad Pitt. I'm calling this because Babel is well crafted and will live on long past 2006—the sign of a truly great film. Shot across four continents, the epic tale draws you in, and each story would be strong enough to hold its own feature-length movie. Balanced and well thought out, it reminds us we are all connected, our actions matter and the choices we make do influence the lives of others. Watching Babel is an intense experience, one that will live with me always. Hands down, it's the year's Best Picture—dramatic, comedic or otherwise.

Ben Predicts
Borat, Borat, Borat: Do you even need me telling you it's funny? The film changed the face of comedy, captivated the world and launched a star in Sacha Baron Cohen. No Jim Carrey or Adam Sandler comedy could make me laugh the way Borat did. It was a physical experience—pure genius. The only question isn't will Borat win, but will Cohen show up in character?

Ben Predicts
Alejandro González Iñárritu, Babel: It drives me crazy when Best Picture doesn't match with Best Director. Luckily, Iñárritu and his epic masterpiece are a lock. Directing a combination of international movie stars and unknown first-timers, he captures the human spirit on film in a way I've never seen. He's relatively unknown to American audiences, but across the globe, the man is revered and respected as one of the great directors of our time.