My picks:

Best Actor - Gene Hackman

Is always convincing no matter what character he portrays. Can do comedy and drama equally well. Isn't afraid to play slimy villains.

Best Actress - Kate Winslet

Was great in both ETERNAL SUNSHINE and (the crappy) FINDING NEVERLAND playing extremely different characters. Can play the wacky girlfriend role or the saintly mother role. Is attractive but still takes lots of chances with offbeat characters.

Best Director - Steven Spielberg

Makes the most consistently entertaining films. Tries to connect with mainstream audiences without completely pandering to them like a Michael Bay. Not always on target (see A.I.) but usually tackles ambitious projects and knows how to tell a story (unlike many directors these days). When it comes to visuals, he has few equals.

Actor: Johnny Depp
Has more range than any actor living today.

Actress: Natalie Portman
Kinda tough since I don't think of too many actresses standing out acting-wise. I'm going with Natalie because she's in 2 of my all-time favorite films.

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Hasn't made a bad film yet. Only gets better with each new film he directs. I can't think of another director I can honestly say that about.

This posting brought to you by Cinderella Man in theatres June 3rd.

Best Actor: Sean Penn

Best Actress: Julianne Moore

Best Director: Steven Soderbergh

Jude Law, Natalie Portman, Peter Jackson/Michel Gondry

Actor: Johnny Depp
Actress: Julianne Moore
Director: David Lynch

Actor
Russell Crowe

Actress
Ellen Burstyn

Director
Michael Mann

Actor - Gael Garcia Bernal

Actress - Julianne Moore? Audry Tatou?

Director - David Gordon Green

My Favorites that are still alive.

Actor-Johnny Depp
Actress-Natalie Portman/Nicole Kidman
Director-Martin Scorsese/Quentin Tarantino

actor: Johnny Depp
actress: Cate Blanchett
director: Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne

Hmmm... I must be watching the wrong Natalie Portman movies. Yeah, she's hot, but best actress today??.... you people have seen the Star Wars prequels right?

Actors
Edward Norton
Ewan McGregor
Johnny Depp
Samuel L. Jackson
Tom Cruise

Actresses
Jada Pinkett Smith
Jena Malone
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Scarlett Johansson
Uma Thurman

Directors
Chistopher Nolan
David Fincher
Michael Mann
Paul Thomas Anderson
Quentin Tarantino

Actor: Kôji Yakusho
Actress: Maggie Cheung
Director: Abbas Kiarostami

cygnet74 - I almost went with the Dardennes myself, but I've only seen their last three films, and that's not enough to go by.

Actor: Tom Hanks

Actress: Uma Thurman

Director: Ron Howard

He makes my list of worste actors. He plays Samuel Jackson in everything he does.

My picks:

Actors: Depp, Crowe - Maybe more than anyone else they are never afraid to take risks & can completely transform themselves to fit their roles.

Actress: - Uma Thurman - I think there are a ton of incredible actresses but NONE of them can pull of being an action star & that gives Uma an edge. Range is what defines an elite actor/actress IMO. It's a rare actress that can do action, drama, & then even comedy.


Director: David Cronenberg - Maybe people just don't watch his movies. The last pure, innovative visualist alive in cinema, & unlike almost every director mentioned so far, he is never afraid to take risks & constantly push the envelope.

Actor: Birol Unel
Actress: Renee Zellweger
Director: Michael Mann

p.s. Am I the only one who finds the nods for Ron Howard a bit disturbing?

A trait he shares with most of the great movie stars throughout film history. John Wayne, Katherine Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Jean Gabin, even Julia Roberts didn't become famous and popular because of acting ability (not that they couldn't act), they got that way because they could consistently recreate a popular and predictable public persona on screen. IMO that has little to do with genuine acting.

P.S. Cronenberg's Canadian.

Actor: Jack Nicholson
Actress: Ellen Burstyn
Director: Steven Soderbergh

Of course, my answers will be different tomorrow...

Nope, after Oliver Stone IMO he is the most overrated director today. He is what I call a "paint by the numbers" director. He has no distinct style or vision, I don't see what he brings to a film, his films are so visually bland. I watch one of his movies, and any of countless directors could do what he does.

Actor: Ed Norton

Actress: Kate Winslett

Director: Soderbergh

go out and rent garden state, and leon, and then see closer and you'll see what we mean, lets pretend that the prequels don;t exist.

You forgot BEAUTIFUL GIRLS!!! No soup for you!!!

Actor: Johnny Depp/Russell Crowe/Tom Cruise

Actress: Nicole Kidman/Natalie Portman

Director: Marty Scorsese

Actor: Tom Cruise
Actress: Jodie Foster
Director: Michael Mann