Movieline will be live-blogging the Golden Globes this Sunday (be sure to stop by -- the gang will all be here!), but until then, we're making bets on what will take home the gold. We've already made our TV predictions, but here are the contenders and dark horses who we think are best positioned for glory in the feature film categories:
Best Motion Picture (Drama)
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
Up in the Air
FRONT-RUNNER: Avatar, which is peaking at exactly the right time.
DARK HORSE: Inglourious Basterds, whose international, celebrity-studded cast certainly can't hurt it.
Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy)
(500) Days of Summer
The Hangover
It's Complicated
Julie & Julia
Nine
FRONT-RUNNER: Before Nine had actually come out, it would have looked like the slam-dunk winner here. It may still have the best chance, but...
DARK HORSE: It's Complicated is nipping at its heels.
Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Clint Eastwood, Invictus
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglorious Basterds
FRONT-RUNNER: I think the Globes will seize the opportunity to shine a spotlight on the surging Kathryn Bigelow.
DARK HORSE: Still, it's tough to count James Cameron out.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture (Drama)
Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
FRONT-RUNNER: Forget the merits of her performance -- Sandra Bullock is the biggest star in the category and this could be a news-making win for her. The Globes will be happy for the headlines.
DARK HORSE: Carey Mulligan is an up-and-coming, international ingenue, and if it weren't for Bullock, she'd walk away with this award.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture (Drama)
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Tobey Maguire, Brothers
FRONT-RUNNER: By dint of the fact that Up in the Air will probably get something, and the Globes love glamour, I think George Clooney has the edge here over Oscar face Jeff Bridges.
DARK HORSE: Still, the well-liked Colin Firth could always slip in and act as the spoiler.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy)
Sandra Bullock, The Proposal
Marion Cotillard, Nine
Julia Roberts, Duplicity
Meryl Streep, It's Complicated
Meryl Streep, Julie and Julia
FRONT-RUNNER: Meryl Streep's Julie and Julia performance is already an Oscar frontrunner, and a win here won't hurt.
DARK HORSE: Marion Cotillard isn't really a lead in Nine, but she delivers strong work anyway.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy)
Matt Damon, The Informant
Daniel Day Lewis, Nine
Robert Downey Jr., Sherlock Holmes
Joseph Gordon Levitt, (500) Days of Summer
Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man
FRONT-RUNNER: Oscar won't reward Daniel Day-Lewis for Nine, but I have a feeling the Globes will be more partial to his problematic performance.
DARK HORSE: Michael Stuhlbarg is the only one of these actors that can even claim to be an Oscar longshot (since The Informant never really caught fire for Matt Damon), but the Globes favor celebrity. Robert Downey Jr. could win simply for showing up.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Mo'Nique, Precious
Julianne Moore, A Single Man
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Penelope Cruz, Nine
FRONT-RUNNER: Mo'nique will continue to steamroll her way to the Oscar.
DARK HORSE: Anna Kendrick should just be happy to be mentioned as a dark horse. Mo' is unassailable.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Matt Damon, Invictus
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Christoph Waltz, Inglorious Basterds
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
FRONT-RUNNER: Christoph Waltz is almost as formidable as Mo'nique, but...
DARK HORSE: ...if there's a shock win, it could happen here, and it could be because of Woody Harrelson and the awards sleeper The Messenger.
Best Animated Feature Film
Coraline
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
The Princess and the Frog
Up
FRONT-RUNNER: Up has this category locked down.
DARK HORSE: The Fantastic Mr. Fox provides a hip -- if unlikely -- alternative.
Best Foreign Language Film
Barria
Broken Embraces
A Prophet
The White Ribbon
The Maid
FRONT-RUNNER: Broken Embraces has star power, but The White Ribbon seems to be making the most awards traction.
DARK HORSE: Jacques Audiard's terrific A Prophet has raked in awards overseas and should not be counted out.
Best Screenplay
Up in the Air
It's Complicated
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds
FRONT-RUNNER: There's no better place for the Globes to ensure a win by Quentin Tarantino than here. For the speech alone, it'll happen.
DARK HORSE: Up in the Air's awards cachet has faded a bit, but Jason Reitman could still find himself in contention.
Best Original Song
"I See You," Avatar
"The Weary Kind," Crazy Heart
"Winter," Brothers
"Cinema Italiano," Nine
"I Want to Come Home," Everybody's Fine
FRONT-RUNNER: "The Weary Kind" is the best-integrated song on the list. Will enough voters have seen Crazy Heart, though?
DARK HORSE: If not, Leona Lewis's maudlin "I See You" could take the prize just by riding Avatar's coattails. As long as it isn't the torturously tongue-twisting "Cinema Italiano," I think I'll survive.