Los Angeles: The "green" limos are ready and graceful gowns begged, borrowed and bought. Hollywood is ready for a glittering Oscar on Monday, but the films that will be honoured are expected to be darkly pessimistic and the comedy sharply political.
Movie fans lined the red carpet outside the Kodak Theatre on Monday to watch George Clooney, Johnny Depp and other stars stroll into the world's top film honours.
Having hired America's leading political satirist, Jon Stewart, as master of ceremonies during a presidential campaign, Oscar organisers hope to spice up Hollywood's big night with jokes that will be repeated around the water cooler on Tuesday.
Oscar producer Gil Cates has promised an award ceremony filled with big stars including George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, Broadway songstress Kristin Chenoweth and teen idol Miley Cyrus to cheer the crowd.
But rain poured down on Los Angeles on Sunday and was expected to dampen the fashion parade on the red carpet leading into the Kodak Theatre for the ceremony.
Hollywood can't say this Academy Awards season has been an ebullient one as a three-month screenwriters strike, which ended this month, caused awards shows to be cancelled or drastically curtailed. Oscar watchers say this year's best film nominees reflect the mood of the 5,800 voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The two front-running movies for the best film honour are violent, a third nominee tells of corporate and legal greed, a fourth of family betrayal and the fifth teen pregnancy.
No Country for Old Men, directed by brothers Joel and Ethan Coen, features an insane killer played by Javier Bardem as its main character. It has eight nominations overall, and has earned the favour of critics and Hollywood's talent guilds.
Day-Lewis vs Clooney
Best actor front-runner Daniel Day-Lewis commands the screen in There Will Be Blood as a sadistic oil man at the turn of the early 20th century. It also has eight nominations.
Rival best actor nominee George Clooney wins respect as a fixer of problems in a New York law firm in Michael Clayton. Atonement tells of a passionate romance derailed by a lie between sisters, and Juno charts the life of a pregnant 16-year-old, played by best actress nominee Ellen Page, who plans for her baby's adoption.
Optimistic Juno has been the biggest box office hit among the best picture nominees with more than $125 million in US and Canadian ticket sales. No Country has topped $60 million and There will be Blood more than $30 million.
Atonement and Michael Clayton took in about $46 million each.
Time magazine film critic Richard Schickel noted there is an increasing disconnect between films that attract viewers and award-nominated movies that stir critics and industry groups like the academy.
Yet at Saturday's Spirit Awards, the independent film world's equivalent of the Oscars, the honour of best film was given to director Jason Reitman's Juno, which ultimately has a message of hope for the future.
Joining Juno star Page in the Oscar race for best actress are favourite Julie Christie for Alzheimer's drama Away From Her and French actress Marion Cotillard playing troubled singer Edith Piaf in La Vie En Rose.
Among supporting actress nominees are Cate Blanchett for I'm Not There, Tilda Swinton in Michael Clayton and veteran Ruby Dee for American Gangster.
The best actor race looks to be a toss-up between Day-Lewis and Clooney.
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